“We American-Armenians of the early third millennium have the rare opportunity to restore our Church to its traditional stature in Armenian life,” writes Diocesan Primate Bishop Daniel, in a thoughtful consideration of the present status—and future potential—of the Eastern Diocese.
He offers his insights in a soon-to-be-released book, Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today. In its pages, Bishop Daniel explores the foundations of the Armenian Church, its historic glories, and its contemporary challenges. From there, he unpacks the precious insights of Scripture to describe a vision that can guide the Armenian Church’s faithful in the 21st century.
He calls that vision “Building Up the Body of Christ”: a name inspired by the Apostle Paul’s conception of the church in his Epistle to the Ephesians. It is a vision that encompasses the full spiritual richness of the Armenian Church’s mission, while giving practical guidance on questions of education, service, worship, outreach, and governance.
“We want our church to be a place of dignity, holiness and hope in a world where these virtues are in short supply,” he writes; “a community where the laurels of Armenia’s Christian past are made relevant and life-giving today. We want our church to be a portal to all that is genuinely good and just, a pathway to God and to the splendors of eternity. This is the vision of Building Up the Body of Christ.”
In Building Up the Body of Christ: The Treasure of the Armenian Church for Our People Today, Bishop Daniel articulates a project of ambitious scope and deep meaning for individual faithful, local parishes, and the Diocese overall.
The book will be available to the public, as a paperback volume and digital file, later this month. In the meantime, look for the release of Bishop Daniel’s video announcement on Saturday, March 26, on the Eastern Diocese’s YouTube page and other online platforms.