The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has unveiled a beautiful new logo.

The new ISA logo is part of the Seminary’s new branding. The Seminary unveiled its own fresh logo and colors in November when it formally announced the new branding—the first complete branding process the Seminary has undertaken in its history.

“I love this new logo, for how it looks, what it represents, and for how it reflects our wonderful team at the Seminary!” said Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff, director of the ISA.

The ISA logo is comprised of three main visual elements: the psalmist’s lyre, wings, and a cross. The psalmist’s lyre is an ancient symbol of poetry, music, and creativity. The wings evoke the unceasing praise of the angels—praise human beings participate in through sacred art. The cross at the summit of the logo is shared by the SVOTS and St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press logos. It ties them all to the Seminary’s Values, Purpose, and Mission as an Orthodox Christian institution.

About the ISA
The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St. Vladimir’s Seminary explores the intersection of human creativity and holiness. Since its founding in 1938, St. Vladimir’s Seminary has fostered the study of icons, music and liturgy. The ISA serves to extend the Seminary’s mission in exploring the mutual relationship between theology and the arts—by contributing to the work of people and institutions that practice and reflect on the sacred arts; engaging people and institutions of all backgrounds with Orthodox artistic tradition; and inspiring wider public interest in spirituality and the arts. Learn more at www.instituteofsacredarts.com.

Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has completed its seven-year self-study for the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), as it seeks to reaffirm accreditation status with ATS. Following the completion of the self-study, SVOTS gives thanks for the accomplishments of its administration, faculty, and staff—particularly over the past year of incredible challenges globally for institutions of higher learning. 

“The ATS self-study has given us a valuable opportunity to reflect on the direction and leadership of the Seminary,” said Dn. Michael Hyatt, executive chair of SVOTS Board of Trustees. 

"The great work happening at St. Vladimir's should be good news to the ears of every Orthodox person, because the Seminary's mission is so important in the life of the Church at large,” he added. “I extend my sincere gratitude and congratulate everyone involved in this work, and I commend the administration on a successful completion of the ATS self-study report.”

In light of the self-evaluative study undertaken by the SVOTS administration, St. Vladimir's is pleased to highlight several positive developments: 

• The completion of Fiscal Year 2020 as the strongest we have seen in years. Saint Vladimir’s has made significant progress in paying off its debt resulting from married student housing construction. Successful fundraising initiatives and campaigns have given SVOTS flexibility at a time when nonprofits are deeply affected by economic challenges. 
• The current, 2020-2021 Academic Year with in-person, residential learning. As the academic world encountered once unheard-of challenges due to pandemic and frequently opted to keep students remote, SVOTS was able to begin this academic year with the in-person, residential learning that is the hallmark of the most effective spiritual training and formation. All the while, strict protocols have been put in place on campus to ensure the safety of seminarians, faculty, and staff. Furthermore, the most recent incoming class was the largest in recent memory.
• The revamp of the entire admissions process and system, including the launch of the first online admissions portal, which streamlined the admissions process and has enabled SVOTS to better manage and track the needs of its students from the moment they submit an inquiry to their eventual graduation. 
• The establishment of a recruitment strategy for bringing new students to SVOTS, including new recruitment material and qualified staff. 
• The recruitment of several noted scholars and excellent teachers to the faculty of SVOTS over the past few years reflects a rigorous commitment to high academic standards. Noteworthy additions to the faculty include Rev. Dr. Bogdan G. Bucur (patristics) Dr. Vitaly Permiakov (liturgical theology), Dr. Rossitza B. Schroeder (art history), Dr. Jeffrey P. Bishop (philosophy and theological studies), Dr. Ana Iltis (philosophy), Dr. Matthew Scott Vest (ethics), John Mark Reynolds (philosophy), Dr. Gregory J. Abdalah (pastoral theology), and Rev. Dr. Silviu N. Bunta (Old Testament). 
• The launch of “The Year of Schmemann” celebrations, as SVOTS honors 100 years since the birth of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, the Seminary’s beloved former dean and renowned theologian. The Schmemann Lecture was paired with the publication of a new book by Fr. Alexander from St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press. The book, most appropriately titled A Voice for our Time, features English translations of talks he delivered decades ago but which remain relevant and beneficial for all Christians today. 
• The successful and well-attended Fr. Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture on January 30, 2021, with lecturer Rod Dreher. This 38th edition of the Schmemann Lecture drew more than 650 participants, despite the necessity of hosting the Lecture for the first time in an online format. 
• The establishment of biannual graduate conferences and other internal academic activities, such as the Fr. Georges Florovsky Library’s “Lyceum” workshops.
• The launch of new concentrations for the Master of Arts (M.A.) program. Students on the M.A. track will be able to concentrate in General Theological Studies, Theological Scholarship and Research, or Sacred Arts. The Sacred Arts track is a result of ongoing, productive efforts by the Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St. Vladimir’s.
• The appointment of a Spiritual Formation Director, Rev. Nicholas Roth, a SVOTS alumnus (’14).
• The enhanced offering of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)—professional training for ministry. As part of this effort, SVOTS has become a satellite of the accredited Center for Pastoral Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary. 
• The launch of the Alumni Portal and the first Online Alumni gathering, which drew nearly one hundred SVOTS Alumni. 
• The complete rebranding of SVOTS, including a new Values, Purpose, & Mission Statement, logo and colors, and the forthcoming new website. This careful, deliberate, and appealing rebranding will enhance the Seminary’s outreach and public events and programs for years to come.
• The release of a number of landmark and important works by SVS Press, including Science and the Christian Faith; new volumes in Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev’s Jesus Christ series; translations of Maximus the Confessor, Gregory of Nyssa, and Romanos the Melodist; the correspondences of Frs. Georges Florovsky and Alexander Schmemann; and The Time Has Come, a special volume commemorating 50 years of autocephaly for the Orthodox Church in America. 
• The release of the new St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, which includes a fresh look and format under the new editorial leadership of Drs. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie, Bogdan Bucur, and Vitaly Permiakov. 
• The highly successful Online Pan-Orthodox Music Symposium, which drew over 200 people from Europe, Australia, and North America, co-hosted by the ISA and the International Society for Orthodox Church Music (ISOCM).   

In closing, Dn Michael Hyatt remarked, “because of the progress and developments at St. Vladimir’s Seminary—of which only a few have been mentioned here—I am confident and thankful to God as a new year continues.” 

The entire community of St. Vladimir’s Seminary remains committed to its positive direction and mission to train priests, lay leaders, and scholars to be active apologists of the Orthodox Christian Faith—focusing on academic rigor and spiritual formation within a residential Orthodox community.

Listen in on conversations with inspired and inspiring people as The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St. Vladimir’s Seminary launches its new podcast, Luminous: Conversations on Sacred Arts.

The first episode, “Music in the Natural World” with musician, author, and philosopher David Rothenberg is available now at instituteofsacredarts.com/luminous. Click here to listen.

“Our tradition has so much to offer, and so much with which to engage the world. And engagement starts with listening,” said ISA Director Dr. Peter C. Bouteneff, the host of Luminous.

The podcast features artists, scholars, and thinkers of all walks of life and approaches to the sacred. Current and future guests include Rothenberg, Margot Fassler, Junius Johnson, Annemarie Carr, Makoto Fujimura, Jeremy Begbie, and others.

The launch of Luminous is the latest in a number of exciting sacred arts developments in recent weeks at St. Vladimir’s. Earlier this week, the ISA unveiled its new logo. The start of admissions season at the Seminaryrevealed a new concentration in sacred arts for seminarians enrolling in the Master of Arts (M.A.) program. And the ISA has another big announcement planned in the coming weeks.

About the ISA
The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St. Vladimir’s Seminary explores the intersection of human creativity and holiness. Since its founding in 1938, St. Vladimir’s Seminary has fostered the study of icons, music and liturgy. The ISA serves to extend the Seminary’s mission in exploring the mutual relationship between theology and the arts—by contributing to the work of people and institutions that practice and reflect on the sacred arts; engaging people and institutions of all backgrounds with Orthodox artistic tradition; and inspiring wider public interest in spirituality and the arts. Learn more at www.instituteofsacredarts.com.

Nearly ten years in the making, Saint Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press has released A Voice for Our Time: Radio Liberty Talks, Vol. 1, featuring an English translation of Fr. Alexander Schmemann’s broadcasts into the Soviet Union that began in 1953. 

• Buy a copy of A Voice for Our Time

In his broadcasts on Radio Liberty, Fr. Alexander Schmemann (1921-1983) spoke to men and women behind the iron curtain who had endured the deprivation, persecution, and state-enforced propaganda of the Stalin years. But his words do not belong to that era alone. They are addressed just as urgently to our own time. He exposes the roots of the lies and misperceptions that abound in our age, and brings all to a proper perspective in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This first of two volumes in the Radio Liberty Talks collection features a foreword by Rod Dreher and an introduction by Serge Schmemann.

“His broadcasts were never propaganda; they could not be,” writes Serge Schmemann. “They were literally, 'besedy,' conversations in which he spoke as a Russian to Russians, sharing truths and knowledge that he knew, instinctively, they hungered for.”

The book’s release is part of St. Vladimir’s Seminary’s “Year of Schmemann” celebrations, marking 2021 as the 100thanniversary of the birth of the Seminary’s beloved and renowned former dean.

The book may be purchased online at SVSPress.com or by calling 1-800-204-BOOK (2665).

A new film, The Face of God: The Orthodox Church on Climate Change, was recently released to the public and is now available to watch online. 

• Watch The Face of God: The Orthodox Church on Climate Change

The documentary, produced by The Orthodox Fellowship of the Transfiguration and written and directed by Fr. Kaleeg Hainsworth, explores God and nature, faith and climate change, and the experience of Orthodox communities around the world. The film showcases Orthodox clergy—including St. Vladimir’s Seminary President Fr. Chad Hatfield—scientists, politicians, lay leaders, theologians, and communities around the world in an attempt to gather the witness of the whole Church on a defining issue of our time. 

“We don't want to leave [future generations] in a state in which things that we have come to appreciate are simply not there for them, because we have been poor stewards,” says Fr. Chad in The Face of God. “And, of course, I use the word, ‘steward,’ but in Orthodoxy environmental issues are not about ‘stewardship’ in the way that many people understand of being, sort of, caretakers—it's all about redemption for you and for me.”

More information about the Orthodox response to climate change and resources are provided on The Face of God website. 

The Orthodox Fellowship of the Transfiguration is an affiliated ministry of The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America.

Though he reposed nearly forty years ago, hear Fr. Alexander Schmemann speak to us today through the new podcast, Schmemann Speaks. 

Schmemann Speaks features the words and wisdom of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann (1921–1983), from the archives of St. Vladimir's Seminary. His words—captured at various retreats and lectures decades ago—are anything but dated. They are further proof that Fr. Alexander remains a voice for our time. 

The podcast is part of St Vladimir's "Year of Schmemann" celebrations, commemorating 100 years since the birth of the Seminary's beloved and renowned former dean and professor. A new episode will be released each week during Great Lent 2021. Additional episodes may be released over the course of the year. 

Listen here, or download Schmemann Speaks through Spotify and more platforms to come, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts.

St Vladimir's Seminary · Schmemann Speaks

 The Seminary offers its sincere gratitude to Frs. Alexis Vinogradov and Vladimir Aleandro for granting access to recordings for the first six episodes.

On Clean Monday and Tuesday of 2021, Saint Vladimir's Seminary entered into its annual, two-day Lenten Retreat.

• View Photo Gallery (Photos: Andrew Prather)

As part of the retreat, four talks delivered over the two days followed the theme of "Ora et Labora: The Foundations of Spirituality According to the Rule of St. Benedict of Nursia." The meditations were given by Seminary President Fr. Chad Hatfield, Assistant Professor of Liturgical Theology Dr. Vitaly Permiakov, Director of Music Dr. Harrison Russin, and Spiritual Formation Director and Ecclesiarch Fr. Nicholas Roth.

Listen below, or watch recordings of each meditation on YouTube.

Following Seminary custom, classes were cancelled each day of the retreat and seminarians were encouraged to practice silence. The St. Vladimir’s community entered Three Hierarchs Chapel together several times for a fuller cycle of prayers in addition to the meditations.

St Vladimir's Seminary · Prayer & Work: Lenten Retreat Meditations

A new edition of the classic story of Father Arseny, with freshly edited text, a new cover, and a new foreword by Peter Bouteneff, is now available from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press.

• Buy the New Edition

Father Arseny: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father, by Vera Bouteneff, tells the story of Fr. Arseny, a former scholar of church art, who became Prisoner No. 18736 in the brutal "special sector" of the Soviet prison camp system. In the darkness of systematic degradation of body and soul, he shone with the light of Christ's peace and compassion. His sights set on God and his life grounded in the Church, Fr. Arseny lived by injunction to "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).

This narrative, compiled from accounts of Fr. Arseny's spiritual children and others whom he brought to God, gives stirring glimpses of his life in prison camp and after his release. It also tells the stories of people whose lives, often during times of almost unimaginable crisis, were touched and transfigured through their connection with the inspiring priest. Emerging from the context of the particular tragedies of Soviet Russia, this book carries a universal impact certain to be felt by readers throughout the world today.

Father Arseny can be purchased online, at SVSPress.com, or by calling 1-800-204-BOOK (2665).

On the Sunday of Orthodoxy St. Vladimir’s Seminary welcomed to campus Archpriest John Parker, dean of St. Tikhon’s Seminary and alumnus of St. Vladimir’s (Th.M. 2004, D.Min. 2018). Father John presided over Divine Liturgy and delivered the homily for the first Sunday of Great Lent.

Following Divine Liturgy, the Seminary community made procession around Three Hierarchs Chapel and read from the Synodikon of Orthodoxy.

View of photo gallery of the celebration below (photos by Seminarian Andrew Prather).

The Song of Tears, a new book from St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press, features Olivier Clément's essay on repentance based on the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete.

• Buy The Song of Tears

This book includes a translation of the Great Canon, making The Song of Tears a perfect companion during Great Lent or for reflections on repentance throughout the year.

"A remarkable interpretation of the Bible unfolds throughout the Great Canon....” writes Clément, who reminds readers the Great Fast was originally a preparation for Christian initiation during the Paschal night. “Each day…the bishop would give a biblical catechesis in which the literal and spiritual meaning fitted each other, and in which the entire Bible was interpreted as being the encounter of the two Adams, as one vast parable of the Prodigal Son. These efforts to understand were inseparable from a committed asceticism—as they still should be—for one must approach Scripture with an intelligence that is purified, heart and mind united...."

The Song of Tears may be purchased online, at SVSPress.com, or by calling 1-800-204-BOOK (2665).

Oliver Clément (November 17, 1921­­–January 15, 2009) was an Orthodox writer and theologian, who served on the faculty of St. Sergius Institute in Paris, France. He is also the author of SVS Press’s Three Prayers and Conversations with Patriarch Bartholomew I.