Summary of Conference

HERITAGE AND HORIZONS FOR ORTHODOX THEOLOGY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

in Paris (Institut de théologie orthodoxe Saint-Serge)

with the participation of Volos Academy

The international Conference “Heritage and Horizons for Orthodox Theology in the 21st Century” was held in Paris, between November 27 and 29, 2025, in the context of the celebration of the centenary of the St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute. The Conference featured presentations by 34 scholars from various countries of Western and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and America, and was attended by more than 150 participants (70 of whom attended online). The conference sought to highlight the theological and spiritual renewal the St. Sergius Institute brought about in the 20th century, while also opening a debate on the future prospects of Orthodox theology in the 21st century. While the first two days were dedicated to the history of the Institute, including testimonies from various alumni, and to the Institute’s contribution to various theological fields, the last day focused on the integration of the work of the Institute into the daily life of the Church and its role in contemporary society.

The Dean of the St Sergius Institute, Professor Michel Stavrou, in his opening speech “The Miracle of Saint Sergius: a Century of Theological Work,” mentioned the historical context of the Institute’s founding, then the spirit and evolution of its theological education, the influence of St Sergius on Orthodoxy and beyond, and finally its significant contribution to the French society, of which it has been a part for a whole century. “We have the duty,” he concluded, “to continue our mission in the spirit of freedom and the demand bequeathed to us by our predecessors.”

Volos Academy for Theological Studies was represented at the Conference by its Director, Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, while other particpants from Greece included the Metropolitan of Peristeri, Grigorios (Papathomas) and Stavros Yiagazoglou (Professor and Associate Professor respectively of the Theological School of the National University of Athens), as well as Rev. Vasileios Thermos and Athanasios N. Papathanasiou (Professor and Associate Professor respectively of the Supreme Ecclesiastical Academy of Athens).

In his presentation "Contemporary Challenges for Orthodox Theology", Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, after referring to the theological and personal ties that connect him to the St. Sergius Institute, focused mainly on the following points: a) the demand for academic freedom within the framework of Orthodox theology, b) the contemporary anthropological challenges, c) the relationship between Orthodoxy and science, and d) the shift of Christianity’s center of gravity towards the Global South and the risk of historical marginalization of Orthodoxy. He also briefly referred to a series of issues and challenges that require deep theological thought and further elaboration, such as the search for an ecclesiological model that would go beyond the imperial and ethnocentric ecclesiologies traditionally associated with Orthodoxy; the honest and serious discussion of the position of women in the Church and the reasons that prevent not only their ordination, but also their more active and less passive role in the life of the Church; the issue of non-theological factors and their role both in the life of the Church and in relation to its unity; the reasons why doctrinal agreements and the positive outcome of theological dialogues did not lead to the restoration of ecclesial communion (examples of theological dialogue with the Old Catholic Church and of Christological agreement with the Oriental Orthodox Churches); the theological elaboration of religious diversity and the development of an Orthodox theology of the other religions; the challenge of Orthodox fundamentalism, which is strengthened and inspired by monastic circles, combined with the phenomenon of Orthodox converts in the United States; the challenge of the culture wars that are beginning to knock on the doors of the Orthodox Church and polarize the debate between "traditionalists" and "modernists"; the urgent need for an ecclesiastical leadership that will spiritually inspire the Orthodox faithful and strengthen them on their path in the modern world. Regarding this last point, Kalaitzidis pointed out that all the great personalities of modern Orthodox ecclesiastical leaders, who managed to inspire the Orthodox and gain the respect and recognition of the non-Orthodox or even the secular, came from the “diaspora” or belonged to minority Orthodox churches, and not to the great national churches! The cases of Metropolitans Anthony Bloom, Kallistos Ware, Georges Khodr, Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos and Patriarchs Athenagoras and Bartholomew are very important in this regard. Finally, he referred to the end of empires as the historical context of Orthodox theology, a theology which, however, as is well known, was shaped and acquired its most fundamental characteristics (Ecumenical councils, shape of worship, monasticism, iconography, ecclesiastical canons, etc.) within the framework of an empire (the Byzantine or, more correctly, the Eastern Roman Empire).

The detailed program of the Conference is available on the Institute's website, https://saint-serge.net/.../Programme-detaille_Colloque... , while the full report of the Conference is published here https://saint-serge.net/colloque-du-centenaire-de-lito.../ (in French).

The proceedings of the Conference will be published in the Institute's new electronic journal, which is scheduled to come out in 2026.