1. The Bible in Tradition
2. The Uniqueness of the Gospel of John
3. John 8: Christ and Controversy
4. John 10: Jesus the Good Shepherd
   

Archpriest Michael Dahulich, Dean of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania and Associate Professor of New Testament and Ethics, has earned degrees from Christ the Saviour Seminary in Johnstown, Pa., St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., and Duquesne University (M.A. and Ph.D. in Theology). Fr. Michael was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1973 and began teaching at St. Tikhon's in 1994. He is a member of the Orthodox Theological Society of America and represents the OCA at the advisory council meetings of the American Bible Society.

1. Telling Mary’s Story (An account of her young life popular in the early Church)
2. Asking Mary’s Prayers (An early prayer)
3. Praising Mary’s Honor (The Akathist Hymn of Saint Romanos)
4. Preparing for Mary’s Dormiton (Saint John’s role in her later years)

Kh. Frederica Mathewes-Green is a wide-ranging author, whose work has appeared in such many national publications. She has published 8 books, her most recent being The Lost Gospel of Mary: The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts. She lives with her husband, the Rev. Gregory Mathewes-Green, in Baltimore, MD, where he is pastor and she is “Khouria” (“Mother”) of the church they founded, Holy Cross Orthodox Church. Their three children are grown and married, and she and Fr. Gregory have nine grandchildren.
Please visit http://www.frederica.com/bio/ for more biographical information.

EAGLE RIVER INSTITUTE • AUGUST 1 – 5, 2008

We are very much look forward to our Institute speakers this year and I think the two “tracks” will complement each other very well.

Fr. Michael Dahulich is the dean of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and will teach on “John: The Spiritual Gospel.” Fr. Michael will present a thorough  introduction to this wonderful Gospel as well as an in-depth look at two particular chapters (8 and 10), which are not part of the regular Sunday lectionary.  It should be a good time to bring your Bible and open it up to study the Scriptures with a zealous and dedicated teacher.

Our second speaker, Kh. Frederica Mathewes-Green, will give four lectures on the theme, “Son, Behold Your Mother: Mary in the Early Church.” Of course this topic fits naturally with discussions from the Gospel of John since it was John who took care of Mary in her later years. Khouria Frederica will expand on biblical texts such as that included in the title from the words of Christ when He gave His Mother into John’s care.  But she will also  delve into the early Church’s growing love of Mary as revealed in such sources as the Protevangelion of James and the Akathist of Saint Romanos and other texts.

All of us at Saint John’s are looking forward to this valuable time and we invite you to join us if you can find a reason to visit Alaska this summer. We are always greatly blessed by our guests and we have some lodging available right on the Cathedral grounds. On this website you will find all the information about this year’s Institute, giving the schedule and lecture titles, along with some general information about our local community. You will also find on the bottom of this page a brochure that you can download. We hope to see you at this summer's Institute.

Sincerely,

Fr. Marc Dunaway

For those with the time and means to do so, there is an opportunity for a very special "add-on" to the Eagle River Institute. Each year the OCA church of Kodiak, Holy Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral, hosts an annual pilgrimage to Spruce Island on the anniversary of the canonization of St. Herman of Alaska which took place on August 9th, 1970.

The full cycle of activities extends over three days, Thursday through Saturday, August 7-9. Details of the itinerary from 2007 are available on the Alaska OCA web site, http://www.dioceseofalaska.org/html/pilgrimguide.html along with links and phone numbers to local hotels and a "Frequently asked questions" page. As of March 2008, this OCA page is yet to be updated for the 2008 pilgrimage, so please check back regularly for updates.This is probably as final as the schedule will be--the warning at the top of the page that it is "Subject to Change" refers to the unpredictable weather and ocean conditions--there have been years when the visit to Spruce Island had to be delayed or canceled due to inclement weather. In any event, you would still be able to venerate the relics of St. Herman during the Divine Liturgy at the Kodiak cathedral.

Weather permitting, the fishing boats that carry pilgrims to Spruce Island depart the Kodiak docks around 8am. Weather conditions are often cool and damp, so it would always be prudent to have a windbreaker or other wet weather clothing on hand. Last year I made the mistake of going over in a vintage Navy landing craft, and was drenched with sea water each time the flat prow smacked into a wave. Don't you make the same mistake!

Lunch is provided at the beach on Spruce Island by the women of the church following the pilgrimage so you needn't bring your own food. You may want to bring a small bottle to fill with holy water from the spring, and a bag or small container for soil from the island.

Alaska Airlines operates flights from Anchorage to Kodiak, and can be reached at www.alaskaair.com, or by phone at 800-252-7522. At the time of this writing, the lowest roundtrip airfare from Anchorage to Kodiak is quoted as $235.

For a more adventuresome and leisurely connection, the Alaska Marine Highway System (http://www.akms.com/ferry/) operates a ferry between Homer and Kodiak. I found their published schedules to be difficult to read, and wound up phoning their Anchorage office at 907/272-4482 for personal assistance.

The high-end commercial lodging is the Best Western Kodiak Inn, the only national chain lodging in Kodiak. They can be contacted directly at 907-486-5712. Current rates range from $92-$140 per night. They offer an airport shuttle service, which makes hiring a taxi unnecessary. Once in Kodiak, everything is within easy walking distance - in fact, the Inn is directly across from the boat harbor where the pilgrimage departs from. Of the other two establishments, the Russian Heritage Inn (a modest motel, actually, despite the name!) is the most centrally located, and folks who stayed there last year reported that they were entirely satisfied with their rooms.

Directly across the street from the Russian Heritage Inn is Monk's Rock Bookstore, which is not to be missed. Operated by the faculty and youth of the St. Innocent's Academy, they offer coffee, tea, sandwiches and snack items; books on theology, history, society and culture; icons, prayer ropes, incense and other miscellaneous items of interest. If Fr. Paisius offers an Open House of the Academy again this year, go and learn about the wonderful work being done in turning around the lives of "at-risk" and troubled teens. Then be sure to stay for the "Block Party" at the bookstore for an evening of musical celebration you are unlikely to ever forget.

If you do decide to make the pilgrimage we pray it will be a very special and significant experience for you. If you care to write a little something about it we'd love to hear from you!

For questions, comments, or more information about the St. Herman pilgrimage, please contact me, St. John's pilgrimage coordinator at: jpiper51@gmail.com

Sincerely,

John Morrison
St. John's Pilgrimage Coordinator

The Eagle River Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies is sponsored by Saint John Orthodox Cathedral of the Antiochian Archdiocese. It is held each summer August 1-5 at the Cathedral in Eagle River, Alaska, and offers sixteen hours of college level instructions in a variety of Orthodox topics, including Theology, History, Liturgy, Spirituality and Scriptural Studies.

Our Goal

The primary aim of the Institute is to offer ongoing instructions in the Orthodox Faith to the parishioners of St. John's and to other Orthodox Christians in Alaska, who are often unable to attend similar conferences and seminars regularly held in the "lower 48." However, the Eagle River Institute is also open to any who wish to attend and each year the Institute has been enriched by several who have traveled from outside the state to attend. The Institute lectures are also audio-taped and made available through "Orthodox Christian Cassettes" (OCC).

Registration or Questions

If you're ready to register, or if you just have questions, then send your name, address, phone number, and church affiliation to:

Eagle River Institute
St. John Orthodox Cathedral
P.O. Box 1108
Eagle River, AK 99577
Phone: (907) 696-2002
Email: StJohnERI@aol.com

Tuition is just $50 per "Track" and may be paid before or on July 31. There is no cost for high school and college students who attend, but registration is still required.

Brochure

To download a copy of the ERI brochure in PDF form, click here.

 

 

Dr. Christopher Veniamin is confirmed as one speaker for the 2009 Eagle River Institute. He is the Professor of Patristics and Liturgical Theology at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. The second speaker has not been announced as of March 2008. The 2009 ERI will be held August 1-5, 2009.

Dr. Veniamin has been a resident faculty member of St. Tikhon's since Fall 1994, offering courses in Patristic Theology, the Philosophical Background to Patristic Theology, the Ascetic Ethos of the Church Fathers, and Liturgical Theology, and has served as Chair of the Faculty Development Committee, as Faculty Representative to the Library Committee, and is currently a member of the Academic Affairs Committee.

He most recently edited and co-translated the three-volume work, The Homilies of Saint Gregory Palamas, for which he wrote the introduction and detailed notes. Forthcoming publications include a substantially reworked version of his doctoral dissertation, Metamorphosis: The Transfiguration of Christ in Greek Patristic Literature from the post-Apostolic period to Gregory Palamas.

For more biographical information about Dr. Veniamin, please click here to visit the St. Tikhon's Seminary website.