The Power of Print
Posted by JohnS (November 18, 2007 at 6:44 am)
Over a year ago I was in a Borders Bookstore perusing books in the theology section. I encountered a Dutch Reformed minister and his seminarian son. We had a wonderful conversation about contemporary culture, the Church Fathers and the domestic church. The minister had just published a new book on home discipleship Christianity, which I might add is a very interesting read. He gave me several copies of his self-published book. In fact, he had several cases of the book in the trunk of his car. My only regret is that I had nothing in print to offer him in return.
This experience has turned over in my mind multiple times in the past year. The power of personal Christian witness and encounter is intense. When personal encounter is married to the printed word it is perhaps doubly effective.
The Antiochian Orthodox Church (AOC) has a wonderful ministry called Conciliar Press. It’s roots run back to the Evangelicals like Father Peter Gillchrist who heeded the call to return to their “roots in historic Christianity once … again.” Conciliar Press began with the publication of their newspaper, which is now a magazine by the same title … AGAIN.
Sayidna Philip gave the the newly Chrismated Evangelical Orthodox the task of bringing the story of ancient Christianity to the modern world. Sounds like the New Evangelization to me. Thus, Conciliar Press was born.
As the Conciliar Press website notes they “now produce two quarterly magazines, dozens of books by the best writers in American Orthodoxy, icons, cards, and more. Conciliar Press is the primary distributor of the New Testament Orthodox Study Bible, and will begin distributing in early 2008 the Old Testament Orthodox Study Bible, published by Thomas Nelson.”
I might also add that Conciliar Press recently combined its evangelical efforts with the equally excellent Ancient Faith Radio internet-base station.
About a dozen years ago I started purchasing high-quality icons from Conciliar Press. I now have many of their fine books in my personal library. Moreover, I recenlty subscribed to AGAIN magazine.
The AOC is effectively using both print and web – New Evangelization media – to bring Christ to the modern world. There is something here to learn for Byzantine Catholics. Some thoughts on that next.
You might recall that a few weeks ago I was reading Rod Dreher’s timely tome Crunchy Cons. Well, I finished it last week and am on to my next book. But I’m still chewing on Cruncy Cons. I passed the book on to the next reader. So many ideas that Rod sets on the table are core to our Eastern Christian ethos. Concern for the God’s environment is one. In fact, we start preparations for Sunday Divine Liturgy the evening before with Vespers, the evening prayer of our church, with the all-glorious Psalm 103: 
Earlier this week, I was perusing my copy of Crisis magazine — a wonderful Catholic monthly — when I spotted a book review for Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lover and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party).