The Ways of Orthodox Theology in the West

Orthodox theology in Western Europe in the 20th century is a fascinating phenomenon. Owing to the revolution in Russia and the economic and political migrations of Orthodox believers from many other European and Middle Eastern countries, the very small Orthodox communities of Western Europe began to grow. The encounter of the migrants with the West provoked new questions, and brought new imperatives to draw on existing sources. In order to ground the theological developments and emphases, the first part of this article sketches the historical, cultural, political, and ecclesiastical contexts of the movements of Orthodox theology to the West in the 20th century. The second part looks at particular people and the major theological themes that concerned them, whilst the third part considers the challenges for the 21st century. For the version with pictures, view http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/crossroads/religious-and-confessional-spaces/ivana-noble-tim-noble-orthodox-theology-in-western-europe-in-the-20th-century

The Ecumenical Review, 2017

Eastern Christianities and Politics in the Twenty-First Century , 2014

The relationship between globalisation and Orthodox Christianity is a hitherto underdeveloped theme in the social scientifi c literature. This chapter addresses this topic in a twofold manner. On the one hand, it illustrates the multiple engagements of the Eastern forms of Christianity with worldhistorical globalisation through a consideration of its pre-modern era-an era that is of critical importance for understanding the formation of the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity. On the other hand, it focuses more extensively upon the entanglements between Orthodox Christianity and globalisation in the modern (1830s-1945) and contemporary (1945-present) periods. 1 Given this volume's thematic focus, this chapter maintains a balance between historical and contemporary foci, with greater attention given to discussing the recent processes of nationalisation and transnationalisation. The chapter's opening section highlights the historical legacy of the various churches typically included under the label of 'Eastern Christianity'. Instead of the conventional dichotomy between Western and Eastern Christianity, it suggests a historically more accurate division between Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian forms of Christianity. Within Chalcedonian Christianity, a further historical division concerns the gradual consolidation of two distinct branches, those of Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity. The chapter's second section addresses the historically more recent and in many instances still ongoing processes of Orthodox Christianity's nationalisation and transnationalisation. These two processes suggest that globalisation's infl uence upon the reshaping of Orthodox Christianity has been quite consequential. In Orthodox nation-states, a modern synthesis between church and nation has ensued-a powerful instance of religious resacralisation that illustrates religion's continuing relevance. In the chapter's other sections, attention is focused on the current and future prospects of Orthodox Christianity. In particular, the thesis of Moscow and Constantinople as powerful rival institutions is critically reviewed. It is suggested that the two institutions' relationship is far more complicated than conventionally assumed. The chapter concludes with some speculations concerning the prospects of Orthodox Christianity in the course of the twenty-fi rst century.

Religion, State and Society, 2015

In this article I analyse Orthodox Christianity as a transnational religion. In the first section I develop a theoretical argument concerning the relationship among diaspora, transnationalism and Orthodoxy. Seen through these lenses, transnationalism represents a newfound situation connected to the epochal shift from empires to nation-states. I then give a historical overview of demographic trends which shows that in the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries millions of Orthodox emigrated to North America and Western Europe; while large Orthodox groups were created in the USA by the early twentieth century, the majority of Orthodox immigrants to Canada, Australia and Western Europe are post-1945 arrivals. I then offer a brief overview of the situation of Orthodox transnationalism in the post-Soviet space since 1989, and argue that in contrast to that situation, it is the experience of migration that is most accurately captured by the label of religious transnationalism. Lastly, I conduct an initial comparison of North American and European experiences. The current fragmentation of Orthodox jurisdictions reflects the creation of autonomous church organisations or groups of parishes that extend the jurisdictions of Mother Churches into the host states. I contemplate the consequences of religious transnationalism for future developments.

Religions, 2017

As the title indicates, taken together the thirteen papers in this Special Issue of Religions give a broad view of what might be called the inner and outer life of the Orthodox Church, with each of the papers focusing on a particular area of research and reflection. In recent decades, there has been an explosion of books and articles on the Orthodox Churches, both Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox (the articles in this issue focus on the former). There is widespread interest in the spiritual life of the Orthodox Church: prayer, worship, theology, saints, art, music, ascetic practices and ways of living, monasticism, and how its self-understanding as a repository of ancient Christian tradition is interwoven and evolving in what Charles Taylor calls the cross-pressures of the secular age. At the same time, the quarter-century following the collapse of the Soviet Union has seen the Orthodox Church emerge from persecution and martyrdom to rebuild the infrastructure of churches, monasteries and Christian social services decimated by the Communist years. In that process the Orthodox Churches have also become powerful public, political, nationalist and cultural forces in Russia and Eastern Europe. They are now frequently perceived as closely aligned with restrictive government policies, suspicious of democracy, freedom, human rights and minorities. In contrast, Orthodox Christians in the Middle East live a tenuous existence-often shared with Muslims-in the face of war, sectarian violence and official and unofficial duress and persecution. Meanwhile, in areas of emigration and mission in Western Europe, the Americas, Australia, parts of sub-Saharan Africa and other regions outside its traditional homelands Orthodox Christianity is also taking hold as a self-consciously distinct minority religion that is attracting a steady stream of converts while struggling for its identity in a secular environment increasingly hostile to traditional Christianity. In the midst of these competing global forces, and an Orthodox world dominated by Old World Churches, the leaders of the disparate and often quarrelsome branches of Eastern Orthodoxy, led by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople as "first among equals," have been attempting to bring a measure of unity as they seek to remain true to the "faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3) while also confronting the challenges of the 21st century. An important step in that direction was taken at "The Holy and Great Council" of the Eastern Orthodox Churches which took place on Crete in June 2016 during the week of Pentecost (https://www.holycouncil.org). Patriarch Bartholomew presided, and although the Council's status and authority are disputed by several of the Orthodox Churches which did not send delegations (Antioch, Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria) the fact remains that this council was decades in preparation and was the largest and most diverse council of Eastern Orthodox bishops in many centuries. The agenda was modest and did not attempt to address some of the most pressing issues facing the Orthodox Churches, but it provoked some valuable discussion (see for example Nathanael Symeonides 2016). At the very least it demonstrated awareness of questions that the Orthodox must consider and act upon. The Holy and Great Council has opened our horizon towards the contemporary diverse and multifarious world. It has emphasised our responsibility in place and in time, ever with

This essay explores different approaches to non-Christian religions in Orthodox thought, from the early Fathers to the present day. Among modern Orthodox theologians, Georges Khodr and Anastasios Yannoulatos inherit an inclusivist or tolerant attitude to religious diversity from Justin Martyr and other early Fathers, while Seraphim Rose represents an exclusivist or intolerant position, characteristic of Tertullian. Philip Sherrard's thinking on non-Christian religions can be described as religious pluralism, while that of Lev Gillet is close to comparative theology. Despite the absence of formal Orthodox declarations concerning religious diversity, Orthodox thought on the subject since World War II converges around the notions of inclusivism and comparative theology, considering that non-Christian religions are mysteriously " included " in the missions of Christ and the Holy Spirit in the world and that their adherents can achieve salvation as understood in Christianity.

Religions, 2017

This is the editorial introduction to an edited volume of articles by 15 scholars of Orthodox Christianity. Taken together the papers give a broad view of the inner and outer life of the Orthodox Church in various parts of the world, with each focusing on a particular area of research and reflection. The contributors include Razvan Porumb, Rico Monge, Natalia Naydenova, Yulia Ebzeeva, Paul Ladouceur, Cyril Hovorun, Crina Gschwandtner, Ionut Untea, Elizabeth Theokritoff, Joseph William Black, Mary Ford, Kyriacos Markides, Nicholas Denysenko, Boris Knorre and Michael Plekon.

Orthodox Constructions of the West, ed. by George Demacopoulos and Aristotle Papanikolaou. , 2013

2017

This text will comment on some of the important aspects of the connection between Eastern Orthodoxy and contemporary civilization, the historical development of which has been designated as post-modernity. Being neither modern, nor postmodern, nor anti-modern (because these predicates are not relevant to it), Orthodoxy has to answer the question as to whether globalization is analogous to the “cosmic liturgy” sought by the Christian religion as a whole, or to the contrary, is moving away from it. The other basic problem of Orthodoxy – especially in what were formerly designated as East European societies – is that it should be identified with nationality. To be Orthodox often means to be a Bulgarian, a Serb, a Russian, a Romanian, etc. Ethnic affiliation and Orthodox affiliation are often interchangeable. Thus, the nationalization of Orthodoxy is becoming a major problem that the Church must resolve.