On Friday, September 6, at 1 p.m. in Bashir Auditorium, the Rev. Dr Jacob Joseph presented a talk based on his forthcoming book, The Christ Who Embraces: An Orthodox Theology of Margins.
The Rev. Dr Jacob Joseph's book delves into the intersection of Orthodox Christian mission and caste dynamics among the St Thomas/Syrian/Orthodox Christians in India. It necessitates Orthodox theology's engagement with society and contemporary challenges. The book introduces the profound concept of a liturgical embrace in the context of 'untouchability,' where individuals recognize each other as equals, without discrimination. This reflects the inseparable unity of divine (transcendental) and human (immanent) in Christ. Fr Jacob proposes a 'patristic symbiosis' in which the voices of the patristic and contemporary Fathers engage in a discourse, which is the correct methodological vision for Orthodox theology to engage in the modern context. It favors polyphonic responses over monophonic ones, taking into account the missionary signs and symptoms of the time.
His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of the Malankara Archdiocese in North America and an alumnus of St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (M.Div. ‘03), presided at the event.
SVOTS Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology, the Very Rev. Dr Eric Tosi introduced Fr Jacob and his new book, inviting all those in attendance to consider how Christ lived on the margins of his contemporary society.
This presentation was a unique opportunity for SVOTS seminarians across various jurisdictions to come together and deepen their understanding of Christianity in India and how Gospel teachings inform the missionary efforts there. Seminarians who attended the event gave enthusiastic feedback on the presentation. One student from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Pavlo Kurganov (Th.M. ‘25), remarked,
“Fr Jacob Joseph started by saying that the mission to the people begins from within the Church. First, we should seek peace and theological agreement within the Orthodox communities in India, and theology and liturgical practice are very helpful in this. Father Jacob spoke about the "kiss of peace" in the Liturgy as the symbol of unity that we shall all strive for.
He also suggested the idea of patristic symbiosis: hearing the Church Fathers and trying to understand the same truth they proclaimed, which they delivered to us through different languages, symbols, and traditions. Father Jacob emphasized acquiring the Church Fathers' mind or mindset which is a foundation of effective missionary work.”
Another student, Mother Melania Mikhaiel (M.A. ‘26), from the Monastery of St Macarius the Great (OCA), expressed her appreciation for Fr Jacob’s talk, saying, “I didn’t have any exposure to the Orthodox Church of India before coming to the seminary. It was a great experience to get to hear directly from Fr Jacob about how they too cherish the patristic teachings of the early Church and see it as the fundamental foundation of the Church through which Christ will embrace all.”
Luke Anderson (M.Div. ‘27), hailing from the OCA Diocese of the Midwest, commented that he “appreciated that His Eminence Mor Titus Yeldho led students and faculty in prayer after the event. Not only is such prayer valuable in of itself, but it gives an insight into the theological heart of Syriac Orthodoxy that Fr Jacob is writing from in his book.”
About the Rev. Dr Jacob Joseph
Fr Jacob Joseph is a Syrian Orthodox priest from India. Fr Jacob holds a Ph.D. (2020) with a Chancellor's Award from the University of Divinity, Melbourne, Australia, and teaches patristics and the contemporary theology of mission at St Athanasius Coptic Theological College, Melbourne, Australia; at Agora University in Virginia, USA; and the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Seminary in Kerala, India. He has presented numerous papers on Orthodoxy, liturgy, mission, and theology at various national and international academic conferences.
