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On 6 February 2011, the first volume of Metropolitan Hilarion’s book Orthodox Christianity in the English language was presented at St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York. Taking part in the presentation were His Beatitude Jonah. Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada, the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR); Archbishop Justinian, administrator of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA; Bishop Melchizedek of Pittsburg and Western Pennsylvania (Orthodox Church in America); faculty and students of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.

Archpriest John Behr, Dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, presented the book and its author to the guests. He told them about major stages of theological work of the DECR chairman, noting its topicality to the English-speaking readers. He also said that Metropolitan Hilarion’s books are remarkable for their high quality and professionalism and at the same time by simple and understandable even to non-church people, as they are addressed not only to a narrow circle of theologians and church historians, but also to those who are just getting acquainted with the world of Orthodoxy.

Archpriest Chad Hartfield, the chancellor of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and Theodore Bazil, director of St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press that has published the book, addressed the audience.

The first of many volumes of the DECR chairman’s work has been published by Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press, the largest publisher of Orthodox Christian book in the English language. Among its pioneers are the renowned Orthodox theologians of the 20th century, Protopresbyters Alexander Schmemann and John Meiendorff. Metropolitan Hilarion and Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press have cooperated for many years. In 2009, SVS Press published Metropolitan Hilarion’s book Christ the Conqueror of Hell.