Categories: bible, spiritual-writings
Date: 29 May 2007 13:39:42
One of the great discoveries for my daily *cough* Bible reading has been the Navarre series of Bible Commentaries: I have read the Bible and commentary for St Mark [my favourite Gospel] and Hebrews, and am now making my way, slowly, through the Captivity Letters book [though I have older versions given my covers are different].
I am yet to find, though I confess I haven't looked too hard, any "Orthodox" commentaries as helpful: the Orthodox Study Bible: NT and Psalms (the complete Bible is due out early next year) was useful and had some interesting commentaries, but I do not find the NKJV translation particularly readable and, dare I say, I found the commentary read (in parts) as though it was an evangelical apology for Orthodoxy: if you follow me -- perhaps not unusual given, I believe, it was spear-headed by ex-evangelicals: but I would've preferred a bit more theology and less apologetics and it reading a bit less like an evangelical tract(*). I started to read a commentary by a seminary professor (Fr Paul Tarazi), but found his work rather dry and academic -- I am sure it has its place, in theological study, but the great joy for me about the Navarre Bible and Commentary, apart from its text and the quotes from Church Fathers and theologians, is its practicality -- it truly speaks to the heart and speaks of a practical theology, of what is necessary from us, in action and word, which I think is important. A Church or Desert Father, I cannot recall who, said, "He who prays is a theologian." That speaks to me. If anyone happens to know of a practical Orthodox Biblical commentary, please let me know: I am happy to continue with the Navarre Bible, but I'd also like to read the thoughts of many of the Eastern Saints and Teachers that may not be as popular in the West, and thus not referenced in the Navarre Bible.
In the coming days I may bore any readers with quotes from the commentary: I've just read the joyous hymn of Philippians 2:5-11 which has some wondrous commentary to further explain it.
(*)not that there is anything wrong per se with evangelical tracts, though we may differ in parts of our belief; but when, perhaps erroneously, I get the impression the authors of the Orthodox Study Bible are constantly trying to answer objections Protestants may raise rather than state Orthodox doctrine, it becomes, for me, more difficult to read.