Online Webinar via Zoom Live-stream (register below to receive link)

Fr Greg Christakos (D.Min. ‘24) will present his doctoral research in a webinar entitled “The Anatolian Genocide: Understanding Narratives Of Tragedy From An Orthodox Perspective,” at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Director of the Doctor of Ministry program, the Very Rev. Sergius Halvorsen will give introductory remarks.

In this presentation and discussion, Fr Greg talks about the trauma of genocide, in this case specifically of Orthodox Christians in Asia Minor in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire and the foundational time of the modern Republic of Turkey. After a brief, digestible history of that event, we will discuss why as Orthodox Christians we should have an understanding of it as part of our history, regardless of our own ethnic background. Fr Greg will then discuss how we process narratives of trauma through the lens of Orthodox Christianity and how we use the various tools in our Orthodox toolkit to understand and move forward through such events.

Join us for this needed and timely presentation on the appropriate Orthodox Christian approach to processing stories of trauma.

This webinar will be open to the public for online attendance. To attend the webinar, register at the link below. There is no entrance fee, but donations are much appreciated and will directly benefit St Vladimir’s Seminary.

Registration is closed

 

About the Speakers

Fr Gregory Christakos

Fr Greg Christakos grew up in the Merrimack Valley area of Massachusetts.  He studied at the University of Virginia and Trinity College, Oxford, and graduated from UVA with a B.A. in history.  After six years of working in the legal field in Charlottesville, VA, Fr Greg discerned a calling to the priesthood and attended Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. During this time, he did an exchange semester at St Vladimir’s Seminary and graduated from Holy Cross with a Master of Divinity degree in 2005.  Shortly thereafter, he married the former Eleni Pitsillides and was ordained.  

After serving as the assistant pastor at St Spyridon Cathedral for six years, Fr Greg was named pastor of Sts Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church in Marlborough, MA., where he continues to serve.  Fr Greg concluded his formal education at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary with a D.Min. in 2024.  His many interests include genocide studies, linguistics, and religious minorities in the Near and Middle East.

 

The Very Rev. Sergius Halvorsen

The Very Rev. Sergius Halvorsen (M.Div. ‘96; Ph.D., Drew University, 2002) is Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St Vladimir's Seminary and serves as director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. In addition to teaching homiletics and rhetoric, he also teaches courses in Christian education and the sacred art of narrative. Fr Sergius is a priest of the Orthodox Church in America, he is attached to Holy Transfiguration Church in New Haven, CT, and has contributed to a number of "Archangel Voices" recordings. He currently lives in New Haven, CT, and serves part-time as a chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital. He loves gardening, hiking, biking, and reading biographies and fiction.
 

About the Doctor of Ministry Program

The Doctor of Ministry degree at St Vladimir's Seminary enhances the practice of ministry for ordained and lay ministers in the Orthodox Church. The program integrates enhanced competencies in pastoral analysis with skills necessary to lead students to an advanced understanding of the nature and purposes of ministry. Working in communities of teachers and learners, the students gain deeper knowledge about the practice of serving others in Christian love as they grow in spiritual maturity as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The D.Min. program at St Vladimir's Seminary provides priests, chaplains, and other pastoral professionals with advanced knowledge and skills in order to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering. Integrating doctoral-level academic work with pastoral spirituality, this program will help you to acquire and refine the skills to minister to those whom God has called you to serve. Please consider joining us in a doctoral program that will give you an opportunity to foster deep and lasting friendships as we engage in work that contributes to authentic spiritual and pastoral renewal. The next D.Min. cohort will commence in Fall 2024. Through the generous support of Protodeacon Peter and Tanya Danilchick, qualified DMin students can receive financial support from the Danilchick Family Endowment for Pastoral Studies.