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Book Review: ‘Experiences’ By Rev. Dr. Vahan Tootikian

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By Mihran Jizmejian

In the early days of the 2017, the Armenian Heritage Committee of the Armenian Congregational Church of Greater Detroit published Senior Pastor, well known intellectual, and educator, Reverend Dr. Vahan H. Tootikian’s 39th bilingual book entitled Experiences (Pordzarutiunner).

The cover of ‘Experiences’

The book is composed of 160 pages with 31 articles in English and 15 in Armenian. In this bilingual collection of concise, focused, and inspirational articles and essays, the author imparts insights gathered over the years through his personal and professional experiences that will enrich the faith of his readers with authentic illustrations, Scriptural examples and reflective questions.

Once again, Tootikian has demonstrated that as an acute observer and a good communicator, he has a special talent of being a spokesman for God’s word, a gift he has generously shared with the reading public.

In this wonderfully-written book, the author deals with a variety of subjects, such as religious, educational, social, ethical, and ethnic issues, as well as dealing with such subject as nature, national observances, and religious feast and festivals.

The author has dedicated his 39th book to the Armenian Congregational Church of Greater Detroit, where he has served as the Senior Pastor for over 30 years (1975-2005) and currently serves as Minister Emeritus.

Our personal experiences become our best teachers if we can learn from them. Based on his experiences, the author provides practical and logical suggestions in this volume. Writing in an accessible, impeccable, and engaging style, he tackles with the questions of “what”, “why” “how”, and “when”. His strong faith for Christian principles and unconditional love towards his Armenian culture are very apparent in his writings. His readers, especially those who know him personally, cannot miss seeing in him the model Armenian clergyman and the true Armenian patriot.

Tootikian strongly believes that one cannot separate Armenian Christianity from their culture. Both Christianity and culture go parallel, guarantying the survival of the Armenian nationhood. He also believes strongly that the preservation of the Armenian heritage and defending the Armenian Cause are inseparable and complement each other.

A widely recognized and distinguished Armenian scholar, Rev. Tootikian, writes with warmth, clarity, and eloquence. Both in the English and Armenian sections of the book, his essays are compact, lucid, and inspirational.

On the publication of his 39th book, I congratulate the Rev. Tootikian for his untiring endeavor and perseverance in using his writing ability and talent, among other qualities, all dedicated to the glory of God and to his fellow humans.

I highly recommend this book to the reading public.

The price of the book with shipping and handling is $28.50 and may be ordered from:

Armenian Heritage Committee
3922 Yorba Linda Blvd.
Royal Oak, Mich. 48073-6455

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.