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St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary - Faculty

V. Rev. Paul Nadim Tarazi

 

Bio

Fr Paul Tarazi is Professor of Old Testament at St Vladimir's Seminary, where he teaches courses in the full range of scriptural studies in Old and New Testament and Biblical Hebrew. He also teaches at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts and at St. John of Damascus Institute in Balamand, Lebanon. His publications include biblical commentaries on 1 Thessalonians and Galatians, a three-volume Introduction to the Old Testament, the first two volumes of a projected four-volume introduction to the New Testament, and numerous scholarly articles. He is currently working on the final two volumes of his New Testament introduction, after which he will continue his biblical commentary series.

Fr Tarazi travels widely to speak about scripture and related topics, and has represented the Orthodox Church at ecumenical gatherings. He is known for his dynamic speaking style and his ability to hold an audience's interest while explaining complex matters of scriptural interpretation in layman's terms. His books have received accolades for their ability to explain the latest results of specialized scholarly studies—as well as Fr Tarazi's own original research—in terms understandable to the general public.

Books & Publications
Essays in Books
Video & Audio
Professional Experience
Church Activities

Professor of Old Testament

 

ptarazi@svots.edu

  • Medical Studies, Jesuit University School of Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon, 1965

  • M.Div., Theological Institute, Bucharest, Romania, 1969

  • M.Th., Theological Institute, Bucharest, Romania, 1972

  • Th.D., Theological Institute, Bucharest, Romania, 1975

Books & Publications

  • The New Testament: Introduction (in four volumes, Crestwood: SVS Press & Beirut: An-Nour, in Arabic):

    • Volume 1: Paul and Mark (1999, Arabic translation 2001)
    • Volume 2: Luke and Acts (2001)
    • Volume 3: Johannine Writings (2004)
    • Volume 4: Matthew and the Canon (forthcoming)

    Extracts from these four volumes:

  • The Old Testament: Introduction (in three volumes, Crestwood: SVS Press & Beirut: An-Nour, in Arabic):

    • Volume 1: Historical Traditions (1991, revised 2003, 1998 in Arabic)
    • Volume 2: The Prophets (1994, 1998 in Arabic)
    • Volume 3: Wisdom Literature (1996, 1999 in Arabic)

  • Galatians: A Commentary (Crestwood: SVS Press, 1994)

  • I Thessalonians: A Commentary (Crestwood: SVS Press, 1982; Beirut: An-Nour, 1983, in Arabic)

  • Al-Wa'at (Beirut: An-Nour, 1989)

    Arabic translation of three lectures for the first annual John Chrysostom Lectureship on Preaching, Holy Cross Seminary, Brookline, 1979

Essays in Books

  • "Jerusalem in Christian Orthodox Perspectives" in O. Kelly Graham, ed., Jerusalem: Key to Peace in the Middle East (Triangle friends of the Middle East, 1987)

  • "Thus Saith the Lord: The Fundamental Aspects of Prophetic Preaching" in Theodore Stylianopoulos, ed., God's Living Word: Orthodox and Evangelical Essays on Preaching (Holy Cross Press, 1983)

  • "The Gospel of Christ as God's Power for Salvation (Rom 1:16)" in God's Living Word

  • "The Living Word: Effective Preaching of God's Word Today" in God's Living Word

Articles

Articles written for the Orthodox Education Day Journal:

Video & Audio

  • Video Cassettes (published by SVS Press):

    • The Church in the New Testament (1996)
    • The Death of Christ (1997)
    • The Resurrection (1997)

  • Audio Cassettes (published by SVS Press):

    • The Church in the New Testament I (1996)
    • The Church in the New Testament I: Pastoral Discussion (1996)
    • The Church in the New Testament II (1996)
    • Baptism According to the Scriptures I (1997)
    • Baptism According to the Scriptures II (1997)
    • Scriptures and Problems in Cultural Traditions I (1998)
    • Scriptures and Problems in Cultural Traditions I: Discussion (1998)

Professional Experience

  • St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
    • Professor, Old Testament, 1991-present
    • Associate Professor, Old Testament, 1983-1991
    • Assistant Professor, Old Testament 1980-1983
    • Lecturer, Old Testament, 1977-1980

  • Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA
    • Adjunct Professor, 1994-present

  • St John of Damascus Institute, Balamand, Lebanon
    • Visiting Professor, 1981-1996
    • Lecturer, 1970-1976

 

Church Activities
  • Invited regularly to participate in WCC and MECC [Middle East Council of Churches] conferences mainly concerning the Bible and the State of Israel
  • Guest lecturer at the Pontifical University and two Roman Catholic Seminaries in Santiago de Chile, August 1998
  • Theological consultant to the General Assembly of the WCC in Canberra, Australia, 1991
  • Theological consultant to the General Assembly of the Faith and Order Commission of the WCC in Budapest, Hungary, 1989
  • Invited regularly to conduct retreats and talks in parishes of the AOCA, OCA, and Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
  • Spiritual Advisor of Eastern Region SOYO, 1980-1983 and 1985-1987
  • Pastor of St. John Antiochian Orthodox Church, Uniondale NY [Hempstead, LI], 1981-2001
  • Pastor of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Danbury, CT, 1976-1981
  • Ordained priest in the Orthodox Church in 1976
  • Orthodox Youth Movement of the Patriarchate of Antioch since the age of 13. Represented this organization at the Syndesmos General Assembly at Holy Cross School of Theology, Brookline, MA, 1971