St Gregory of Narek: Mystic, Poet, Doctor of the Church, Paperback

The tenth century Armenian monk's Book of Lamentations (also known as The Narek or Book of Prayers or Speaking with God from the depths of the Heart) immediately occupied a pre-eminence in Armenian literature and spirituality which it has never lost. The prayers express the ecstatic distress of the heart, convinced of its sinful and creaturely unworthiness, overwhelmed by God's loving condescension. As a doctor or teacher of the Universal Church, his work, with its specifically eastern cultural and theological ethos, is now recognised as inspiration for all. On April 12, 2015 Pope Francis officially declared St Gregory of Narek a Doctor of the Universal Church, following a pronouncement of his intentions on February 21st. The recognition coincided with the marking of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The Reverend Dr. Vrej Nerses Nersessian was born in Tehran and graduated from King's College London (BD 1972) and received his PhD (1975) from the Department of Greek and Byzantine Studies. He was ordained priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church in 1983. From 1975 to his retirement in 2012 he was the Curator of the Christian Middle East Section in the British Library. His last publication for the British Library was a Catalogue of the Armenian Manuscripts in the British Library acquired since the year 1913 and of collection in other libraries in the United Kingdom, London, 2012. In 2005 he was awarded Honorary Doctorate by the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia for his services to Armenian Studies and Art History. On 12 December 2017 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity honoris causa by Heythrop College, University of London. Festschrift: Reflections on Armenia and the Christian Orient, Studies in Honour of Vrej Nersessian was published to mark his 70th birthday and presented to him at ceremony held in Yerevan on 15 September 2017. In 2012 to mark his retirement from the British Library His Holiness Garegin II, Catholicos of all Armenians awarded him the Saint Nerses Shnorhali distinguished medal.