Use of Patristics ,English Language and common use for Orthodox Church
We of the Indian Church though it had relationship didnot have much contact with the other Churches where Holy Orthodoxy flourished like Coptic Egypt, Armenia,Syria in the early centuries . It didnot and could not have growth as it should have and make use of our common Orthodox Christian faith in day to day life of the Church because of India not being at all close proximity to the places like Antioch,Alexandria, Rome Constantinople etc. where th devolopment of the Church was happening through the lives of the fathers ,the saints.
It was from 17th Century when persecutions by way of the Roman Catholic led the Church in India to seek help and by God's grace help came from the Church in Antioch. However this also led many from the Church in India to just blindly copy the Antiochene traditions even just saying the words in Liturgy with a foriegn tongue without even understanding a single word in vernacular common language.
In late 19th century some works of the liturgy and Patristic prayers of saints like St. Philxenos , St. Severus and something like the Common book of prayer in our language called Pampanguda namskarakramam was bought out. This too was also not so much used by the common people.
However now in 21st Centurgy when globalization, internet etc. with world becoming closer and English language is commonly used all over the world, perhaps there exist a chance to a return to meditate and some might emulate the characterstics of the lives of the fathers to witness by their lives as Orthodox Christians.
For guiding them and helping them, they need to know how the early Church fathers lived. It is where we should see a common need to help in spreading Patristic literature to all and not just in isolation as Coptic fathers, Syrian Fathers ,Armenian Fathers etc., by the individual Coptic, Ethiopian, Amenian Church but together as Orthodox Christians as a mission of the Church in whole.
Please share your thoughts on this.
Comments
Armenian Narek and cataloguing reccomended books
A book which I found from browsing is this known as Narek written by St. Gregory of Narek ( Armenia ) in 11 th Century.
The entire book can be read at
http://www.stgregoryofnarek.am/intro.php
I think a list of reccommended patristic books for all Orthodox Christian can be developed . This will be a book that may be included in it.
George Varghese
An Orthodox Christian from the Church in India presently in Canada. May God make the members of the Catholicate reestablish the relation it had with the other Orthodox Churches through use of this library
Oriental Orthodox Church
It is good that we should look to the One Church. We, the Oriental Orthodox, who are composed of Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Indian, Ethiopian, and Eritrean, are the oldest churches in the world, and the ones with the unchanged faith. We have a rich history which I am sure should be known to everyone one of the regional churches. Such as a Copt probably doesn't known about Armenian history and patriarchs, and an Ethiopian probably doesn't know about the Syrian Orthodox that well. In April, I went to a Coptic Church in Visalia and I loved it so much because it wasn't just Copts who were there, it had Armenians and Eritreans, it was beautiful, it was a reflection of the One Church. I believe that we should write in depth articles about each of the churches so we can understand the history and appreciate the small differences in the style that in the end portray the one true faith, no matter where we go.
Ecumenical Fathers and Fathers of the Ecumene
Dear George,
Thank you kindly for your insightful and intriguing look at the history of the Orthodox in India. It is encouraging to know of the common interest in the Fathers as you so mention. We do wish for a broad perspective of recovering the church in which the fathers were ecumenical and the ecumene shared the same fathers. We also have a plan to investigate closely the liturgical history and development of these particular regions in which little study has been done. Currently we are in the process of gathering these sources which have been hitherto unexplored. Any resources that you feel are pertinent or necessary for study of the Orthodox Church in India would be of great blessing and benefit. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
May God bless you and your service.
Indian Malankaran Orthodox Church
Additional information on the Indian Malankaran Orthodox Church:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malankara_Orthodox_Syrian_Church