5th Annual Academic Symposium
Compelling Preaching Then and Now

Attend the Keynote Address in Person or Online

The Christian Church was established with a firm directive, given by the Risen Lord Jesus Christ Himself: to go forth throughout the world, preaching the Gospel and teaching His commands, making disciples of all nations (cf. Mt. 28:19–20).

Since our Lord uttered His Great Commission to His disciples, how have Christians over the centuries shaped their preaching about Christ and His Gospel? How can their example inform or guide preaching in the Orthodox Church today?

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has gathered scholars to address Compelling Preaching Then & Now for its Fifth Annual Academic Symposium, to be held November 12–14, 2026. During this two-day interdisciplinary academic conference, the scholars from the Seminary and beyond will explore figures, artifacts, buildings, or works of art from their respective disciplines that exemplify a compelling witness to the Gospel and will reflect on how that can inspire and inform compelling preaching in the twenty-first century. 

The Symposium will open with a keynote address on Thursday, November 23, at 7 p.m. (EST), in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium. A reception will follow.

• Dr. Margaret M. Mitchell
  Shailer Mathews Distinguished Service Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature, University of Chicago

“The Son of Thunder Takes the Stage: John Chrysostom’s First Homily on the Gospel According to John”

The keynote address is open to the public. You are warmly invited to join us whether in person or online!

Register to Attend

The second part of the symposium (Friday and Saturday, November 13–14) will consist of scholarly presentations by:

• Dr. Theodora Antonopolou (National & Kapodistrian University of Athens)
• Dr. Mihai Coman (University of Bucharest)
• Cristian Ioan Dumitru (Doctoral Student, University of Bucharest)
• Rev. Dr. Sergius Halvorsen (St. Vladimir’s Seminary)
• Dr. Nadieszda Kizenko (University at Albany, State University of New York)
• Dr. Henry McGuire (Emeritus Professor, Johns Hopkins University)
• Dr. Margaret Mullett (Emeritus Professor, Queen’s University Belfast)
• Right Rev. Dr. Damaskinos Olkinuora (University of Eastern Finland)
• Dr. Bissera Pentcheva (Stanford University)
• Right Rev. Dr. Vasily Permiakov (St. Vladimir’s Seminary)
• Dr. Rossitza Schroeder (St. Vladimir’s Seminary)
• Dr. Niki Tsironi (The American College of Greece)

This portion of the Symposium is open by invitation only. Scholars and students interested in attending the presentations and discussion on November 13 & 14 are asked to email the organizers at symposium@svots.edu.

More information on the presentations and schedule will be available soon.

Funding for this project has been provided by the Lilly Endowment as part of its Compelling Preaching Initiative.