Author, speaker, professor, musician, creative person,
based in Yonkers, New York.
Inquisitive, grounded, passionate.
Scholarly and accessible.
"The question of the origin of humankind and the cosmos has perhaps never been so hotly debated as nowadays, with 'evolution' and 'creationism' presenting themselves as polar opposites. In this fine book, Peter Bouteneff presents a carefully researched and scholarly reading of early Christian readings of the creation account in Genesis. What emerges is a range of interlocking insights into God's creative purpose and the human place in the cosmos. Genesis 1-3 is seen as neither a myth nor an outdated scientific account, but a poem of creation, yielding deeper meanings upon closer ponderings. Bouteneff unveils the often surprising riches of our patristic inheritance with a rare intelligence and passion."--ANDREW LOUTH, professor of patristic and Byzantine studies, University of Durham
"...addresses important questions in a powerful way, with the courage to engage the real world. The author is a brave man to take on the task of making people think. It will be a significant book." Rev. Dr. JOHN MCGUCKIN, Emeritus Professor of Byzantine History, Columbia University.
A series of compassionate reflections on what it actually means to identify myself as a sinner, and to do so in a healthy way. Because how I identify myself is important, and the “sinner identity” can potentially be a problem: Is “wrong” at the core of my very being? What does it do to me, to be seen constantly as falling short? Isn’t there a good kind of self-love and self-care? "Crisp, practical and searching, this excellent book combines a solid theological perspective fully informed by the depths of the Christian spiritual tradition with a vigorous and very contemporary insight into a culture that has largely forgotten what sin means. Treading the right line between melodramatic and guilt-inducing rhetoric and bland modern self-absolution, it ...is both demanding and hopeful, and helps us rediscover the tools of proper self-knowledge before God." ROWAN WILLIAMS, former Archbishop of Canterbury
“This illuminating meditation on the pillars of Pärt’s music – word, silence, and bright sadness – gives voice to what many intuit in the music and is a game changer for Pärt scholarship. Unafraid to traverse the same boundaries of religion, spirituality, and popular culture as Pärt’s music, Bouteneff’s book is essential reading for those devoted to Pärt’s music and interested in the place of Orthodox Christianity in public life.” — JEFFERS ENGELHARDT , Amherst College “A luminous engagement of music, philosophy, and belief.” — LAURIE ANDERSON, Composer, musician, performance artist — This book is currently being translated into Estonian for publication by the Arvo Pärt Centre.
This is a thorough and impressive attempt to challenge de-materialised readings of Pärt’s music, concentrating especially on the sheer physicality of sound and hearing. It is likely to set new directions in studies of this beguiling composer, and open up fresh avenues in the wider field of music and theology. - JEREMY BEGBIE, Duke University
This highly-rated audio book — a series of 24 half-hour lectures — introduces the history, theology, and ethos of the Orthodox Church in an inviting and informative way. "These lectures are really outstanding and, in my view, should be universally recommended along with Kallistos Ware's two books to anyone interested in learning about Eastern Orthodoxy. These lectures are no doubt the most accessible introduction to the Eastern Orthodox faith/tradition I've encountered." JAMES BLISS
This series, conceived and edited by Peter Bouteneff, provides informed and accessible introductory texts by world-class authors. "Testifying to the faith and creativity of the Orthodox Christian Church, the Foundations Series draws upon the riches of its tradition to address the modern world. These surveys texts are suitable both for preliminary inquiry and deeper investigation, in the classroom and for personal study."
Estonian translation of Arvo Pärt: Out of Silence, published by the Arvo Pärt Centre, Laulasmaa, Estonia, 2021