“Even the Angels “desire to bow” (1 Pet. 1:12), they want to deeply delve, to theologize on the saving work of our Lord. On His birth, on His baptism, on His crucifixion, on His Resurrection, on His Ascension etc. So great, unprecedented and unresearchable are these divine events” (Pg.9).

History & Theology is not just a timeline on how and when divine events began to be celebrated, but also a revelation of the real theological reasons on why they are remembered on specific dates of the year. Going back in time the reader will meet prophets, ancient philosophers and pagans who directly or indirectly were used as “instruments” of God for His salvation work. Introducing common dates for the Great Feasts of the Lord was a complex task for the Holy Church Fathers and the Ecumenical Counsels. The Feasts include: Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Christ’s Crucifixion, Feasts of the Cross, Resurrection, Mid-Pentecost, Ascension, Pentecost and Holy Trinity.

PROLOGUE

Even the “Angels desire to look into” (1 Pet. 1:12), they want to deeply delve, theologize upon the salvation work of our Lord: His Birth, Baptism, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, etc. These divine events are so great, unprecedented and unresearch-ed!

And this is precisely the “objective” of this book.

May this become cause for us to glorify the Lord and exclaim from the depths of our hearts: “Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders” (Ps. 77: 13-14).

CONTENTS

PART I

C H R I S T M A S

1. Why was Jesus born a Jew?
2. When was He born?
3. Pagans in the service of the Lord
4. Prophecies About Christ
5. The Pre-eternal Plan of Salvation
6. The Two Births of the Son
7. Birth: Humility of Christ
8. The Theotokos and the Birth of Jesus

PART II

T H E O P H A N Y

1. John the Baptist
2. Ηis Preaching

3.The Jordan River

4. The Baptism of Christ
5. “And it Remained on Him”
6. “Theophany”
7. The 6^th of January
8. “Τhe Water of Theophany”

PART III

C R O S S & C R U C I F I X I O N

1. Prefigurations of the Cross
2. Prefigurations of the Crucifixion
3. Chris’s Crucifixion
4. Christ’s Suffering on the Cross
5. The Cross of Christ
6. Use and Veneration of the Cross
7. Finding of the Cross
8. The Feasts of the Cross
9. The Devil & the Cross

PART IV

P A S C H A

1. Prefigurations
2. Τhe Document of the Godhead

3.”By Death Trampling Upon Death”

4. The Celebration of Pascha
5. From Saturday to Sunday
6. Resurrection and Prayer
7. From Pascha to Pentecost
8. His Human Nature

PART V

P E N T E C O S T

1. Jesus prepares His disciples
2. “Receive ye the Holy Spirit”
3. Pentecost
4. The Early Baptisms
5. The Transfiguration of the Apostles
6. Explanations
7. Τhe work of Holy Spirit
8. The Mystery of the Holy Trinity

***

1st English Edition. 2019. All rights reserved

Translated by Fr. Nicholas Palis

Proof Reading by Stavros Raptis

Cover design:

Chrysostomos Tromboukis, BA

www.chrysostomo.wordpress.com

Publisher: Archangels Publications

https://archangelsbooks.com/

ORDERS:

wholesale: archangelspublications@gmail.com or phone 314 614 0843

retail: www.amazon.com

***

The Greek author, the Archimandrite Vassilios Bakoyiannis was born in 1953. He is a graduate of the Theological Academy of Athens and of the Theological School of the University of Belgrade. He received his M.A. in Theology from St. Vladimir’s Seminary and his Ph.D. from the Atlantic International University (U.S.A.). In 1974 he began writing and since then has written over 50 spiritual books. The publication of his books in Greece has been exclusively undertaken by “Thavor” publications, which have been exclusively established for this purpose and for which he exclusively writes. Several of his books have been translated from the Greek language into English, German, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Arabic, Serbian, Bulgarian, Indonesian, Swahili. He was ordained in 1980 and serves the Holy Metropolis of Patras in Greece.

ΟΤΗΕR BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR PUBLISHED BY THE SAME PUBLICATIONS

1. Tearful Eyes 2. Christian or an Actor? 3. The world’s Final call 4. A Monk’s Adventure 5. Confronting the Devil 6. After Death 7. Food and Spirituality 8. Forty Stormy Years 9. Battles & Passions. Anger, Hatred, Envy 10. Confession 11. JESUS His Unknown Side 12. Highly Favored One. The Life of Mariam (The Virgin Mary) 13. St. John Chrysostom. Holy Communion. How & when 14. Lion Tamer: On Taming the Tongue 15. Heresy in One