Alexandermen's Journal

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New Alexandermen Posting: BBC Program on Fr Men by Michael Bordeaux of Keston College
We have posted a link to a program by BBC's World Service
on Fr. Alexander Men with narration by Canon Michael
Bordeaux longtime director of Keston College, monitor
of religious freedom. Included is the BBC Gallery and
commentary.

http://alexandermen.livejournal.com/25525.html

In the necessary structure of this journal it is backdated
and at position III-12.

New Alexandermen Posting: 2009 Alexander Men Conference in New York. Academic Conference Photographs
Friends,
As a further report on the August 8-9 2009 conference in
honor of Alexander Men held in New York we have posted
(backdated in accord with livejournal structure
as usual) a set of photographs by Boris Pitel of the
work of the August 8 academic conference. Go to:

http://alexandermen.livejournal.com/25048.html

New Alexandermen Posting: 2009 Alexander Men Conference in New York. Evening of the Arts
Friends,
As a first report on the August 8-9 2009 conference in
honor of Alexander Men held in New York we have posted
(backdated in accord with livejournal structure
as usual) a set of photographs by Boris Pitel
http://alexandermen.livejournal.com/24383.html

TRIPTYCH FOR FATHER MEN
A Poem by Fr John McGuckin written in Moscow in
November 2007

Triptych for Father Men

Softly,
as though stepping
through a mist of time
you sent me greetings,
Alexander Vladimirovitch,
long after your death
in this time.
They came by the winding
of long journeys
through many hands.( Read more... )
.

INTRODUCTION

WHO WAS FR MEN? AND WHY THIS WEBSITE? AND ON BEGINNING TO EXPLORE IT

( Read more... )

I. About Fr. Alexander Men (AND ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION OF THIS SITE)

I. The first set of entries will be by writers concerning Father
Alexander Men
II second will be writings of his in English translation
and
III. the third will be links and galleries,
IV. The Fourth will be things
that dont fit in the first three categories.
If you are unfamiliar
with livejournal do not be distracted by the dates, everything is
backdated or forward dated to preserve the structure, so go by
the sets I-IV and numbers within the sets I-1,I-2 etc

.

I-1 IRINA YAZIKOVA "WE ARE MOVING INTO AN AGE OF LOVE."

This is an article published in 2005 in Moscow giving a general overview
of the work of Fr Alexander Men. The author Irina Yazikova is an
iconologist.
( Read more... )

I-2 FATHER MEN'S PARISH OF NOVAYA DEREVNYA- Olga Bukhina
For the Jews like a Jew, for the Greeks like a Greek: the Parish of Novaja
Derevnja in the 1970s
Olga Bukhina

My talk about Father Alexander Men is neither theological or ecclesiological,
nor any kind of “logical.” Nevertheless, I will start with the passage from the
Scripture. It is from the First Letter to the Corinthians, and it defines a
topic of my talk. “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those
under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the
law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became
like one not having the law…, so as to win those not having the law… I have
become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I
do all this for the sake of the gospel...” (1 Corinthians 9, 20-23).( Read more... )

I-3 John Erickson "Reflections on Fr. Alexander Men."
This is the paper read by Dean John H Erickson of St Vladimir's
Seminary at the Alexander Men Conference in Summer 2004 hosted
by Nyack College's Manhatten campus.
( Read more... )

I-4 Boris Rauschenbach on Fr Men

This is an interview of Wallace Daniel of TCU with Russian
physicist and space scientist Boris Rauschenbach concerning
the work of Fr Alexander Men( Read more... )

I-5 Is Father Alexander Men' a Saint? Judith D Kornblatt

This article from the Toronto Slavic Quarterly deals with the relations
of intellectuals ,and Jews , and the Church and is from the point of view
of someone outside the Church but is an interesting commentary.( Read more... )

I- 6 "An Evangelical in the Russian Orthodox Church" by Herb and Maureen Klassen

Herb and Maureen Klassen are Mennonites who lived in Russia for a time
and knew Fr Alexander and this is their appreciation from an
Evangelical perspective and also that of friendship. Herb I remember
saying "I am a Men Mennonite" ( Read more... )

I-7 Assasination of Fr Men from Christian History Institute

This is an article, September 2007, from the Christian History Institute
focusing on the assasination of Fr Men in 1990. It does not seem to me to be especially
well done but it can represent a certain reflection of and on the events from a
of course well intentioned point of view.( Read more... )

I-8 Michael Plekon:"Alexander Men: A Modern Martyr, Free in the Faith, Open to the World "

This , with thanks to Fr Michael Plekon is the chapter on Fr Men from his study of
central Orthodox spiritual figures of the last century "Living Icons".
Please click to the right here for this important study.( Read more... )

I-9 John McMahon Review," HOLY SWORD,HOLY FIRE", of "Christianity for the Twentyfirst Century."
This is a review by John McMahon ,done for the magazine called
First Hour which we did in the 1990s, of the anthology,ed.Roberts
and Shukman," Christianity for the twentyfirst century."
John was, he died in I think 1999, a classics master at the Harvey
School and a man of letters indeed though not a writer, above
all he was a man of,as I think, great spiritual depth and insight
and some phrases in this review seem to me to be as fine as any
evaluation I have seen of Fr Men's writing. At his sudden death
he was gathering material for a book on Tomasao Campanella. In any
case this review seems to me an excellent introduction to reading
Father Men at the same time as it makes one wish, if one knew him,
again for Johm McMahon's company, or if not for more of his
writing, which we shall not now have. ( Read more... )

I-10 Maureen Klassen Paper at Drew. "Fr Men and John 17."
This is a paper from the Alexander Men Summer Conference at
Drew University in 1998 by Maureen Klassen. Separately we have
Herb and Maureen's appreciation of Fr Men from an Evangelical
standpoint:
http://alexandermen.livejournal.com/4983.html
this is the only paper from that fine conference that I now
have so let this represent the whole.( Read more... )

I-11 Dean Mackey Opens the Alexander Men Conference in New York 2004
This from the Alexander Men Conference in New York 2004. We
also posted the paper of Dean John Erickson of St Vladimir's
http://alexandermen.livejournal.com/2427.html
Dean Mackey speaks as opening the conference and relates the
vision of A.B.Simpson founder of the college to that of
Fr Men.( Read more... )

I-12 "On the Road to the Church" The Death of Fr Alexander. Yves Hamant +James Nicholls Photo.
This is from Yves Hamant's biography "Alexander Men." I have
added some photographs , including one taken by photographer
James Nicholls of the site of the assasination with its simple
marker and a slide from the Sergei Bezsmeertny
filmstrip. ( Read more... )

.
Funeral

I-13 Memoirs of Fr Alexander By Vladimir Fainberg
Vladimir Fainberg 1930- is a novelist and poet who was a
friend of Fr Alexanders during the last decade of his life.
As he states in the bit of the memoir we give here (with the link
to the whole) he had worked in a parapsychology laboratory and
come into ocntact with something but he felt that he received
illumination and understanding from Fr Men and so he
has written a memoir, available online and in English
of meetings with Fr Men. It is an important resource and for
it, or rather a bit of it and link to the whole as the length
is too much for a live journal entry please click here.( Read more... )

.
Vladimir Fainburg

I-14 Dr Albert Raboteau "Fr Men and Contemporary Culture."
Dr Raboteau is former dean of faculty at Princeton University
and professor of African American studies. This paper is from
the Alexander Men Conference in New York 2004.( Read more... )
.
Dr Raboteau second from right. To his right John N Perkins
psychologist from Princeton and to his left Olga Bukhina,
two of the other speakers at the conference.

II. Writings of Father Men
The next entries are writings by Fr Alexander Men

.

II-1 'TWO UNDERSTANDINGS OF CHRISTIANITY."

This is Father Men's Lecture "Two Understandings of Christianity
with its introductory note as taken from "Christianity for the Twentyfirst
Century" ed. Roberts and Shukman.( Read more... )

II-2 From Seven Talks on the Creed: First Talk "I Believe In One God."
This is the first of seven talks on the creed. It is, like all of
Fr Men's writing, far ranging in reference and in implication. ( Read more... )

II-6 Seven Talks on the Creed. 5-The Holy Spirit:
Here, reprinted with permission from "Tradition Alive" and
before that translated by Colin Masica in a limited edition for
Oakwood. As in all the talks Fr Men's reference and thought
is very wide ranging. ( Read more... )

II-7 Seven Talks on the Creed 6 Baptism
This is the sixth of the seven lectures of the book Niceo-Constantipolitan
Creed(Symbol of Faith) and deals with the words on baptism. as with
the previous it was printed in "Tradition Alive" ( Read more... )

II-8 Seven Lectures on the Creed 7 Resurrection
This is the seventh of the lectures on the Creed.
on the Resurrection and the life of the world to come.( Read more... )

II-9 Four Sections from Son of Man

Here are four selections from the
Son of Man.(1)Neither male nor female (2) the old and the new
(3)dealing with the personality of Jesus
(4) with the Commandment to Love one another.
( Read more... )

II-10 Sermons "Victory over death." and on Eternal Life
These are sermons given by Fr Alexander Men--the first seems to be
an Easter sermon, simple but with some touches of interest, from a
defunct website of Roman Pomarenko and then the second on
the subject of eternal life. for which please
click to the right here.( Read more... )

II- 11 From "On Christ and the Church." "Becoming'--"the fundamental idea of Scripture."
On Christ and the Church" is a little book, translated by Fr Alexis Vinogradov, in
which are transcribed discussions with Fr Men which took place in private homes and,
with prepared questions and
conversation, were an important part of his ministry.
I will put an excerpt here on "Becoming" as the most
fundamental idea of the Biblical history.( Read more... )

II-12 CREDO

The Credo of Alexander Men is a selection of statements of belief taken from
his writings and organized by theme, with the compiler having added
Scripture references. It is coherent and a remarkable statement of a faith
which indeed can be received by Christians of many backgrounds and
lands today

( Read more... )

II-13 Preparation for Confession
This, passed on by Fr. Alexis Vinogradov, is an examination of
conscience by Fr Alexander Men as preparation for receiving
confession. I have been told by people who heard him that when
it came time to speak privately they would say 'you have said
everything Father, I have nothing left to say you have expressed
my condition exactly.' ( Read more... )

II-14 "The Six Days of Creation"
This lecture on Creation was given in a public hall in 1989 during
that brief final period when Fr men was free to give public lectures.
That there was still opposition is indicated by the brief disruption by
loud speaker at the beginning which Fr Men deals with calmly and with
humor. ( Read more... )

II-15 Necessity of Dialogue +"The Difficult Path to Dialogue: On Graham Greene's Monsignor Quixote"
Two Items (1) a short discussion of the necessity of dialogue
as a way of life and then opening that out
(2) the article "The difficult Path to Dialogue."
Fr Men had made a translation of Graham Greene's "The Power and the
Glory" which he regarded as one, with Cronin's "Keys to the Kingdom"
being the other, of two contemporary key images of the priesthood
and in considering Monsignor Quixote he considers a portrayal of
a priest but this time of dialogue ,with the character of the
Mayor Sancho who is a communist, of Christianity and Marxism
--and Marxism is pretty much gone now in the ashcan of history but--
more broadly of the faith and all others in the world and the need
for this dialogue for the world to endure. This is only a part,
though a very substantial and representative part, but I hope to
offer the whole as time permits. ( Read more... )

II-16 CHRISTIANITY-- Alexander Men's final lecture
Friends,
This lecture was given on the night of September 8 1990 the
night before Fr Alexander's assassination. It was at the opening
of the Alexander Men Open University and all in all it is a
writing of extraordinary importance. The source
is our own First hour and the translation of Steve Griffin.
( Read more... )

II-17 Radio Interview "Why Be A Christian?"
This is an interview done with Anerican Evangelical broadcaster
Mark Makorov, taken from the anthology "Christianity for the Twentyfirst Century"
( Read more... )

II-18 Christianity and the Arts
This discussion of Christianity and art was translated by Steve Griffin
and published by our First Hour in 1996.( Read more... )

II-19 Sermon on Metropolitan Philip of Moscow . Translation Brigit Farley
This is from the defunct website of Sam Brown who translated "Son of Man"
It is a translation by Brigit Farley of the sermon on Metropolitan
Philip of Moscow, whose righteous life in the time of Ivan the Terrible
is an example which applies in all times when history is terrible
which is to say of course all times until now.( Read more... )

.
Philip of Moscow.

II-20 Two Prayers
Lord Jesus Christ!
In this evening hour,in this city
Where your blessing rests,
amidst all sufferings and sins and troubles
You,who suffered
and assumed all the ills of mankind
because you loved us,
You ,who have come here,
remain with us. ( Read more... )
.

Prayer of Christ’s Disciples
by Father Alexander Men’

Jesus Christ, Son of God
Who has revealed to us the heavenly Father, make of us your disciples.
You promised to bestow peace upon our souls,
but do not desire careless servants.
Give us strength to stand on guard and to be alert,
so that we may be faithful to you and to you alone.
Teach us to do all things in your sight. Make us your children.
Give us the strength to do your will and to keep your commandments.
Teach us to do good. Guard us against the leaven of the Pharisees.
Teach us to perceive that which is most important in life, the one thing needful.
Help us to be delivered from sin, from slothfulness, from feebleness of spirit.
May everything good and beautiful in the world remind us of you.
May the evil of this world be a warning to us.
May we see in sinners the reflection of our own sins.
Teach us to look on those who think differently from us,
who have different religious beliefs or no belief at all, as brothers.
Let us remember how short life is,
so that the thought of death may become for us
an inspiration to industry and service.
Grant us the ability to forgive, to love and to give.
Teach us to live in prayer.
Grant us even now to be communicants of your Kingdom.
Teach us to hate sin, but not the sinner.
Give us the strength to be your witnesses.
Do not allow us to become vain, petty and barren.
Be for us the Alpha and Omega in this life and in eternity.
May we be your disciples.
Amen.

II-20 The Christian Hope: Karabakh or Bethlehem?
This was written at the time of the breakup of the Soviet Union and is
a meditation on the deep human tendency to tribal conflict. Occasioned
by the then current, in 1989, battle between Armenians and Azeris for
the region of Karabakh it has of course more recent parallels up to
today. ( Read more... )

II-21 Chaos and Logos
This is an excerpt from "On Christ and the Church"
the book of conversations in homes translated by
Fr Alexis Vinogradov. pp 89-96( Read more... )

II-22 Divine Worship as a Synthesis of the Arts
This lecture was given in December of 1989. The
translation ,published in First Hour in 1997, is by
Steve Griffin ( Read more... )

II-23 "Nikolai Berdyaev"
This is from a series of lectures on the Russian religious philosophers
given in 1989. The translation is by Fr Stephen Janos and with permission.
He also tells me that has completed that entire series of lectures by
Fr Men which he hopes to have published as a book/
His excellent website on Berdyaev is at:
http://www.berdyaev.com/
And here is Fr Alexander's discussionof Berdyaev.( Read more... )

II-25 From Conversations Wtth Fr Alexander Men
The following selections are taken from interviews and
Question & Answer sessions with Fr Men during the last
2 or 3 years of his life. Selected and translated by
Steve Griffin from "Kultura i dukhovnoe voskhozhdenie
(Moscow 1992)" ( Read more... )

II-26 Christianity:The Universal Vision
This study of the place of Christianity within the whole range
of human spirituality, gives some of the intellectual basis for
his ecumenism and openness to all the forms of spirituality.
It appeared under the title "On the problematics of the
Axial Period.(on the dialogue between culture and religion)"
posthumously in 1992. It is long and I am copying out so
it will not be here completely for some time but will try to
keep it going in. Elizabeth Roberts, who put the now out of
print book together, notes that the more is available the
better so have copied it out ( Read more... )

.
Working in his office. Note picture of Vladimir Soloviev.

III Alexander Men Links and Photographs
The following entries will be links to related material and photographs etc

.

III-1 THE CHILDRENS' HOSPITAL

Father Men began a volunteer work in support of the
Russia Childrens' Hospital in Moscow which is the
only one to offer kidney transplants and in general
is for children with grave illness only some of
whom recover.
Fr Men was chaplain to the hospital and this work
of spiritual support by chaplain and volunteers which
he began continues.
Click to the right for some pictures and links on
this work. ( Read more... )

.
Fr Men at the Childrens' hospital.

III-2 Stills of Sergei Bezsmertny Slide Film+Free Download
Here are stills of a slide film of Fr Men's life made by
director Sergei Bezsmertny. There are as you see 15
pages of pictures each available in a range of sizes

http://voyager.smugmug.com/gallery/1518914#115597824

.

For the free down load of the slidestrip whose stills we offered
above go to
http://www.alexandrmen.ru/sld_film/
and scroll down to English Version
and you will find then at the very bottom English language instructions
It works and the filmstrip is very powerful, well conceived and
narrated.

III-3 Photo Gallery at Alexander Men Open University Site
Here is a small photo gallery at the English version of
the site of the Alexander Men Open University, which you
may wish also to explore.
http://www.al-menn.ru/photo_eng.html

III-4 Memoirs of Alexander Men: Vladimir Zelinsky and Fr Alexander Borisov
For these memories and impressions
http://www.roca.org/OA/103/103d.htm

.

FOR III-5 ON TO IV-10 PLEASE CLICK ON "PREVIOUS..." BUTTON BELOW

III-5 Iconic portrayals of Fr Men
Although Father Men has not yet been recognized formally as a
saint by the Church, there is an old tradition of painting
icons of those not yet canonized but remembered with love
and a confident sense of their holiness by their spiritual
children. Here are some examples of iconographic portrayal
of Alexander Men ( Read more... )

III-6 Fr Men Sites in Other Languages
a French site with a number of translations:
http://www.pagesorthodoxes.net/saints/alexandre-men/men-introduction.htm#debut
another French site with some French translations and pictures which is nicely
turned out:
http://smokerlezard.chez-alice.fr/
In Russian the Alexander Men Foundation
http://www.alexandrmen.ru/fam/pan.html
a German site for the "Alexander Men Prize"
given annualy in Stutgart
http://www.akademie-rs.de/a-men-preis.html