2021-22: Orthodoxy in a Pluralistic World
The OTSA Annual Meeting of 2021-22 was extraordinary in several ways. The continuation of the COVID pandemic led us to shift our Annual Meeting from in-person to a virtual only format. In addition, our interest in promoting dialogue among Orthodox scholars led us to shift the dates of the meeting from our original time in November 2021, to a time enabling greater participation: the dates of January 13-15, 2022. Our theme this year was “Orthodoxy in a Pluralistic World.” The conference began with our praying together the first half of the Akathist Service of Thanksgiving: Glory to God for All Things; two and a half days later, we concluded the conference by praying together the second half of this service.
Read the full description of the 2021-22 meeting with video of the Florovsky Lecture
2020: Theological Anthropology
On November 12-14, 2020, OTSA members gathered for our first virtual Annual Meeting, and the first Florovsky lecture in webinar format. The extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated creative thinking in running a meeting that kept members safe but still enabled us to engage in meaningful discussion and social connection. The remote format allowed for a greater attendance than in years past and we hope to continue to energize more of our membership in the future.
The theme of the meeting was Theological Anthropology, with challenging and thoughtful papers that clustered around the areas of spiritual life, theosis, moral action, gender and human rights, racism, disability, and embodied identity. Two panels explored issues of critical concern today: the first panel examined the relation of the Academy and the Church, and the second offered a summary and reflection on the “Bridging Voices: Contemporary Eastern Orthodox Identity and the Challenges of Pluralism and Sexual Diversity in a Secular Age” project run by Exeter University and the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University. Read a full description of the 2020 meeting with video of the Florovsky Lecture
2019: Orthodox Unity
Ss. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church
Glenview, IL (suburban Chicago)
November 7-9
The Orthodox Theological Society in America held its 2019 annual meeting November 7-9 at Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Glenview, Illinois. The theme of the meeting was unity in the Church. Papers were delivered on such topics as the early Church as a unified reality; the relationship between unity and prayer for enemies; a critical analysis of comparisons drawn between the 1054 schism and the 2018 schism (over Ukrainian autocephaly); liturgical possibilities for healing and reconciliation in Ukraine; the correspondence between political and ecclesial models of unity; synodality and local unity with the parish considered as a “local church” in the lived experience of many North American Orthodox; and iconographic images of Orthodox unity in depictions of church councils. A panel discussion was held on questions of unity and uniformity among parishes and across local churches where the ministry and lives of women in the Church are concerned. In addition, a special session on North American Orthodox unity included reflections and conversation with His Grace Bishop Irinej of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Mr. Nicholas Anton, Director of the Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations office of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.
Download the full program with abstracts
The 2019 Florovsky Lecture was delivered by Dr. Paul Gavrilyuk, University of St. Thomas. His lecture was titled “Recovering the Fullness of Synodality: Lay Participation in the Conciliar Process”
2018: Liturgy and the Arts
Holy Cross Orthodox School of Theology
Brookline, MA
October 18 – 20
Our lecturer for the 2018 Florovsky Lecture was Dr. David Bentley Hart.
Download the full conference program.
2017: Orthodoxy and Politics
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
October 26 – 28
Our speaker for the 2017 Florovsky Lecture was Very Rev. Dr. John Erickson of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. The lecture was delivered the evening of Friday, October 27.
Download the full conference program.
Crete 2016: Post-Conciliar Reflections
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Boston
Sept. 29 – Oct. 1
Members of OTSA who were at the council shared their thoughts and discussing salient issues: OTSA President Gayle Woloschak, Fr. Alexander Rentel, Deacon Paul Gavrilyuk, Brandon Gallagher, and Archimandrite Nathanael Symeonides. Other related panels and papers were offered from those who were engaged in our special pre-Council project in spring 2016.
Our guest speaker for the Florovsky lecture this year was Dr. Elisabeth Prodromou, one of the consultants for the Council in Crete.
Download the full conference program.