Book Archives - CRIMCA Publishing House

Eternities from the Land of the Musatins, crafted in wood, stone, and color / Eternities from the Musatinian Land wrought in wood, stone, and color

Ciurciun Stefanel — Thu, July 23, 2026 12:32:55 +0000

Archimandrite Dosoftei Dijmărescu, Father Gabriel Herea, Father Constantin-Ciprian Blaga (eds.)

Format: 240×330

Number of pages: 580

Year of publication: 2026

Cover type: hardback

„Right from the title, the book offers a unique perspective on church heritage. The authors do not discuss „the eternal ones” and not just about historical monuments. The choice of this term is very inspired, as it shifts the focus from the purely architectural dimension to the spiritual one. The churches and monasteries of Bukovina are presented as true spaces where unceasing prayer, the memory of the founders, and liturgical life give continuity to history.

The book makes an impression right from the start with its sheer scope. The 580 pages bring together 38 studies dedicated to the monasteries, churches, and historical monuments within the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți. Each monument is presented in detail, based on historical, architectural, artistic, and theological research, and the extensive photographic material compiled by Mr. Petru Palamar turns reading into a true visual experience.

This work is not the result of a single author’s effort, but rather the fruit of collaboration among an impressive group of specialists from universities and research institutes in Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, and the United States of America. Historians, art historians, architects, archaeologists, and theologians have pooled their expertise to provide an up-to-date overview of the ecclesiastical heritage of Bukovina. This diversity of perspectives gives the volume an interdisciplinary character and establishes it as one of the most comprehensive syntheses dedicated to the ecclesiastical heritage of northern Moldova.

As the reader goes through the studies in this volume, they essentially trace the history of all of medieval Moldavia. The narrative begins with the Bogdana Monastery in Rădăuți, the first voivodal necropolis, continues with the Mirăuți Church and the establishment of the Metropolis of Moldavia, then with the extraordinary era of Saint Stephen the Great, during which architecture, painting, and liturgical life reached an unprecedented level of development.

The book then traces the evolution of the Moldavian style during the reign of Petru Rareș, the emergence of monumental exterior painting, the charitable endowments of the Movilești family, and the originality of Dragomirna Monastery, before going on to describe the trials faced by the ecclesiastical heritage following the annexation of Bukovina to the Habsburg Empire and the restoration efforts carried out up to the modern era, culminating in the inclusion of the painted churches on the UNESCO World Heritage List.”.

Articolul Veșnicii din Țara Mușatinilor ctitorite în lemn, piatră și culoare / Eternities from the Musatinian Land wrought in wood, stone and colour apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

Adam at the Cross

Redacția Crimca — Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:44:27 PM +0000

Adam at the Cross
His Beatitude Damaschin Dorneanul, Bishop-vicar of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuților
,„This interval between the two Saturdays, which prepares us for our encounter with Christ in the light of his resurrection, is more than a consolation or a healing of our surface wounds. It is an entrance into the mystery of man's redemption, which can be actualized in every receptive heart and in the flesh of every life thirsting for God. It is about each one of us in a way that could prove liberating, but not by remaining within ourselves, but by coming out like Lazarus from the ”tomb of idleness„ and from the inertia of the mind, understanding the meaning of ”victory through humility”, of the expectation that God has in relation to us, realizing the risk of infidelity and trembling before Him who on the Cross accompanied the seven utterances with even deeper silences".
Bogdan Tataru-Cazaban

Articolul Adam la răsCruce apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

Top of the heart

Redacția Crimca — Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:44:27 PM +0000

Up the heart!
Priest Alexandru Lungu
Father Alexander writes beautifully. He writes not just with the pen - pardon me, with the keys - but with his inner self. His words do not spring only from the mind, but pass through the heart. There, in the heart watched over by the Spirit of God, there is no room for censorship, self-censorship, pretense, compromise, selfishness, vanity. And the father strives to please Him, God, first of all in what he does and thinks, and then to think about what people will say, will appreciate, will comment, will evaluate.
Father's writing is not only beautiful, captivating, without reductionism, without clichéd expressions, without words sought with a magnifying glass to impress. He speaks, and posts, for all those who might, out of conviction, but also out of politeness, courtesy or curiosity, listen to him. He appeals to those who are accustomed to the style of the old Cassanies, but also to those for whom colloquial language is more handy and more welcome than a strictly theological attitude. This is why you will find here marvelous pages, „paraphrases” for modern man (without in any way „betraying” the meaning and content) of the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus, or the parable of the return of the prodigal son, the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, or the parable of the unthankful rich man and the poor Lazarus.
† Damaschin the Dornean,
Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți

Articolul Sus inima apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

The Chapel of the Mother of God – A Letter of Repentance from the Soul (commentary)

Redacția Crimca — Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:44:27 PM +0000

Paraklesis to the Mother of God
Archbishop Calinic of Suceava and Rădăuți
,"In this second edition of the commentary published by Crimca Publishing House, the importance of the prayer of repentance as a means of working salvation is revealed to us and we are urged to reflect on the intercessory power of the prayers that the Mother of God makes for us.
Thus, going through the 17 chapters, from a Brief History and the Structure of the Paraclete to the explanation of all the stiches, sedels, catavasias, stihoavna, Apostle and Gospel, we realize that the Paraclete to the Mother of God is actually a consoling discussion that we have in order to gain what should be the most precious thing for us, salvation.
This is a letter that cannot remain unanswered and one that should be on the bedside table of every priest, theologian and believer who seeks to be in permanent contact with Heaven.”.
Crimca Publishing house

Articolul Paraclisul Maicii Domnului – O scrisoare de pocăință a sufletului (comentariu) apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

Treatise on All Dogmas

Redacția Crimca — Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:44:27 PM +0000

A treatise on all the dogmas of our orthodox faith, according to the true principles laid down by our Lord Jesus Christ and his followers
Saint Simeon Archbishop of Thessalonica
The fundamental work of St. Simeon Archbishop of Thessalonica entitled „Treatise on the dogmas of our Orthodox faith, according to the principles laid down by our Lord Jesus Christ and His followers”, should not be viewed only from the perspective of dogmatic theology, through which the author attempts to summarize the fundamental elements of the faith that he confessed from the pulpit. On the contrary! The text, articulated on the dogmatico-liturgical dimension, also reveals the value of the liturgical hermeneutics, so necessary for the theologian and priest of today.
The present edition brings together in a single volume the reprint of the two parts that made up the „Treatise on the dogmas of our Orthodox faith, according to the principles laid down by our Lord Jesus Christ and His followers”, edited with great skill by Archim. dr. Grichentie Natu. The most important aspect that we sought was that the Romanian reader should have a „block” material, compact, which would present the entire treatise of St. Simeon in its multiple forms, as it is preserved for example in the collection of abbot J.P. Migne (Patrologia Graeca 155, 33-976).
Lect. dr. Alexandru Prelipcean
Faculty of Orthodox Theology „Dumitru Stăniloae” from Iași

Articolul Tratat asupra Tuturor dogmelor apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

Decalogues in the Triod, Pentecost and Octoih. Moral landmarks in the search for meaning

Redacția Crimca — Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:44:27 PM +0000

Decalogues at the Triod, Pentecost and Octoih: Moral landmarks in search of meaning His All-Holiness Calinic, Archbishop of Suceva and Rădăuților
This work, the second in the series dedicated to the Decalogues, reveals itself to us as a mature project, with a well-thought-out architecture, in which the pastoral experience of over five decades is distilled into a concise, memorable and, at the same time, theologically profound formula.
The structure of the book faithfully follows the rhythm of the Church year, dividing the material in direct proportion to the three great liturgical cycles: the Triod, Pentecost and Eight Days. This structural choice is not purely organizational in nature, but expresses the fundamental theological conviction that Christian life is shaped by a pedagogy of sacred time.
The choice of the form of the decalogue refers, in an assumed way, to the fundamental structure of the Old Testament revelation, but it is reinterpreted in a homiletical and pastoral key. In the pages of this volume, the decalogue becomes a form of discursive asceticism: each sentence is weighed, concentrated, free of unnecessary ornament. We do not find prolix explanations or excessive theoretical developments, but formulations that invite personal meditation. This brevity does not simplify the message, but makes it more demanding, urging the reader to revisit the text. It is significant that the decalogues are almost invariably formulated in the imperative. This stylistic choice gives the text a constant inner tension and reminds us that the sermon, even when it is set down on the page, remains an act of calling and awakening the conscience.
An element of methodological originality is the insertion of the Gospel text after the first five imperatives of each decalogue. This reversal of the usual order produces a subtle but profound mystagogical effect. The reader does not come into direct contact with the Gospel pericope, but is prepared, oriented, „taught to listen”. The Decalogue thus functions as a hermeneutic porch, a transitional space between daily life and the sacred text. In this way, the scriptural text no longer appears as an external text, but as a word addressed to a familiar heart. This method takes up, in an adapted form, the logic of catechumenate practice, where access to the mystery was preceded by preparation and purification.
Another element of methodological originality is the use of metaphor as a condensed form of theology. The metaphors used are functional, constructed to carry dogmatic meaning and liturgical experience. Images such as „the key of humble prayer”, „the heaven of the heart”, „the tree of life”, „the garment woven of grace and light” or „the Tabor of the soul” are poetic translations of precise theological realities: repentance as openness, the cross as the central axis of salvation, light as uncreated energy, the restoration of man as ecclesial reintegration. Metaphor becomes, in this context, a form of accessible mystagogy: it leads the mind from image to reality, from the sensible to the spiritual, without vulgarizing the content of faith.
Also among the novel aspects of the volume is the association of each section with miniature iconographic representations from the Slavonic Tetraevangelium Sucevița 24, illustrated with 346 miniatures, realized at the Sucevița Monastery after 1595, at the request of the voivode Jeremiah Movilă, an option that gives the text an additional depth and places it in dialog with the visual tradition of the Church. The miniature precedes the decalogue and the Gospel pericope, anticipating their message in a symbolic language that capitalizes on the liturgical and theological memory of the ecclesial community. Through this careful integration, the reading takes on a synoptic character, in which the spoken word, the written word and the iconographic image support each other, inviting the reader to a progressive interiorization of meaning. In addition, the presence of the miniatures activates a pedagogy of the gaze, which complements the pedagogy of the word, offering a reading experience that brings together the intellectual and contemplative dimensions and fixes the Gospel message in a memorable and coherent form.

Articolul Decaloguri la Triod, Penticostar și Octoih. Repere morale în căutarea sensului apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

Symbolism of liturgical vestments

Redacția Crimca — Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:44:27 PM +0000

Symbolism of liturgical vestments
Pr. Dr. Vlăduț-Iulian ROȘU
The term „liturgical vestments” means both the vestments of the ministers and other liturgical objects, such as epitaphs, anti-myses, ilitons, the coverings of the sacred vessels or other materials which, by their use, adorn the church or form part of the proper conduct of religious services.
The work is structured in three chapters and aims to expose the symbolic evolution of the vestments of the three priestly ranks: deacon, priest and bishop. Although research on this topic falls within the sphere of liturgical studies, in Western theology the subject of liturgical vestments formally belongs to a science called „paramenticæ”. This discipline analyzes the making of religious textiles and the endowment of churches with them (with the actual study of the „paraments”, i.e. the materials), to which are added notions of the history and symbolism of liturgical vestments and the psychology of colors.

Articolul Simbolismul Veșmintelor liturgice apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

In servitutem Sanctorum. An incursion into the activity of the Bollandist Society

Redacția Crimca — Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:44:27 PM +0000

In servitutem Sanctorum. An incursion into the activity of the Bollandist Society
Pr. Dr. Pr. Pr. Constantin OPREA
The work In servitutem Sanctorum. An incursion into the work of the Bollandist Society, signed by Father Constantin Oprea, is a remarkable contribution to church historiography and, at the same time, an honest and thorough academic endeavor in the service of knowledge of the universal Christian tradition. From the very first pages, the reader is invited into a dense and challenging intellectual space in which history, theology, philology and textual criticism are harmoniously interwoven.
The Bollandist Society, founded in the 17th century by Flemish Jesuits led by Jean Bolland, was one of the most rigorous and systematic hagiographical research initiatives in the whole of Europe. Those who followed this beginning transformed what was by then a devotional narrative tradition into a critical corpus of texts, often edited with a philological acumen worthy of the highest academic standards. What characterized the members of this society was not only scholarship, but also a deep awareness of their mission: to discern the historical truth of holiness and to make it accessible to succeeding generations.
Pr. Prof. Univ. Dr. Emanoil Băbuș
Faculty of Orthodox Theology „Justinian Patriarch” of Bucharest

Articolul In servitutem Sanctorum. O incursiune în activitatea Societății Bollandiste apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

Give me, my son, your heart

Redacția Crimca — Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:44:27 PM +0000

Give me, my son, your heart
Matei Boholțeanu
How does the soul survive the collision between reason and faith?
This book aims to explore this question. Wandering in the thickets of a forest near a monastery in search of his son, Michael realizes that he will not escape unless he finds his way out of the thickets of his own darkness. Haunted by the death of his father, tormented by an existentialism that drives him to the brink of despair, this philosophy teacher desperately searches in the forest of his heart for a beacon of hope to save him. In searching for Theodore, he is searching for himself, searching for God, searching for anyone who can persuade his heart to beat once more.
The novel does not limit itself to narrative, escaping into abundant symbolism to which the reader is obliged to pay attention. Before claiming to provide answers to the issues it opens up, the book seeks to provoke various experiences in the reader.

Articolul Dă-mi, fiule, inima ta apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.

From the teachings of Orthodoxy

Redacția Crimca — Thu, Apr 2, 2026 6:44:27 PM +0000

From the teachings of Orthodoxy
Protos. Arsenie Bejan
This book brings before its readers some very important and necessary themes for the life of the Orthodox Christian. The spiritual life of every believer must be adorned, in addition to virtues, by a thorough knowledge of the teaching of faith necessary on the way of salvation. The knowledge of God comes through these two ways: knowing Christian teaching and living it in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church. The love of God grows in the man who creates and seeks with interest the teaching of the Holy Scriptures and of the Church; for this reason a saying has arisen among Christians that is as beautiful as it is true: „If you want to be saved, travel with the question”.

Articolul Din învățăturile Ortodoxiei apare prima dată în Editura CRIMCA.