# 3 (14) 1997

SUMMARY

     An essay by Metropoltan ANTHONY of Sourozh "Thoughts on Reading of Holy Scripture", opens the 14th issue (the 3rd in 1997) of the journal Alpha and Omega. In the same section Biblical Studies we print a paper by Sergej GOVORUN "The Parable of a Prodigal Son" that contains a theological interpretation of Lk 15:11-32.
     The section Patristic Exegesis contains "Questions and Answers to Thalassios. LVI-LVIII" by St MAXIMUS the Confessor translated into Russian and with a commentary by Aleksej SIDOROV. The next section Patristics contains texts from the "Second Part" of the writings by St ISAAC the Syrian found in 1983 and translated into Russian by Hieromonk ILARION (Alfeev). The same section contains the next portion of "Amphilochia" by St. PHOTIUS, Patriarch of Constantinople translated into Russian and commented by Dmitrij AFINOGENOV (the publication was started in Issue 13 of Alpha & Omega). Here we print also fragments from the "Cosmic Liturgy. St Maximus the Confessor" by Hans URS VON BALTHASAR preceded by a paper by Aleksej SIDOROV entitled "St Maximus the Confessor and his Epoch portrayed by H. Urs von Balthasar". A paper by Tatjana MILLER "The 'Dialogue' by Justinus and Plato's 'Dialogues'" concludes the section.
     The next section Church in History contains papers by Fr John MEYENDORFF "St. Peter in Byzantine Theology" in which Byzantine attitudes toward the primacy of Peter are traced back. A paper by Archimandrite MAKARIJ (Veretennikov) "Ministry of Metropolitan Makarij of All Russia in Mozhajsk" outlines the period of St Makarij's life in 1523-26. Fr Dionisij POZDNJAEV's paper "The Church in China. On the Way to Autonomy" belongs to the same section.
     The next section Church in Eternity contains the "Funeral Oration to our Holy Father and Confessor Nicetas written by THEOSTERICTOS His Disciple" written before 845 and translated into Russian by Dmitrij AFINOGENOV. Here we print also a paper by Tatjana MIKHAJLOVA "St Columba of Ireland" and the "Life of Colum Cille" translated from Middle Irish by Svetlana LOPUKHOVA.
     The section Apologetics includes a paper by Archimandrite GEORGIJ (Tertyshnikov) "Pastoral Care of Souls by Clergymen of the Orthodox Church (according to the works of St Feofan the Recluse)". An article by Vladimir SHOKHIN "Imaginary Influences" follows, in which alleged contacts between Indian tradition and the New Testament are analyzed. Sergej BELORUSOV's paper "The Psychology of the Fear of Death" presents a Christian psychotherapist's view on the problem.
     The next section Church Culture contains papers by Fr Vasilij ZEN'KOVSKIJ "The Idea of the Orthodox Culture", by Fr Aleksij UMINSKIJ "The Catcher in the Rye", and the second part of Nun IGNATIJA (Petrovskaja)'s paper "The Experience of Liturgical Theology in the Works of Russian Hymnographers" started in Issue 13 of the journal.
     In a new section entitled Prose we print "Stories about Children" by Natalija SHAKHOVSKAJA-SHIK and "Materials from a Family Archive".
     Information about the fifth conference in the memory of St Makarij provided by Archimandrite MAKARIJ (Veretennikov), the next part of materials for study entitled "A History of the Ecumenical Councils: Justinianus and the V-VIth Council" by Alexander DVORKIN, a letter to the editor, and the list of contents for 1997 conclude the issue.