text:
Theology|
Orthodoxy Today|
Homilies and Spiritual Instruction|
Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days|
Churches and Monasteries|
Church History|
Coming to Orthodoxy|
Sretensky Monastery|
Orthodoxy Around the World|
Suffering Church|
Church and State|
Is the Orthodox Church "Supersessionist"?
SOURCE: New English Review
By Hal Smith
According to Oleg Usenkov, press secretary of the Sophia association of Russian Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land, there are about 70,000-100,000 Russian Orthodox Israelis, and perhaps "the real figures are even higher."1The number is significant, as the "Greek Orthodox Patriarchy of Jerusalem was informed by the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption that approximately 10 percent of the total Aliya from the former Soviet Union are of the Christian Orthodox faith."2 This makes the Orthodox Church by far the largest among the past several decades of Israeli immigrants.3 It is also the largest among Palestinian Christians, of whom there are about 400,000 worldwide, and through whom it traces itself to the first Christian community.4
Over the same period as the immigration, a controversy has grown among scholars in the western world portraying Christian traditions as "Supersessionist." This indirectly places Orthodox Christians at the unintended center of a discussion affecting how they are viewed.5 Considering the role they play in bridging three major cultures, it is helpful to consider their beliefs in a way that can improve the interfaith relations those scholars seek.
Faced with a range of definitions on "Supersessionism" and the relative silence of Orthodox writers mentioning it directly, one must turn to a more basic understanding of the word "supersede" and its rare use by Orthodox writers. The topic of Supersessionism can be a coin with two sides: however hard that may be to understand, it appears to the author that Orthodox teaching on the Old Testament is Supersessionist, but not in every way. Bound up in the western scholars' inquiries is often the issue of anti-Semitism, which some allege is inherent in Supersessionism. In fact, the Church has spoken out against anti-Semitism and what Supersessionism Orthodoxy may have ultimately does not support it.
Defining "Supersessionism"
Dr. Michael Vlach, an Evangelical scholar, defines Supersessionism as "the view that the New Testament Church supersedes, replaces, or fulfills the nation Israel's place and role in the plan of God."6 He emphasizes that "supersessionism… can encompass the concepts of 'replace' or 'fulfill.'"7 A difficulty with this description is that "replace," "fulfill," and "supersede" each have significantly different meanings and connotations. As a result Vlach notes that some Christians would use the word "fulfill" but not "replace."8
While Vlach sees "replacement" as a possible part of Supersessionism, the online Christian Encyclopedia Theopedia does not, saying:
Supersessionism is the traditional Christian belief that Christianity is the fulfillment of Biblical Judaism, and therefore that Jews who deny that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah fall short of their calling as God's Chosen people... The traditional form of supersessionism does not theorize a replacement; instead it argues that Israel has been superseded only in the sense that the Church has been entrusted with the fulfillment of the promises of which Jewish Israel is the trustee.9
In The Mis-Education of a Young Evangelical, from the United Church of Christ, Dexter Van Zile considers Supersessionism to be "the notion that Christianity has replaced the Jews." He writes that some Christian Zionists "merely take Scripture at face value, reject supersessionism… and proclaim that God's promises to the Jews are, like His promise to Christians, trustworthy and reliable."10 Van Zile is pointing to a main difference between Protestant and Orthodox Biblical interpretation: the latter focuses more on maintaining the views passed down since early Christianity. Both groups in reality look for the plain reading ("face value") and consider texts in light of their respective traditions.
Dr. Thomas A. Idinopulos, Director of Jewish Studies at Miami University in Ohio, was raised Greek Orthodox and appeared to develop a more Protestant orientation.11 In his book Betrayal of Spirit, Idinopulos agrees with Clark Williamson's criticisms of Supersessionism:
What is the basic Christian theological anti-Judaic teaching of contempt? Williamson's answer is Supersessionism: that the revelation of God in Jesus Christ surpassed and therefore canceled the on-going validity of revelation of God to the Biblical people of Israel. Supersessionism, in all its variations, is seen in the church's valuation of the New Testament over the Old Testament (beginning with those very terms, "New" and "Old"). Supersessionism is conveyed by the church's sense of triumph as the newly elected people of God, a new covenant, replacing the old covenant (Israel). Supersessionism values the Hebrew Scriptures only as the prophetic preparation of the revelation of Jesus as the Christ. The teaching of contempt is forcefully conveyed in the message that Israel is judged, found guilty, and was eternally punished for rejecting her own messianic King, Jesus proclaimed the Christ (Messiah).12
Idinopulos immediately added however, that Christian Zionism is not incompatible with Supersessionism: "Today, Supersessionism is seen in the posture of American Protestant Evangelical Church leaders, like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, whose right-wing politics allow them to champion the State of Israel while at the same time preaching a brand of eschatological Christianity which effectively negates Judaism."13 If scholars like Idinopulos see such Evangelical postures as today's Supersessionism, it may be that the concept of Supersessionism is perceived and re-interpreted by western scholars through the lense of modern Protestant formulations on Judaism. Namely, Protestant thinking may more legalistic, negating, and total with concepts like "Total Depravity"14 that were unknown to Orthodox Christianity and ancient Judaism (and remain so). Then, when faced with polemics by early Christians, scholars interpret them in the more absolute terms used in modern portrayals of Supersessionism.
Regardless of whether Idinopulos was looking at things in a Protestant way, many of his descriptions of Supersessionism's negative effects are far too absolute for Orthodoxy. The Hebrew Scriptures are more than a preparationfor Christ, since they continue to provide moral instruction (2 Timothy 3:16-17), although it is read in light of the New Testament. Orthodoxy points to Old Testament righteous as saints for emulation. Second, how could Israel be "eternally punished" when St. John Chrysostom, one of the most polemical Church fathers, commented about those of them who rejected Christianity: "they will not perish forever,"15 pointing to St. Paul's expectation of their embrace?
As to the meaning of the phrases "Old Testament" and "New Testament", a wide range of meanings has been suggested. Nonetheless, the real meaning must be that which Paul gave the former in 2 Cor. 3:14, saying Christ took away the veil from "the reading of the old testament" by showing its prophetic meaning. Likewise, Jeremiah prophesied a future "new covenant" in Jer. 31:31, a phrase Christ used to refer to His "covenant" with Christians (Lk 22:20, 1 Cor 11:25; Heb 8:8). If one determines that these phrases are Supersessionist, he/she need go no farther to determine that Christianity is as well.
In any case, the definitions of Supersessionism are varied. Vlach sees it as encompassing replacement or fulfillment of Israel, Theopedia's editors see it as fulfillment but not replacement of Judaism, Van Zile sees it as a replacement of Jews, and Idinopulos sees it as surpassing and canceling the validity of God's revelation to the people of Israel. The only common element in these definitions is the idea of "supersession" itself, a word which may in some cases include replacement, and whose effects may vary greatly.
Two sides of the word "Supersede"
A boy tells his uncle: "I can move the water in your large pond all by myself." His uncle asks "Where to? How?" The nephew responds: "Where it is how: I will just stir it."
While a person may normally assume the word "move" means to shift something to another location, it can also mean to move something around in one space. The English language has many words that can have more than one related meaning, and in practice "supersede" turns out to be one of them.
The word came from 15th-17th century Scottish, where it meant "postpone, defer,… displace," or "replace."16 In Scottish law it especially referred to "a judicial order protecting a debtor."17 The legal meaning of staying a judgment passed into English, where for example "supersedeas" is a "writ to stay legal proceedings," meaning in "Latin, literally 'you shall desist.'"18 Thus, the word has a particularly legalistic connotation, reflecting that Latin is a common origin for English legal terminology.
The root meaning of "supersede" in Latin is "supersedere to be superior to, to refrain from,"19 literally "sit" (-sedere) "over" (super-). The full range over meanings is: "To set above; to pass over, and prefer another to the prejudice of; to come in the place of; to take the place of; to make void, inefficacious, or useless by superior power; to overrule; to set aside; to suspend."20 For example, a law could demand a punishment, but a merciful king could "supersede" it with a pardon, without removing the law itself from the kingdom's statue-books.
To give an example of the use of the word by an Orthodox writer, Fr. Anatoliy Bandura of Holy Cross St Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church comments that according to almost all Eastern Church Fathers, by descending into Sheol (place of the dead) after the Crucifixion, Christ offered salvation to all there,
'whether Jews or Greeks, righteous or unrighteous.' If we accept the point of view of those Western Church writers who maintain that Christ delivered only the Old Testament righteous [in His Descent], then Christ's salutary action is reduced merely to the restoration of justice. However, Orthodox theology goes further and asserts that God will save us in a 'scandalous' way because God's justice supersedes human logic and understanding.21
In other words, while human logic thinks in terms of justice and saving only the righteous, God's own justice supersedes, is superior to, and is preferred by Him over human logic, which of course exists as well. While not saying that Christianity supersedes the Old Testament per se, this passage reflects the Christian theme whereby Christ's redemption (here: God's justice) is considered to "supersede," or take precedence over, another concept of "justice" or "Law."
A common argument against using the term "supersede" in Christianity is that it would suggest that the older thing would be completely separate, destroyed, and made irrelevant in every sense. In fact, this is not necessarily the case when one thing supersedes another: a person's body could "sit on" a chair (two separate things), but it could also "sit on" its feet (a whole vs. a part of the whole). An oil painter may start with a sketch and "supersede" it with layers of paint, yet the sketch survives in the form of the outline.
The author of a collection of Einstein's quotations writes: "I've deleted some unverifiable, questionable [quotes] or placed them in the 'Attributed to Einstein' section. This edition therefore supersedes the quotations and sources of the previous editions."22 Thus, even if some of a collection's quotations are deleted or moved to a different section, the vast majority of quotations may remain.
Likewise, a caretaker can make an agreement (covenant) to maintain his neighbor's house for a fee. Later, they make a short agreement saying only that the caretaker no longer has to clean the attic. The new agreement supersedes the old one, but the old one is still in force, although not all its requirements are followed.23 A similar logic can work for a reorganized community, which, like a renovated charity with a somewhat altered name and bylaws, can supersede another without the latter coming to an end.24
In fact, the word "supersession" in a religious context means that Christianity must accept Judaism into itself in important ways, since the major English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote:
the mythology and institutions of the Celtic conquerors of the Roman Empire outlived the darkness… connected with their growth and victory… The incorporation of the Celtic nations with the exhausted population of the south impressed upon it the figure of the poetry existing in their mythology and institutions… it may be assumed as a maxim that no nation or religion can supersede any other without incorporating into itself a portion of that which it supersedes.
That is, Shelly sees ancient Celtic customs surviving the Dark Ages, despite the fact that the Celts accepted Roman-style institutions and became "civilized."25 Naturally, the amount of the necessary incorporation may vary. Conceivably, a new stage of religious development could fully incorporate its predecessor.
Another argument against using the idea of the New Testament "superseding" the old one is that it would supposedly mean that those who reject the new covenant would be completely forgotten. It would contradict St. Paul's discussion of those who rejected the new covenant, which compared them to branches broken from their olive tree (Rom 11:16-26). Despite their loss, St. Paul expected that they would return and be grafted in again.
However, the term "supersede" does not exclude the expectation of a return. A king could issue an edict that his subjects no longer have to pay a "bread tax," superseding an earlier law whereby only farmers escaped the tax. Some farmers may disagree with the new edict and emigrate, yet the king could still expect their return, due to his love for them. And should they return, the same benefits of his edict could cover them. So simply because someone leaves a group wherein a change is made does not mean they are forgotten or that their return is not expected.
Orthodoxy as outside the debate on Supersession
Faced with the extreme scarcity of use of the term in Orthodox writings, one may consider that the concept itself is unknown to Orthodoxy. Vlach himself calls Supersessionism a "recent" designation,26 and thus the term is not in the tradition modern Orthodox writings draw from. Michael Forrest, a Catholic scholar, writes that "Supersessionism… has no established, Catholic definition. Not unlike 'proselytism,' it's a loaded term that can and does carry very different connotations, implications and nuances."27
Greek and the Slavic languages, which a large majority of Orthodox speak, do not contain an exact equivalent of the word "supersede" with its nuances, and practically never use the word "Supersessionism." Granted, people can express a concept without giving it a label that those of another culture may place on it. To give an analogy to the question raised by their lack of the word "supersede": Could westerners perfectly sum up the complexities of the "soul" of classical 19th century Russian literature with a uniquely "western" word?
The second obstacle is not really linguistic, but conceptual. Considering the legalistic connotations of "supersede," "Supersessionism" has a particularly legalistic understanding of the relationships between the two covenants. Thus, Factopedia's entry on Supersessionism comments on this difficulty:
Eastern Orthodox… groups… focus on the work of the Holy Spirit in defining church membership. It has long been noted by theologians that pursuit of a dynamic, experiential and personal experience of faith has been typical of eastern theology, where legal and logical formulations have dominated in the Western churches… [T]he focus on personal spirituality rather than intellectual assent means detailed analysis of covenantal issues is considerably less a feature of these traditions.28
Herman Blaydoe, a church cantor who studied at Christ the Saviour Seminary, goes further and sees Orthodoxy as outside ideological categories ("-isms"):
"Orthodoxy" does not "match" any version of supersessionism. We don't do or need any "ism". The Church is bigger than any "ism". Just about any word with an "ism" suffix is probably next to useless in any discussion of the teachings of Orthodoxy. It is extraneous, it isn't really Patristic. We do not need to rehabilitate bad Protestant theology.29
This brings to mind the difficulty with using the loaded term "proselytism" that Catholic scholar Michael Forrest pointed out.30 On the other hand, "Judaism" is a central idea throughout this discussion, and the Church engages in "Evangelism." So while "-isms" can enter the discussion, Orthodox are usually reluctant to talk in terms of new ones.
All of this may serve as a cautionary note: should "Supersessionism" exist in Orthodoxy, it may not play as central a role or be formulated in the way others describe it.
Heads: How Orthodoxy is "Supersessionist"
Notwithstanding the above, it appears Supersessionism is one "side" of Orthodox thought. Orthodox materials occasionally use the word "supersede" to describe the Church's beliefs in different ways. The Orthodox Study Bibleuses it in the sense of a transformation. It translates the prophecy of Isaiah 28:4-6 thus:
the flower that fell from the hope of the glory on the top of the high mountain shall be like the forerunner of the fig. He who sees it wishes to swallow it before he gets it in his hand. In that day, the Lord of hosts shall be the crown of hope, woven of glory, to the remnant of My people. They shall be left in a spirit of judgment upon judgment and for the strength of those who prevent slaying.
Perhaps one may compare the "high mountain" to Mount Sinai, and the flower that comes down from it to the Covenant with Moses. The "flower" is not destroyed, but rather transformed into a delicious fig that attracts people to it. It is associated with "judging judgment," which accord with Fr. Bandura's discussion above on God's justice being higher than man's sense of it. The people's new spirit is also associated with preventing killing, that is, enacting mercy. The Orthodox Study Bible sees in this image basic elements of Christ's relationship to the law, commenting: "Just as the fig replaces the fading flower, Christ will supersede the fading law and become the crown of hope, woven of glory."31
The Orthodox Study Bible relates this supersession to the Temple sacrificial system and the Eucharist:
On the Day of Atonement, the preeminent Old Testament sacrifice was made. It was to atone for all the sins the nation of Israel had committed that year (Lv 16:2-34)... This event prefigures the once-for-all self-sacrifice of Christ, our great High Priest (Heb 4-5; 10)... Christ's once-for all offering of Himself is for all people for all time, and supersedes the Mosaic sacrificial system. Accordingly, the mystery of the eucharistic service, accomplished within the Divine Liturgy of the Church, is... a 'reasonable and bloodless sacrifice' to be understood as our sacrifice -offering to God... In the Divine Liturgy, instead of an animal or grain offering, we offer the Body and Blood of Christ to God. In a mystery known only to God, we thereby participate in the very Body and Blood of Christ offered once for all.32
The passage refers to how the Liturgy calls the Eucharist a "bloodless sacrifice," which was also the name for the Temple's grain sacrifices. The exact nature of the Eucharist however is considered a "Holy Mystery" and is not something exactly explained.
The Mysterious nature of the Eucharist makes it more difficult to judge the exact relationship of the Eucharist to the Old Testament prohibition on blood foods, which Dr. Rabbi Richard Rubenstein, Former President of the University of Bridgeport, sees as a key question regarding "Supersessionism." Writing in The New English Review, he comments: "One of the most important aspects of the Dietary Laws was the strict taboo on the consumption of the blood of an animal, yet in the Eucharist it is Christ's blood that is offered to the believer as 'the medicine of immortality.'"33 Dr. Rubenstein writes that John 6:53-58, wherein Christ says "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life," has "been criticized as supersessionist… but [it expresses] the foundational conviction of Christianity that salvation… comes only through Jesus Christ."34 He then draws a comparison to Judaism:
[F]or those early fathers of the Church who explicitly take up the comparison, Isaac's Akedah is an aborted Golgotha. They depict Jesus as the perfect Isaac and Isaac as lacking the capacity to redeem humanity because he did not really die on his wooden pyre. I should like to suggest that Christianity brings to manifest expression much that remains latent in Judaism… the difference was spelled out long ago in the following observation: What is latet (latent) in Judaism is patet (patent or manifest) in Christianity.35 [In] sacrificial religion… we find both the most important elements of continuity and discontinuity between the two traditions…36
The Church does not in fact abolish the Old Testament prohibition on blood foods, however. In Acts 15 we read how the early Church banned consumption of blood foods for Christians, as did Canon 67 of the Quinisext council.37By considering the Eucharist a Holy Mystery, Orthodoxy differs from Catholicism, which clearly considers a physical change ("Transubstantiation") to occur in the Eucharist and would more likely see Christ's instructions on the Eucharist as taking precedence over the prohibition. However, it also differs from traditional Protestantism, which emphasizes that the change is a spiritual one with the Divine Presence ("Consubstantiation") and seems more compatible with a prohibition whose plain context was physical food. Regardless of whether there is a contradiction however, by transforming "sacrificial religion," the Eucharist can be said to supersede previous sacrifices.
Fr. Anatoliy Bandura of Saint Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church discussed how Lactantius, an early Christian writer, described Christ's Priesthood. Fr. Bandura explains that
Christ… received the dignity of everlasting Priesthood from the Father. In his vision, the Prophet Zechariah mentions the name of the everlasting Priest: 'And the Lord God showed me Jesus (Hebr. Joshua)38 the great Priest standing before the face of the Angel of the Lord...' (Zech 3:1-8) Paul calls Jesus the High Priest who supersedes the high priest in the Jerusalem temple (Heb. 3:1-2; 7:21). The high priest in the Old Testament is also a type of Christ, as is the case here.39
This idea of something important in the Old Testament prefiguring something in the New Testament is also reflected in the essay "The Law and the King," by Kevin Edgecomb, of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Edgecomb writes:
As has been traditionally understood, Pentecost was the day on which the Law was given at Mount Sinai. In the Church, Pentecost is known for the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the earliest Christians, as described in the Book of Acts. In the hymnography of the Eastern Church, this dual import of the day is not lost: the latter is seen as superior to the former meaning.40
Edgecomb cites the Canon in Ode Eight from the Matins of Pentecost Sunday, which describes the Fiery Bush on Sinai speaking to Moses, zeal for God protecting the three singing Youths from the fiery furnace, and the Holy Spirit resounding on the apostles in the form of fiery tongues. The hymn concludes:
Ye that ascend not that untouchable mountain, nor fear the awesome fire,
Let us stand on Mount Sion, in the city of the living God,
And now form one choir with the Spirit-bearing disciples.41
Note that the ancient Israelites did not ascend Mount Sinai, nor did the youths fear the fire, so the hymn addresses them with praise. Yet at the same time it calls those Israelites "us"! Edgecomb comments: "This is the ancient Christian perspective that the latter Pentecost fulfills, completes and enhances and supersedes the earlier, in that the people now have the Law written in their hearts through the direct action of God though the Holy Spirit."42
Similarly, Robert Arakaki in The Biblical Basis for Icons uses "supersession" to reflect the higher place of Christ:
The opening lines of the book of Hebrews tell how the history of God's progressive revelation reaches its definitive climax in Christ. [citing Heb 1:1-2] The superiority of Christ is proven by the fact that the coming of the Son supersedes all previous Old Testament revelations… the Apostle John makes a similar point: "For the law was given through Moses: grace and truth was given through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. (John 1:17-18)" The revelatory significance of the Incarnation lies in the fact where the prophetic message consisted of people hearing the word of the Lord, the Incarnation consisted of the Word of God coming to us in the flesh.43
In other words, Christ "supersedes" previous revelations with which they heard the Word, because He was the Word Himself. This is like an architect who builds a house: once he builds the house he/she intended, the task is accomplished and the house supersedes the blueprint. Yet the blueprint retains value for the new owner nonetheless.
Finally, when directly presented with the question, at this point in the scholarly debate, they accept it more often than deny it. Participants in two out of four significant discussions on the topic on Orthodox internet forums generally saw Orthodoxy as Supersessionist, while those on one forum tended to oppose the term.44 Peter the Aleut, the moderator on the leading "Orthodox Christianity Forum" commented: "Supersessionist Theology (pejoratively known as Replacement Theology) is not something foreign to our Tradition. In fact, the theology is based on the biblical doctrine of the Apostle Paul (Rom 9:1-11:36), not to mention the Prophets whom St. Paul quotes effusively and even some words of Christ Himself."45
Tails: How Orthodoxy is not "Supersessionist"
Despite the descriptions above of the New Testament superseding the Old Testament or its elements, some Orthodox writers, focusing on the continuity between Christianity and Judaism, deny that supersession occurs or do not identify with the title Supersessionism. Herman Blaydoe explains:
We certainly can say that Christ's sacrifice has superseded the Temple sacrifice. There are aspects and explanations where the term "supersession' may indeed be appropriate, but that does not in any way mean that Orthodoxy supports the theological and modern concept of supersessionism en toto... [W]ithin an Orthodox theology, "supersessionism" is not helpful at all, it brings with it simply too much baggage. I am not sure that trying to rehabilitate it and bend it into an Orthodox context is a good idea.
Supersessionism carries with it the idea that the Church has replaced Israel, and that the Jews have been replaced by the Gentiles. This is simply not true. The Church is the continuation of Israel. We call it the New Israel, not because it no longer includes the Jewish people, but because it now includes ALL people. It goes beyond what it was; it does not replace what was before.46
In other words, the problem for Blaydoe is not that supersession occurs in some way, but that he, like Alex, sees Supersessionism as replacing one community (Israel) with another separate, noncontinuous one (the Church), or as one ethnic group replacing another.
Professor Gregory Benevitch of the St. Petersburg Institute of Religion and Philosophy on the other hand even disagrees with use of the word "supersede." He writes that after the Holocaust, a theological movement developed in western Christianity that:
does not understand the mystery of the Church when it says that the Orthodox Church teaches that Christianity (i.e. the New Israel) claims to replace the Old Israel... The Orthodox Church does not claim to replace the Old Israel precisely because the New Israel (i.e. the Church) is nothing else but that very Israel of Abraham, Moses and the prophets, but already opened (revealed) to those non-Jews who believe in Christ.
The Catholic position could be clarified with a help of the "Commentary on the Documents of Vatican II"… Take for example [its statement]: "…the New Covenant confirmed, renewed and transcended the Old, and… the New Testament fulfilled and superseded the Old, but nevertheless did not render it invalid"( see v. III, p.18)… Here we find all this set of ideas, connected with such words as "supersede", "transcend" and "two covenants", which makes this Latin teaching ambiguous and unacceptable to Orthodoxy…
As for the Orthodox position, it is expressed best of all in St. Maximus' words about so-called Old Testament: "The grace is completely free of old age"(1.Th.Ec. 89). Which means that after Christ the Law and prophets, being given by Grace are still new. They were neither superseded by so-called New Testament, nor become "old", but, being at one with the Gospel, were revealed anew, as being given by the same Grace.47
Thus, Benevitch sees formal Catholic use of the word "supersede" as "unacceptable" to Orthodox thinking, because he sees the Church and New Testament as being a continuation of Israel and the Old Testament. He believes that the word obscures the real relationship between them, making the teaching ambiguous.
Another Orthodox commentor writes that the leading Orthodox theologian Fr. Thomas Hopko "has said that there is no such thing as a 'New Israel' in the supersessionist sense. There is, he said, a New Jerusalem, which is a concept that is present in ancient Jewish texts before the coming of Christ."48 It is not clear whether Fr. Hopko himself used the word "Supersessionist", but his statements suggest that in a way there is a "New Israel," while in another way there is not. Fr. Hopko has said variously:
God then sends his only-begotten Son… to be the New Israel, or the real Israel, to show what Israel is.49
Israel was the firstfruit of the Old Covenant, now the new Israel50
[I]n the Old Covenant, the qahal [congregation] was the qahal Israel. It was the assembly of Israel. In the New Testament, it's the church of Jesus the Messiah. And in the New Testament it's still the qahal Israel. How many times St. Paul speaks about that: we the Gentiles are grafted onto Israel. There is no new Israel; there is the one Israel of God, which is the people that God has gathered.51
According to the New Testament Scriptures and particularly according to Saint Paul, the Church is in complete continuity with Israel, to the point that with all the emphasis in the New Testament on newness… we don't see the expression, 'new Israel.' Therefore, when Saint Paul says, 'upon the Israel of God' (Galatians 6:16), he is speaking of the Church. Because of this emphasis, Orthodox Christians believe that the Church is historic Israel as it continues...52
One may think of "Supersessionism" in the sense of one group (the Church) replacing a completely separate group (Israel), and naturally conclude that Fr. Hopko is rejecting Supersessionism by seeing them as the same, continuous organization. Yet if Supersessionism simply means the Church superseding ancient Israel in any sense, then Fr. Hopko's explanations do not exclude that this occurs. So long as some change exists, the New Israel may supersede its predecessor in the sense of being a later stage of it.
One may note the importance of the phrase "New Israel", signifying a kind of "Israel" in the Christian era. A complementary term, the "Old Testament Church", may provide perspective. As Fr. Hopko mentioned, Israel's "Qahal" was its congregation, in Greek "Ecclesia," typically rendered into English as "Church." Thus, ancient Israel's righteous congregation under its Covenant is sometimes called the "Old Testament Church" in Orthodoxy. The righteous Israelites' expectation of Christ through prophecy is another reason they are considered part of the Church.53 Thus, when it calls itself a "New Israel" the Church means that this congregation is renewed and transformed with the Messiah's coming.
An icon that particularly reflects the continuity between the Old Testament and Christianity is the 17th century icon of St. Catherine's monastery in the Sinai. The icon depicts not only Moses receiving the Law on top of the Mount, but also an image of angels carrying St. Catherine's relics to it. The scene includes monks and the monastery's chapels.
Further, while some critics of Supersessionism associate the theory with anti-Semitism, Orthodoxy does not think in racist genetic terms, like perceiving one racial group to be "the Church" "superseding" another, separate biological group (Abraham's physical descendants) as if the latter cannot belong in the former. One proof of this is that Fr. Hopko says: "Jesus is a Jew, His Mother is a Jew, all the Apostles are Jews"54 Orthodoxy does not contemplate the possibility that a person could be spiritually superior to another due to his/her skin color or genetic makeup.55
Thus, keeping in mind the direct continuity Orthodoxy sees between itself and the ancient Jewish community, it makes sense that Orthodox writers object to the Church being seen as "superseding" Israel, when they perceive it as suggesting that the latter is necessarily disconnected, or that people are being separated based on race. Neither is the case.
Is anti-Semitism part of Supersessionism?
According to the journalist Robert Harris:
replacement theology… was a cornerstone of anti-Semitism within the Christian faith for a very long time… Replacement theology or supersessionism replaces mention of the Jews in the Bible, and the promises made to them by God, with that of Christians. Jews (as an analogue of the Israeli nation) become pariahs, rejects of history as having rejected the Son of God.56
Harris is correct to oppose anti-Semitism, however it is doubtful that Supersessionism is its cause, since a key passage its adherents use is Romans 9-11, which warns against boasting against the "branches" that had been broken off from the "olive tree" by the rejection. Paul's logic is that if those branches lacked faith, non-Jewish Christians could lose it too, and the hardships of separation apply regardless of one's background.
A common line of thought is that if Christians instead embraced a "Dual Covenant" theology leaving the Old Covenant unimpeded, then the anti-Semitism allegedly caused by Supersessionism would go away. This however is not the case, since the controversy caused by a lack of accepting Israel's Kingly Messiah would remain. The apocalyptic expectations Dr. Idinopulos pointed to also suggest otherwise. The real issue for anti-Semitism therefore is not really the relationship between the covenants or even the Church and Israel, but of attitudes toward other religions.
Orthodoxy is not essentially hateful even toward non-Christians, because it has a more non-judgmental attitude towards individuals. Metropolitan Damaskinos of Switzerland writes that the truth of one's faith is lived 'not as a condition of being wrapped up in an arrogant syndrome of superiority with regard to other religions, but rather as a responsible service of dialogue and witness.'"57 The key here is a lack of arrogance towards others, not of course a belief that one's beliefs are just as correct as another's. Otherwise, we would not have anything to "dialogue" about!
Other writers repeat Metropolitan Damaskinos' sense of humility and responsible witness. Deacon Stephen Methodius Hayes of the St. Nicolas of Japan missionary society comments: "We pray every day in Lent, 'Grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother'. That is the spirit of true Orthodoxy. Nothing could be further from it than antisemitism."58 Another feature of Orthodoxy, one which it shares with ancient Judaism, is a lack of the idea that guilt – like that of Original Sin or Christ's Crucifixion – can be inherited biologically.59
Professor Benevitch takes on anti-Semitism in "The Jewish Question in the Orthodox Church." He notes that beside himself, "There are many Jews among priests and monks as well as among the best theologians" in the Orthodox Church.60 Benevitch writes that the central obstacle to addressing questions of anti-Semitism in the way Protestant scholars have is that "Orthodoxy will never reject its own heritage… Orthodox Christianity is at least as faithful to its own Tradition as is Orthodox Judaism."61 Yet one can address issues of guilt and enmity "quite simply - Everybody is guilty because everybody has sinned.'"62
He goes on to say that Jewish and Russian Christians share in the "universal character of the Church" and therefore must love eachother "in spite of all cultural, ethnic and other differences." Benevitch explains:
[I]t is not correct to speak about the Church on the one hand and Israel on the other… the Christian Church is not a Church of the Gentiles… Christ's mission in this respect was to destroy the wall of separation between Israel and Gentiles. According to Apostle Paul, Christ… "is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down the dividing wall of enmity"(Eph 2.14).63
Benevitch explained that "This enmity on the part of the Gentiles was nothing else than what we now call anti-Semitism."64 He added that Christ overcame it by bringing gentiles not into a newly created religion but into the "fulfillment of the Jewish faith" of the Patriarchs.65
While Benevitch focuses on unity inside the Church to overcome anti-Semitism, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware focuses on God's relationship to Jews who are not part of the Church in his article "Has God Rejected His People?" He points out that Paul's reaction to that separation "is not anger… but… 'great sorrow.'"66 (Rom 9:2) Paul still looks "on them as his 'kinsfolk'… and he says that he would rather be 'accursed and cut off from Christ' than saved without them."67 Paul prays and expects that God will save "not just a 'remnant' among them but every one."68 Ware adds:
They are still specially "beloved" by God (11: 29), "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable" (11:29). What is more, when the Jewish people eventually turn to Christ, this will prove an enrichment to the total Church which lies far beyond our present imagining. "If their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!" (11:12).
Ware concludes that this turning to Christ must be of their own free will and that we must never show them "the slightest disrespect or hatred."69
These theologians' writings are matched by statements by Orthodox leaders. The Ecumenical Patriarch declared 2013 a "Year of Global Solidarity." In his Encyclical, he said that while "Peace has truly come to earth through reconciliation between God and people in the person of Jesus Christ,"70 he rued the state of conflict in the world: "Unfortunately… we human beings have not been reconciled, despite God's sacred will. We retain a hateful disposition for one another. We discriminate against one another by means of fanaticism with regard to religious and political convictions."71
Just this July, the Eighth Academic Consultation Between Judaism and Orthodoxy was held in Thessaloniki, Greece. There:
About 40 Christian Orthodox clergy, rabbis, and academics from around the world, including Russia, Georgia, Romania, Israel, France, Greece, Finland, and the United States met with local government and religious leaders….
Noting that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has declared 2013 the Year of Global Solidarity, Metropolitan Emmanuel said: "It is well documented that Greeks living in Thessaloniki at the time of the Shoah stood with their Jewish neighbors and friends. Today, more than ever, we must stand together to battle the evils of anti-Semitism, religious prejudice and all forms of discrimination."72
Particularly notable are Sts. Alexander Schmorell, Maria Skobtsova, Fr. Dimitri Klepinin, Yuri Skobtsov, Ilya Fondaminsky (himself Jewish), and other saints who died resisting the Nazi genocide, because saints are for emulation. St. Alexander was a founder of the anti-Nazi group the White Rose, and was executed by the Nazis in 1943. A primes motivator for the White Rose was its Christian faith. Its leaflets were spread around Germany and Austria, and its second leaflet declared: "We wish to cite the fact that, since the conquest of Poland, 300,000 Jews have been murdered in that country in a bestial manner. Here we see the most terrible crime committed against the dignity of man."73 Jim Forest, director of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship, writes why Schmorell proposed the name "White Rose" based on a story by the Orthodox writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky:
In one chapter of The Brothers Karamazov, "The Grand Inquisitor", Christ comes back to earth, "softly, unobserved, and yet, strange to say, every one recognized Him." He is suddenly present among the many people crowding Seville's cathedral square, the pavement of which is still warm from the burning of a hundred heretics the day before. At this moment it happens that an open coffin containing the body of a young girl is being carried across the square on its way to the cemetery. They pass Jesus. "The procession halts, the coffin is laid on the steps at [Christ's] feet. He looks with compassion, and His lips softly pronounce the words, 'Maiden, arise!' and she arises. The little girl sits up in the coffin and looks round, smiling with wide-open wondering eyes, holding a bunch of white roses they had put in her hand." This merciful action completed, the Grand Inquisitor, having witnessed the miracle, orders Christ's arrest. He is outraged at the boundless freedom Christ has given humanity.74
Conclusion: Orthodoxy as a Supersessionism that rejects anti-Semitism
The place of Orthodox Christians in Israeli society is an important topic. It is just a fact of life that many Israelis do not know Christians personally as might have been the case before,75 and must rely on third-person discussions or scholarship to reach an opinion. Something similar can be said about Americans' own contact with Orthodox Christians.
While western scholars have the right intention of addressing cultural anti-Semitism and improving interfaith relations, there is the inadvertent risk of portraying the beliefs of Israeli and Palestinian Christians as anti-Semitic. For Orthodox Christians who focus on maintaining their core theology, this approach impedes the societal reconciliation that is desired.
Meanwhile, "Supersessionism" serves as the center in many of these discussions, and descriptions of it are also in flux. Descriptions of "Supersessionism" are usually negative and sometimes absolutist, calling into question whether they accurately describe traditional Christian beliefs. The common denominator in its various definitions is the idea that the New Testament or Church "supersedes" the Old Testament or Israel. The word "supersede" has meanings ranging from one thing having a higher authority or precedence, to overruling or replacing another thing. In practice the latter can be replaced completely or partly, or could be even fully incorporated into that which is new. Before placing a label on Orthodoxy, one must seriously consider the possibility that the topic itself is outside of Orthodox debate – Supersessionism is a word practically unused by Orthodox and even the word "supersede" is rare. Additionally, Orthodox thinking does not generally work in a legalistic way, yet the term "supersede" comes from legal reasoning.
To understand Orthodoxy, one must harmonize its theologians' views. In general, Orthodox writings use the word supersede primarily in regard to Christ's precedence over the Old Testament, while discussions of the Church's relationship to Israel primarily focus on continuation. They describe: Christ superseding the law by transforming it, Christ's sacrifice and the Eucharist superseding previous sacrifices under the Mosaic system of sacrifice, the Christian Pentecost superseding the Pentecost of the giving of the Law on Sinai by enhancing it. They see God providing a progressive revelation climaxing in Christ and Christ superseding the previous revelations in that way.
There are ways supersession does not occur. Gentiles do not "replace" Jews. Professor Benevitch rejects the idea that the Church "replaces" Israel because he sees them as a continuation. He goes as far as to say the Old Testament is one with the Gospel and revealed anew, and concludes that this means supersession does not occur between them. Most likely Benevitch rejects use of the word "supersede" because he perceives it in an absolute way. After all, a renewed, more detailed version of an agreement between two parties might be said to "supersede" the same agreement in its earlier state. Consequently, although Orthodox more often identify with "Supersessionism" than reject it, they remain divided due to these objections.
In any case, the Church's teachings do not support anti-Semitism. Differences between Jews and non-Jews are overcome by unity within the church, and God's promises have not been revoked even to Jews outside the Church, based on their common roots. The real cause of anti-Semitism is not one's position on the Covenants, but intolerance toward individuals of different backgrounds, which Orthodox teaching opposes. The Church's rejection of anti-Semitism is reflected in Church declarations and martyrs who resisted the Holocaust.
Let us return to the story of the boy and his uncle: Does the boy move the pond's water? Yes, he does by stirring it, even though he has not moved the water from the pond. He is undeniably a "mover" of water, even though there are ways in which he does not move the water.
Orthodox Christianity must be "Supersessionist" in the most open sense of the word, because it gives Christ and the New Covenant a "higher place" than previous stages of religious development. Consequently, basic Christianity must also be "Supersessionist": it cannot deny that it has brought something to move the waters of faith.
[1] They generally immigrated from the former Soviet Union under the Israeli "Law of Return" based on having Jewish ancestry or relatives. Ksenia Svetlova, "A Difference Sort of Orthodox", Jerusalem Post, February 4, 2010.
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/A-different-sort-of-orthodoxy
[2] They generally immigrated from the former Soviet Union under the Israeli "Law of Return" based on having Jewish ancestry or relatives. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada, "Israel: Information on Russian Orthodox Christians Immigrating from the former Soviet Union", Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, September 1, 1996.
[3] By comparison, 15,000 Messianic Jews live in the Holy Land. "Messianic Jews", Maoz Israel, http://www.maozisrael.org/site/PageServer?pagename=messianic_jews
[4] Steven Gertz, "The Palestinian Christians: Strangers in a Familiar Land", Christian History, http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/news/2003/aug8.html
[5] For the importance of views on Christianity, see for example the study on Israeli views on Christianity by the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations. Survey - Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations, 2008, http://www.jcjcr.org/category/survey-1
[6] Dr. Michael Vlach, 12 Reasons Why Supersessionism / Replacement Theology Is Not a Biblical Doctrine, http://theologicalstudies.org/resource-library/supersessionism/327-12-reasons-why-supersessionism-replacement-theology-is-not-a-biblical-doctrine
[7] Dr. Michael Vlach, Various Forms of Replacement Theology, http://www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj20d.pdf
[8] Dr. Michael Vlach, Definiting Supersessionism, http://theologicalstudies.org/resource-library/supersessionism/324-defining-supersessionism
[9] Supersessionism, Theopedia. http://www.theopedia.com/Supersessionism (last accessed September 25, 2013)
[10] Dexter Van Zile, "The Mis-Education of a Young Evangelical", New English Review, October 2011 http://www.newenglishreview.org/Dexter_Van_Zile/The_Mis-Education_of_a_Young_Evangelical
[11] See: Jorunn J. Buckley, "In Memorium: Thomas A. Idinopulos" Religious Studies News, http://rsnonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=554&Itemid=639
[12] Thomas A. Idinopulos, Betrayal of Spirit: Jew-hatred, the Holocaust, and Christianity (Davies Group, 2007) p. 43.
[14] The Protestant idea that man is born into a state of "total depravity".
[15] St. John Chrysostom, Homily 19 on Romans, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210219.htm
[16] Online Etymology Dictionary, http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=supers.
[19] Webster's New Students Dictionary, (G & C Merriam, 1964) p. 890.
[20] A Comprehensive Dictionary of the World, vol. 2, part 2, (Mittal Publications, 1992) p. 581.
[21]Fr. Anatoliy Bandura, "A Historical Overview of Eastern Orthodox Theology on the Doctrine of the Three Offices of Christ" (Toronto: Regis College, 2012) p. 73.
https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/34905/1/Bandura_Anatoliy_201211_ThM_thesis.pdf
[22] Emphasis in the original. Alice Calaprice, The Ultimate Quotable Einstein (Princeton University Press, 2010) p. xx.
[23] The continuation of an agreement's benefits without all of its requirements brings to mind the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). The Council decided that non-Jews could belong to the Church and receive its blessing of salvation, without being circumcised, which was acting as an obstacle to membership.
[24] For example, Orthodoxy interprets Israel in one sense to be a spiritual community, the Ekkelsia (Congregation or Church) into which many nations have entered, rather than an ethnicity. Deacon Silouan Thompson writes: "The ekklesia has always been the believing remnant, the ones faithful to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob". (Did the Church Replace Israel? http://silouanthompson.net/2011/09/did-the-church-replace-israel) This refers to the idea that despite hardships, a righteous remnant of Israel would remain. In this thinking, while naturally there would be other people descended from Israel like the Lost Tribes, the remnant would be the continued spiritual community. In other words, it distinguishes a national or earthly Israel from Israel as a spiritual community, bringing to mind St. Paul's words: "they are not all Israel, which are of Israel" (Rom 9:6).
[25] The Scots' use of the Latin word "supersede" is, by the way, an example of this acceptance.
[26] Michael Vlach, Defining Supersessionism, http://www.theologicalstudies.org/resource-library/supersessionism/324-defining-supersessionism
[27] Michael Forrest, A Response to Robert Sungenis' Critique of our Lay Witness Article, https://sites.google.com/site/sungenisandthejews/critique-of-all-in-the-family
Indeed a not wholly different confusion exists over the term "proselytism", as Deacon Dr. Stephen Methodius Hayes, an Orthodox missionary, writes: "If people talk about the need for evangelism, they meet with the response, 'The Orthodox Church does not proselytise', as if evangelism and proselytism were the same thing." Deacon Stephen Hayes, "Evangelism and Proselytism", http://www.orthodoxy.faithweb.com/evanpros.htm
[28] Supersessionism, Factual World, http://www.factualworld.com/article/Supersessionism
[29] Blaydoe also writes as the moderator on Monachos, a leading Orthodox forum. "Orthodoxy and Supersessionism", Monachos Forum, http://www.monachos.net/conversation/topic/7236-the-orthodox-church-and-supersessionism/page-3
[31] Orthodox Study Bible, (Chesterton, IN: Conciliar Press, 2008) p. 1078.
[32] Orthodox Study Bible, (Chesterton, IN: Conciliar Press, 2008) p. 140.
[33] Dr. Richard Rubenstein, "The Religion of Sacrifice and Abraham, Isaac and Jesus", New English Review, October 2009, http://www.newenglishreview.org/print.cfm?pg=custpage&frm=47585&sec_id=47585
[35] Dr. Rubenstein adds that he does not remember who made the quote. It appears to be St. Augustine who said: "Novum Testamentum in vetere latet, Vetus in novo patet."
[36] Dr. Richard Rubenstein, "The Religion of Sacrifice and Abraham, Isaac and Jesus".
[37] Council in Trullo, New Advent, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3814.htm
[38] In ancient Hebrew, the name Jesus is written the same as Joshua, and Lactantius saw this as a prophetic link.
[39] Fr. Anatoliy Bandura, "A Historical Overview of Eastern Orthodox Theology on the Doctrine of the Three Offices of Christ" (Toronto: Regis College, 2012) p. 9. https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/34905/1/Bandura_Anatoliy_201211_ThM_thesis.pdf
Fr. Bandura cites for support: The Orthodox Study Bible, St. Athanasius Academy. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN2008.pp.1042-1043.
[40] Kevin Edgecomb, The Law and the King, http://www.bombaxo.com/blog/?p=1680
[42] Id. Edgecomb emphasizes that the idea of the Holy Spirit writing the Law in people's hearts matches the idea in Jeremiah 31:30-33, where God promises a new covenant and that He will put His law in people's hearts.
[43] Robert Arakaki, The Biblical Basis for Icons, http://orthodoxbridge.com/is-there-a-biblical-basis-for-icons
[44] Israel, http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,263.0.html ;
Supersessionism, http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=21834.0 ;
The Ancient Way: Replacement Theology, http://www.christianforums.com/t7703383 ;
The Orthodox Church and Supersessionism, http://www.monachos.net/conversation/topic/7236-the-orthodox-church-and-supersessionism
[45] Peter the Aleut, "Calls for removal of 'anti-Semitic' imagery in Orthodox Liturgy", http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=11534.0
[46] Orthodoxy and Supersessionism, Monachos Forum, http://www.monachos.net/conversation/topic/7236-the-orthodox-church-and-supersessionism/page-2
[47] Gregory Benevitch, "The Jewish Question in the Orthodox Church",
http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/jewish_3.html
[48] Alex, Response to Neither Jew nor Greek, http://byzantinejewess.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/neither-jew-nor-greek-a-failure
[49] Fr. Thomas Hopko, The Names of Jesus: Jesus- The Firstborn, http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/namesofjesus/jesus_-_the_firstborn/print
[50] Fr. Hopko, The Names of Jesus: Jesus- the Firstfruit http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/namesofjesus/jesus_-_the_firstfruit/print
[51] Fr. Hopko, The One True Church, http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/hopko/the_one_true_church
[52] Fr. Hopko, The Fountain of Israel. Again Magazine, Vol. 19, No. 4, Dec. '96/Jan. '97.
[53] Fr. George Morelli, "Toward Healing Schism", http://www.antiochian.org/content/toward-healing-church-schism
[54] Hopko, The Fountain of Israel. Again Magazine, Vol. 19, No. 4, Dec. '96/Jan. '97.
[55] Additionally, important Orthodox saints and theologians have Jewish backgrounds. Admittedly, there are statements by medieval Church Fathers polemicizing against the Jewish people in general terms, however "peoples" were not thought of in the same, biological way they are today. This is reflected in the Latin word "populous", which meant not only "nation", but also a "polity". A vestige of this way of thinking is how Middle Eastern Orthodox still call themselves "Roman Orthodox", yet they are hardly ethnic "Romans".
[56] Robert Harris, "Who are the EAPPI", New English Review, October 2012
http://www.newenglishreview.org/print.cfm?pg=custpage&frm=100533&sec_id=124327
[57] Mary C. Boys, Has God Only One Blessing?: Judaism as a Source of Christian Self-understanding, (Paulist Press, 2000) p. 8.
[58] Stephen Methodius Hayes, Antisemitism and Orthodoxy, http://www.orthodoxy.faithweb.com/antisem.htm
[59] Western Christianity developed the view that guilt was inherited, particularly that of Original Sin.
[60] Gregory Benevitch, The Jewish Question in the Orthodo Church, Chp. 1, http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/jewish_1.html
[62] Id. at Chp. 2, http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/jewish_2.html
Benevitch points out that Christ asked His Father to forgive his killers, and asks: "How can we still speak about the guilt of the killers of Christ, if he himself has forgiven them?" Id. at Chp. 1 http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/jewish_1.html
[63] Id. at Chp. 1.
[64] Id. at Chp. 3. http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/jewish_3.html
[66] Met. Kallistos Ware, "Has God Rejected His People?", Orthodox Research Institute,
http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/misc/kallistos_ware_rejected_his_people.htm
[69] Id. Met. Ware's main point is that God has not rejected Israel and that we cannot be anti-Semitic. Two issues Met. Ware glosses over are whether God's unrevoked blessings for Israel are still in operation for the whole Jewish people so long as the separation remains, and whether the Jewish people are the only Chosen People. In Orthodox thinking the full benefits are received when together with the Church and that God has in fact chosen all peoples to be His own.
[70] Pat. Bartholemew, 2012 Patriarchal Christmas Encyclical, http://www.patriarchate.org/documents/2012-patriarchal-christmas-encyclical
[72] "Orthodox Christian and Jewish leaders hold historic meeting in Thessaloniki", July 14, 2013 http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/62141.htm
[73] "Feast of St. Ephrem the Syrian," In Communion. Issue 59, Winter 2011
http://www.incommunion.org/2011/02/20/alexander-schmorell-a-witness-in-dark-times
[74] Jim Forest, "Alexander Schmorell and the White Rose" http://jimandnancyforest.com/2012/11/schmorell-dialog/
[75] Survey - Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations, 2008, http://www.jcjcr.org/category/survey-1
The Legacy of Patriarch Abraham On Authentic and Imagined Monotheism. Part 1: Christianity
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) The Legacy of Patriarch Abraham On Authentic and Imagined Monotheism. Part 1: Christianity
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)
During the prophetic period, biblical monotheism receives the ultimate clear, theological justification. The Lord speaks through the Prophet Isaiah: " I am the Lord, and there is none else" God is not only the only Creator of heaven and earth, but also the Lord, "he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein". Ecclesiology of Community and the Need for Tangible Unity in North America
Bishop Maxim Vasiljevic Ecclesiology of Community and the Need for Tangible Unity in North America
Bishop Maxim Vasiljevic
The Church is a unity of charismas (a variety of orders and ministries) all of them existing simultaneously and in intimate interdependence. This unity of orders and the clergy-laity distinction marks the early Church in a decisive way. In this context, the head of this community (bishop) did not have authority merely intrinsic in his office alone, but in everything he said and did was in constant need of the presence and so to say the approbation of the other orders in the Church. The Law of God The Law of God
A new version of The Law of God by Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy published by the Moscow Sretensky Publishing House is now available. The book has been reviewed and recommended by Orthodox Hierarchs internationally. First published in 1957, this latest version of "The Law of God" is sure to engage readers with its exciting new contemporary layout.
Homilies and Spiritual Instruction
Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days
Churches and Monasteries
Coming to Orthodoxy
Sretensky Monastery
Orthodoxy Around the World
© 1999-2018 OrthoChristian.com
When reposting our material a link to OrthoChristian.com is required.
editor@orthochristian.com
We are on social networks


Paleodictyon is an important trace fossil characterised by a regular hexagonal structure and typical of ancient deep-ocean habitats as far back as the Ordovician. It is represented in modern deep-sea settings by Paleodictyon nodosum, known from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the South Atlantic, and off eastern Australia. Here we report the occurrence of P. nodosum in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ), abyssal equatorial Pacific, an area characterised by polymetallic nodule fields. At the study site within the International Seabed Authority northeastern Area of Particular Environmental Interest (APEI-6), P. nodosum appeared as a compact, regular pattern of small circular openings on the seafloor, each pattern interpreted as reflecting the activity of an individual organism. The patterns had a mean size (maximum dimension) of 45 mm?±?16 mm SD (n?=?841) and occurred at a density of 0.33 individuals m?2. Most (82%) were interrupted by nodules, but those that were not displayed both regular (59%) and irregular (41%) forms, the former having equal numbers of rows along the three axes (6 x 6 x 6 and 8 x 8 x 8). In both size and morphology, our Paleodictyon traces were more similar to the Australian examples than to those from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.


text:
"""
lxml custom element classes for slide-related XML elements, including all
masters.
"""

from __future__ import (
    absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals
)

from . import parse_from_template, parse_xml
from .ns import nsdecls
from .simpletypes import XsdString
from .xmlchemy import (
    BaseOxmlElement, OneAndOnlyOne, OptionalAttribute, RequiredAttribute,
    ZeroOrMore, ZeroOrOne
)

class _BaseSlideElement(BaseOxmlElement):
    """
    Base class for the six slide types, providing common methods.
    """
    @property
    def spTree(self):
        """
        Return required `p:cSld/p:spTree` grandchild.
        """
        return self.cSld.spTree

class CT_CommonSlideData(BaseOxmlElement):
    """
    ``<p:cSld>`` element.
    """
    _tag_seq = (
        'p:bg', 'p:spTree', 'p:custDataLst', 'p:controls', 'p:extLst'
    )
    spTree = OneAndOnlyOne('p:spTree')
    del _tag_seq

    name = OptionalAttribute('name', XsdString, default='')

class CT_NotesMaster(_BaseSlideElement):
    """
    ``<p:notesMaster>`` element, root of a notes master part
    """
    _tag_seq = ('p:cSld', 'p:clrMap', 'p:hf', 'p:notesStyle', 'p:extLst')
    cSld = OneAndOnlyOne('p:cSld')
    del _tag_seq

    @classmethod
    def new_default(cls):
        """
        Return a new ``<p:notesMaster>`` element based on the built-in
        default template.
        """
        return parse_from_template('notesMaster')

class CT_NotesSlide(_BaseSlideElement):
    """
    ``<p:notes>`` element, root of a notes slide part
    """
    _tag_seq = ('p:cSld', 'p:clrMapOvr', 'p:extLst')
    cSld = OneAndOnlyOne('p:cSld')
    del _tag_seq

    @classmethod
    def new(cls):
        """
        Return a new ``<p:notes>`` element based on the default template.
        Note that the template does not include placeholders, which must be
        subsequently cloned from the notes master.
        """
        return parse_from_template('notes')

class CT_Slide(_BaseSlideElement):
    """
    ``<p:sld>`` element, root of a slide part
    """
    _tag_seq = (
        'p:cSld', 'p:clrMapOvr', 'p:transition', 'p:timing', 'p:extLst'
    )
    cSld = OneAndOnlyOne('p:cSld')
    clrMapOvr = ZeroOrOne('p:clrMapOvr', successors=_tag_seq[2:])
    del _tag_seq

    @classmethod
    def new(cls):
        """
        Return a new ``<p:sld>`` element configured as a base slide shape.
        """
        return parse_xml(cls._sld_xml())

    @staticmethod
    def _sld_xml():
        return (
            '<p:sld %s>\n'
            '  <p:cSld>\n'
            '    <p:spTree>\n'
            '      <p:nvGrpSpPr>\n'
            '        <p:cNvPr id="1" name=""/>\n'
            '        <p:cNvGrpSpPr/>\n'
            '        <p:nvPr/>\n'
            '      </p:nvGrpSpPr>\n'
            '      <p:grpSpPr/>\n'
            '    </p:spTree>\n'
            '  </p:cSld>\n'
            '  <p:clrMapOvr>\n'
            '    <a:masterClrMapping/>\n'
            '  </p:clrMapOvr>\n'
            '</p:sld>' % nsdecls('a', 'p', 'r')
        )

class CT_SlideLayout(_BaseSlideElement):
    """
    ``<p:sldLayout>`` element, root of a slide layout part
    """
    _tag_seq = (
        'p:cSld', 'p:clrMapOvr', 'p:transition', 'p:timing', 'p:hf',
        'p:extLst'
    )
    cSld = OneAndOnlyOne('p:cSld')
    del _tag_seq

class CT_SlideLayoutIdList(BaseOxmlElement):
    """
    ``<p:sldLayoutIdLst>`` element, child of ``<p:sldMaster>`` containing
    references to the slide layouts that inherit from the slide master.
    """
    sldLayoutId = ZeroOrMore('p:sldLayoutId')

class CT_SlideLayoutIdListEntry(BaseOxmlElement):
    """
    ``<p:sldLayoutId>`` element, child of ``<p:sldLayoutIdLst>`` containing
    a reference to a slide layout.
    """
    rId = RequiredAttribute('r:id', XsdString)

class CT_SlideMaster(_BaseSlideElement):
    """
    ``<p:sldMaster>`` element, root of a slide master part
    """
    _tag_seq = (
        'p:cSld', 'p:clrMap', 'p:sldLayoutIdLst', 'p:transition', 'p:timing',
        'p:hf', 'p:txStyles', 'p:extLst'
    )
    cSld = OneAndOnlyOne('p:cSld')
    sldLayoutIdLst = ZeroOrOne('p:sldLayoutIdLst', successors=_tag_seq[3:])
    del _tag_seq

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


MFMSET/15 - a set of 15 High Resolution Longlifitime Magnetic probes.
5 Low Moment Magnetic probes MFM_LM series.
The set is intended for starting the work with new magnetic samples and finding the optimal choice for further magnetic measurements.


text:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html" charset="UTF-8">
<title>HFileBlockEncodingContext (HBase 0.98.8-hadoop2 API)</title>
<meta name="date" content="2014-11-14">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../../../../../stylesheet.css" title="Style">

JavaScript is disabled on your browser.

Overview

Package

Class

Use

Tree

Deprecated

Index

Help

Prev Class

Next Class

Frames

No Frames

All Classes

Summary:

Nested |

Field |

Constr |

Method

Detail:

Field |

Constr |

Method

org.apache.hadoop.hbase.io.encoding

Interface HFileBlockEncodingContext

All Known Implementing Classes:

HFileBlockDefaultEncodingContext

@InterfaceAudience.Private
public interface HFileBlockEncodingContext

An encoding context that is created by a writer's encoder, and is shared
 across the writer's whole lifetime.

See Also:

for decoding

Method Summary

Methods

Modifier and Type
Method and Description

void
close()

Releases the resources used.

BlockType
getBlockType()

DataBlockEncoding
getDataBlockEncoding()

HFileContext
getHFileContext()

byte[]
getOnDiskBytesWithHeader()

OutputStream
getOutputStreamForEncoder()

byte[]
getUncompressedBytesWithHeader()

void
postEncoding(BlockType blockType)

Do any action that needs to be performed after the encoding.

void
setDummyHeader(byte[] headerBytes)

sets the dummy header bytes

Method Detail

getOutputStreamForEncoder

OutputStream getOutputStreamForEncoder()

Returns:

OutputStream to which encoded data is written

getOnDiskBytesWithHeader

byte[] getOnDiskBytesWithHeader()

Returns:

encoded and compressed bytes with header which are ready to write
         out to disk

getUncompressedBytesWithHeader

byte[] getUncompressedBytesWithHeader()

Returns:

encoded but not heavily compressed bytes with header which can be
         cached in block cache

getBlockType

BlockType getBlockType()

Returns:

the block type after encoding

setDummyHeader

void setDummyHeader(byte[] headerBytes)

sets the dummy header bytes

getDataBlockEncoding

DataBlockEncoding getDataBlockEncoding()

Returns:

the DataBlockEncoding encoding used

postEncoding

void postEncoding(BlockType blockType)
                  throws IOException

Do any action that needs to be performed after the encoding.
 Compression is also included if a non-null compression algorithm is used

Parameters:

blockType -

Throws:

IOException

close

void close()

Releases the resources used.

getHFileContext

HFileContext getHFileContext()

Returns:

HFile context information

Overview

Package

Class

Use

Tree

Deprecated

Index

Help

Prev Class

Next Class

Frames

No Frames

All Classes

Summary:

Nested |

Field |

Constr |

Method

Detail:

Field |

Constr |

Method

Copyright © 2014 The Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved.


Cole Porter's single greatest contribution to the 'pop culture' of 1934 may well be the playfully allusive "You're The Top" from 'Anything Goes'. It was a catalog of topical and cultural events, products, famous people, literature.
It is contemporaneously used by unpolished scriveners such as AISLE SAY to satirize current events.
His charter is gratis. He has the status.
Need a caravan to Margaritaville?
Took Dad to trial. He said he was unfit..


text:
Government continues to push privatisation of essential services
Despite the unravelling of 25 years of neo - liberal policies in India, the NDA government continues to push privatisation of essential services, according to journalist Sukumar Muralidharan .
"It continues to promote large scale infrastructure projects such a s mega industrial corridors, nuclear parks and mega - ports and de - regulate labour, land and environmental laws in the interests of capital, " Muralidharan said during a panel discussion on "Voices for Peace and Justice - People's perspectives from BRICS countries".
Any resistance against this by students, labour unions, academics, writers and peoples movements is often crushed by the government, he said.
The 8th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit will be held in Goa from October 15 - 16.
Set up in 2009, in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, with four countries and then expanded to South Africa in 2010, the emergence of the BRICS was seen in many circles as a concrete step towards constructing a multi - polar world.
This was underlined with the setting up of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), the China - led Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) that were supposedly direct challenges to the hegemony of western dominated institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"It was soon evident that these new initiatives, while allegedly eroding the dominance of the Bretton Woods Institutions, would in reality work in a complementary and collaborative fashion with the latter, " he said.
"The summit is happening in the midst of multiple global and national crises.
The world continues to struggle with the impacts of the 2008 global economic crisis and conflicts in West Asia and the Arab world show no signs of resolution, " Muralidharan said.
According to Maren Mantovani (Stop the Wall campaign, Palestine), the BRICS have on occasion taken progressive positions on geo - politics.
"It has played a role in opposing unilateral military intervention in Syria (prior to the Russian intervention in 2015) and calling for a just solution to the question of Palestine, " she said.
"India and Brazil kept alive hopes for inexpensive life - saving medicine by rejecting Intellectual Property monopoly, helping South African AIDS - treatment activists beat their own government ten years ago, leading to a 10 - year improvement in life expectancy, " she said.
"At best, the BRICS is a contradictory forum posing immense challen ges with some opportunities for critical engagement, " she added.
In May 2016, Brazil's democratically elected President Dilma Rousse ff was ousted through a constitutional coup, with no objection from her BRICS allies.
"The rightwing interim President Michel Temer is now actively pushing for the potential privatisation of state companies, such as Petrobras, electricity utilities, ports and airports, " Mantovani said.
"Israel says to India that they are going to make the desert blue, " she said, adding, "when I saw the situation of the farmers in the northeast and Gujarat I realised that what Israel is actually doing is exporting very expensive high technology, water technology, and agriculture technology that is not helping any poor farmers. . . "
infrastructure democratically constitutional privatisation opportunities environmental contradictory complementary collaborative perspectives

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Understanding today's audiovisual technology trends and preparing learning what's around the corner can help you create spaces that empower your people – both locally and around the globe. Quickly becoming the largest segment of the workforce, millennials are driving the need for seamless technology in the workplace. Millennials are innovative by nature and expect organizations to support them; if not, they vote with their feet—with 58% changing jobs in less than 36 months. With retaining millennials being a huge priority, integrated technology is a critical business component. This group expects a variety of office spaces to suit their different work styles and the ability to use technology in them all.
Is technology thoughtfully integrated within your space?
Although the trend is towards a more distributed workforce, organizations need to find alternative strategies for building community and culture.
Video conferencing, collaborative intranets and planned social activities within the workplace can all help to build a shared vision.
Understanding how audiovisual technology is incorporated into smart buildings provides valuable perspective on how best to create a holistic solution. There are many myths surrounding smart buildings such as; they are complicated to use and best suited to new buildings – neither of which are true. The Empire State Building is a prime example of an older building having employed smart building technology in a retrofit that began in 2009. In this instance, they have repeatedly exceeded projected energy savings within the original structure.
Audiovisual technology can be used within a building infrastructure to simply manage routine needs; for example, IT service technicians can monitor the life of a projector's bulb from an office at a remote location. Or it can be deployed across complex functions within a building's infrastructure. Some examples of how audiovisual technology can touch a smart building's infrastructure.
The reality is that the trend is towards people wanting their home and work lifestyle, environment, and technology to mesh seamlessly. BYOD – Bring Your Own Device – as the trend has been labeled, deals with the complexities of integrating home and work devices. One of the key factors involved in this audiovisual trend is that employees expect work devices/technology to be as sophisticated as what they have at home.
1. Increased productivity as employees generally have more cutting-edge devices and are more adept at using technology of their own choosing.
2. Employee satisfaction as they tend to value their personal devices and appreciate not having to manage multiple devices.
3. Sustainability as BYOD eliminates redundancies.
However, as with any new concept the implementation can be fraught with challenges. BYOD is definitely a trend that has significant pros and cons, but check out some of the business advantages to BYOD.
Unified Communication is the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging, presence information, telephony, and video conferencing with non-real-time communication services such as voice mail, email and text. Increasingly people want choice and control when it comes to media and space, they are connected 24/7 and need their devices and applications to work efficiently.
According to a compensation survey of 1,400 CFO's conducted by Robert Half International, 46% said telecommuting is second only to salary as the best way to attract top talent. 33% Said telecommuting was the top draw.
The bottom line? This trend must be taken into account in any workplace strategy. Companies, both large and small, must accommodate a mobile workforce. Incorporating spaces that allow for visual, local and remote connections such as Huddle Spaces are essential in today's office. Technology that allows remote workers to schedule rooms such as Steelcase's Room Wizard can make it easy for remote workers to connect and collaborate seamlessly.
According to Harvard Business Review, "Innovation is the 'secret sauce' of business success".
There is no doubt that innovation is essential to compete in the global economy. Innovation is the result of collaboration. The kind of collaboration that gets you breakthrough ideas comes from people working together specifically to solve problems, and develop new insights and solutions.
In addition, the equation becomes considerably more complex when we add that today, data must be easily accessed anywhere to support collaboration.
Top audiovisual trends that enhance collaboration include cloud based solutions and vertical planes such as walls becoming displays and data capture devices. Check out this Corning Glass video that gives you a sneak peak into the not so distant future!
Devices are becoming increasingly able to interact with system infrastructure at a much higher and more personal level. Security and payment preferences are to instances where personalization is already hard at work. Not only that, increasingly you are able to swipe an RFID Card or smart device to take ownership of space and personalize the environment.
Take a look at these forward looking examples of personalization, coming to a space near you!
Pizza Hut takes ordering your favorite pizza to a whole new level.
Gallery One is an example of how interactivity and personalization inspires people at the Cleveland Museum of Art.


text:
Kentucky announces hiring of assistant coach Barry Rohrssen
By Raphielle JohnsonMay 1, 2014, 6:43 PM EDT
With Oliver Antigua leaving to take over the South Florida program, Kentucky head coach John Calipari had a vacancy to fill on his coaching staff. And on Thursday the school announced the news that surprised few, with Barry Rohrssen making the move from Pittsburgh to Lexington.
Lauded for his ability on the recruiting trail, Rohrssen joins John Robic and Kenny Panye on Calipari's coaching staff. And in making the move to Kentucky, Rohrssen reconnects with a head coach he's known for more than three decades.
"Barry has been part of my coaching family for the past 30-some years. We roomed together at Five Star as counselors, still in college, and have followed each others' careers on the court closely," Calipari said in the school release. "I'm thrilled with what he brings to our staff, both on court and off, in terms of coaching, recruiting and mentoring these young men."
Rohrssen has nearly two decades of coaching experience at the college level, including two separate stints as an assistant at Pittsburgh and five seasons as the head coach at Manhattan. And while the news of Rohrssen's hire was just announced, he was with his new boss in Sacramento last weekend watching Nike EYBL games during the lone open period of the spring.
With Rohrssen making the move from Pittsburgh to Kentucky, some have wondered what the impact will be on five-star 2016 guard Mustapha Heron. Heron is verbally committed to attend Pittsburgh, and the relationship between his family and Rohrssen did help the Panthers. However in a story written by Mike White of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette a couple days ago, Heron stated that he remains committed to Pittsburgh.
The addition of Rohrssen fills out the Kentucky coaching staff, but there's still the question of whether or not NBA franchises will look to speak with Calipari despite his statement that he has no interest in leaving the program. With Calipari making that statement, the Wildcats can seemingly move into their offseason preparations with an eye towards their summer trip to a location that has yet to be announced.
Follow @raphiellej


The two of them faced each other across the desk. After being asked a favor from the teacher, they were in the middle gathering the printouts. Yuuki and Kurumi were the only ones left in the classroom after school. There was no sign of any other students.
Ehhen, Kurumi stuck out her chest. Yuuki made a bitter smile. From the school grounds that was nearing sunset, the sound of the baseball club running could be heard.
Even after it had become May since she first transferred, Kanaruzawa Sekai has never come to school even once. She was feeling bad, lacked the energy, and various other reasons were given. However, it seemed that she had the intention of wanting to properly go to school one day. If that's the case, then isn't it human nature to try and help to grant that wish if possible?
She smiled. Yuuki made an inner sigh of relief. It was true that he had a lot to owe her to. As such, Haruko can't just get rid of Koiwai Kurumi very easily.
In fact, this transfer student was in a bit of a pinch. Whether it was within Year 3 Class A, or whether it's within the Murakumo High School as a whole, Kanaruzawa Sekai's presence became weaker and weaker.
She became less and less of a conversation topic for her classmates. At first, everyone was making a huge fuss about it and now they've become quite indifferent to her—this of course could just be said to be a result of human nature. A 3rd year high school student who could stay curious about a girl that doesn't show up would really have to have a lot of free time.
The exceptions were Yuuki, Kurumi, and also the homeroom teacher who could not abandon his student.
… He was entrusted with her. He couldn't refuse even if he wanted to.
He held interest in the human called Kanaruzawa Sekai. Someone who seemed otherworldly to the eye. Having honesty and a personality that was just off from the normal common sense. And various other things.
He felt like he wanted to know more. He wanted to know what type of person this transfer student really was.
Behind the open door, it was quite a feast.
Smoke wafting through the air.
Then came a pitiful scream.
She hid behind a chair, quickly changed into clothes, and all in one breath, Kanaruzawa Sekai stood back up.
Yuuki watched the maid as she backed out of the door. She really was someone who doesn't learn.
With teary eyes, Sekai spat out an insult.
Sekai had her words stuck. The bottles of alcohol were lined up in a narrow line on the table. Next to it all, a mountain of used cigars.
"Eeeh, stop it. It's nothing to cry about." While trying to calm down the owner of the room who was just about to start crying, Yuuki sat down in an empty seat.
"Mugu… I am quite ashamed of that." She gave look of dejection.
It was a completely new declarative statement. However, he also thought of it as having its own merits. Going to school on a fixed day, at a fixed time is something that requires a certain amount of skill and societal experience. If that wasn't the case, there should be no way someone would fail at going to school.
Yuuki let out his true thoughts.
Sekai looked downwards. She furled her eyebrows, fiddled with her fingers, and opened her mouth as if she was saying heeeh.
"Yeah. Let's." Yuuki also smiled and nodded.
He waited for a bit.
Sekai leaned forward to listen more closely.
After all, Kanaruzawa Sekai stood out too much. A neat face that would anyone turn and look. An otherworldly air that would be hard to forget. Both are elements that would make it hard to blend into a community—even bigger points are her hair and eyes. With these, it wouldn't be easy for her to be able to fit in at school.
She ran her fingers through her own white hair.
Yuuki stroked his chin. In truth, that was currently the fastest and most direct idea that could achieve an effect. But, if it's not possible then it can't be helped. The sad part was that there was no other idea he could think of that would be just as fast and simple.
Yuuki raised both his hands as a sign of giving up.
Being told that, Sekai accepted one of them.
She nibbled at it, and as she did, she seemed to hold back the feeling of wanting to cry.
He sank down into his chair. Yuuki as well took out a chocolate cigarette and stuck it into his mouth.
It was currently May. There was a gentle sunlight, the garden was full of fresh growing plants, and the sounds of birds chirping as they rested on branches.
Saying that, she made an even more troubled expression.
Besides, it doesn't seem that this shut-in girl wants to be asked to much about her complications. If that's the case, he won't ask more. They were not at that stage yet.
He just realized that. If you want to know about someone else, it is faster to have them know about you first. Deepening your relations and getting to know each other more are near equal to each other.
Sekai made a blank face.
… That's how things ended up.
No matter how he looked over it, he felt that it was a good idea. Understanding each other more can also be the first step for the shut-in to get out. It was definitely killing two birds with one stone. He couldn't see any demerits in it.
Sure enough, his little sister was in a very bad mood.
They were at the entrance of the Kirishimas' house.
The exchange between the siblings from earlier continued further.
Yuuki spoke to her in a small voice.
She made a forceful smile. In reality, she couldn't even make a smile, and it ended up being a face where she was half crying.
His little sister crossed her arms, stuck out her chest, and repeated once more. It seemed that she was stubborn and wouldn't give in.
Yuuki let out a sigh. He was convinced that his sister was the reincarnation of Sokuten Bukou, as she had the strongest voice within the Kirishima family.  Given what the future holds, he wanted to overturn his sister's decision here and now.
Yuuki continued to think. Then, he came up with a plan.
Yuuki nodded with a satisfied face.
Unexpectedly, Sekai was all for it.
After looking for a bit, they quickly found a set of closed used by the maids of the Kirishima family. Everything afterwards happened in a blink of an eye.
After contacting Chiyo-san who was just fired, she quickly came over and helped with changing. The rest was just Haruko spouting out her complaints. She had so much to say that it felt like her scolding would never stop.
Just like that, Kanaruzawa Sekai who had ended up changing clothes appeared in front of them.
Inside the drawing room of the Kirishima house, each of them gave their respective comments.
A deep blue one piece and a white apron. She was dressed in orthodox maid clothing as Sekai fidgeted embarrassingly.
Haruko could only make a face as if she was eating a bitter bug. She was definitely very annoyed, so it seemed.
Sekai narrowed her eyes feeling uneasy. She then picked a part of her skirt, and spun around once. Eheheh, she giggled. The gesture that came afterwards was even more fitting than anything else.
Yuuki and Chiyo-san both praised her, while Haruko was the only who seemed like she didn't care. Haruko could only stand there as she shook her legs in anger.
The two maids cheerfully headed out of the room to prepare the tea.
Haruko curled her mouth in an evil manner.
During that time, Sekai and Chiyo-san once again showed themselves. They carried a tea set on a steel cart. Assamu, Darjeeling. The nice smell of black tea came wafting over.
Continuing after Chiyo-san, Sekai gave a bow. Then, with slightly shaking hands, she began pouring the tea. If it was just her, you would wonder whether or not she would spill it, but there was a pro beside her. In the end, the tea was prepared perfectly fine.
From the antique cup rose a nice fragrance and steam. On the side, she began to bake a few snacks, and as they hardened the scent of them was mixed in.
Haruko's mouth curled her mouth into the shape of へ.
Yuuki put his mouth to the cup, then gave a nod. If compared to the tea that he normally enjoys with Haruko, it didn't lose one bit.
Haruko cried out while hitting the table.
Bui, she turned to the side.
Sekai's expression turned from worried to happy. Yuuki smiled and gave a thumbs up. Chiyo-san made a wide smile. Haruko on the other hand purposely clicked her tongue repeatedly so that others could hear.
Yuuki accepted it. Even if there was a lot of support, and that they had ended up coming over to his house, it ended with a bountiful harvest. Just a little more, the cowardly transfer student just needs one more push in the back. Then, she would be able to once again go to school, he thought.
Is there a good way for Sekai to be able to go to school? Yuuki tried passing off the question to his smart little sister as everything that he had thought of had been bad.
Of course, it was a lost cause. Before that, getting his little sister to give out an idea that would help Sekai was already hard enough, and it could be said that the situation was a little too convenient.
"Don't say that. Please. Please?" Yuuki implored.
She promptly threw out a proposal.
… It became like that. At this stage, Yuuki still did not really understand Kanaruzawa Sekai. Anyways, he could see though that she was just a little off from normal thinking.
Anyways, the preparations were made. Haruko was fuming almost to a point beyond repair, but I will I'll try to help by holding back a bit. There's only a little bit left until Kanaruzawa Sekai will be able to go to school.
Yamada is supposed to be a super common last name and Hanako is a common first name for females.
Tarou is supposed to be a super common name for males.
Sokuten Bukou is supposed to be a female emperor.
And-and-and when will there be a new chapter?
I'll probably be posting it sometime this week since it's already been translated. Just needs some editing.


text:
Q: Sails Js - how i can make an automated task I want make an automated task inside sails, this task should check some variables in db and do something but.. idk how to make it, i search about grunt task, but nothing usefull. Anyone now how i can make an automated task without interaction with client?

A: If it isn't trigger by your client why don't you use another script run by cron(or any other task schedular program).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Kitchen Ambush S2:E6 at Repeal Bourbon and Burgers.
Mark Conway of Kitchen Ink Food and Vanessa Lane of ViewItDoit ambushed Mixologist Justin at Repeal Bourbon and Burgers in Virginia Beach , VA. They surprised him with Bluefields Bay Villas' Pimento Dram Liquor. Mixologist Justin had to quickly devise a plan to incorporate the product into a fantastic concoction for our two hosts to deem this episode a successful Kitchen Ambush. What happened? Who prevailed....Mixologist or ingredient? Watch the full Kitchen Ambush episode to find out!


We took Rameswaram express from Chennai (at 5 pm) and reached Rameswaram early in the morning (at 4.30 am). We did a mistake of not booking hotel rooms in advance. The roads around the station weren't maintained well and there were hardly any hotels, near the station. Looks like people/devotees typically stay closer to the temple. We took 4 autorickshaws to go near the temple to look for rooms. Rameswaram isn't a developed city, despite the huge crowd that visit the temple city everyday.
We managed to find an accommodation in Siva Lodge near the temple (for Rs.500 per room which can accommodate 4 - 5 people). We dropped our luggage in the hotel room, took a short break and went to the sea to take the holy dip. I was surprised by the quality of sea water in the location where people take the holy dip. It is heavily polluted because of the crowd.
Rameswaram Temple was not maintained very well. There were broken pillars, peeling cement/paint layers, and spider webs all around the temple. The exteriors of the temple are painted well. The 'moondram pragaram' had a number of pillars on both the sides of the walkway for nearly 1200m. The view was simply amazing and a feast for cameras.
We went back to hotel room, took rest and hired a couple of Maruti Omnis to take us around the city. They took us to the 'famous spots' in the city and charged us a hefty Rs.1000 per van, for 3 or 4 hours of ride. The places they showed us include such as Ramar Theertham, Setha Theertham, Lakshman Theertham, Ramar Patham, House of Kalam (view from the street), and Kothandaramar temple, Floating Rock, Pamban Bridge and Jothilingam temple. We had lunch at Hotel Aryas in Goswamy Madam. The food quality was good. We finished the tour and came back to hotel by around 6 pm. We spent the rest of the day in the hotel. The breeze from the sea nearby was very pleasant and hence many of us decided to sleep on the corridor of the hotel room for the night. The corridor had an open balcony from where you can get the ocean view.
Certain pockets of Rameswaram is well developed, but majority of the city isn't maintained well (including the streets near the temple & the roads near 'House of Kalam'). The restaurants near the temple aren't adequately staffed and there is a long waiting time to find seats. Majority of the people who visit Rameswaram include old people and people of middle/low income category. So, the commercial establishments are targetted at such customers. If you are expecting 'luxury' you'll be disappointed very much.
Tirupati Tirumala Visit - May be the last?
Good writeup - thanks for sharing.
hey thanks :) keep it up!