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St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
Ս. ՆԵՐՍԷՍ ԸՆԾԱՅԱՐԱՆ
150 Stratton Road,  New Rochelle, New York 10804

V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan

Dean and Professor of Armenian Studies

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, V. Rev. Fr. (Michael) Daniel Findikyan is Dean and Professor of Liturgical Studies at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, New York, from which he is also a 1989 alumnus. Fr. Daniel is a vartabed of the Armenian Church and member of the brotherhood of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin. Fr. Daniel earned his doctorate in Liturgical Studies from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, where he studied under Robert Taft. SJ. He also earned a Master’s degree in musicology from the City University of New York.

Fr. Daniel has published numerous articles in scholarly journals and books, and served as the general editor of the Divine Liturgy book that is used throughout the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, and which is about to see its second revised edition. His latest book entitled, Frequently-Asked Questions on the Badarak: The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church, is due to be released imminently.    

Fr. Daniel serves as recurring Visiting Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, Indiana), and has lectured throughout the United States, as well as in Armenia, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Sweden, Slovakia and Russia. He is a member of several scholarly and ecumenical associations.    

From 1998-2005 Fr. Daniel served as visiting pastor of St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. During his pastorate the mission parish grew into a full-fledged parish and it built a sanctuary and hall.  

Research Interests

Within the framework of the historical develpment, distinctive features and theology of the worship traditions of the Christian East, Professor Findikyan's research focuses on various aspects of the Armenian Rite including, in particular, its mystagogical tradition, sacraments, hymnography and Hagiopolite pedigree.

Current Projects

Fr. Findikyan is currently engaged in an exhaustive study of certain distinctive features of Great Lent in the Armenian Church, particularly the closed altar curtain and the suppression of Holy Communion. He is also completing a full translation and study of the Armenian sharagans (hymns) associated with Psalm 50(51), known as Voghormya.

Publications

Forthcoming

  • Frequently-Asked Questions on the Badarak: The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church. Forthcoming by St. Vartan Press, New York.

  • "Hanging by a Thread: The Closed Curtain During Great Lent in the Armenian Church." Forthcoming in the Acta of a symposium in honor of His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome, May 5-7, 2008.

  • Review of John Chryssavgis, Remembering and Reclaiming Diakonia: The Diaconate Yesterday and Today (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2009), forthcoming in Worship.

2010

  • "Armenian Hymns of the Holy Cross and the Jerusalem Encaenia," Revue des études armeniennes 32 (2010) 25-58.

  • "St. Gregory of Narek's Book of Prayers and the Eucharist: Another Holy Communion," Revue théologique de Kaslik 3-4 (2009-2010) 291-311.

  • "The 'Opening of the Door' Ceremony on Palm Sunday in the Armenian Church," in The Serious Business of Worship: Essays in Honor of Bryan D. Spinks, ed. Melanie Ross and Simon Jones. London and New York: T & T Clark Inte

2009

  • "Agnus Dei” in Hans-Josef Klauck, Bernard McGinn, Chon-Leong Seow, Hermann Spieckermann, Barry Dov Walfish, Eric Ziolkowski, eds., Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (Berlin and New York: Verlag Walter de Gruyter: 2009) 575-579.

2008

  • "Christology in Early Armenian Liturgical Commentaries," in Bryan D. Spinks, ed., The Place of Christ in Liturgical Prayer: Trinity, Christology and Liturgical Theology. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2008, pp. 197-2001.

  • "The Mysteries of Grace and the Grace of Mysteries: Sacraments in the Armenian Church," in Orientalia et Occidentalia 3, Sväté tajomstvá na krest‘anskom vychode: Súbor Štúdií. Košice, Slovakia, 2008, pp. 65-87.

2007

  • Review of Bradshaw, Paul F., Maxwell E. Johnson and L. Edward Phillips, The Apostolic Tradition: A Commentary, Harold W. Attridge, ed. Minneapolist, MN: Fortress Press, 2002. Worship 81/4 (July, 2007) 344-346.

  • Review of Mark M. Morozowich, ed., Saints-Sanctity-Liturgy: For Robert Francis Taft, S.J. at Seventy. Symposium Papers and Memorabilia. Fairfax, VA: Eastern Churches Publications, 2006. St. Nersess Theological Review 13 (2007) 175-177.

  • Review of Michael B. Papazian, Light from Light. New York: SIS Publications, 2006. St. Nersess Theological Review 13 (2007) 178-179.

  • Review of Zaven Arzoumanian, Studies in Armenian Church Origins, Doctrine and Worship. Los Angeles: Western Diocese of the Armenian Chrch, 2007. St. Nersess Theological Review 13 (2007) 180.

2006

  • "Armenian Hymns of the Church and Cross," St. Nersess Theological Review 11 (2006) 63-105.

  • "Eastern Liturgy in the West: The Case of the Armenian Church," in Yale Institute of Sacred Music Colloquium: Music, Worship, Arts 3 (Autumn, 2006) 56-65.

2005

  • Review of Hans-Jürgen Feulner, Die armenische Athanasius-Anaphora: Kritische Edition, Übersetzung und liturgievergleichender Kommentar (Anaphorae Orientales I Anaphorae armenicae 1) Rome: Pontificio Istituto Orientale, 2001. St. Nersess Theological Review 10 (2004).

2004

  • The Commentary on the Daily Office of the Armenian Church by Bishop Step‘anos Siwnec‘i c. 685-735): Edition of the Long and Short Recensions with Liturgical Analysis, OCA 270. Rome, 2004.

  • "Inclinations and Inclination Prayers in the Armenian Divine Liturgy," in The Formation of a Mellennial Tradition: 1700 Years of Armenian Christian Witness (301-2001), OCA 271. Rome, 2004, pp. 64-78.

  • "The 'Unfailing Word' in Eastern Sacramental Prayers," in Studia Liturgica Diversa: Essays in Honor of Paul F. Bradshaw, Maxwell Johnson, L. Edward Phillips, eds. Portland, OR: The Pastoral Press, 2004, pp. 179-189.

2003

  • Review of Domar: The Calendrical and Liturgical Cycle of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church 2003 AD. Armenian Orthodox Research Institute, 2002 in St. Nersess Theological Review 9 (2003) 145-147.

  • Review of Gabriele Winkler, Über die Entwicklungsgeschichte des armenischen Symbolums: Ein Vergleich mit dem syrischen and griechischen Formelgut unter Einbezug der relevanten georgischen and äthiopischen Quellen, Orientalia Christiana Analecta 262. Rome: Pontifical Oriental Institute, 2000 in The Catholic Historical Review 89/2 (2003) 280-282.

  • "Double Prayers and Inclinations in the Liturgy of the Armenian Church: The Preservation and Proliferation of an Ancient Liturgical Usage," in St. Nersess Theological Review 9 (2003) 89-104.

2002

  • "Medieval Armenian Architecture: Review of a Recent Study," in St. Nersess Theological Review 9 (2002) 101-108.

  • "Armenian Liturgy," New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd. ed. I:707-711. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America, 2002.

  • "Funeral, Eastern Rites," in The New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship, Paul Bradshaw, ed. Louisville and London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002, pp. 215-217.

  • "Marriage, Eastern Rites," in The New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship, Paul Bradshaw, ed. Louisville and London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002, pp. 298-300.

2001

  • A Walk Through the Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church: A Guide to the Badarak, 1700th Anniversary Booklet Series. New York: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, 2001.

  • "To Gabriele Winkler on the Occasion of the Publication of a Festschrift in Honor of her Sixtieth Birthday," St. Nersess Theological Review 5-6 2000-2001) 173-178.

  • "The Multiplication of Propers in the Armenian Liturgy of the Hours and Baumstark's Law of the Preservation of Ancient Liturgical Material," in Comparative Liturgy Fifty Years after Anton Baumstark, International Congress at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome, 25-29 September 1998 (OCA 265) 739-759.

2000

  • "Rito armeno," Lezionario armeno di Gerusalemme," "Liturgia delle ore della Chiesa armena," "Divina liturgia della Chiesa armena," "Anno liturgico armeno," "Sacramenti della Chiesa armena," in Dizionario enciclopedico dell'Oriente cristiano, Edward Farrugia, S.J., ed. Rome, 2000, pp. 644-45, 439-440, 449-452, 72-74, 48-50, 655-657.

  • "On the Origins and Early Evolution of the Armenian Office of Sunrise," in Crossroads of Cultures: Studies in Liturgy and Patristics in Honor of Gabriele Winkler, Hans-Jürgen Feulner, Elena Velkovska, Robert F. Taft, S.J., eds. OCA 260. Rome, 2000. 283-314.

1999

  • Review of Armenian Sacred and Folk Music: Komitas, Edward Gulbekian, tr., with an introduction by V.N. Nersessian. Surrey: Curzon Press, 1998. RAFT: A Journal of Armenian Poetry and Criticism 12 (1998-1999) 71-74.

  • Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church with Modern Armenian and English Translations, Transliteration, Musical Notation, Introduction and Notes, (General Editor). New York: St. Vartan Press, 1999.

  • "L'Influsso latino sulla liturgia armena," in Claude Mutafian, ed. Roma-Armenia. Rome, 1999, pp. 340-344.

  • Review of Robert W. Thomson, Indices to the Armenian Version of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite: Greek-Armenian and Armenian-Greek, Dutch Studies in Armenian Language and Literature 5. Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, 1997. Journal for the Society of Armenian Studies 9 (1999) 213-214.

  • Review of Habtemichael-Kidane, L'Ufficio divino della chiesa etiopica: Studio storico-critico con particolare riferimento alle ore cattedrali, OCA 257. Rome: 1998. St. Nersess Theological Review 4/1-2 (1999) 71-73.

  • Review of William Dalrymple, From the Holy Mountain: A Journey among the Christians of the Middle East. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1998. St. Nersess Theological Review 4/1-2 (1999) 79-83.

  • "The Armenian Church Liturgy and a Proposed Pew Book," Sion: A Monthly of Religion, Literature and Philology. Official Publication of the Armenian Patriarchate, Jerusalem 73 (1999) 405-429.

1998

  • Review of Boghos Levon Zekiyan, ed., Nersēs di Lambron, Il primato della carità. Discorso sinodale "Atenabanut‘iwn." Magnano, Italy: Edizione Qiqajon Communità di Bose, 1996. St. Nersess Theological Review 2/1 (1997) 95-96.

  • "Armenian Funeral Rites: An Assessment of a Recent Study," St. Nersess Theological Review 2/1 (1998) 81-87.

  • "The Armenian Ritual of the Dedication of a Church: A Textual and Comparative Analysis of Three Early Sources," OCP 64/1 (1998) 75-121.

1997

  • "The Liturgical Expositions Attributed to Catholicos Yovhannēs Ōjnec‘i: Problems and Inconsistency," in Robert F. Taft, S.J., ed. The Armenian Christian Tradition: Scholarly Symposium in Honor of the Visit to the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome of His Holiness Karekin I, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, December 12, 1996 (OCA 254) 125-173.

1996

  • "Liturgical Usages and Controversy in History: How Much Diversity Can  Unity Tolerate?" in St. Nersess Theological Review 1/2 (1996) 191-212.

  • Review of Michel van Esbroeck, "Le discours du Catholicos Sahak III en 691 et quelques documents arméniens annexes au Quinisexte," in The Council in Trullo Revisited, George Nedungatt and Michael Featherstone, eds., Kanonika 6. Eastern Churches Journal 12 (1995) 89-93.

1995

  • "Bishop Step‘anos Siwnec‘i: A Source for the Study of Medieval Armenian Liturgy," Ostkirchliche Studien 44/2-3 (1995) 171-196.

1993

  • "Η Αποστολική Ορθοδοξή Εκκλησία της Αρμενίας᾽. Σκέψεις για τη χριστιανική ιεραποστολή μιας εθνικής Εκκλησίας" [The Apostolic Orthodox Church of Armenia: Reflections on the Christian Mission of an Ethnic Church], Basos Staghokosta, ed. ΚαθὈδον (University of Thessaloniki) II/5 (1993) 29-34.

1989

  • "Old Testament Readings in the Liturgy of Matrimony of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church," St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Quarterly 33/1 (1989) 86-93.