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Amazon.com - May 13, 2002

The Lonely Path of Integrity (in Greek)
Paperback – December 1, 2000
Greek Edition    by Justine Frangouli-Argyris (Author)

The biography of Archbishop Spyridon is a definitive account of the life and times of a modern Church leader, a prelate who attained the highest station in the Greek Orthodox Church of America after many years of struggle and service to the Church. The plan behind his removal after three tumultuous years reveals a web of scheming that enveloped the Greek American Church. From the shores of the Bosporus and Constantinople to the Aegean and the birthplace of democracy in Athens, from the council chambers of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the halls of power in the Greek Parliament, from brothers bishops in American to parish priests to prominent figures in the Greek American community, the story extends over the totality of Orthodoxy and Hellenism in America.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

For the first time anywhere the story of the resignation of the peoples Archbishop is revealed! Author and Journalist Justine Frangouli-Argyri, a well known journalist who covered the events , examines a wealth of hitherto unknown documents from Archbishop Spyridon's personal archives and correspondence to finally answer the burning questions about his brief tenure:

Who was Spyridon? How and why was he really elected to the Archbishop post of America? What were the roles of the dubious objectives of the ecumenical Patriachate in this power game? Who were the players that swayed the Patriachate to oust Spyridon repeating the same scenario that led his predecessor, Archbishop Iakovos, out of office? Read about the sceming, the betrayal, and the web of lies that has become the Greek Orthodox Church in America.

About the Author

Justine Frangouli-Argyri is an investigative journalist based in Canada

Product Details
Publisher: ‎ Exantas (December 1, 2000)
Language: ‎ Greek
Paperback: ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10: ‎ 9602564547
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-9602564547
Item Weight: ‎ 1 pounds

Customer Reviews:  5.0

Top reviews from the United States

Priscilla Scovic

Great read...the title is perfect
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2017

I purchased this as a gift for my mother and she hasn't stopped raving about what a great read it is so much so she insists that I read it too. A great biographical account of Archbishop Spyridon's pious journey in the Greek Orthodox Church that was challenged by those in positions of faith for all the wrong reasons!

TG

The Lonely Path of Integrity
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2002

This book is a well documented expose of the recent crisis afflicting the Greek Orthodox church in America. It reveals the details of the struggle between the man leading Orthodoxy's largest and most powerful See and the man occupying Orthodoxy's powerful Ecumenical throne. Through personal accounts and original sources, Justine Frangouli unravels the scenarios behind the removal of Archbishop Spyridon, a hierarch with widespread appeal among the masses who became controversial among circles where the influences of money, power and corruption prevailed. I found the topic of this book which mesmerized the Orthodox community in America for three years to be interesting reading. The chapter headings were great; carefully chosen to bring the reader to a greater understanding of what actually happened. I read the book twice and I recommend that everyone does to get a deeper understanding of the truth. The first time I read it for facts, the second time to understand what happened conceptually. I'm sure that I will read it many times over for an even better understanding. I thought the chess analogy gave a tremendous, concrete illustration of the dynamics that occurred and how the present Patriarch of the church used the players in various ways to achieve his own end. In my mind I envisioned the various people as chess pieces, with the game ending in a subtle, but very real crucifixion. It seems that the sources of power overseas simply orchestrated things from abroad and used traditional byzantine methods to checkmate the opponent. One has to question the ethics of those creating a game in which the opponent is not given equal advantage.

The addition of two documents written by Archbishop Spyridon himself is critical to the understanding of the book. As original sources, the two works give testimony to Spyridon's administrative skills, capabilities and dedication to Orthodoxy. In my opinion, these documents lend credence to the author's conviction that the Ecumenical throne actually allowed, and even participated in a misrepresentation of the former archbishop for personal gain and to gain absolute power over the church in America. I suggest that the reader start by reading these pieces first as a backdrop to the events that occurred.

In the end, the book leaves us asking the question, Can personal sacrifice and the struggle for conviction and integrity ever win against the forces of money, power and greed? Perhaps a sequel is needed.

Akmis Akminos

Revealing!
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2001

The book is most revealing! Finally the Greek American community has the opportunity to be informed about Archbishop Spyridon and who were really responsible for the turmoil in our Church for three whole years. The book leaves no doubts as to the facts described. It is excellently documented. It is to be recommended as a serious historical source to anyone interested in Greek and Church matters.

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  May 13, 2002 ]