Memory Eternal - Prof. Veselin Kesich (A True Servant of Christ)

Beloved Professor, Veselin Kesich, Reposes in the Lord
27 June 2012 5 Memory Eternal

Memory Eternal!

Professor Veselin Kesich
On Tuesday morning, June 26th, Dr. Veselin Kesich, who was Professor of New=
Testament emeritus at St. Vladimir's Seminary, reposed in the Lord. Profes=
sor Kesich, after suffering from a heart ailment for many years, passed awa=
y surrounded by his children, Gregory and Carol, at his apartment in Scarbo=
rough, Maine, where he was in hospice care. A funeral service for him will =
be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Monday, July 2nd, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthod=
ox Church, 133 Pleasant Street, Portland, Maine.

Professor Kesich was beloved by generations of alumni of SVOTS, not only fo=
r his academic expertise but also for the hospitality and love he demonstra=
ted to students, along with his wife, Lydia (+ 2006), over the several deca=
des they lived on the seminary campus. Students still fondly recall the ann=
ual traditional Serbian 3Slava4 celebrated in their home, honoring Prof=
essor2s family patron saint.

Professor Kesich celebrated his 90th birthday last year, having been born M=
arch 12, 1921. On that occasion, his son, Gregory, a newspaper reporter, r=
ote a touching tribute to him in The Portland Press Herald, titled "The Vie=
w from 90 Includes More Than a Few Surprises." The newspaper piece attests =
to Professor's unflagging and deep concern for people7all people (even Li=
ndsay Lohan!)7and his equal concern that they minister to each other and =
to their communities.

Born in Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Dr. Kesich finished the gymnasium in Banja Luka=
and started studies at Belgrade University. At the end of the Second World=
War he lived in a Displaced Persons Camp in Italy until he was selected to=
study theology at Dorchester College in England. In 1949 he came to New Yo=
rk to continue his studies at Columbia University, St. Vladimir's Seminary,=
and Union Theological Seminary, receiving his Ph.D. from Columbia in 1959.

From 195361991 he served on the Faculty of St. Vladimir's, focusing on Ne=
w Testament Studies, and from 198361984 he served as Acting Dean. His oth=
er academic appointments included: 1966686, Faculty Member, Comparative R=
eligion, Sarah Lawrence College; 196561974, Adjunct Professor, Serbo6Cr=
oatian Literature, New York University; 196261963, Visiting Associate Pro=
fessor, Dept. of Slavic Languages, University of California, Berkeley; and =
195961963, Visiting Faculty, Comparative Religion, Hofstra University. Wh=
en time permitted, he taught elective courses in Serbian Church History, wh=
ich resulted in several journal articles and essays in books: 3The Martyr=
dom of the Serbs: The Church in the Ustashe State, 194161945,4 3The E=
arly Serbian Church as Described in the Earliest Serbian Biography,4 3B=
osnia: History and Religion,4 and 3Kosovo in the History of the Serbian=
Church.4

Seminarians interested in scriptural studies, especially during the popular=
onset of Liberation Theology, historical reconstruction, and the secular F=
eminist Movement, appreciated Professor Kesich2s spiritually balanced and=
incisive critical analysis of these movements and trends. Memorable were h=
is several articles in that regard, which were published in the St. Vladimi=
r2s Seminary Quarterly (SVSQ, now known as St. Vladimir2s Theological Q=
uarterly, SVTQ): 3The Historical Jesus7A Challenge from Jerusalem,4 =
3St. Paul: Anti-Feminist or Liberator?,4 and 3Paul7Ambassador for C=
hrist, or Founder of Christianity?4.

Always Orthodox in his perspective and a willing witness to his faith, he p=
articipated as the Orthodox member of several ecumenical dialogues with Lut=
herans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, and he also served a=
s the President of the Orthodox Theological Society. Additionally, he lectu=
red, participated in panel discussions, and served as a retreat leader to c=
ollege groups and church gatherings throughout the country. In retirement h=
e had been a guest lecturer at the University of Thessaloniki (1991), at th=
e Summer Institute, Eagle River, Alaska (1997), and in Wells-Next-the-Sea, =
Norfolk, England (1998).

His most recent book, Formation and Struggles: The Birth of the Church AD 3=
36200 (2007) fulfilled his desire to re-activate and contribute to The Ch=
urch in History series published by St. Vladimir2s Seminary Press (SVS Pr=
ess), a series designed to present church history from the Orthodox Christi=
an scholarly and theological point of view. His other works, all published =
by SVS Press, include: with Lydia W. Kesich, The Treasures of the Holy Land=
(1985); The First Day of the New Creation (Crestwood: SVS Press, 1982); Th=
e Gospel Image of Christ: The Church and Modern Criticism (1972; second enl=
arged edition, 1991); and The Passion of Christ (1965; new introduction 200=
4).

Professor Kesich is still spoken of by SVOTS Alumni as their gentle teacher=
who conveyed the Holy Scriptures to them as the Living Word of God. He mos=
t recently lived in Portland, Maine, in a retirement community, where he st=
ill enjoyed debating biblical texts with the other residents7especially t=
he also-retired Old Testament professor who lived a few doors down.

The entire St. Vladimir's Seminary community mourns his passing, but rejoic=
es in his life, and remembers with profound gratitude the gift of himself a=
nd his teaching.

Memory Eternal!

On Wednesday, June 27, 2012 11:10:56 AM UTC-4, nickk - not the imposter wro=
te:
Beloved Professor, Veselin Kesich, Reposes in the Lord
27 June 2012 5 Memory Eternal
0
Memory Eternal!
0
Professor Veselin Kesich
On Tuesday morning, June 26th, Dr. Veselin Kesich, who was Professor of N=
ew Testament emeritus at St. Vladimir's Seminary, reposed in the Lord. Prof=
essor Kesich, after suffering from a heart ailment for many years, passed a=
way surrounded by his children, Gregory and Carol, at his apartment in Scar=
borough, Maine, where he was in hospice care. A funeral service for him wil=
l be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Monday, July 2nd, at Holy Trinity Greek Orth=
odox Church, 133 Pleasant Street, Portland, Maine.
0
Professor Kesich was beloved by generations of alumni of SVOTS, not only =
for his academic expertise but also for the hospitality and love he demonst=
rated to students, along with his wife, Lydia (+ 2006), over the several de=
cades they lived on the seminary campus. Students still fondly recall the a=
nnual traditional Serbian 3Slava4 celebrated in their home, honoring Pr=
ofessor2s family patron saint.
0
Professor Kesich celebrated his 90th birthday last year, having been born=
March 12, 1921. On that occasion, his son, Gregory, a newspaper reporter, =
wrote a touching tribute to him in The Portland Press Herald, titled "The V=
iew from 90 Includes More Than a Few Surprises." The newspaper piece attest=
s to Professor's unflagging and deep concern for people7all people (even =
Lindsay Lohan!)7and his equal concern that they minister to each other an=
d to their communities.
0
Born in Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Dr. Kesich finished the gymnasium in Banja Lu=
ka and started studies at Belgrade University. At the end of the Second Wor=
ld War he lived in a Displaced Persons Camp in Italy until he was selected =
to study theology at Dorchester College in England. In 1949 he came to New =
York to continue his studies at Columbia University, St. Vladimir's Seminar=
y, and Union Theological Seminary, receiving his Ph.D. from Columbia in 195=
9.
0
From 195361991 he served on the Faculty of St. Vladimir's, focusing on =
New Testament Studies, and from 198361984 he served as Acting Dean. His o=
ther academic appointments included: 1966686, Faculty Member, Comparative=
Religion, Sarah Lawrence College; 196561974, Adjunct Professor, Serbo6=
Croatian Literature, New York University; 196261963, Visiting Associate P=
rofessor, Dept. of Slavic Languages, University of California, Berkeley; an=
d 195961963, Visiting Faculty, Comparative Religion, Hofstra University. =
When time permitted, he taught elective courses in Serbian Church History, =
which resulted in several journal articles and essays in books: 3The Mart=
yrdom of the Serbs: The Church in the Ustashe State, 194161945,4 3The=
Early Serbian Church as Described in the Earliest Serbian Biography,4 =
3Bosnia: History and Religion,4 and 3Kosovo in the History of the Ser=
bian Church.4
0
Seminarians interested in scriptural studies, especially during the popul=
ar onset of Liberation Theology, historical reconstruction, and the secular=
Feminist Movement, appreciated Professor Kesich2s spiritually balanced a=
nd incisive critical analysis of these movements and trends. Memorable were=
his several articles in that regard, which were published in the St. Vladi=
mir2s Seminary Quarterly (SVSQ, now known as St. Vladimir2s Theological=
Quarterly, SVTQ): 3The Historical Jesus7A Challenge from Jerusalem,4=
3St. Paul: Anti-Feminist or Liberator?,4 and 3Paul7Ambassador for =
Christ, or Founder of Christianity?4.
0
Always Orthodox in his perspective and a willing witness to his faith, he=
participated as the Orthodox member of several ecumenical dialogues with L=
utherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, and he also served=
as the President of the Orthodox Theological Society. Additionally, he lec=
tured, participated in panel discussions, and served as a retreat leader to=
college groups and church gatherings throughout the country. In retirement=
he had been a guest lecturer at the University of Thessaloniki (1991), at =
the Summer Institute, Eagle River, Alaska (1997), and in Wells-Next-the-Sea=
, Norfolk, England (1998).
0
His most recent book, Formation and Struggles: The Birth of the Church AD=
336200 (2007) fulfilled his desire to re-activate and contribute to The =
Church in History series published by St. Vladimir2s Seminary Press (SVS =
Press), a series designed to present church history from the Orthodox Chris=
tian scholarly and theological point of view. His other works, all publishe=
d by SVS Press, include: with Lydia W. Kesich, The Treasures of the Holy La=
nd (1985); The First Day of the New Creation (Crestwood: SVS Press, 1982); =
The Gospel Image of Christ: The Church and Modern Criticism (1972; second e=
nlarged edition, 1991); and The Passion of Christ (1965; new introduction 2=
004).
0
Professor Kesich is still spoken of by SVOTS Alumni as their gentle teach=
er who conveyed the Holy Scriptures to them as the Living Word of God. He m=
ost recently lived in Portland, Maine, in a retirement community, where he =
still enjoyed debating biblical texts with the other residents7especially=
the also-retired Old Testament professor who lived a few doors down.
0
The entire St. Vladimir's Seminary community mourns his passing, but rejo=
ices in his life, and remembers with profound gratitude the gift of himself=
and his teaching.
0
Memory Eternal!