10 /28 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA NOVEMBER 2015

The event was well attended

Alexandrian Legacy launched

by Professor Carole M. Cusack
Alexandrian Legacy: A Critical Apprais-
al (Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge
Scholars Publishing, 2015), edited by St
Andrew’s faculty members Protopres-
byter Dr Doru Costache (Senior Lecturer
in Patristic Studies), Dr Philip Kariatlis (A-
cademic Director and Senior Lecturer in
Theology), and myself, represents a mile-
stone in the life of the College; a sign of
its maturity and dedication to quality re-
search.
Alexandrian Legacy contains fourteen
chapters that constitute revised versions
of thirteen articles published in the Col-
lege’s journal, Phronema; ten of which
were based on papers delivered at St An-
drew’s 2012 and 2013 Patristic Sym-
posia, both of which were convened by
Dr Costache and Dr Kariatlis. It also in-
cludes an entirely new chapter. The sym-
posia just mentioned were based on the
Alexandrian saints Athanasius and Cyril
respectively; so, naturally much space is
afforded in this volume to the life and
writings of these two illustrious Fathers
of the Church, who are nevertheless
placed within the broader context of the
enriching Alexandrian tradition.
The volume was officially launched on
the 9th of October, 2015 by Carole M.
Cusack, Professor of Religious Studies in
the Department of Studies in Religion at
the University of Sydney, during the In-
augural Theology Symposium of St An-
drew’s. The launch was hosted in the
College’s great hall, in the presence of all
participants at the conference and other
guests, and was a particularly meaningful
moment for me, as I introduced Profes-
sor Cusack, who along with Father Doru,
supervised my doctoral thesis. Professor
Cusack is an internationally renowned
scholar. Trained as a medievalist, she is
the author of many books and the editor
of numerous volumes. She has also pub-
lished countless journal articles and book
chapters covering a range of topics from
medieval Christianity, to European my-
thology, theories of conversion, religion
and popular Culture and new religious
movements. Professor Cusack began the
launch by warmly reminiscing about her
review of Cappadocian Legacy: A Critical
Appraisal (edited by Father Doru and Phi-
lip and published by St Andrew’s Press in
2013) that was published in the Journal
of Religious Studies 39:1 (2015). Turning
to Alexandrian Legacy, Carole highlight-
ed the interdisciplinary nature of the vol-
ume, stating that its interaction with the
Professor Carole M. Cusack launched
‘Alexandrian Legacy’
fields of theology, patristics, history, and
literature have produced an amazing bo-
dy of work, which in many cases gives
new insights into topics that are seldom
addressed in scholarship.
Describing Alexandrian Legacy as
“fresh, original and challenging,” she af-
firmed that whilst the bulk of the book
was on the Alexandrian saints Athanasius
and Cyril, nevertheless the chapters by
Dr Costache, Associate Professor Revd
Bogdan Bucur and Associate Professor
Vlad M. Niculescu examine the thought
of figures such as Clement and Origen,
whom, she commented, were essential
in paving the way for the Alexandrian
tradition. Professor Cusack then gave a
chapter-by-chapter summary of the vol-
ume’s contents, which she praised for
their scholarly rigour and nuanced en-
gagement with the sources. She noted
especially the contributions of world-
renowned scholars such as Professor
Pauline Allen, Revd Professor Denis Ed-
wards, and Professor David Bradshaw,
amongst others, and recommended the
volume as an indispensable tool for any-
one wishing to delve into the Alexandri-
an tradition.
We were all especially enlivened by
Professor Cusack’s personal touch to the
launch of this volume, including her an-
ecdotes concerning former colleagues at
the Department of Studies in Religion
who were present at the launch, includ-
ing the Revd Dr John Chryssavgis, who
was the main keynote speaker at the
Theology Symposium and founding sub-
dean of St Andrew’s, and Professor Garry
W. Trompf, former head of Studies in Re-
ligion at Sydney University and lecturer
at St Andrew’s. To conclude the launch,
Carole expressed how much a pleasure it
was to read Alexandrian Legacy, and in-
dicated the fact that to see so many
friends, colleagues, and former students
at the launch made it a particularly hap-
py occasion. The editors extend their
heartfelt gratitude to Professor Cusack
for launching the volume with such
warm, gracious and encouraging com-
ments. Alexandrian Legacy is available
for purchase from the Cambridge Schol-
ars website:
www.cambridgescholars.com/alexan-
drian-legacy
Dr Mario Baghos
Associate Lecturer in Church History
St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox
Theological College

Athens metro makes world’s top 10 in Frommer’s travel guide

Athens commuters may take it for granted on a day-
to-day basis, but for visitors to the Greek capital the
metro is one of the sites worth visiting. In fact online
travel guide Frommer’s recently ranked the Athens
metro among the top 10 subways in the world be-
cause of the archaeological exhibitions and contempo-
rary art installations at a number of its stations.
The feature by Charis Atlas Heelan compares differ-
ent subway systems around the world, asking: “What
makes the world’s best subway, Metro, and Tube sys-
tems? Other than safety, cleanliness, and cost, it does-
n’t hurt to have amenities like great architecture or
underground shops and eateries. Bonus points if the
transit stations aren’t too crowded or have endless
staircases.”
The Athens metro is presented among the world’s
top 10 in most flattering terms: “One of the crowning
achievements of this city’s Olympic bid was the cre-
ation of Attiko Metro, a system with stations housing
archaeological exhibits and items that were uncov-
ered while digging (walls, cisterns, urns, and even sar-
cophagi). Even if you don’t need to get to any of the
50-plus stations, it’s well worth a visit to Syntagma
Square or Akropoli stations to see the relics or Ethniki
Amyna station for more contemporary art installa-
tions. Though the trains aren’t that modern or effi-
cient, the visual surroundings make it all worthwhile,”
the writer says. Also in the top 10 list are Moscow,
London, Stockholm, Tokyo, New York, Paris, Dubai,
Hong Kong and Beijing.