I applaud Siecienski's study for what it is: rigorous yet accessible scholarship put in the service of Christians in both East and West, especially those who would seek to better understand the "sources and history of a debate" that will doubtless continue for some time. * Gaelan Gilbert, ST VLADIMIR'S THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY * Siecienski has written a very valuable and credible assessment of the development of the debate between East and West over the role of the Bishop of Rome in the Christian Church. His knowledge of the issues, already explored partly in his study of the filioque, is commendable. His familiarity with the various documents and authors that contributed to the Orthodox response to the papal claims is impressive. And his extensive bibliography (eighty pages) is a
great complement to a remarkable study, making it an invaluable resource for this debate. Indubitably, this volume is a welcome addition to the Oxford Studies in Historical Theology series. * Denis Fortin, Andrews University Seminary Studies * [A] work of exceptional breadth, perceptiveness, and learning; an excellent addition to an excellent series. * Jon Balserak, Reading Religion * A peaceful, common reading of history, particularly with regard to the role of the bishop of Rome, is an essential requirement for the restoration of full communion between Orthodox and Catholics. Edward Siecienski's impressive study demonstrates that such a reading is attainable. Wide-ranging, abundantly referenced, and fair-minded, this is a most refreshing and helpful contribution to Catholic-Orthodox rapprochement. * Paul McPartlan, Carl J. Peter Professor of Systematic Theology and Ecumenism, Catholic University of America * The Papacy and the Orthodox is a definitive, albeit delicate, issue in the history and thought of Christianity, especially in relation to ecumenical exchanges and confessional reconciliation. Discerning facts in historical sources and demythologizing fiction in skewed misconceptions are an essential foundation for rekindling this centuries-old debate between East and West, but also a critical premise for impartial dialogue between Orthodox and Roman
Catholics. This exceptional book provides a significant and substantial step toward this goal. * The Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Author of Primacy in the Church: The Office of Primate and the Authority * Weighing controverted evidence with unfailing judiciousness, and writing with cogency and elegance, Siecienskis book is superlative ecumenical scholarship. * Adam A.J. DeVille, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Theology-Philosophy, University of Saint Francis a * A more skillfully balanced guide to the problem of the papacy would be hard to find. As a closely argued studya genuine tour de force, reallyit should convince everyone of its importance. It is by any account an unusually accurate, accessible narrative, for which we owe the author the duty of full attention. In a field where objectivity is often in short supply, this superb study will before long become the definitive standard. * Aristeides Papadakis, Author of The Christian East and the Rise of the Papacy a * An immensely learned and scrupulously fair account of an historic debate. * Aidan Nichols, Faith *