Alexander Schmemann was a significant Eastern Orthodox theologian and priest within the Orthodox Church in America. His writings primarily explored the depths of liturgy, spiritual life, and the theology underpinning the Christian experience.
Fr Alexander Schmemann's broadcasts on Radio Liberty offer a poignant message to those who suffered under Stalin's regime, addressing themes of deprivation and persecution. His insights resonate beyond that historical context, tackling contemporary issues of misinformation and societal challenges. By grounding his reflections in the gospel of Jesus Christ, Schmemann provides a framework for understanding truth and perspective in both past and present struggles.
A very timely history of Russian culture and its particular trends and
tendencies, which are shown to be frequently contradictory and even mutually
exclusive.
Alexander Schmemann (1921–1983) byl jedním z nejvýznamnějších pravoslavných teologů 20. století. Od roku 1951 až do své smrti působil v Semináři sv. Vladimíra, jenž se i pod jeho vedením stal jedním z důležitých duchovních center pravoslaví ve Spojených státech. Otec Alexander však byl víc, než jen profesor nebo děkan fakulty. Na srdci mu ležela zejména jednota pravoslaví, jeho „katolicita“, jež by dokázala překonat tíhu dědictví nacionalismů v diaspoře. Snažil se formovat církevní obce, které by dokázaly žít svou víru naplno, v radosti z Kristova zmrtvýchvstání. Radost ze vzkříšení, radost z podílu na Božím království v liturgii, prostupovala nejen jeho přednáškami, promluvami do rádia, knihami, ale celým jeho životem. Ti, které doprovázel, vzdělával, vychovával na něj dodnes vzpomínají jako na někoho, koho tato radost cele opanovala a rozlévala se tak na všechny kolem. Tento výbor z deníků (orig. The Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann 1973-1983, St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2000) z posledních deseti let jeho života, který čtenářům předkládáme, odhaluje nejen tuto radost, hluboký vztah ke Kristu, ale obsahuje také trefné postřehy týkající se společenských nešvarů, politických událostí i vnitřních zápasů křesťanství.
A School of Repentance. Its Meaning for Orthodox Christians
Focusing on the significance of Great Lent, this book serves as a guide to understanding its meaning for Orthodox Christians. It emphasizes the themes of repentance and spiritual growth, exploring the historical importance of this period in the Christian calendar. The modern reformatting ensures clarity and readability, preserving the essential teachings for both current and future generations. This work aims to keep the traditions and lessons of Great Lent alive and accessible.
In his broadcasts on Radio Liberty, Fr Alexander Schmemann spoke to men and
women behind the iron curtain who had endured the deprivation, persecution,
and state-enforced propaganda of the Stalin years. But his words do not belong
to that era alone. They are addressed just as urgently to our own time.
In For the Life of the World Alexander Schmemann suggests an approach to the world and life within it, which stems from the liturgical experience of the Orthodox Church. He understands issues such as secularism and Christian culture from the perspective of the unbroken experience of the Church, as revealed and communicated in her worship, in her liturgy the sacrament of the world, the sacrament of the Kingdom. Of what life do we speak, what life do we preach, proclaim, and announce when, as Christians, we confess that Christ died for the life of the world? In For the Life of the World Alexander Schmemann suggests an approach to the world and life within it, which stems from the liturgical experience of the Orthodox Church. He understands issues such as secularism and Christian culture from the perspective of the unbroken experience of the Church, as revealed and communicated in her worship, in her liturgy the sacrament of the world, the sacrament of the Kingdom. For over half a century For the Life of the World has challenged, illumined, and inspired readers from many backgrounds. For some it is an introduction to the Orthodox Church, while for others it is a call to plunge more deeply into the life of the Kingdom, both manifested and anticipated here and now in the liturgy of the Church. This updated edition of Schmemann s classic text includes a new foreword by Dr Edith M. Humphrey, along with new explanatory notes and an index. -- ‡c From publisher's description
In these previously unpublished talks, Fr Alexander Schmemann critiques contemporary culture's distorted understanding of death. He then examines the Church's rites for burial and her prayers for the dead. Though they are often misunderstood, at the heart of the services Fr Alexander finds the paschal proclamation: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life." --Publisher description.
