Last fall, St. Vladimir's Dean The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr traveled to Germany, the UK, and Russia to offer presentations at academic conferences; then to Turkey to join a delegation visiting the Theological School of Halki and Istanbul at the invitation of His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. In 2015, Fr. John's rigorous schedule includes ten international destinations, as well as many trips within the United States.
The Dean's busy calendar reflects the Seminary's growing commitment to engagement with the broader Orthodox Church both at home and abroad. As alumnus His Grace The Right Rev. Bishop Basil of the Antiochian Archdiocese noted at the 75th anniversary banquet in November 2013, St. Vladimir's has had a "sustained impact on Orthodoxy throughout the world." To build on this legacy, the Strategic Plan 2020 submitted to the Board of Trustees in 2013, called for further global connections with other Orthodox academic institutions.
Plans are underway to establish the International Houses of Study on the seminary's Yonkers, NY campus, with the purpose of strengthening St. Vladimir's international connections through an exchange of students and professors from other Orthodox academic centers. Signed agreements with Orthodox theological faculty in Serbia, Russia, and Romania have paved the way for further collaboration. (Read about the agreements for a Serbian House of Studies and for the St. Philaret of Moscow Russian House of Studies, and for cooperative theological collaboration between St. Vladimir's and the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Romania.)
"Historically, St. Vladimir's has always led the way in building the unity of the Church around the world," notes Fr. John. "Every time I travel overseas, I meet with people who have been taught and encouraged in their ministries or academic pursuits, through the work of the Seminary."
The Dean's 2015 destinations will include:
- Milan, Italy, where the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy, Archdiocese of Milan, is sponsoring a conference in collaboration with other 13 theological schools, themed "Jesus Christ and the new humanism";
- Vienna, Austria, for a presentation at the University of Vienna and meetings with Orthodox communities and leaders;
- Colchester, UK, for a symposium at the University of Essex titled "Forgiveness and Healing in the Face of Moral Injury";
- Prague, Czech Republic, to participate in an international scientific doctoral and post-doctoral conference, "Ecumenical Reception and Critique of 20th Century Orthodox Theology in Exile and Diaspora";
- St. Petersburg, Russia, where he will offer a lecture as part of a series co-sponsored by the Postgraduate School of the Russian Orthodox Church and the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN;
- Madrid, Spain, to present a paper at the "Bare Life and the Moral Life Symposium";
- Oxford, UK, for a presentation at the XVII International Conference on Patristic Studies, in the Examination Schools in the High Street; and
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Bose, Italy, for two international Orthodox conferences.
View Fr. John's complete 2015 schedule.
