In these previously unpublished talks, Fr Alexander Schmemann critiques contemporary culture’s distorted understanding of death. He then examines the Church’s rites for burial and her prayers for the dead. Though they are often misunderstood, at the heart of the services Fr Alexander finds the paschal proclamation: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”
About the Author: Father Alexander Schmemann was a prolific writer, brilliant lecturer and dedicated pastor. Former dean and professor of liturgical theology at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary, he passed away in 1983 at the age of sixty-two. Father Alexander Schmemann’s insight into contemporary culture, church life, and liturgical celebration left an indelible mark on the Chrisitian community worldwide.