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New Translation of Hippolytus’s ‘Song’ Commentary

I have been meaning to post links to Roger Pearse‘s fascinating patristic posts, which appear almost daily. Now I’ve accumulated quite a backlog. You should probably just go over and get caught up. But note especially his news of a recent translation of Hippolytus’s “On the Song of Songs” (“a translation from so marginal a language [Georgian] of an interesting Ante-Nicene text”). Roger also posts updates on his translation projects, Eusebius and Cyril of Alexandria.

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The Byzness of Bible Reading

The Society of St. John Chrysostom Youngstown-Warren Chapter is sponsoring a very cool all-day workshop on “How the Byzantine Tradition Reads the Bible.” The presenter will be Father John S. Custer, S.T.D. I’ve heard Father Custer speak. He’s an outstanding (and entertaining) teacher, steeped in the Fathers. The academic dean of Saints Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, he has spoken at the St. Paul Center‘s Letter & Spirit Conference. He is author of several books, including The Apostolic Writings: A Byzantine Perspective.

The seminar takes place Saturday, October 18, 2008, at St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, 7782 Glenwood Ave., Boardman, Ohio. (Attention, catechists: It has been approved by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, Office of Religious Education, for 3.5 hours of Religious Education Certification Credit. Those credits usually transfer beyond diocesan borders.)

The conferences break down as follows: “How the Church Receives the Scriptures”; “How the Church Hears the Old Testament”; “From Scripture to Homily to Hymn — Biblical Worship in the Byzantine Church.” Interspersed will be times of liturgical prayer — as with all events of the SSJC — and times of eating (never a disappointment).

For more information, call 330-573-8653.

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Extreme Ankh-tion

Last week I was on Chuck Neff’s “Searching the Word,” on Relevant Radio, talking up my new book, Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols. Chuck took a special interest in my chapter on early Christian use of the Ankh, or crux ansata (cross with a handle). Since the time of the Pharaohs, Egyptians have used the Ankh as a symbol of everlasting life. An emblem of the Nile River god, the ankh represented the “key” he used to unlock the floodgates for the annual fertility of the land. Later, for Coptic Christians, it represented the cross of Christ, the key that released the baptismal flood upon the entire earth.

Anyway … I got an email from my old buddy Andy Owens, a great financial whiz, who’s now living and banking in Chicago. And he says: “I’m listening to you now on Relevant Radio discussing your new book. I’m going to mass-produce and sell ‘Ankh if you love Jesus’ bumper stickers. You want in? We’ll make $100s.”

Well, no one ever went broke by taking Andy’s advice. (I’m sure Lehman wouldn’t listen.) So I’ll see you at the country club. I’ll be wearing my Ankh.

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Great Conference Next Week

We at the St. Paul Center are co-sponsoring a conference Friday and Saturday, September 19-20, at University of Saint Mary of the Lake Conference Center, in Mundelein, Illinois. If you can get to the Chicago area, please consider joining us.

It’s a two-day conference on the Bible and the Liturgy. The speakers are outstanding (see below). The days will be measured (of course) with beautiful liturgical prayer.

Friday, September 19 (academic sessions)

Jesus and the New Temple: Old Testament and New Testament Temple Typology
Dr. Brant Pitre with respondent Dr. Denis McNamara

Scripture, the Early Church and the Fathers
Dr. John Cavadini with respondent Dr. Lynne Boughton

The Bible, Liturgy and Social Justice
Dr. David Fagerberg with respondent Dr. William Portier

Vatican II and Scripture in the Liturgy, Fr. Robert Barron

Evening Address: The Bible and the Liturgy – Written Text Becomes Living Word
Dr. Scott Hahn

Saturday, September 20 (general sessions)

The Bible, Liturgy and Salvation History
Mr. Jeff Cavins

The Biblical Roots of the Prayers of the Mass
Dr. Brant Pitre

The Sanctification of Time: Feasts and The Bible
Fr. Douglas Martis

The Bible, Liturgy and Christian Mystagogy
Dr. Scott Hahn

For more information, see here.

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Fathers of the Fretboard

Regular visitors to this blog know the name of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame’s resident expert on patristics. It’s Dion — once of the Belmonts, singer of many number-one hits, starting in 1957, when he was seventeen years old. He’s the voice on “Teenager in Love,” “I Wonder Why,” “The Wanderer,” “Ruby, Ruby,” and “Abraham, Martin and John.” He’s one of only two pop artists depicted on the cover of the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

The New York Times cast him as a reader of Augustine and even noted his connection to Yours Truly. His musical tribute to St. Jerome, The Thunderer, is available for download on Amazon. And, if you don’t own it by now … well, what are you waiting for?

Today’s mail brought Dion’s new album, which is a further foray in patristics — guitar patristics, that is. It’s called Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock, and it’s a tribute to Dion’s favorite axemen from the 1950s and 1960s. Some names are familiar. Some will be new to all but the true aficionados — because in the days before Jimmy Page, the lead guitarist was another of the unknown backup band behind Elvis, Del Shannon, and Johnny Cash. Dion himself is an outstanding guitarist, but was told “Lead singers don’t play guitar.” Now he’s at a place where he can do both if he wants, and he does them with his inimitable style.

The songs are well chosen, an ultimate party mix: “Summertime Blues,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Runaway,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “I Walk The Line,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Dream Baby,” “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” and even Dion’s own “The Wanderer.” It’s all done with the Bronx attitude that’s won a half-century of loyalty from the listening public.

With all that good stuff comes a bonus DVD of Dion sharing memories of his guitar heroes. As they say on Amazon: Buy it now!

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Jester Minute

Jeff Miller, the Curt Jester, has rendered judgment on my new book, Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols.

I really learned a lot from this book and while I had a general idea of meaning of many symbols I found a wealth of details. For example I will never look at the Ichthys when I see it on someone’s bumper the same way. I knew how it came about and that it was a Greek acronym and often used in the early Church, but I had no idea about the Eucharistic overtones and some of the other theological depths involved. Being an ex-Navy Chief I was also pleasantly surprised to see how the anchor was another common symbol used and its meaning.

I need to have Lea Marie Ravotti illustrate more of my books. All my heroes of the blogosphere have reviewed this one enthusiastically.

Adrian Murdoch, late of Bread and Circuses (moment of silence, please), was first out of the gate with this capsule notice: “Mike Aquilina’s Signs and Mysteries provides a popular yet academically rigorous guide to symbols in the early church. The immediately accessible prose — which quotes thoughtfully from the church fathers, classical and Jewish sources — is complemented by generous illustrations. He has not only drawn on the obvious archaeological and epigraphic record, he has also delved into the fascinating world of Christian graffiti. An essential book to keep to hand when visiting early Christian sites.”

Then Kevin Edgecomb at Biblicalia wrote the kind of close-reading, sensitive review that every author (or artist) dreams of.

Happy Catholic is promising a series.

And now the Curt Jester himself.

A man could retire on such praise — if he didn’t have so many teenagers to feed.

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Olive My Love

You can’t read too far into the Fathers without picking up on the importance of the olive in Mediterranean life. Called the “meat of the poor,” it was a staple in the diet, an ingredient in food, a seasoning, and a main course in itself. Its oil was a medicine, a lotion, a base for perfumes. In the Church, it was the myron, the sacred chrism used in sacramental anointings. Archaeology magazine has posted an interesting interview that gets to the pit of the matter: Olives and People, Past and Present.

I can’t really fault God for choosing to become incarnate in a place where his mama would cook so much with olive oil. I had no choice in my placement, but it sure worked for me.

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Findable Books and Teachable Girls

Deadlines (and life) have me falling behind on links to interesting patristic posts on my favorite blogs. You should check these out …

Roger Pearse points the way to “rare and uncommon texts” now back “in print in a ‘Christian Roman Empire’ series.” He also leads us to an out-of-copyright English translation of the Life of St. Augustine by his friend Possidius.

Meanwhile, Buckeye Banshee Maureen waxes witty and brilliant on St. Jerome’s Letter on Girls’ Education.