This post was originally published on this site
His Eminence, Michael, Archbishop of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, offered the second lecture in this year’s St. Tikhon’s Evening Lecture Series focusing on “Back to Basics” on Tuesday evening, October 17th. Archbishop Michael, St. Tikhon’s Seminary Rector since 2013, and Professor of New Testament and Pastoral Theology, has been teaching in the area of Scripture since 1974. He began teaching at Christ the Savior Seminary in Johnstown, PA, where he attended seminary, and later continued teaching Scripture at Duquesne University while he completed Master of Arts Degree in Theology (1979) and subsequently his Ph.D. Degree also in Theology (1998). He has been teaching at St. Tikhon’s Seminary since 1993, continuing while serving as first Administrative Dean and then Dean from 2001 until 2010 when he was elevated to the episcopacy.
His presentation topic was: “What is the Bible: An Orthodox Understanding”. In the series of photos early in the presentation, His Eminence sought participation from those attending in an exercise where he highlighted the ways in which one can come to believe in Our Lord, Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Using a paperclip, he highlighted three pathways in increasing order, belief by chance, belief through hearing someone share about Him, or belief through seeing Him themselves.
Archbishop Michael offered a very clear model for those attending to understand the Scriptures as part of Holy Tradition. He placed Scripture as a small circle at the core of Holy Tradition, and the Cross of Christ in the center of that small circle. He encouraged everyone to regularly read Scripture and to open himself or herself to revelation that comes through participation in the Divine Services.
(Photos, Seminarian Isaac Lampart)
