St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary - Press Releases Press Release Annual Summer Institute Opens

Jaroslav Pelikan Inaugurates Annual SVS Summer Institute

Professor Jaroslav Pelikan, one of the world's most prominent and honored church historians living today, delivered the keynote address at the seminary's annual Liturgical Institute of Music and Pastoral Practice. In an elegant and thoughtful presentation, Pelikan expounded on this year's theme, "Living Tradition," in terms of creeds and confessions of faith. He was able to draw on his monumental, multi-volume study which has just appeared in publication, Credo: Historical and Theological Introduction to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition.

Pelikan began by citing a Kenyan-Masai creed from the mid-20th century, a confession of faith about Christ which vividly illustrated the living character of Tradition. Tradition, Pelikan noted, is static and therefore dynamic. Like a stack of compact discs, Tradition can lie dormant, unopened, handed down without being "played." But precisely by virtue of that static quality, it is able to bring forth music of beauty and variety at any moment.

Each year the seminary conducts a Summer Institute, bringing together participants from across the continent, including several selected youth members. Lectures and activities are divided between those geared towards pastoral practice and those which focus on liturgical music - its performance, composition, and conducting. This makes the liturgical life of the Institute, its daily services of matins and vespers (and a Divine Liturgy on June 24), particularly joyous and vibrant.

This year, the Summer Institute is featuring a more interactive format. Instead of being subjected only to lectures and panel discussions, participants this year are taking a more active role, engaging in small group discussions and presentations. In addition to promoting a generally livelier atmosphere, these discussions served to make the institute, and the concepts put forward there, far more memorable and useful.

Be sure to check back on this website for photos, to be updated regularly.

Also for further information on the Institute, and for readings related to its subject, visit the Institute pages on this website.