Volos Academy for Theological Studies participated in the 11th Annual Meeting on Christian Origins organized by the Italian Center for Advanced Studies on Religions (CISSR), held between 25 and 27 September 2025 in Bertinoro, Italy.

Dr. Nikos Kouremenos, Research Associate of Volos Academy, joined a panel on “Discourses and Practices around Jesus in the Early Modern Period” and presented a paper titled “Christological Rhetoric and Orthodox Identity in Early Modern Greek Theological Polemics.” Focusing on the 17th century, the paper argued that Greek-speaking Orthodox theology did not pursue modern “Lives of Jesus,” but articulated identity through Christological rhetoric intrinsically linked to liturgy and ecclesiology. Through two complementary case studies—Meletios Syrigos and the Synod of Jerusalem (1672)—the presentation showed that: a) the Incarnation forms the ground of the real Eucharistic presence (metousiosis) and the sacrificial dimension of worship; b) Scripture is interpreted within Tradition (Church Fathers, Councils, hierarchy) as the “book of the Church” and c) justification is understood synergistically and sacramentally, against purely forensic approaches.

The papers of the Conference are expected to be published in a forthcoming issue of “Annali di Storia dell’Esegesi”. The Volos Academy participation at CISSR underscores its international outreach and highlights the contribution of Orthodox theology to the current research on Christian origins.