The good things of this world intoxicate a person; vanity despoils the soul and the mind, and sobriety is lost. The most wise Ecclesiastes understood that the soul is not capable of finding peace and perfect wisdom in this world. And though the meaninglessness of the world oppresses a person, inattentive people fail to notice the terrible maelstrom into which we are all caught up. The only escape from it is Christ.

Over twenty years ago, Professor Kesich wrote The Gospel Image of Christ: The Church and Modern Criticism. This completely rewritten and enlarged book represents the fruit of Professor Kesich's lifetime interest in the study of "biblical criticism." He has added chapters regarding the dating and chronology and the history of the gospels, reevaluating the Gnostic gospels and the titles and images which the earliest Christians considered adequate to answer the question of who Jesus is. He has also addressed questions raised by some new approaches to gospel research. For all practical purposes, this is a new book with the old title, which best conveys its major purpose. The basic perspective of the previous work, as well as still valid material, has been retained from the first edition.

Confronting and Controlling Thoughts, According to the Fathers of the Philokalia by Anthony Coniaris

A Star in the Heavens: The Life of Father John of Valamo

Professional theologians have long recognized Fr Dumitru Staniloae as the most influential and creative Romanian theologian of the 20th century. A pioneer in his country's religious renaissance, he has fought for almost half a century to free theology from a routine scholasticism, and spirituality from mere sentimentality. Yet in the West Staniloae has been known more by reputation than by his writings, which for the most part have appeared only in Romanian. This English translation makes his work available to a wider audience for the first time.