New Book by Fr John Brian

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 21, 2010

LOCAL ORTHODOX PRIEST ASKS, WHY CAN’T WE ALL GET ALONG?

MADISON, WI — “Neighbors, Strangers, and Everyone Else” is now available at Amazon.com (search for title or "Paprock") and at Holy Transfiguration Publications internet store: www.lulu.com/transfiguration.com.

Why can’t we all just get along? “Neighbors, Strangers, and Everyone Else” will help by giving insight and inspiration from an Orthodox Christian perspective, now available to everyone. But this book is more than just that. It is also a historic record of interfaith and ecumenical activity in Wisconsin. It is also the personal disclosure of the difficulties of living with others in diversity.

“Neighbors, Strangers, and Everyone Else” is a unique book and collection of insightful and inspiring words on topics of co-existence from Rev. Fr. John-Brian Paprock. It is dedicated to the author’s son, Christopher, and all the children of the better world that is around the corner.

“Neighbors, Strangers, and Everyone Else” includes transcripts of speeches and sermons of Fr. John-Brian Paprock during the last 15 years on this difficult subject of co-existence. It discloses the hopes and dreams, the experiences and insight, from an Orthodox Christian priest confronted with the demonstration of God’s love in a pluralistic world.

“‘Neighbors, Strangers, and Everyone Else’ is an amazing body of work -- not just the compilation itself, but the witness over a number of years that Fr. John-Brian has made to understanding and outreach as a way of life which it represents," wrote Alexander Patico of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship of North America. "I was able to learn a great deal from what Fr. John-Brian wrote and to get to know Fr. John-Brian and his thought -- Fr. John-Brian certainly has progressed as time went on, in his powers of expression and his profundity."

"Fr. John-Brian is an excellent communicator. He has a way with words and ideas. I think this work, “Neighbors, Strangers, and Everyone Else,” will be a great contribution to inter-religious dialog. Autobiographical element makes it appealing," wrote John Kunnathu, founder of the worldwide Gregorian Study Circle, founded in honor and memory of H.G. Paulos Mar Gregorios, Indian Orthodox bishop of New Delhi.

“Neighbors, Strangers, and Everyone Else” covers the topics of personal and interpersonal, the religious and the secular, and friends and enemies as topics of concern in modern society:
Part 1 – Faith and Interfaith;
Part 2 – Human Rights;
Part 3 – Friends and Enemies;
Part 4 – War and Peace;
Part 5 – Non-Violence from a Christian Perspective
(The complete transcription of a workshop given at Joyful Path Buddhist Center in 2009)
Appendix – More Interfaith Writing
(includes a few more historic and helpful documents and articles)
>FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS BELOW<

Rev. Fr. John-Brian Paprock is an American priest serving a multi-ethnic Orthodox Christian mission parish in Madison, Wisconsin. He has been involved in ecumenical and interfaith efforts in the community for over 15 years, participating in 1988 in one of the oldest continuous dialogue groups, Madison Interfaith Dialogue group, soon after its initial meeting. He has president of Madison Urban Ministry in 1990 and was the religion reporter at WORT-FM in the early 1990s. In 1995, he was one of the founders of Madison Area Interfaith Network and coordinated events and conferences for interfaith service, education and leadership. In 1998, he wrote the Wisconsin proclamation of Interfaith Awareness Week, signed by the Governor every year since.

“Neighbors, Strangers, and Everyone Else” includes transcripts of speeches and sermons of Fr. John-Brian Paprock during the last 15 years on this difficult subject of co-existence. It discloses the hopes and dreams, the experiences and insight, from an Orthodox Christian priest confronted with the demonstration of God’s love in a pluralistic world.

Neighbors, Strangers and Everyone Else: Topics of Co-existence
December 2009, Paperback, 218 pages, ISBN: 978-0-557-20356-7

CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTRODUCTION

PART 1 – FAITH AND INTERFAITH
1. DRAWING LINES? (1998)
2. VIEW OF PLURALISM (1999)
3. WORKBOOK FOR INTERFAITH AMBASSADORS (2002)
4. KEYS TO IMPROVING INTERFAITH RELATIONS (2002)
5. OPENING COMMENTS FOR INTERFAITH CELEBRATION(2003)
6. DO WE NEED INTERFAITH AWARENESS WEEK?
A Christian Perspective (2004)
7. CHRISTIAN FAITH IN A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY (2004)
8. WELCOME ADDRESS – INTERFAITH AWARENESS WEEK (2005)
9. LEARNING FROM INTERFAITH AWARENESS (2006)
10. BEING A PARTICIPANT IN THE WORLD (2007)

PART 2 – HUMAN RIGHTS
1. THE SPIRITUAL PART: Employment and Spirituality (1997)
2. Regarding Religion's Role in Government (1999)
3. EMBRACING ALL OF HUMANITY: THE VISION OF PAULOS MAR GREGORIOS IN THE 21ST CENTURY (2002)
4. Reflections on Receiving THE Good Neighbor Award (2008)
5. HUMAN RIGHTS AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT (2008)

PART 3 – FRIENDS AND ENEMIES
1. Neighbor, Stranger, Friend or Foe (1998)
2. WHAT SHOULD I DO? (2001)
3. DOING RIGHT THING (2001)
4. A VISION 02/18/04 02:25 (2004)
5. LOVING ENEMIES AMONG US (2007)
6. Who will stop you from getting to heaven? (2008)
6A. THE dREAM RECALLED (2008)
7. HUMAN HARMONY (2009)

PART 4 – WAR AND PEACE
1. Sunday of Tragedy (2001)
2. Reflections on a Peace Walk in Wisconsin (2002)
3. WORLD PEACE AND COMMUNICATION (2002)
4. Religion and War - An Orthodox Priest's view (2003)
5. Remembering 9-11 - Five Years Later (2006)

PART 5 – NON-VIOLENCE FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Transcription of a workshop given at Joyful Path Buddhist Center (2009)
SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
SECTION 2 - TAKE A VOW I
SECTION 3 - WHAT IS VIOLENCE
SECTION 4 - RESOLVING THE TENSION OF HUMAN LIVING
SECTION 5 - EASTERN AND WESTERN CHRISTIANITY
SECTION 6 - TAKE A VOW II
SECTION 7 - SUFFERING AND PEACE
SECTION 8 - INNER WARFARE FOR PEACE
SECTION 9 - GOOD AND EVIL
SECTION 10 - COMPASSION FOR ENEMIES
SECTION 11 - WILL AND VIOLENCE
SECTION 12 - HONESTY AND NONVIOLENCE
SECTION 13 - CONCLUSION: NEW FORMS OF HOLINESS
SECTION 14 - TAKE A VOW III

APPENDIX – MORE INTERFAITH WRITING
1. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR Proclamation 1998
2. A VISION MADISON CENTER 1995
2a. VISION CONTINUES 1999 & UPDATE 2009
3. Madison Area Interfaith Network Mission Statement 1995
4. Insights and Concerns 1998
4a. a problem behind dialogue 2003
5. RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY GRACES AREA 1999
6. ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE RITUALS 1999
7. Prayer of Interfaith Ambassadors 2002

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:

REV. FR. JOHN-BRIAN PAPROCK

Born in Mexico City, Rev. Fr. John-Brian Paprock has lived in the U.S. all of his life, from coast to coast. He studied at Columbia University and other fine institutions of higher learning, eventually getting a Master of Theology degree in Comparative Theology from Trinity College. He has been certified as a pastoral counselor. He has been awarded several honorary degrees as well. Ordained to the Orthodox priesthood in 1987, he joined the Mission Society of St Gregorios of India under the leadership of Metropolitan Thomas Mar Makarios – of blessed memory – in 2001.

Rev. Fr. John-Brian serves as vicar of Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission, which is multi-ethnic and multi-lingual Oriental Orthodox Christian Chapel in Madison, Wisconsin. He also serves as a chaplain locally at University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics and at HospiceCare Inc. He has led workshops, seminars and retreats on various religious and spiritual topics, including Eastern Christian meditation. He is a published journalist, photographer, shown artist and author of several books, including “Neighbors, Strangers and Everyone Else” and “Living in the Eighth Day.”

Rev. Fr. John-Brian is the founder of Interfaith Awareness Week and has been active in local ecumenical and interfaith activities since 1988. He has received several awards for his community and volunteer efforts over the years, including Middleton’s “Good Neighbor Award” in 2008. He is married to Teresa and has a son, Christopher.

ALSO AVAILABLE:

LIVING IN THE EIGHTH DAY
by Rev. Fr. John-Brian Paprock

A collection of pastoral reflections and spiritual guidance this book, by an Orthodox Christian, is written by for a broad audience of believers and non-believers. The author uses snippets from everyday life - birthdays, bumper stickers, the sight of a rainbow - and church holidays through the year, bringing the reader into Orthodox thought while keeping a firm grasp on life in contemporary America. His message is timeless and true, wherever and whenever it is read.

"What a wonderful book. I am reading through the chapters, one at a time rather than reading them through all at once. The three I have read, and the others I have cheated and taken a quick look at are really enjoyable and helpful. I will try to integrate reading these chapters with my normal daily spiritual practices. I will certainly recommend this to others." ~ Fr. Peter Farrington

2006, Paperback, 142 pages, ISBN: 978-1-84728-315-3
Holy Transfiguration Publications, http://www.lulu.com/transfiguration
It is available through Amazon.com (search for title or "Paprock") and other fine internet bookstores and in the South Central Library System through Middleton Public Library, Middleton, Wisconsin.