With an insightful, prophetic, and entertaining keynote, Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware), bishop of Diokleia and renowned churchman, inaugurated the North American Conference of the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius, an Orthodox-Anglican gathering which is meeting on our campus September 8–10. In his talk, titled "The Present and Future of Orthodoxy," he reviewed major trends in twentieth-century Orthodox Christian thought and proposed a "shift in focus" for twenty-first century theological study.
Mainly, His Eminence suggested that Orthodox theologians move from the study of ecclesiology, which preoccupied scholars of the last century—"What is the Church?"—to the study of anthropology—"What is the human person, and what does it mean to be a person in relationship?". He stressed the reasons for this proposed shift: an ever-growing duty for Orthodox Christians to address bioethical concerns; the "disastrous" ecological state of the cosmos and the relationship of humanity to the Earth; and the dearth of Orthodox Christian studies concerning personhood. Especially, he advocated a creative approach to this theological venture, encouraging scholars to "acquire the mind of the fathers" in light of God's word in Scripture, "Behold, I make all things new" (Rev 21:5).
Metropolitan Kallistos delivered his keynote on the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Thursday evening. The conference continued all day Friday, beginning with a welcome to participants from seminary Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield. Father Chad acts as Co-Chair of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)-Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) dialogue, along with his counterpart, Bishop Ray Sutton, chair of the Anglican Church in North America's Ecumenical Relations Task Force.
Listen to podcasts of Metropolitan Kallistos's keynote and all the speakers of the conference (listed below) on Ancient Faith Radio, by clicking here.
Father Stephen Platt, General Secretary of the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius, introduced by Fr. Chad Hatfield: "A Historical Record of Dialogue and Exchange"
Bishop Keith Ackerman, 8th Bishop of Quincy in Anglican Church of North America, retired; currently serving as President of Forward in Faith North America, a traditionalist Anglo-Catholic movement: "The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and the Anglican-Orthodox Witness"
Father John Parker, SVOTS alumnus and current rector of Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: "The Filioque"
Professor Moheb A. Ghali, Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, Western Washington University: "Early Orthodox-Anglican Contacts"
The Reverend Canon Robert S. Munday, Ph.D., Research Professor of Theology and Missions, Nashotah House Theological Seminary: "Charles Chapman Grafton: Reflections on the Reunion of the Oriental and Anglican Churches"
Dr. Michael Howell, Executive Director of Forward in Faith, a traditionalist Anglo-Catholic movement, and former Associate Professor at the University of South Florida: "John Mason Neale and His Legacy"
(from left) Fr. Stephen Platt, general secretary of the Fellowship of Ss. Alban and Sergius; Metropolitan Kallistos, Co-chair of Orthodox-Anglican Dialogue from 2008 to the present; Bishop Keith Ackerman, president of Forward in Faith North America; Bishop Ray Sutton, chair of the Anglican Church in North America's Ecumenical Relations Task Force; and Moderator, seminary Chancellor/CEO Fr. Chad Hatfield: "Open Forum and Panel."
