Jaroslav Pelikan: Memory Eternal!

The great historian and theologian Jaroslav Pelikan fell asleep in the Lord this past Saturday. He was 82. Along with Dr. Arnold Airhart's passing earlier this month (a childhood theological hero of mine), this seems to mark the end of an era somehow... the loss of a certain generation of scholars. Somehow during my student years I had acquired the first two volumes of his five-volume opus The Christian Tradition. I remember being so moved by his subtlety and depth. The second volume, The Spirit of Eastern Christendom, was particularly meaningful to me. My friend David was a friend of Prof. Pelikan's, and invited him to be the honourary curator of his exhibition Anno Domini. David told me this story about Prof. Pelikan. Apparently in his early years teaching, he used to spend a lot of time with students, investing in them personally and caring about their ideas and academic musings. Most good professors if you came to them with a great idea would say, "you should read this book on that topic!" But Pelikan would take it a step further, often responding, "That's a brilliant idea, you should write a book about that!" And the student's heart would almost break with joy at having such an affirmation. Jaroslav Pelikan - a son of the Church, a servant of God. Memory Eternal!

"Shine, shine O new Jerusalem! The glory of the Lord has shone upon you!"