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This story of profound spiritual transformation demonstrates how a bishop and a local monastery turned a village riddled by scandal into one of the most spiritually vibrant towns in all of Greece. The book covers the political history and religious character of the region of Nikopolis, from time of the Apostle Paul in 63 AD to the arrival of Bishop Meletios in 1980.
With great sensitivity, the author deals with the issue of sexual misconduct within the church, the restoration of the local church to spiritual health, and the renewed trust between church leaders and the laity. He focuses on the actions of the local monastic community and their leader, Bishop Meletios, who applied his ancient faith in a modern context to bring about social and religious change. This true story from Greece is an inspirational and valuable resource for seekers of Christian Orthodoxy.
Stephen R. Lloyd-Moffett is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at California Polytechnic State University. His professional research centers on ascetic traditions.
Excerpt: As an institution, the Church cannot overcome the inertia of moral decline, subjectivism, and hedonism in our society. As an institution, the Church can never train all the priests to be educated, holy vessels of God. As an institution, the Church will not preserve the Truth of God and the purity of His altar unblemished. If the Church was only a human institution, despair would be entirely justified. Bishop Meletios wants to remind people that, fortunately, the Church is not merely a human institution.
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Yet as easily as the people noted Bishop Meletios’ personal strictness, they also noted his compassion. One resident recalled, “I came to respect him the most because while he is very strict with himself, with others he is lenient.” Thus he quickly came to be known not only for his personal ascetic regime but also for the love with which he embraced the people.
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I kept my head down and concentrated on my task. No one else had such solemnity. An octopus eye came whizzing by my head. Laughter. A tentacle slid across the table into someone’s lap. More laughter. Finally, an octopus became a hand-puppet for a mini-play whose content I failed to grasp but knew from others’ reactions must have been hilarious. I knew that I had walked into a family— true brothers—but was it also a monastery?
ISBN 9780881413410
5.5 x 8.5
Price: US $20.00
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