Florovsky's 'Collected Works'

I remembered that there had been some discussion about the status of the 'Collected Works' of Fr Georges Florovsky, and not being sure how much was known by the others on the blog, I thought I'd share some references to it that I recently came across in SVS's biography of Fr Florovsky--Georges Florovsky: Russian Intellectual, Orthodox Churchman, edited by Andrew Blane.

'Nordland Press, in an ambitious undertaking, set out in the 1970s to publish Florovsky's collected works in English. He was pleased by the plan, and welcomed the first two volumes to reach print in 1972 and 1974. But disenchantment followed. He voiced strong displeasure with changes in the next two volumes, particularly volume three, saying they were not to his liking and he had not been consulted. In 1979, when the next volume was in prospect, he took the unusual step of insisting through a lawyer that he be sent a proposed contract as well as all aspects of the planned text not already posted for his personal checking and correcting. Until these conditions were met, publication could not go forward.'
There is also a note with further interesting information:
'The lawyer was Christopher S. Tarr of the firm Smith, Stratton, Wise and Heher, Princeton, New Jersey. Florovsky's side of the story ended with his death in August. Those who might now legally represent him were absorbed in settling his estate. Nordland Press continued to publish his works. The story is sad and dismal, that of a botched opportunity. Within a few years Nordland filed for bankruptcy to obtain relief from its creditors. Organized in Liechtenstein under another name, Buchervertriebsanstalt [sorry, didn't want to take the time over the umlaut], but controlled still by Richard S. Haugh [author of Photius and the Carolingians], production of Florovsky's works renewed. This press also would fold. The quality of its works continued to deteriorate. Volumes XIII and XIV, for example, are shoddy and misleading. But even parts of the earlier, better volumes, are erroneous. To illustrate with one of the unauthorized changes that I know, having multiplied, led Father Georges to turn to a lawyer: his Ingersoll Lecture at Harvard University on "The Resurrection of Life" was published in Volume III under the significantly different title "The 'Immortality' of the Soul".'

The Lukan Jump?!

Does anyone know what a "Lukan Jump" is?

I just came across this somewhat ridiculous bit of information (well, actually, the concept is understandable, the name...well...leaves much to be desired!)

Lukan Jump

Something You Always Wanted to Know About Praying but Were Afraid to Ask

I just came across this in Part II of 'Elder Arsenios the Cave-Dweller' in the new Divine Ascent. I don't know about anyone else, and maybe I'm just a little weird, but this is something that I genuinely wondered about:

Another young man asked, 'Elder what should I do? When I go to the "place" because of my needs, the demon of uncleanness fights with me.'

'Oh!' the Elder replied. 'You should fight him by continually saying the prayer very fast.'

'But Elder, can we say the prayer in the toilet?'

'What? Oh, in the place of need!' (Thus he called the toilet in proper Pontian). Who told you that you couldn't? Didn't the apostle say to pray unceasingly? If you fight, I'll fight. Are you putting thoughts in him? I'll pull them out with the prayer.' [He seems to say this latter to the devil.]

'Don't you know the example of the young man who prayed so much that he distressed Satan? One time, the tempter became furious from the prayers and found an opportunity, as the youth was going to the bathroom. He appears in front of him and says: "Aren't you ashamed to say the prayer on the toilet?" And immediately the youth said "Yes, and I'll say the prayer on the crapper until I get all the crap out of my soul!"'

'Satan couldn't stand it; he was furious and vanished into thin air.'

Bible Textbook for Public Schools Planned

Quite interesting developments on the place of the Bible in US education (and, tangentially, on its relationship to the Church/State issue). I'm wondering, though, if this is a symptom, essentially, of increased religious tolerance, or if it is, indirectly, a fruit of religious indifference? I've always been impressed by "Enlightened Europe's" willingness to include "religious education" in their curriculum, but I'm wondering now if it is more a product of their lack of interest in religion as something that affects them on a personal level. Does the average European consider the study of religion to be much different than the study of anthropology, psychology, history, and so on?

Check out an article here

And the following quotes are located here

"Public schools have no business using Bible instruction to advance a religious agenda. But when they decline to impart knowledge about such an important subject, they are not doing anything to preserve the separation of church and state. They are merely failing their students."
Chicago Tribune (May 12, 2005)

“How are we to expect our young people to live up to America’s ideals if they are cut off from the stories, beliefs and metaphors that for hundreds of years gave those principles life?”
The Wall Street Journal (Nov. 12, 1999)

“It would be hard for anyone ignorant of the Bible to understand much of the story of civilization. Public schools are obligated to avoid promoting religion, but if they ignore it completely they do a disservice to both their pupils and the Constitution."
The Chicago Tribune (Nov. 28, 1999)

“The Bible & Public Schools: A First Amendment Guide (located in our Curriculum Adoption Kit) recognizes that the Bible has helped shape history, culture, art and literature, and it suggests ways to make teaching about the Bible in public schools acceptable without risking lawsuits.”
The New York Times (Nov. 12, 1999)

The evenings are getting chillier...

Yep, it's that time of year...I just saw the first flock of birds heading south! It seems quite early, though...but it's the first flock I've seen down here in North Carolina since moving back down here in the Spring...and they were certainly heading south. What a remarkable world!

Translation Standards

So...I just re-read an email from a friend from Greece regarding translation standards and thought I'd bring up the topic, hoping to inspire a dialogue.
For those unfamiliar with the issue, it deals with the development of standard ways of translating from a foreign language into English (in this case, from Greek).
One of the main questions is whether or not to use the latinization of Greek words (Anthony or Antony or Antonios? Nectarios or Nektarios?) Another issue is whether or not one should adopt Western ecclesiastical terminology (should το μυστήριο be translated "the sacrament" or "the mysterion" or "the mystery"?)
What other issues are there that are related to translation standards? Where do you stand on this issue and why? For non-Greek specific issues, what English style manual do you use?

Exercises in New Testament Greek?

From the homepage of the Christian Classics Ethereal Library:

"A New CD-Rom is available: The Audio Greek New Testament. This CD has the entire Greek new Testament, narrated, in MP3 format. Listen to the Greek New Testament while you exercise!"

Both sublime and ridiculous...but not a bad idea for those trying to work on their New Testament Greek!

http://www.ccel.org/cdrom/gnt.html