St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is beginning to roll out Vision 2020, a plan for the future of formation and education at the Seminary.

Vision 2020 incorporates changes in academic and community life at SVOTS to meet the increasingly diverse needs and vocational trajectories of our students. Through Vision 2020, SVOTS is firmly committing itself to residential programs as the ideal for Orthodox Christian theological education and formation in the twenty-first century—but the plan also opens the door for more hybrid/online programs.

Some of Vision 2020’s changes will be implemented starting in the 2018 fall semester. Among them, SVOTS is changing the number of credits required for the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degrees, previously 60 and 90 credits, to ATS-required standards: 48 and 72 credits. This change is happening, among other reasons, in anticipation of the Seminary designing and implementing hybrid degree programs in the future—a change that would make it possible for students to transition from a residential program or a hybrid program to the other (and back!), all the while continuing to make progress toward completing their degree program. SVOTS is also making adjustments to the daily schedule in order to maximize the effectiveness of residential life for seminarians. Gone are evening class sessions, except for hybrid courses during their onsite intensive; instead, evenings will be kept free after vespers to allow for more study and reflection, family time, and other student and community activities. The brief, thirty-minute lunch-period is also giving way to an extended two-hour, mid-day block that will allow more time for community fellowship and dialogue between students and faculty. Assignment to a chapel choir will continue to be a residential requirement for all Eastern Orthodox students in the M.Div. and M.A. programs; rehearsal will normally meet on Thursday evening.

Other Vision 2020 changes will be implemented in the years ahead, including the implementation of degree concentrations for particular disciplines (e.g., Chaplaincy, Missiology, Sacred Arts, and so forth), to help prepare students for diverse vocations. The Seminary will also be incorporating spiritual formation groups to help further educate, train, and sanctify the entire person—body, mind, and soul—in preparation for a life of service in the Church.

The Seminary’s emphasis on Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) will continue under Vision 2020, as SVOTS is working towards becoming the first Orthodox center for CPE, a supervised and nationally-recognized program. A full unit of ACPE-accredited CPE requires a minimum of 400 hours, combining no less than 100 hours of instruction (i.e., group work, reflection, and didactics on the practice of ministry) with time in supervised ministry (i.e., the practice of ministry to persons). Additionally, by immediately becoming a satellite CPE center, SVOTS plans to begin offering this fall (and eventually requiring) parish-based CPE. This is a truly noteworthy program (unprecedented in the Orthodox world) for the pastoral and priestly formation of our M.Div. students.

Vision 2020 is all about maintaining and growing SVOTS’ excellent standards in educating and forming servants for the Church in the twenty-first century. Watch this space as Vision 2020 moves forward and more elements are added.

• Download Vision 2020 Infographic

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has announced the 2018 St. Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest as part of the school’s ongoing efforts to help its students afford the costs of theological education and formation.

The essay contest is open to current seminarians only. The winning student will see $3,000 in award money added to his or her scholarship fund to help pay for tuition at SVOTS.

The $3,000 St. Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest will be offered annually, thanks to the generous contributions of a family of anonymous donors. These donors also selected the topic of the essay contest. Each year, the essay topic will be based on an inspiring, real-life event.

“We are most thankful for the creative way the donors have established this annual scholarship opportunity,” said Archpriest Chad Hatfield, president of SVOTS.

Requirements for the contest are as follows:

Background: In the past year, a picture of an American youth track champion and a picture of the children of the Holy Archdiocese of Cameroon arrived from unrelated sources to the same house. In the picture from Cameroon, the children are holding up an icon of the Theotokos with just as much joy and fervor as the gold medal shown by the track champion in the other photo.

Essay Topic: Pretend that you are a youth program director, and you have just watched the 2012 Olympic final for the women’s 5000-meter race (won by Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar) with a group of American youths and children of the Holy Archdiocese of Cameroon.  Write an essay describing your response to those who start asking, “Why is the winner (Defar) crying, kneeling, and holding up an icon of the Theotokos?” Limit your response to 250 words.

Submission Instructions: Entries for the 2018 St. Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest should be submitted in PDF format—double-spaced and conforming to SVS Press House Style—to Ann Sanchez at aks@svots.edu. Entries must be submitted by September 14, 2018, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

The contest is one of many offerings by the Seminary to help its students graduate tuition-debt free as they go forth to serve the Church. SVOTS also administers need-based tuition grants, need-based scholarships, merit scholarships, continuing education grants, and matching grant opportunities for seminarians. These are made possible thanks to many benefactors who have graciously given funds to the seminary.

SVOTS Professor Archpriest Alexander Rentel and Alumnus Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak (’06) have flown to Poland to join His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, as His Beatitude makes his first official visit to the Orthodox Church of Poland since his election as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) in November 2012.

The official visit, taking place from August 17 to 22, 2018, comes after the invitation of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland. Fr. Alexander and Metropolitan Tikhon’s secretary Archdeacon Joseph are part of the OCA delegation, which also includes His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West, Archpriest Daniel Andrejuk, and Subdeacon Roman Ostash.

The Orthodox Church in America and the Orthodox Church of Poland have enjoyed a long and especially close relationship.  Saint Patriarch Tikhon served as rector of the seminary in Chelm for five years and then as Bishop of Lublin for a year before his arrival in America in 1898, while the OCA’s late Metropolitan Ireney, the late Archbishop Kiprian and many other clergy served the Polish Church prior to their arrival in the United States after World War II.  In recent decades, the two Churches have cooperated closely in such areas as youth ministry and religious and theological education.  A number of hierarchs and clergy of the Church of Poland are amongst the alumni of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary and Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA.

Read more about the delegation to Poland here.

Alumnus Very Reverend Archimandrite Seraphim Poulos (John Poulos) fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, July 27, in his hometown of Ithaca, NY. Fr. Seraphim, who had battled cancer, was 68.

Fr. Seraphim was born in Groton, NY on May 26, 1950, and at the age of 2 his family moved to Ithaca. He graduated from Ithaca High School in 1969 and attended St. Vladimir's Seminary from 1971 to 1974 in what was then known as the Collegiate Division. During those years he also worked on his bachelor’s degree at Iona College. Fr. Seraphim later obtained a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Fr. Seraphim served several parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and moved back to the Ithaca area when he retired. After the priest at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in Ithaca retired, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit asked Fr. Seraphim to become the parish priest there. Fr. Seraphim served at St. Catherine until July 15 of this year, when he announced that he was getting too weak from his cancer to continue presiding over Divine Liturgy.

“I knew Fr. Seraphim quite well and have very fond memories of him at St. Vladimir’s Seminary,” said Ted Bazil, senior advisor for Advancement at the Seminary. “He was a kind, witty, and joyful person and was well-liked by students and faculty. May God bless his memory!”

Fr. Seraphim is survived by his two sisters, Katherine (John) Poulos Van Markwyk and Stella (Toula) Poulos Chronis, an aunt, nieces, nephews, cousins, godchildren, and a multitude of loyal parishioners from the many parishes he served while in the priesthood.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 1 from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, Ithaca, NY. Trisagion services will be held at 7 p.m. Orthos will begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday, August 2 followed by Divine Liturgy at 9 a.m. The funeral service will begin immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Burial will be held at Lakeview Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, Fr. Seraphim has requested memorial contributions to be made to St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, Hospicare of Tompkins County, or St. Jude’s Research Children’s Hospital.

Sections of this article have been reprinted from Bangs Funeral Home’s website.

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has appointed Dr. Ionuţ-Alexandru Tudorie to the position of academic dean. The Seminary’s Board of Trustees selected Tudorie, a native of Romania, on July 18 after the Academic Dean Search Committee had narrowed down the list of possible candidates to two. The announcement concludes an extended and carefully-undertaken search process that began at the start of the 2017-2018 academic year.

“There is no doubt that Dr. Tudorie brings with him extraordinary gifts and achievements that will benefit the seminary greatly,” said Archpriest Chad Hatfield, president of SVOTS. “Coming from Europe, he follows in a long-standing SVOTS tradition of importation of ‘rising stars’ from abroad.”

Dr. Tudorie has most recently served as professor of Byzantine History and Medieval Church History at the University of Bucharest. He brings expertise in Church History, Byzantine Studies, and Patristics to SVOTS in addition to proficiency in multiple languages.

"The great history of eighty years of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary with its plethora of outstanding professors, from Fathers George Florovsky to John Meyendorff and Alexander Schmemann, who shaped the theological research in their respective fields of study, would compel anyone to want to follow their footsteps," said Dr. Tudorie. "That is why I am feeling so blessed and thankful to be given the opportunity to join this renowned institution of Orthodox learning and formation."

Dr. Tudorie, 41, is a member in good standing of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He holds doctorates in both Theology and History from the University of Bucharest. Additionally, he has been the director of two advanced research projects and has served as secretary of his department and member of the Commission for Quality Education at the University of Bucharest. His research has received financial and intellectual support from prestigious international institutions including the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, Dumbarton Oaks Library and Collection, New Europe College, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Romanian Academy, National Council for Scientific Research, and Institute for Research in Humanities (University of Bucharest). He comes to SVOTS highly recommended by scholars at Dumbarton Oaks. His publications and scholarly works include Imperial Authority in Crisis: Michael VIII Palaiologos (1258-1282) and the Relations between the Byzantine State and the Church (in Romanian, 2016); “Et tenentes frenum equi ipsius: A new approach to the 13th-century relationship between the Byzantine emperor and patriarch”(The Patriarchate of Constantinople in Context and Comparison, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2017); Le patriarche Athanase Ier (1289-1293 ; 1303-1309) et les arsénites: une lettre patriarcale contre les schismatiques (Le Patriarcat Oecuménique de Constantinople et Byzance hors-frontières (1204-1586). Actes de la table ronde organisée dans le cadre du 22e Congrès International des Études Byzantines, Sofia, 22-27 août 2011, Centre d’études byzantines, néo-helléniques et sud-est européennes / École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, 2014); and an introductory study and chronological overview for a bilingual edition of Photios of Constantinople’s Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit (Polirom Publishing House, 2013).

• View Dr. Ionuţ-Alexandru Tudorie’s CV

The official search for a new academic dean of the seminary began in the fall of 2017. A search committee was formed, chaired by His Beatitude, The Most Blessed Tikhon, archbishop of Washington and metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America). The committee also consisted of Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Archpriest Philip LeMasters, Archpriest David Barr, and Dr. Frank Cerra from the Board of Trustees and SVOTS faculty members Archpriest Alexander Rentel and Archpriest Sergius Halvorsen. Trustee Dr. Melody M. Thompson served as a consultant on the committee.

“I want to thank His Beatitude and the members of the Academic Dean Search Committee for their labors in this long and meticulous process,” said Fr. Chad. “I also offer my appreciation and gratitude to Dr. John Barnet, who served capably and diligently in the interim during the search for an academic dean, and who will play a critical role in this upcoming period of transition at the Seminary.”

The Search Committee was tasked with finding a visionary and inspiring academic dean with the skills, energy, and experience to advance the academic mission and current programs of the Seminary as well as to develop new programs to meet the needs of the Church and the world in the twenty-first century. The Board of Trustees considered numerous factors and several candidates during the process that began with the original Search Committee's work. In May of 2018, the Search Committee presented two final candidates, including Dr. Tudorie, to the full Board of Trustees for consideration. A desire for further careful reflection and discussion extended the search process to July, when extensive, full-day interviews of both candidates were carried out before deliberations and a final decision.

Dr. Tudorie becomes the first academic dean of SVOTS under the Seminary’s new governance model, which was adopted in 2016. The position differs from the defined role of the Seminary dean prior to the new governance model. The academic dean will serve as the chief academic officer, whose primary responsibilities are to lead and supervise the faculty and to oversee all academic activities of the seminary, under the supervision of the seminary’s president. The academic dean is appointed by the Board of Trustees and reports directly to the president.

"The challenges that the Church is facing in the twenty-first century require from an institution of theological higher learning a very clear strategy towards its programs of study," said Dr. Tudorie. "I believe that my experience will facilitate my transition into the academic leadership role required to help carry out this important work."

“With this new structure firmly in place following the appointment of Dr. Tudorie,” added Fr. Chad, “St. Vladimir’s Seminary is positioned to accelerate significant growth plans aligned with our Vision 2020, ushering in the next era of graduate Orthodox Theological Education in North America.”

Dr. Tudorie’s appointment as academic dean is subject to approval by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is pleased to announce the honoring of two recently-retired and distinguished professors, Very Rev. Dr. Paul Nadim Tarazi and Dr. Paul Meyendorff. The Seminary’s Board of Trustees has bestowed the title of “Professor Emeritus” on both Fr. Paul and Dr. Meyendorff in recognition of their many years of outstanding service to the Seminary and the Orthodox Church.

“Fr. Paul Tarazi and Dr. Paul Meyendorff have given so much of their lives to St. Vladimir’s and its alumni,” said Archpriest David Barr, chair of SVOTS Alumni Association. “They have inspired so many of our clergy and laity as professors at St. Vladimir’s. They have taught priests, bishops, and laity throughout North America. We all owe them a debt of gratitude for their service to Christ and His Church.”

Fr. Paul Nadim Tarazi served as a professor at St. Vladimir’s Seminary for more than forty years before his retirement in 2014. He taught courses in Old and New Testament, Biblical Hebrew and Greek, and Academic Arabic. Fr. Paul also taught at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA and at St. John of Damascus Institute in Balamand, Lebanon. A well-known scholar and speaker, Fr. Paul’s many publications include the three-volume Old Testament Introduction (SVS Press), four-volume New Testament Introduction (SVS Press/ OCABS Press), and numerous scholarly articles. Most recently, he authored The Rise of Scripture (OCABS Press).

“I am thankful to Fathers Alexander Schmemann and John Meyendorff for having invited me in 1976 to teach scripture and scriptural languages at St. Vladimir’s Seminary,” said Fr. Tarazi. “Their offer presented me with a golden opportunity to teach many generations of Orthodox leaders in those fields.”

Dr. Paul Meyendorff was the Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology at SVOTS from 1987 to 2016 and is an alumnus (SVOTS Class of 1975). He also served as Academic Dean and as Associate Editor at St. Vladimir's Seminary (SVS) Press. Currently, he retains his position as Editor of St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly, a post he has held for more than fifteen years. Dr. Meyendorff remains active in ecumenical work, and has participated in the Faith and Order Commission of both the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC); he is also an advisor to the Office of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). He is the author of several articles and books, including from SVS Press Russia, Ritual, and Reform: The Liturgical Reforms of Nikon in the 17th Century, the Orthodox Liturgical Series study The Anointing of the Sick, a translation of The Service of the Anointing of the Sick, and a translation, introduction, and commentary of On the Divine Liturgy by St. Germanus of Constantinople.

"St. Vladimir's has from its beginning stood in the vanguard of Orthodoxy in the West, and I am grateful to have been a part of that tradition since my childhood, as an altar boy in the chapel with Fr. Schmemann, as a member of the choir during my high school years, as a seminarian, and finally as a professor for many years. It is a glorious tradition, and one I hope endures for generations to come," said Dr. Meyendorff.

Archpriest Chad Hatfield, president of SVOTS, was pleased to see the honoring of the two professors move forward as the Seminary works on revisions of its bylaws.

“Even with the revisions of the Seminary’s bylaws leaving sections suspended, it was important that we not delay the granting of Professor Emeritus status to these two distinguished professors,” he said.

Read more about Fr. Paul Tarazi, Dr. Paul Meyendorff, and more of the many illustrious faculty of SVOTS’ past and present here.

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Tracy Davis Gustilo as Sessional Assistant Professor of Theology.

Dr. Gustilo joins the Seminary faculty as a graduate of both its Master of Arts (M.A.) program (’13) and Master of Theology (Th.M.) program (‘18). Dr. Gustilo also studied philosophy and biology as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago and obtained a Ph.D. from the University of California (Davis) in Ecology, writing a dissertation on environmental ethics.

“My greatest excitement in taking up a faculty position at St. Vladimir’s is that I will finally be able to offer back something in return for the theological education, so generously given over so many years, that I have received as a student,” said Gustilo. “Through all the intensive study, liturgical prayer in chapel, community participation, and rich interaction with faculty and students, it has been a privilege to be challenged and stretched in both my intellectual and spiritual life — and often enough in my physical endurance as well — as never before. I fully expect to continue to be challenged and to learn and grow, but I am very pleased now to be able to pass along some of these fruits to the next generation.”

This fall semester, Dr. Gustilo will teach courses on theological writing and co-teach introductory Greek. She is also developing more advanced courses, including courses in theological aesthetics, theology, and ecology.

“Dr. Gustilo’s wide range of responsibilities, which will include a fresh approach to our theological writing center, will be an important piece in moving our Vision 2020 programs into place this fall,” said SVOTS President Archpriest Chad Hatfield.

Learn more about SVOTS’ Vision 2020, a plan which will incorporate changes for academic and community life, here.

The 36th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Lecture promises to be an insightful tribute to Fr. Alexander’s memory. On Wednesday, January 30, St. Vladimir’s Seminary welcomes featured lecturer Dr. David Fagerberg, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame and author of the recently released Liturgy outside Liturgy: The Liturgical Theology of Fr. Alexander Schmemann (Chora Books, 2018). His lecture for the event is titled “The Anchor of Schmemann’s Liturgical Theology.”

Dr. Fagerberg integrates Schmemann’s theology, among other sources, into his own study of liturgical theology. The primary focus of Fagerberg’s work on liturgical theology is its definition and methodology, and he has also investigated how liturgy, theology, and asceticism interrelate. He has authored several books and articles, including the aforementioned study of Schmemann, Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016), On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University of America Press, 2013), Chesterton is Everywhere (Emmaus Road Publishing, 2013), and “Consecration of the World as Liturgical Act” in Roczniki Teologiczne (John Paul II University, Poland, 2017).

Professor Fagerberg received his bachelor’s degree from Augsburg College in 1972 and his Ph.D. in 1991 from Yale University, where he also obtained multiple master’s degrees. He also holds degrees from Yale Divinity School, Luther Northwestern Seminary, and St. John’s University (Collegeville).

The free and public lecture featuring Dr. Fagerberg will be held at 7 p.m. January 30 in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building. A public reception will follow. While admission is free, a donation is requested to help SVOTS continue to offer events like this one to the Orthodox community.To help us prepare, please rsvp using the form below.

• Download the flyer

A long-awaited, 60-plus page document by His Beatitude the Most Blessed Tikhon, archbishop of Washington, metropolitan of All America and Canada, and chair of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, titled “Of What Life Do We Speak?  Four Pillars for the Fulfillment of the Apostolic Work of the Church,” was released on Friday, June 29, 2018—the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul—in preparation for the 19th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America.

Drawing on Scripture and the writings of the late Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, Metropolitan Tikhon focuses on four essential areas, or “pillars,” of the Orthodox Christian Tradition—the Spiritual Life, Stewardship, Relations with Others, and Outreach and Evangelism.  In each instance, Metropolitan Tikhon relates these four pillars, individually and collectively, to the overall life of the Church for clergy and faithful alike while considering the challenges facing the Orthodox Church in America as it continues to minister and witness well into the twenty-first century.

“The work I am releasing today is the product of prayer and reflection, as well as the consideration of input I have received from the Holy Synod, Metropolitan Council, clergy and individual members of the Orthodox Church in America over the past four years,” Metropolitan Tikhon said.  “It was initially inspired by the theme of our 18th All-American Council which challenged us to respond to Saint Tikhon’s question: How do we expand the mission of Orthodoxy in North America?

Now, I am offering a framework which will further help guide the work of the Orthodox Church in America, her parishes, clergy, monastics, and faithful, not only during our discussions at the 19th All-American Council in Saint Louis, but for decades to come,” Metropolitan Tikhon concluded.  “May the intercessions of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, whose memory we celebrate today, guide and inspire us on this journey.”

The complete text of Of What Life Do We Speak? is available for download in PDF format. Copies also will be available at the 19th All-American Council in Saint Louis, MO July 23 to 27, 2018.

This article has been adapted from OCA.org

In the spring of 2018, SVOTS Seminarians engaged in a remarkable undertaking, engaging with representatives of churches that both did and did not participate in the divisive Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in 2016, often referred to as the “Council of Crete.” Now, the fruits of these seminarians’ unique venture are in the hands of the Ecumenical Patriarch, His All-Holiness Bartholomew.

At the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople on Tuesday, May 22, with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, and with the support of Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Archpriest Alexander Rentel personally delivered the Appeal on the Future of Pan-Orthodox Activity, drafted by seminarians of his elective class, CL342, “Contemporary Issues in Canon Law.” During the course of the meeting, His All-Holiness talked with Father Alexander about the Council in Crete and issues facing world Orthodoxy.

“It was a rare and unexpected blessing to be able to present my students’ Appeal to His All-Holiness in person,” said Fr. Alexander. “As can be seen from the text of the Appeal, the seminarians are full of zeal and enthusiasm for this cause.”

• Read An Appeal on the Future of Pan-Orthodoxy

“The reception of the Council remains uncertain and divisive, placing communion amongst the local Churches of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church at risk,” the opening of the Appeal reads. “In the spirit of over fifty years of invested conciliar activity, and calling the events surrounding the Council to mind, we respectfully petition Your All-Holiness and all Primates of the Orthodox Churches to incline your ear and listen to our appeal.”

The Appeal goes on to address concerns and suggestions in the aftermath of the council. Fr. Alexander’s Canon Law students drafted its content after considerable effort and study over the course of the semester.

“Drawing upon our experience of attempting to work in a conciliar manner in this course, we greatly appreciate the difficult nature of conciliar work,” the students wrote. “The drafting of this appeal itself was a challenge for all of us. But we have learned that the conciliar process is a microcosm of the Christian life. Through it we learn how to better speak the truth to each other, challenge each other, compromise with each other, and forgive each other.”

Much planning went into the structure and content of Fr. Alexander’s class in order to prepare his students to carry out such an effort as well as to impart important perspectives to them through the course.

“I intended this class to be an interdisciplinary examination of the Orthodox conciliar movement from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century that led to the Holy and Great Council in Crete in 2016,” explained Fr. Alexander. “In this course, I sought to have the seminarians understand the theological presuppositions of the movement and measure them against the canonical tradition.”

The class began with lectures providing an overview of canonical tradition (methodology, sources, and the history). The class then shifted to a seminar format to discuss the theological underpinnings of the conciliar movement, its history, and the Council in Crete. Special attention was paid to the Council in Crete, its decisions, and message.

The course also incorporated a number of guest speakers who had expertise on particular aspects relating to the subject of the course. Prior to the beginning of the class, Fr. Alexander interviewed His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of the Patriarchate of Moscow. During the class, His Eminence Metropolitan Gabriel of the Church of Greece participated via Skype and spoke to the class about the document from Crete on autonomy. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Professor Priest Anthony Roeber also spoke to the class on the Council in Crete from the perspective of the Antiochian Patriarchate and what the view of the Council was from a parochial level. Likewise, Priest Hyacinthe Destivelle, O.P., of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity participated in the class via Internet to discuss his book, The Moscow Council (1917–1918).

“The class, in other words, heard a wide perspective of thought on the Council,” added Fr. Alexander.

The class concluded with an in-class project of drafting a course message. This portion of the class was led by Protopresbyter Nicolas Kazarian, who assisted the drafters of the Message and Encyclical promulgated by the council in Crete, and who is an expert in Orthodox Christianity and geopolitics and the parish priest at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in New York City.

“It was my intention that the seminarians have an opportunity to work in a collaborative, conciliar manner so as to have that experience, but also to have a sense of what kind of work goes into the drafting of such texts. I assigned the topic and monitored the progress, but Fr. Nicholas and the seminarians drafted the Appeal. I have read the Appeal and fully support its content.”

The students’ efforts culminated fittingly with the delivery of the Appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch after the conclusion of the semester.

“His Eminence Metropolitan Gabriel reminded the class in the presentation that the initiation of any Pan-Orthodox activity is a ministry particular to the Ecumenical Patriarch. Hence the seminarians addressed the Appeal to His All-Holiness first in light of this unique role the Ecumenical Patriarch has, and then also to the Most-Blessed Primates of the Most-Holy Local Orthodox Churches in order to encourage them.”

Fr. Alexander is thankful that his vision and planning for the Canon Law course has led to such a unique and fruitful experience for his students, many of whom graduated in the Class of 2018 and all of whom will undoubtedly carry this experience with them in their varying work for the Church after seminary.

“My work for this class would not have been possible without the strong support of Archpriest Chad Hatfield, president of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. I note also that Fr. Nicholas Kazarian has been a wonderful collaborator. Above all, I am proud of my students for the work that they accomplished.”

• Orthodoxy Live: Listen as Fr. Alexander Rentel discusses the Canon Law Class’ experience and other topics on Ancient Faith Radio.

Funding for one guest lecturer in this course, Protopresbyter Nicolas Kazarian, was provided by the Ganister Orthodox Foundation Fund. Read a paper by Fr. Nicolas, titled, “The Crisis of Orthodox Multilateralsim: A Challenge for Pan-Orthodox Conciliarity "in the forum blog," Public Orthodoxy,” here.