Constance J Tarasar

Constance J Tarasar (1938-2014)

Constance may be spelt Constancia, Constantia, Constanze, Constanza, Stanzy, Konstanze, Konstantia.

Early life of Constance

On 3 February, 1938, Constance J Tarasar was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was the daughter of John and Rose Tarasar. Constance was baptised at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Minneapolis, one of the largest and oldest parishes within The Orthodox Church in America (at that time called the "Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America"). She was raised in Minneapolis, together with her sisters Margaret and Mary. All 3 daughters were raised in the bosom of the Orthodox Christian Church, and they were raised in the practice of the Orthodox Christian Faith, both in the Temple, and at home.

Their father was a banker and their mother was a homemaker. Both parents were very involved with Saint Mary’s Church throughout their lives.

Early formation

In grade 4, Constance began to learn to play the clarinet, which she studied seriously through college (she usually held first or second chair in orchestras).

Her many high school involvements demonstrate her intelligence, her energy and her capacity. In addition to playing the clarinet, one can add : debating team, school choir, student government, working at the local parks and recreation department, working at summer camps, and teaching elementary Sunday school. Connstance filled this last role for several years while she was in high school.

As she grew up, her life was focussed on worship and other activities in the cathedral parish, along with the other usual activities of a young person of the time. Her experience in this particular parish prepared her for many aspects of her future work in Christian education.

Saint Mary's Cathedral, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Higher education

After her primary and secondary education, Constance (or, as she was most often called, “Connie”) received her undergraduate degree in English Education from the University of Minnesota, where she was active in the Orthodox Christian Fellowship. Through the Fellowship, Connie helped to organise panel discussions about Orthodox Christianity in the Twin Cities area. She then taught English at the middle-school level in this region.

In the early 1960s, Connie enrolled at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, in Yonkers, NY. The decision to enrol at Saint Vladimir’s was the result, in large part, of the encouragement by the Archpriest Vladimir Borichevsky (+1990), with whom Connie became acquainted during her college years. Father Borichevsky was a dynamic and respected leader in the Eastern Orthodox community, and the eventual Dean of Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania.

In 1965, Constance Tarasar became the first woman to receive a Master of Divinity degree from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary.

Connie's years at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary proved to be eventful, even determinative, for her life. There, she met Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, who became her theological inspiration and her lifelong mentor.

Connie arrived at Saint Vladimir's Seminary soon after its move (1962) to the present site in Yonkers. At that time, there was no accommodation on the campus either for women, or for married couples. Like the married students, Connie lived in other accommodations not far away from the seminary.

As the first woman admitted to the seminary’s Master of Divinity programme, she wrestled deeply with the role of women in the Orthodox Church. A fruit of this labour was a thesis which considered this theme from both historical and dogmatic perspectives. The thesis also gives some indication of Connie’s determination. Her work remains one of the longest, if not the longest thesis ever submitted in Saint Vladimir’s Master of Divinity programme. Her long-time friend and colleague Eleana Silk commented :

 It was not Connie’s last time being first ; indeed, she was the first woman to do things in the Orthodox 
 Church her whole life.  

At Saint Vladimir’s, Constance Tarasar also developed her capacity to contribute to the religious education field.

Service in the Church : a teacher, and a teacher of teachers

Church-school development

After having received the Master of Divinity degree, Connie began organising religious education workshops at parishes around the USA, in order to aid in the establishment of Church-schools. The workshops were designed to help the many Orthodox immigrant communities establish graded parish schools, as prior to this time most parishes lacked formal religious education efforts, and those that had them usually lacked graded curriculum. At the same time, Connie settled into a small apartment nearby the seminary. Her main companions in this apartment were many, many books, but she spent minimal time there. She could be found at most times in one or another work-place at Saint Vladimir's, and sometimes at the headquarters of The Orthodox Church in America on Long Island, New York.

OCA Chancery, Syosset, Long Island

Teaching at Saint Vladimir's Seminary, 1970

In 1970, Connie began teaching the main religious education course, along with other elective courses, at Saint Vladimir’s.

She held a position as Adjunct Instructor (she was never offered a tenured position) until 2003. By contrast, in the late 1980s the main religious education course was given to Dr. John Boojamra. Connie Tarasar and John Boojamra viewed the educational task through somewhat different lenses, which led to some points of tension.

Connie also served for many years as Director of the Department of Religious Education for the OCA.

Sketch of the Saint Vladimir Seminary campus

Orthodox Christian Education Commission (OCEC) and early curricula

Subsequently, Connie became the Executive Secretary of the Orthodox Christian Education Commission (OCEC), the pan-Orthodox agency first established in 1956 by Father Alexander Schmemann and Mrs. Sophie Koulomzin. Mrs. Koulomzin had been another of Connie’s teachers, and a strong influence in her life. This commission aimed at defining and shaping the efforts of Orthodox Christian education in the USA setting – something that had hitherto received little attention. As the OCEC turned its attention to curriculum development, Connie was at the forefront, as she worked closely with Mrs. S Koulomzin.

In advocating for the group, Father Schmemann issued a clarion call : for too long, Orthodox parishes in the USA had uncritically adopted educational models from external sources (one of his main complaints was with the Protestant Sunday school model) without considering, as from first principles, whether or not the models and practices were authentically Orthodox. Typical Protestant curricula concentrate on exposing the young people to the Bible and its content. In the teaching of the Bible texts, the tenets of the particular Protestant denomination, together with their accepted understanding of the text are included in the books used. Children are also taught to pray in some form of Protestant spontaneous prayer. When the Orthodox Church-schools used these books without editing them (as sometimes happened), the children did not learn what the Orthodox Church teaches about the Scriptures and the meaning of their Faith. The children also did not learn how to pray in the Orthodox manner, nor did they learn about the meaning of Orthodox worship, icons, feast-days and other essential matters such as the Holy Mysteries. At the worst, some so-called Church-schools merely provided a "baby-sitting" service.

The effort received broad support : when the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA) was established in 1960, the OCEC became its first endorsed agency. After 5 years of probing general and introductory themes, in 1961 the OCEC turned its attention to curriculum development. A few years later, Sophie Koulomzin invited Connie to give up her travels and to join the commission formally. She accepted the invitation, and she remained associated with the OCEC throughout her professional life. For many years, she served in its leadership.

The OCEC (which in its early days consisted almost only of Sophie Koulmzin and Connie Tarasar) produced its first curriculum in 1966. Also in 1966, Constance Tarasar published the first of a lengthy corpus of writings, titled “An Orthodox Curriculum in Development”. Her sense of concern is clear :

 In the midst of the debate and experimentation that has taken place in the western world in the field of 
 religious education, the Orthodox Church has too often appeared to be silent and rather unconcerned about 
 issues and developments that have been occurring in this area of Church life (‘An Orthodox Curriculum in 
 Development’, p. 459). 

However, things were now beginning to change. Connie's goal of this first curriculum was to apply the insights from current educational theory and from developmental psychology in the context of and in harmony with an integral understanding of the Orthodox Christian Faith.

Other significant and foundational writings

Throughout the last third of the 20th century, Constance Tarasar worked tirelessly to help Orthodox Christians in North America to establish and strengthen their self-identity and confidence as Orthodox Christians. The concern about self-identity involved several factors. The first and most important was self-identity as Orthodox Christians who constitute a small minority in society. This factor influenced all others. Another was self-identity as immigrants (or descendants of immigrants) from Eastern and Central Europe, from the Mediterranean countries and the Middle-East, from Africa and elsewhere. Another was self-identity according to the specific national and linguistic inheritance. Yet another was self-identity as persons who had immigrated to North America voluntarily or involuntarily. Amongst the latter were those who had arrived as refugees, having escaped war and/or communism (both after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and after various communist revolutions in the wake of World War II). It was and is a part of their struggle to recuperate from the pain of living in exile. They tried to be faithful to their national heritage, and at the same time they tried to settle into the new culture. In every case, it meant learning how to live in North American society without losing this self-knowledge and self-understanding in all these aspects.

Connie was well aware of the fact that, because communist governments severely compromised many Churches and their administrative and hierarchical structures, many USA Orthodox communities were deprived of much of or all the support that they might otherwise have received from the “mother Churches”.

One very important way in which Connie promoted “identity strengthening efforts” was in her activity as a chronicler of the Orthodox experience in North America. For instance, in 1975, she edited one of the first comprehensive histories of Orthodoxy in the USA, the landmark book : “Orthodox America 1794-1976”. This work has become an important reference. Connie also contributed a chapter to a history of Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary : “Legacy of Excellence : St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, 1938-1988”. In addition, her academic work regularly engaged questions pertaining to this theme.

Connie Tarasar was concerned about the “western captivity”. This term refers to the period of several centuries that was roughly parallel to the period of the reign of the Russian Romanov dynasty, but which affected the Constantinopolitan and Russian patriarchates in particular. During these centuries, teachers were imported from Western European countries to teach in universities and seminaries, and students were sent to study in those countries as well. As a consequence, the teaching in seminaries and theological faculties was greatly westernised (particularly through scholasticism), and the traditional methods and content of Orthodox Christian education and formation were abandoned. The return began only in the 19th century. Therefore, Connie's concern involved the “re-integration” of the patristic witness, while keeping in mind the substantial recent contributions of the Protopresbyter Georges Florosky.

Connie made a careful distinction between “re-integration” and “return”. In other words, “re-integration” keeps the present horizon active, but “return” discounts it (see “Taste and See : An Eastern Orthodox Perspective”). Connie did not spend much time citing patristic sources. Rather, she envisioned the “sources” primarily in terms of the liturgical life of the Church. Here, again, she followed Father Schmemann, who understood the liturgical services to be the voice of the Fathers, as these Fathers had been refined, honed and shaped by the Church through time. One of her Canadian students (who later served in international work much as she did) recently wrote : “Of course, everything rises from 'liturgical living'. There was no other way in those days at our school”. In this sense of liturgical living, then, the liturgical life of the Church is the integrated curriculum of Holy Orthodoxy :

 In one sense, the Church has already conceptualised religious education in the light of its theology, having 
 formulated a ‘liturgical’ curriculum. Every liturgical service, festal celebration and season has been 
 intentionally constructed to communicate and celebrate the basic truths of the Faith in order to lead persons 
 into the life of God (see ‘Orthodox Theology and Religious Education’, 1995, pp. 1-7). 

This liturgical emphasis was a first broad theme of her educational philosophy. Furthermore, the liturgical emphasis is simply an expression of how life is lived in traditional Orthodox societies, and particularly in the rural regions. The whole year is lived in the context of the major feast-days, and daily life in the home has its liturgical rhythm that moves in harmony with the corporate worship in the Temple. Since the very centre of the Church’s liturgical life is the Eucharist, Connie asserted that it naturally also forms the centre of the Church’s educational efforts (see "The Orthodox Experience", 1981). Christ, working in His Church, is the true Teacher and Educator and Healer of Christians. In general, she wrote, the primary education of Christians occurs by participation in the life of Christ within the liturgical life of the Church :

 Taste and see ; experience and then understand — this is the form of catechesis that has been given to us by the 
 Church (see ‘The Orthodox Experience’, 1981, p. 256). 

Because of this liturgical emphasis, Constance Tarasar was quite conscious of viewing her own curriculum development efforts as secondary. The goal of her efforts was to open up, reveal and demonstrate the liturgical cycle of the Orthodox Church, its services, and its attending formative practices, such as confession, prayer and the reception of the Holy Gifts, in ways that are understandable to people of various ages and situations in life.

A regular theme in Connie’s writing is her concern that religious education be “holistic” or “integrated” or “organically connected”. These terms return again and again in her writings. The Eucharist provides the “key” to this integration. It was her opinion that it is this key which was lost in medieval times. This loss in turn led to numerous excesses, such as pietism, rationalism, nominalism, activism and so forth (see "The Orthodox Experience", 1981). All these elements, taken by themselves (i.e., without the “isms”), are good and essential ; but in themselves, they lack “essential integration”. The Church means to exist differently, in an integrated manner. This integration is to be found only in Christ, in the Eucharist. Connie believed that without this unifying centre, otherwise good themes run astray.

In her writings, Connie Tarasar proposed 3 elements that must be simultaneously enlivened within Christian life : worship, teaching (and learning), and practice :

 Throughout the ages, the strength and cohesiveness of Church life depended upon the presence and integrity or 
 ‘wholeness’ of all three dimensions (‘Taste and See’, 1988, p. 74 ; see also ‘The Orthodox Experience’, 1981, 
 pp. 256-7, and J Elias, ‘A History of Christian Education : Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Perspectives’, 
 2002, pp. 244-5). 

Connie tied these 3 elements to 3 principal contexts of parish life : the Temple (worship), the school (teaching), home and community life ("praxis" : doing, implementing). Since our lives involve all 3, all 3 are to be addressed and sanctified (made holy). That is, the sanctification of all 3 contexts constitutes the optimal environment for religious formation. Thus, the religious educator must focus not merely on teaching this or that good theme, but also on demonstrating how all the elements of the Christian Faith together cohere in simplicity and unity, with the Eucharist forming the living centre of this curriculum. The educator must also attend to the various activities and contexts in which Christian life is lived out.

Along with other Orthodox leaders and educators, Connie lamented the “uncritical adoption” of Protestant and other educational practices (see "Taste and See", 1988) by clergy and parishioners. Perhaps they had not sufficient formation to discern the best amongst the many such available materials, and there were very few other materials available. The result was a developing confusion about “self-awareness”. The OCA’s Department of Religious Education was itself a pioneer (with Mrs. Koulomzin) in developing a better, more Orthodox curriculum for Orthodox Christian Education, and Connie constantly wrestled with the question of how to reclaim authentic Orthodox Tradition while meeting the world of the present and future (see "The Orthodox Experience", 1981).

Being faithful to the context in which she lived and worked, Connie produced an article that analysed the contributions of her predecessor, Sophie Koulomzin (see "Sophie Shidlovsky Koulomzin : Architect of cooperative Orthodox Education", 1978). Everything of the present and the future is rooted in the past. She was aware of the importance of maintaining this thread of continuity and an awareness of that continuity. She wrote, reflecting theologically on the “minority status” (see "The minority Problem : Educating for Identity and Openness", 1988). She reflected on women’s roles in the Church (see "Orthodox Women, their Role and Participation in the Orthodox Church : Report on the Consultation of Orthodox Women", 1977), and, in general, she promoted Orthodox Christian identity through her many curricular and instructional efforts.

As is usual, normal and expected, Connie’s curricular efforts emphasised close adherence to the liturgical life of the Church. In this, she closely matched the sensibilities of her mentor, the teacher and theologian Father Alexander Schmemann, who regularly voiced concern about reclaiming authentic Holy Orthodox Tradition and identity not only in the USA context but also from what he perceived as its centuries-long “western captivity”.

While she was serving as the Executive Secretary of the OCEC, Connie oversaw numerous curriculum revisions and the publication of texts and teacher-guides for all grade levels. It may be said that much of her work was concerned with attempting to lay solid foundations for future development and enrichment of the manner of providing Christian education. Such work is often hidden from others, regarding its purpose and long-term value.

Teaching teachers and designing curricula, 1970

In 1970, Connie began teaching religious education and related elective courses at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, and she taught a whole generation of students there. Many of these students are women and men from Canada, and who returned to Canada to serve the Church there. She also served for many years as the Director of the Department of Religious Education for The Orthodox Church in America.

Connie Tarasar made major contributions to the development of the Orthodox Christian religious education curriculum in the USA setting. This is likely her largest and greatest contribution. It would be difficult to find anyone who published more curricula over a longer period of time in the Orthodox community, or who reflected as much as she did on how best to go about it. Late in her time of active service, Connie spearheaded a broad-based initiative, called “FOCUS”, which developed a generalised curriculum for each major liturgical event of the year, such as Pascha, Nativity, Theophany and Holy Week. The intention was to fashion a set of resources which would be adaptable for the widest use : by parishes, families, adults, teens, children, etc. Connie was also involved in helping to bring Orthodox education “online” on the internet. A good number of curricular materials are now available in that format, complete with “chat-rooms” and supplemental materials. It may be said that curriculum development was truly Connie's life's work. It was also the primary lens through which she understood her role as a religious educator.

In 2002, during the last preparation for the 13th All-American Council of the OCA, Connie presented to a "workshop" meeting the OCA’s "FOCUS Curriculum", an internet-based programme that offers over 2,000 pages of educational materials, lesson plans, and background materials for use in parish religious education courses.

Connie's guiding principles with regard to curriculum development may be summarised as follows : curriculum must be integrally tied to the liturgical life of the Church. Curriculum should be holistic and integrated, both in itself and in how it engages students. It is not enough, Connie opines, to get a few good themes right. Rather, one must order the specifics rightly within the context of a larger whole. With regard to curriculum design, she suggested 2 frameworks to help with this ordering : a) the Church in history ; b) the sanctification of time and life. The Church in history focuses on the development and refinement of Church life and its liturgical cycles, on the key events of salvation history, on the Biblical narrative, on the lives of the saints, and similar topics. The sanctification of time and life focuses more upon the “here and now”, on the personal appropriation of Tradition, on the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, on the importance of authentic spiritual growth and life, etc. Because of the importance of attending to these multiple contexts at once, curricula must be quite “broad-based". This means that the curricula must in some way keep all these elements (and others as well) in mind, because all the elements are inter-related.

Connie was insistent that a curriculum should be developmentally sound (i.e., age-appropriate). In emphasising this point, Connie clearly suggested the more general principle that curriculum should incorporate insights from modern educational theory. To this end, her students at Saint Vladimir’s regularly read the works of the major peronalities in developmental psychology and religious education (James W Fowler, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, Lawrence Kohlberg).

Constance Tarasar's dissertation of 1989 proposed a “process model” for curriculum development, In her writing, Connie blended contemporary educational curriculum design sensibilities with the content of Holy Tradition — as do all the curricula which she produced. The previous curricula were generally too concerned with content, and they were too prescriptive. Later curricula offered more "streamlined" lesson-plans, and they included more options for their varied use.

Connie Tarasar’s “process model” proposed a “three-dimensional matrix” for parsing Church life into curriculum. This matrix involves three steps : (1) organising a content domain (a general thematic area, such as “the Paschal cycle”) ; (2) identifying educational goals (“understanding the Gethsemane narratives”, or “understanding the Resurrection”) ; (3) refining and distributing the goals across the developmental spectrum (see "A Process Model for the Design of Curriculum for Orthodox Christian religious Education", 1989).

Although many of Connie Tarasar’s materials are still in print, their use began to decline substantially in the 1990s, and some of the material has since undergone further revision.

International activity

Two other aspects of Connie’s life of service began to develop in the mid-1970s. In 1976, Constance Tarasar was selected to represent the USA at an international Orthodox Women’s Consultation at the Agapia Monastery in Neamţ, Romania, which explored the role of women in the Orthodox Church in modern society. Participants included Elder Cleopa (Ilie) of Sihastria Monastery in Romania, and Elisabeth Behr-Sigel. Connie then edited a collection of the presentations in 1977. This experience was especially meaningful for Connie.

Regarding her concern about the role of women, in 1977, Connie, along with Irina Kirillova, co-edited a book following an international consultation on Orthodox women (see "Orthodox Women, their Role and Participation in the Orthodox Church : Report on the Consultation of Orthodox Women"). Connie also wrote an article on this subject (see "Women in the Mission of the Church : Theological and historical Reflections", 1992). A recent discussion about Constance Tarasar by Leonie Liveris (see "Ancient Taboos and Gender Prejudice : Challenges for Orthodox Women and the Church", 2005) will perhaps give this theme more prominence in the future. Connie Tarasar also became a regular contributor to ecumenical discussions on women’s roles and concerns.

A second aspect of her work that began at approximately the same time was her involvement in ecumenical work as a representative to the World Council of Churches. There, she worked closely with the Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, long-time Director of the Office of External Relations and Ecumenical Affairs for the OCA. Connie was a regular contributor to ecumenical discussions on women’s roles and concerns.

Doctorate

In the late 1980s, Dr. John Boojamra took over as Executive Secretary at the OCEC. Connie then had more time available, and she turned her attention towards research and writing. Although she had begun many years earlier the Doctor of Education degree programme at the State University of New York–Albany, she now completed the degree. Her dissertation of 1989 proposed a curriculum design model for Orthodox Christian religious education.

In being granted this doctoral degree, Connie became the first Orthodox Christian educator in the USA to receive a doctorate in the field of education.

Writings

Constance Tarasar produced a small group of articles and book chapters while she continued to be involved with curriculum development. Her accomplishments in this regard were manifold, and her materials were no doubt the most widely used in Eastern Orthodox communities in the USA. Over the years, Connie produced an impressive amount of writing.

For instance, in one attempt to gather the curricular materials, she either wrote or edited over the years resulted in 5 stacks, each several feet high. The stacks primarily consist of graded lesson books, but they also included a popular series of booklets on the lives of the saints and an array of other resources (learning cards, story books, etc.) that she had developed. Connie wrote much more than the curricula.

After the fall of communism around 1989, Connie was engaged in writing textbooks for an international Orthodox curriculum to be used in Romania, Russia and other central and eastern European countries.

However, according to her biographer, the Priest Gregory (Robert) Matlak (whose research work provided much of the information given in this present biography),

 Much work remains to be done in assessing and analysing Tarasar’s legacy, as to date few authors have 
 referenced her writings, and none has attempted substantially to assess her contribution to Orthodox 
 Christian religious education.  

This comment is worth serious consideration. The Priest Anton Vrame noted that Constance Tarasar is “probably the most widely published and best known of all Orthodox religious educators” (see "An Overview of Orthodox Christian religious Education", 2006). Albeit that this is true, it is also true that, at present, there are few references to her academic writing by other authors, and there is no substantive assessment of her contribution to Orthodox Christian religious education. An exception to this is found in "A History of Christian Education : Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Perspectives" by John L Elias, 2002. There is no obvious reason that her writings be so neglected.

Dr. Constance Tarasar held numerous other positions in the OCA, including Managing Editor of "The Orthodox Church" newspaper. She initiated production of the large array of on-line curriculum resources — the FOCUS Curriculum — found on the OCA’s Department of Christian Education web-site. This curriculum may be said to be, in its manner, designed to be a gateway to enabling better home-support in Christian education.

Retirement, 2003

Because of declining health, Connie formally retired from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in 2003, after which she moved back to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

She continued to do consulting work for the OCEC for several more years, despite her difficulties with her health.

Repose, 2014

Dr. Constance J Tarasar fell asleep in the Lord on 7 November, 2014.

There were preliminary memorial services (“panikhidas”), and then there was visitation time at the Kozlak-Radulovich Funeral Chapel in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On Tuesday, 11 November, at 6:00 p.m., a larger memorial service (“parastas”) for Dr. Constance J Tarasar was served by the Archpriest Andrew Morbey, also at the chapel.

On Wednesday, 12 November, at 10:00 a.m., the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Lay-person was served by the Archpriest Andrew Morbey at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Minneapolis.

After this, her body was interred in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, at 31st Avenue and Stinson Boulevard in Minneapolis.

Constance Tarasar grave marker

Connie was survived by her sisters Mary and Martha and their families, including her nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard) leading a panikhida for Constance Tarasar at Saint Vladimir's Seminary

Saint Mary's Cemetery Chapel and entrance, Minneapolis

Saint Mary's Cemetery entrance name-plate

Reflections

The Archpriest John Behr, formerly the Dean of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, commented :

 Above all, Dr. Tarasar loved the Church and devoted her entire life to the ministry of Christian Education.  
 The Seminary is indeed grateful for her many contributions.  May her memory be eternal ! 

Constance Tarasar taught many Canadian students who attended Saint Vladimir's Seminary during her years as a professor there.

Many parish Church schools were influenced by this inheritance and by this personal relationship.

There is a long history of ecclesiastical relationship between West-Central Canada (especially Manitoba) and Minneapolis, beginning particularly during the 1890s.

What seems to be lacking in assessing the self-sacrificial work of Connie Tarasar is an appreciation of the very difficult context in which she made her offering to the Lord of her life's work. What Connie may have hoped to accomplish was beyond the physical and other limitations of her life (or that of any one person, most likely). What Connie was, in fact, able to accomplish is the preparing of a solid foundation. Much as her co-worker, Sophia S Koulomzin, Connie Tarasar was a pioneer in establishing a local system of Christian education that was in harmony with the Tradition of the Orthodox Christian Church, and at the same time able to be understood and used by the local culture. Pioneering always requires "blood, sweat and tears", and there are almost always tensions between or amongst the early workers about what is the best way to proceed. In Connie's case, there was not only this tension, but the limitation of the time in which she lived. Women were frequently forced (and often still are) to take second place to a man in realms where either or a man or a woman could accomplish the work. Despite the difficulties, many of the obstacles involved were overcome, and the result seems to have been a reasonably good blend of more than one perspective.

What has been noted by some as being lacking in part is the home aspect of Christian education. If there be such a lack, then this will be work for others. Connie would have and could have done more had she had the resources. Just as is the case with many others who serve for the love of Christ, there are very few economic supports to enable daily life. Therefore, as is seen in an outline of her life, Connie (as others) had to take on many more projects which would bring enough to pay her rent and other daily costs. These projects were all beneficial to the life of the people of the Church, but they took her away from her main focus. In addition, partly because she was a female, and partly because of her being a disciple of Father Schmemann, Connie faced test after test from those who were skeptical of or antagonistic towards one or both of these factors. Nevertheless, Connie persevered to the end.

Assessment of the work of Constance Tarasar by Father G Matlak

 Three words will now be said by way of assessment.  First, much of the richness in Tarasar's work lay, as has been said, 
 in her extension of Schmemann's work.  Of course, his work is not without controversy, and since she leans so closely on 
 him, it is fair to say that some of her contribution stands or falls with him. Commendable without controversy in this 
 regard is Tarasar's careful attention to the liturgical life and rhythms of the Church, and her appreciation of this 
 curriculum as a finely honed diamond.  The manner in which its various elements intricately interweave – home life, a daily 
 prayer rule, confession, the Eucharist, theology, hymnody, the liturgical cycle, and so forth – is pedagogically marvelous, 
 and not to be taken lightly.  At other points, Tarasar's originality and efforts clearly extend beyond Schmemann. For instance, 
 her expression of a 'holistic' vision of Christian formation is quite helpful and freshly articulated, and one certainly not 
 well enough appropriated in many modern religious education settings, where the focus can tend towards piecemeal programmes and 
 solutions. However, questions remain regarding whether the Church's liturgical life itself encompasses all the elements of 
 Christian formation.  John Boojamra (1989), for instance, has emphasised the importance of socialisation into Christian life, 
 a theme which he believes shows that 'the Church is more than liturgy' (p. 30 ; see also Vrame, 2006). Over the years, his 
 insistence on this point contributed to some marginalization of Tarasar at Saint Vladimir's.  
 
 Second, one might wish that Tarasar made more mention of the importance of monastic and ascetic life in the Orthodox Church. 
 Part of the integrated vision of Orthodox faith includes, since Saint Basil the Great's monastic reforms in the fourth century, 
 the 'lung' of monasticism.  However, in the US it has taken a long while to establish a substantive monastic presence – it is 
 still in early stages – which likely accounts for its muted presence in Tarasar's work. 
 
 That said, ascesis, or training in spiritual life, extends beyond monastery walls to all Christians (see, for example, the 
 regular fasts prescribed in the liturgical calendar, the role of a prayer rule, and etc.).  Ascesis is based on the Orthodox 
 belief that spiritual growth requires a synergy of activity between God and humans.  By it we cooperate in God's patient work 
 of reordering our attachments, uprooting vices, and upbuilding virtue.  Yet while one finds occasional mention of this theme 
 in Tarasar's work (see, for instance, 1981a), one finds no direct or integrated treatment.  
 
 This lapse is evident, for example, when Tarasar renames Schmemann's notion of 'spiritual effort' as 'praxis' (1995, p. 105). 
 Schmemann characterises 'spiritual effort' as one of three marks of the early Church, and in his context it points to the 
 ascetical life in general, inclusive of the various 'exercises' employed as secondary means of spiritual training. By such 
 effort we strive to fix the will in a Godward direction, to repent, to clean 'the inside of the cup', that the Holy Spirit 
 might find room to indwell us. For Tarasar, in contrast, 'praxis' indicates either the 'application' of things learned in 
 worship (1995, p. 110) or 'ethics' in general. In worship, she says, we have the 'reality of the event', which we then practice 
 or live out at home and in community life.  Yet ascesis is not simply equivalent to community life. Nor is it clear that spiritual 
 realities are primarily 'revealed' in 'worship' then applied to life. The situation can run the other way. For instance, 
 Saint Gregory of Nyssa sees ascesis as part of the therapeutic path to true worship, which is only fully realised in the Kingdom 
 of God.  Apart from careful adherence to an authentic spiritual path – to Christ's commandments – our 'worship' can be empty, hollow, 
 even offensive to God – a far cry from the intended 'reality'.  The same logic applies to 'ethics'.  Ascesis is less 'ethical living'  
 than 'active repentance'.  By repentance room is carved within us wherein the life-creating Spirit might dwell, and bring us life. 
 And as the Spirit sustains all things in life, by this Spirit alone may we interact in harmony – ethically – with those things.  In this 
 sense ascesis, what Schmemann calls 'spiritual effort', precedes ethical living and is not wholly convertible with it.  On these 
 lines, one may wonder whether Tarasar offers a nuanced enough understanding of the role of ascesis in spiritual growth.  
 
 Third, Tarasar largely defines the role of the religious educator in terms of the curriculum specialist.  Even though she advocates, 
 as we saw, a 'holistic' approach to Christian formation, the importance of such pedagogical concerns as attending to students' wills 
 or agency, of fostering a dynamic and responsive learning environment, of promoting formation in virtue, and so forth receive little 
 attention.  A notable exception is her 1981 survey of Orthodox education throughout Church history.  There she begins to address the 
 importance of attending to the wills of students, above and beyond the production of curriculum and programmes (1981a, pp. 254-5). 
 
 Yet these remarks, in the end, are isolated.  For instance, later, when she claims that Christian formation should occur in parish, 
 school, home and community settings – a holistic theme – she concludes only by suggesting that curriculum design attend to all three 
 contexts (1995, p. 110).  One finds little regarding wise use of curriculum, regarding good pedagogy, classroom management, strategies 
 for involving parents in their children's formation, and so forth.  Her focus, of course, reflects the shape of her professional life. 
 As was said earlier, curriculum design was, in a sense, her life.  Bearing in mind that not every educator can address every theme, one 
 might nonetheless consider the degree to which curriculum design exhausts the notion of religious education. Which is not to diminish 
 Tarasar's curricular contributions, or her other contributions, for that matter. Indeed, such comments are possible in part because 
 one can find a number of healthy Orthodox Churches in the US today, a good number of which owe substantial debts to Tarasar's lifetime 
 of labour.

Writings

A comprehensive list of Dr. Tarasar’s writings and work, a detailed survey of her contributions to the field of religious education, and related resources has been complied by her biographer, Gregory (Robert) Matlak, at that time a doctoral candidate at Biola University, Talbot School of Theology. This list is reproduced here.

Books :

Tarasar, C J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976” (Syosset, NY : Orthodox Church in America, 1975).

Tarasar, C J, and Kirillova, I, eds., (1977). “Orthodox Women, their Role and Participation in the Orthodox Church : Report on the Consultation of Orthodox Women”, 11-17 September, 1976, Agapia, Roumania (Geneva, Switzerland : World Council of Churches, 1977).

Tarasar, C J, ed., “Perspectives on Orthodox Education (Syosset, NY : SYNDESMOS and the Department of Religious Education of The Orthodox Church of America, 1983).

Tarasar, C J, “A Process Model for the Design of Curriculum for Orthodox Christian Religious Education”, unpublished doctoral dissertation (1989) at the State University of New York at Albany, NY.

Tarasar, C J, “Woman : Handmaid of the Lord : The Role of Woman in the Church Viewed in Dogmatic and Historical Perspective”, unpublished M.Div. thesis (1965) at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY.

Book Chapters :

Tarasar, C J, ‘The Minority Problem : Educating for Identity and Openness’ in “Religious Pluralism and Religious Education”, ed. N H Thompson (Birmingham, AL : Religious Education Press, 1988), pp. 195-210.

Tarasar, C J, ‘The Orthodox Experience’ in “A Faithful Church : Issues in the History of Catechesis”, eds. J H Westerhoff & O C Edwards, Jr. (Wilton, CT : Morehouse-Barlow, 1981), pp. 236-260.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Orthodox Theology and Religious Education’ in “Theologies of Religious Education”, ed. R C Miller (Birmingham, AL : Religious Education Press, 1995), pp. 83-120.

Tarasar, C J, ‘The Sixties and Seventies’ in “A Legacy of Excellence : Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, 1938-1988”, eds. J Meyendorff, V Borichevsky, & W Schneirla (Crestwood, NY : Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1988), pp. 35-40.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Taste and See : An Eastern Orthodox Perspective’ in “Does the Church really want Religious Education : An Ecumenical Inquiry”, ed. M. Mayr (Birmingham, AL : Religious Education Press, 1988), pp. 67-81.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Taste and See : Orthodox Children at Worship’ in “The Sacred Play of Children”, ed. D Apostolos-Cappadona (New York, NY : Seabury Press, 1983), pp. 43-54.

Articles :

Tarasar, C J, ‘Christian Education : Whose Responsibility ?’ in “The Orthodox Educator”, vol. 3 (Winter, 1984), pp. 6-11.

Tarasar, C J, “Experiences in Orthodox Religious Education : The North American Experience” [expanded edition of paper presented at the meeting of the Consultation on Orthodox Religious Education, Kykko Monastery, Cyprus, March, 1994].

Tarasar, C J, ‘The Little Things that count’ in “The Christian Century”, vol. 110, no. 31, (1993), pp. 1077-1079.

Tarasar, C J, ‘An Orthodox Curriculum in Development’ in “Religious Education”, vol. 61, no. 6 (1966), pp. 459-462.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Sophie Shidlovsky Koulomzin : Architect of Cooperative Orthodox Education’ in “Religious Education”, vol. 73, no. 5 (1978), pp. 91-100.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Women in the Mission of the Church : Theological and Historical Reflections’ in “International Review of Mission”, vol. 81, issue 322 (1992), pp. 189-200.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Worship as Education’ in “International Journal of Religious Education”, vol. 44 (1968), pp. 8-9.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Worship, Spirituality and Biblical Reflection : Their Significance for the Churches’ Search for Koinonia’ in “The Ecumenical Review”, vol. 45, issue 2, (1993), pp. 218-225.

Reviews, Responses and Comments :

Hopko, T, & Tarasar, C J, ‘Orthodox at Nairobi’ in “Saint Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly”, vol. 20, nos. 1-2 (1976), pp. 37-42.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Catechesis : The Maturation of the Body’ [Review] in “Saint Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly”, vol. 29, no. 1 (1985), pp. 86-87.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Comment’ [Study] in “Encounter”, vol. 2, no. 2 (1966), pp. 61-63.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Consultation of the Oriental Churches on Christian Education’ in “Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Quarterly”, vol. 11, no. 1 (1967), pp. 40-43.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Consultation on Tradition and Renewal in Orthodox Education’ in “Saint Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly”, vol. 20, no. 4 (1976), pp. 240-242.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Liturgical Education for Community Life’ in “Religious Education”, vol. 69, no. 2 (1974), pp. 243-246.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Oriental Churches’ Consultation on Christian Education’ in “Saint Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 2 (1972), pp. 93-94.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Orthodox Women’s Consultation’ in “Saint Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly”, vol. 20, no. 4 (1976), pp. 242-244.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Redeemed Creation : Sacramentals Today’, and ‘Sacraments and Sacramentality’ [Review] in “Saint Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly”, vol. 29, no. 1 (1985), pp. 87-89.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Response’ in “Journal of Ecumenical Studies”, vol. 18, no. 4 (1981), pp. 641-645.

Tarasar, C J, ‘Women who minister : Encounter 1971’ in “Saint Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly”, vol. 16, no. 2 (1972), pp. 90-92.

Select Curricular Materials :

Tarasar, C J, ed., “Christian Living Series” (Syosset, NY : Orthodox Christian Publications, Orthodox Church in America, 1977ff.).

Tarasar, C J, and Bailey, B J, “Eyes to see, Ears to hear : Study Guide to the Peoples and Churches of the U.S.S.R” (New York : Friendship Press, 1987).

Tarasar, C J, “Feasts and Families Series” (Syosset, NY : Department of Religious Education, Orthodox Church in America, 1980 ff.)

Tarasar, C J, “Jesus : The Word, Studies on the Gospels, Part I” (A Bible Study for adults and teens, introducing the Gospels and the life of Christ from His birth to His baptism and the beginning of His teaching ministry ; includes biblical texts, patristic commentaries, maps, and icons, workbook format). (Syracuse, NY : Orthodox Christian Education Commission).

Tarasar, C J, “The Mystical Supper. Teaching Pictures on the Divine Liturgy” (New York : Orthodox Christian Education Commission, 1977).

Tarasar, C J, ed. [some manuals with co-editors, including Sophie Koulomzin], “Orthodox Christian Education Commission Graded Curriculum Series” (New York : Orthodox Christian Education Commission, 1966-1978).

Tarasar, C J, ed., “Saints for all Ages”, 10 volumes (Syosset, NY : Department of Religious Education, Orthodox Church in America, 1981-1986).

Tarasar, C J, “We return to God : A Manual for preparing Children for the Sacrament of Penance” (Syosset, NY : Department of Religious Education, Orthodox Church in America, 1974).

Secondary References :

Boojamra, J, “Foundations for Orthodox Christian Education” (Crestwood, NY : Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1989).

Elias, J L, “A History of Christian Education : Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Perspectives” (Malabar, FL : Krieger Publishing Company, 2002).

Liveris, L B, “Ancient Taboos and Gender Prejudice : Challenges for Orthodox Women and the Church” (Burlington, VT : Ashgate Publishing Company, 2005).

Vrame, A, ‘An Overview of Orthodox Christian Religious Education’ in “International Handbook of the Religious, Moral and Spiritual Dimensions in Education, Part I”, (Dordrecht, The Netherlands : Springer, 2006), pp. 277-292.

Excerpts from Publications : (prepared by G R Matlak)

Tarasar, C J, ‘Orthodox Theology and Religious Education’ in “Theologies of Religious Education”, ed. R C Miller (Birmingham, AL : Religious Education Press, 1995), p. 107 :

On the Church’s liturgical curriculum, and the role of the curriculum specialist :

 In a sense, the Church has already conceptualised religious education in the light of its theology, having 
 formulated a liturgical ‘curriculum’.  Every liturgical service, festal celebration and season has been 
 intentionally constructed to communicate and celebrate the basic truths of the Faith in order to lead persons 
 into the life of God. The role of the curriculum specialist is to articulate these truths in the light of the 
 educational task [...].  

Tarasar, C J, ‘Worship as Education’ in “International Journal of Religious Education”, vol. 44 (1968), p. 8 :

On the integration of worship and education :

 [...] every liturgical service in the Orthodox Church is really a lesson in theology. Perhaps this is why no 
 Orthodox ever questions the relationship between worship and education.  To him it is self-evident that praise 
 and glorification are inseparable from illumination and understanding. What we know and believe, we confess in 
 praise and thanksgiving.

A resumé of the liturgical life of the Orthodox Church quickly reveals nearly the sum total of her teaching. The daily cycle of Vespers and Matins celebrates the events of Man’s relationship with God – in creation, in separation and repentance, in the coming of the Saviour, and in the celebration of His Resurrection. The Holy Eucharist is itself a great hymn of thanksgiving to God for His creative and redemptive acts. The cycle of feasts commemorates the great events of Man’s salvation, and the entire paschal cycle places Man again within the perspective of the preparation and fulfilment of the people of God for the feast of the Kingdom. Every sacramental act brings to light the responsibilities of the new community of God established by Christ in the Holy Spirit and commits each member of the community to respond personally in witness to the continuing work of salvation through the Church. Here, there can be no alienation between education and worship ; for in gathering together in worship, we have become illumined ; and in becoming illumined by the Light, we praise and glorify God for that Light of new life. Thus, as we confess our faith in God, in the Great Doxology, we sing and proclaim : “Glory to Thee Who hast shown us the Light !”

Tarasar, C J, ‘Taste and See : An Eastern Orthodox Perspective’ in “Does the Church really want Religious Education : An Ecumenical Inquiry”, ed. M Mayr (Birmingham, AL : Religious Education Press, 1988), p. 67 :

On Orthodox Christian religious education :

 Religious education, as a field of study, is a relatively new phenomenon in the Orthodox world. As an integral 
 part of Church life, however, it is as ancient as the Church itself. Orthodox religious educators have only 
 recently begun to deal with this paradox, but their searchings are beginning to establish a new understanding 
 and basis for the practice of religious education.  For them, the question: ‘Does the Church really want 
 religious education ?’ must be preceded by the question : ‘What really is religious education as it has been practiced by Orthodox Christians throughout the ages ?’

Tarasar, C J, ‘Taste and See : Orthodox Children at Worship’ in “The Sacred Play of Children”, ed. D Apostolos-Cappadona (New York, NY : Seabury Press, 1983), pp. 43-54 :

The opening question in an article on childhood :

 The paradox of Christian life is that childhood is seen by Christ as a means to the kingdom, the sign of 
 spiritual maturity : ‘[...] unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  
 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’ (Mt. 18:2). But how can 
 such a view of spiritual maturity be reconciled with the words of St. Paul, who says : ‘When I was a child, I 
 spoke like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways’ (I Cor. 13.11). [...] 
 Childhood and mature humanity in Christ – what do they have in common ? Unless we understand their relationship, 
 we cannot understand the nature of spiritual growth, to which both Christ and St. Paul refer, nor can we 
 understand the nature of membership and participation in the Church. The particular place of children in the 
 Church, and especially in her worship, is inextricably tied to our conception of spiritual maturity, Church 
 membership, and our understanding of worship itself.

Readings recommended by G R Matlak :

Tarasar, C J, ‘Orthodox Theology and Religious Education’ in “Theologies of Religious Education”, ed. R C Miller (Birmingham, AL : Religious Education Press, 1995).

 — Her most complete, mature statement on Orthodox Christian religious education.

Tarasar, C J, “Experiences in Orthodox Religious Education : The North American Experience” [expanded edition of paper presented at the meeting of the Consultation on Orthodox Religious Education, Kykko Monastery, Cyprus, March, 1994].

 — She reflects on developments in Orthodox Christian religious education in the twentieth century. 
 Unfortunately, this paper is still unpublished, but the author of this encyclopedia entry would be glad 
 to send a digital copy to interested parties robmatlak@gmail.com). 

Tarasar, C J, ‘Taste and See : Orthodox Children at Worship’ in “The Sacred Play of Children”, ed. D Apostolos-Cappadona (New York, NY : Seabury Press, 1983), pp. 43-54.

 — A wonderful reflection on the importance of children in the Orthodox Church. Excellent for parents and 
 educators. 

Tarasar, C J, ‘The Orthodox Experience’ in “A Faithful Church : Issues in the History of Catechesis”, eds. J H Westerhoff & O C Edwards, Jr. (Wilton, CT : Morehouse-Barlow, 1981), pp. 236-260 :

 — The first half of this essay reflects educationally on five ‘periods’ or ‘types’ of the Church in history. 
 The second half considers the needs of the current situation, including perhaps her most candid words on the 
 inadequacy of educational efforts alone to accomplish the spiritual task of Orthodox Christian catechesis. 
 Here Tarasar also suggests the Eucharist as the ‘key’ to successful catechesis. 

Tarasar, C J, ‘Worship as Education’ in “International Journal of Religious Education”, vol. 44 (1968), pp. 8-9.

 — A helpful, brief introduction to the liturgical ‘curriculum’ of the Church. 

The Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Library in Crestwood, New York, contains the complete collection of curricula written and/or edited by Dr. Constance Tarasar.

References

The obituary of Constance Tarasar was published in the “Star Tribune” (Minneapolis, Minnesota) on 10 November, 2014, p. A8.

Biography

OCA In Memoriam

Saint Vladimir's Seminary obituary

Funeral Home obituary in the “Saint Cloud Times”

Additional information :

Biola University Database : Christian Educators of the 20th Century

Audio : “Religious Education Today” (C J Tarasar introduced by Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko)

Findagrave listing

Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich)

Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish)

Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor)

Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann

Protopresbyter John Meyendorff

Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko

Archpriest John H Erickson

Archpriest John Behr

Sophia S Koulomzin

Archpriest John Boojamra

Orthodoxwiki article about The Orthodox Church in America

Orthodoxwiki article about Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary

History of Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary

Orthodoxwiki article about the Orthodox Christian Education Commission

Orthodox Christian Education Commission (OCEC) web-site

OCA Department of Christian Education

“Holy Synod convenes for Spring Session Subcommittees of the Metropolitan Council Present Reports” (17-20 March, 1997)

“Holy Synod declares 1998 Year of Church Growth and Missionary Outreach” (21-24 October, 1997)

“Hundreds participate in Pre-Council Vespers, Workshops” (20 July, 2002)

“Education Commission establishes new on-line Forum” (18 March, 2007)