International Study Program

ORTHODOX CHURCH AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

Volos Academy for Theological Studies cooperates with the University of Tartu (School of Theology and Religious Studies) and the Orthodox Church of Estonia in the international study program “Orthodox Church and Contemporary Challenges”.

We live at a time when we receive reports of war, ecological crisis and imbalance every day, resulting in great distress and mental health problems in society. What are the religious aspects of these issues, and what is the responsibility of the church? The Orthodox Church has been a centre of Christian thought for centuries. Today, it is a productive partner in inter-church, inter-religious and societal debates in both the East and the West, thus bridging the two worlds. The study programme aims to explore the burning issues in society, both in the context of the history of the Orthodox Church and contemporary theological and social debates. The four courses of the study programme (Theopolitics; Ecotheology; Christianity and Post-Modern Spirituality; Psychology and Psychotherapy) address issues challenging for both the Orthodox Church and Western society, namely

· the role of the Orthodox Church in the war in Ukraine, theological politics, religion as a security issue and the politicisation of religion;

· ecotheology, the spiritual roots of the ecological crisis, the possibilities for sustainable development and the role of the Orthodox Church in the ecological crisis;

· psychology and psychotherapy in the Orthodox context, such as how mental health disorders manifest themselves in the behaviour of religious people and affect their religious life, and how the religious context and Orthodox practice could help them;

· Orthodoxy and post-modern spirituality, with an emphasis on questions regarding the social ethos of the Orthodox Church.

All lecturers are internationally well-known top specialists: Prof. John Chryssavgis, Dr. Nikolaos Asproulis, Assoc. Prof. Katerina Bauer, Prof. Cyril Hovorun, Prof. Brandon Gallaher, Prof. Ivana Noble, Prof. Ekaterini Tsalampouni, Dr. Grigorios Chrysostomos Tympas, Prof. Vasileios Thermos, Prof. Aristotle Papanikolaou.

The language of instruction is English. The programme is part of the micro-credential programmes of the University of Tartu. Upon a successful completion of the programme, the participant will receive a certificate of completion of the programme.

The programme is conducted entirely online. Therefore, the studies are easy to combine with work and family life.

Registration and further information is availableon the study programme’s website https://tinyurl.com/tartuchallenges , Registration will be open from July 1 till August 25, 2025.

“This world is not just a gift from God; it is a challenge for humanity.” -

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew