~ Orthodox Theological Digital Library I.M.D. ~

Economou Christos, Biblical studies for the beginnings of Christianity, P. Pourna­ras Press: Thessaloniki, 1998, pp. 459.

The volume contains eleven biblical studies on New Testament themes, which concern the history and theology of early Christianity.

            The first one investigates the role of Apostle Barnabas in early Church and especially in the church of Cyprus.

            The second one examines the role of Barnabas and Mark in the foundation of the church of Cyprus, which, according to the author, took place in three phases.

            The third study interprets the witness of Acts about the Proconsul of Cyprus Sergius Paulus (13,4-12) and compares this witness with those of other non Christian sources and inscriptions.

            The fourth study is about the information given in Pauline epistles and in Acts about the transition from the Jewish introversion to the ecumenical opening of Paul.

            The next study is referring to Paul’s visits in Jerusalem, from his calling till the Apostolic Synod. The study is a historical critical analysis of the narratives in the epistle to the Galatians and in Acts.

            The sixth study analyzes the terms “αυτάρκεια” (self-sufficiency) and “αυτάρκης” (self-sufficient). The aim of this study is to interpret the terms in the Epistle to the Philippians (4,11). The author is trying to reveal the stoic influence on these references and in this way to contribute to the broader question of the relation between Christianity and Greek philosophy.

            The seventh study is a hermeneutical comment on Gal. 3,28c “there is no male nor female..”. The next article is about the influence of the Revelation of John on the Apocryphal Revelation of John and vice versa.

            The ninth article studies the use of the Old Testament in the Gospel of Mathew and the historical literal presuppositions of the writer of the Gospel

            The next two articles are in English: the first one is concerning the teaching about salvation into Pauline epistles and the second one is dealing with the problem of the sources of Acts, with focus on Acts 13,1-12 and other similar references.

Economou Christos, New Testament and Culture, Pournaras Press, Thessaloniki 2003, pages 312.

            The book contains eighteen articles, which are characterized by an internal unity, since they refer to the contribution of the New Testament to culture in an inter-cultural and inter-religious society, such as the modern one. Most of the articles are lectures and propositions in conferences.

            The first article is an assessment and presentation of the conclusions of the World Conference meeting of Religions and Cultures of the Cultural Institute of the Kykkos Holy Monastery that took place in Lefkosia, Cyprus from the 8^th until the 11^th of March 2002. The second is an intervention by the author in the same conference, with its topic the role of religions in society either as agents of peace or as sources of conflicts.

           The third article is a lecture on the position of the New Testament on the problem of the relation between religions and cultures in the modern globalized society of the 21^st century. The fourth study is an approach to social and political problems from a Christian point of view, in a prospect of dialogue with the other religions.

           The fifth article, which is a proposition in a conference, refers to the effect of the New Testament on the national martyrs of Cyprus. The sixth article of the book is the Synaxarion of the invasion, as the author also characteristically mentions, and has as its background the biblical theology and the culture of Cyprus. The seventh article refers to the prospective of Christianity in Cyprus in the third millennium. The eighth article is an interview in the Cyprian newspaper “Simerini” (Today’s news) and is about the foundation of a School of Theological and Cultural Studies in Cyprus. The ninth article deals with the contribution of the Holy Scripture to culture and the tenth is a sociotheological approach to the contribution of the Holy Scripture to the problem of the poor and despised of this world.

              The eleventh article refers to the presentation of the exactly similar edition of the code of John s’ (19^th)  Kantakouzinos in Cyprus, Athens and Thessaloniki by the Holy Monastery of Vatopedion and the publishing house “EPHESOS”. The twelfth article is about volunteerism and the thirteenth refers to the contribution of the Pauline anthropology to civilization. The fourteenth article deals with globalization and the fifteenth is an intervention to the ecclesiastical crisis of Cyprus.

              The sixteenth article deals with the Church of Cyprus, its vision and perspective in the 21^st century, while the seventeenth is about the social character of the Gospel and, besides everything else, constitutes the author’s position on the issue of the election of the Archbishop in Cyprus. The last article is about the contribution of Saint Neophytos to the theological literature and the culture of Cyprus.

               The book has an appendix at the end, which includes interviews and reviews on the work of the author. 

Economou Christos, Theology of New Testament and Patristic Hermeneutic, P. Pournaras Press: Thessaloniki, 2001, pp. 536.

            The volume is combined by fifteen studies, which are divided by the author into two categories: the first category contains historical and theological studies on the New Testament and the second one contains studies about the New Testament and the Patristic Hermeneutics.

            The first article is dealing with the pneymatological character of Luke’s Gospel. The next three studies are about the role of Cypriots in the life of the primitive church and the propagation of the Gospel. The fourth study examines the contribution of the Hellenistic Christians to the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles and to the foundation of early communities. The fifth study evaluates the mission of Paul in Greece in the frame of the broader and wider missionary and theological plan of the Acts. The sixth study is about Paul’s mission to Philippi and the response of Philippians to his preaching. The seventh study is a comment on Acts 17,3 “that the Christ must have suffered and to have risen from the dead’ and the next study investigates the problem of historical reliability and  the sources of the Acts and especially of its chapters 27-28.

            The ninth study is dealing with the hermeneutical work of Theophylactos of Achris and with his contribution to some New Testament introductory issues. The tenth study examines the historical and the mystical experience as the main presuppositions for the interpretation of the Scripture according to Gregorios Palamas.

            The next study presents the iconographical method of interpretation of the Gospels according to John Damascenes.

            The twelfth study is about the globalization and its theological understanding and approach through Pauline theology. The next article is an answer to M. Androulakis’ book M^ν, with significant theological comments on biblical themes and concerns.

            The fourteenth study examines the influence of biblical texts and mainly those of New Testament on the national martyrs of Cyprus (1955-59) and the last one is about the contribution of Vasilios H. Ioannides to the educational reformatory activities of Alexandros P. Delmouzos.