Media Library
Series: "Orthodox Scholars Preach"
The Orthodox Christian Studies Center, in partnership with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, is pleased to announce the launch of the new video series "Orthodox Scholars Preach." The goal of the series is to provide a platform for Orthodox scholars to reflect on the spiritual themes of the liturgical calendar while drawing on their expertise. The series will provide a space where Orthodox Christians and others interested in Orthodox spirituality can encounter the depth and richness of the tradition through stimulating, theologically-informed preaching by respected and diverse Orthodox scholars.
The series debuts with weekly sermons for Sundays of the Lenten Triodion and culminating in Holy Week and Pascha. Videos will be released on our YouTube channel on Fridays, so be sure to subscribe to receive notifications.
Speakers for the debut series include:
Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee: Fr. Stefanos Alexopoulos
Sunday of the Prodigal Son: Sister Vassa Larin
Sunday of the Last Judgment: Fr. John Behr
Sunday of Forgiveness: Aristotle Papanikolaou
Sunday of Orthodoxy: Fr. John Chryssavgis
Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas: Jeannie Constantinou
Sunday of the Holy Cross: John Fotopoulos
Sunday of St. John Climacus: James Skedros
Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt: Nadia Kizenko
Palm Sunday: Teva Regule
Good Friday: Paul Gavrilyuk
Pascha: Ashley Purpura
"Science and Orthodoxy around the World"
Interview with Prof. Aristotle Papanikolaou
Interview with Center Co-Director Dr. Aristotle Papanikolaou for the project "Science and Orthodoxy around the World," by Eudoxie Delli & Nikos Livanos, Institute of Historical Research, National Greek Research Foundation 2016-2019.
Augustine and the Orthodox: The "West" in the East
Webinar featuring OCSC Co-Director Professor George E. Demacopoulos | Feast of St. Augustine | June 15th, 2020
Sponsored by the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine & the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine (FL)
The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine, located in Saint Augustine, Florida is delighted to present its inaugural webinar, a presentation by Dr. George Demacopoulos entitled “Augustine and the Orthodox: The ‘West’ in the East,” on Monday, June 15, the Feast of Saint Augustine of Hippo. The webinar is part of a dual observance shared between the Saint Photios Shrine and Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Augustine. Both Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics celebrate the memory of the prolific theologian of the fourth century, Saint Augustine of Hippo, though on different days. His legacy in Eastern and Western Christian traditions is markedly different.
Contemporary Easter Orthodox Identity and the Challenges of Pluralism and Sexual Diversity in a Secular Age
Residential Conference, University of Oxford, August 2019
In August 2019, with support from the British Council, the Fordham-Exeter Bridging Voices project on "Contemporary Eastern Orthodox Identity and the Challenges of Pluralism and Sexual Diversity in a Secular Age" gathered fifty scholars from across the globe at a conference in Oxford.
Watch a short video introduction to the Oxford conference.
Watch a longer video featuring participants' reflections on the conference.
The Face of God: The Orthodox Church on Climate Change
2019 Documentary Film
Interview with OCSC Co-Directors George E. Demacopoulos & Aristotle Papanikolaou
An interview clip with theologians, Aristotle Papanikolaou and George E. Demacopoulos, regarding an Orthodox response to the environment and the leadership in this field of His All-holiness, The Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew.
The Future of Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine
December 4, 2018
Georgetown University
A co-sponsored event of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center (Fordham University) & the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
In October of 2018, the Orthodox Church’s Istanbul-based leader, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, announced that he will grant autocephaly (independence) to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has been under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. As religious tensions between the newly established Kiev Patriarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate develop, the future of the Orthodox Church remains uncertain. Panelists will discuss the political, theological, historical, and geopolitical dimensions of these recent events in their commentary, as they assess the current status and future opportunities for the church in Ukraine.
Featuring Center Co-Directors George Demacopoulos and Aristotle Papanikolaou
Also featuring:
José Casanova, Georgetown University
Shaun Casey, Georgetown University
Nadieszda Kizenko, SUNY Albany
Presenting Byzantium in the Modern World
2018 Orthodoxy in America Lecture
Presented by
Helen Evans, Ph.D.
Mary and Michael Jaharis Curator of Byzantine Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Today, as the study of the past is questioned, it is critical to consider ways to present Byzantium so that the relevance of its art, religion, and culture are recognized in the modern world. Exhibitions using the visual voice of the empire and its related cultures can demonstrate the inaccuracy of Edward Gibbon’s long-lasting, negative definition of the state. This talk considers modern presentations of Byzantine art with special emphasis on American contributions to effectively defining the lasting importance of the empire the Romans ruled from Constantinople from 330 to 1453.
Women of the Church: Faith, Service, and Leadership
On October 9, 2018, the OCSC assembled a panel of accomplished Orthodox women to discuss the challenges and opportunities for women within the Orthodox Christian community. They responded with reflections on the nature of Christian vocation, candid notes of frustration, and anecdotes offering hope for the flourishing of women's gifts and talents for the Orthodox community.
Featuring:
Donna Rizk Asdourian, Ph.D.
Fellow, Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University
Ann Bezzerides, Ph.D.
Director of the Office of Vocation and Ministry
Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
Tamara Grdzelidze, D.Phil., Ph.D.
Ambassador of the Republic of Georgia to the Holy See (Vatican)
Sister Vassa Larin, Ph.D.
Coffee with Sr. Vassa (Podcast)
Member, Commissions of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church (Liturgy and Church Art; Canon Law)
Moderated by Patricia Fann Bouteneff, D.Phil.
Director, Pan-Orthodox Women’s Network
The Church for Academia: Bridging Scholarship with Ecclesiastical Life
Oriental Orthodox Studies Seminar Day
On April 10, 2018, Research Fellow Donna Rizk, Ph.D. moderated a panel of Oriental Orthodox (Armenian, Syrian, and Coptic) bishops to discover the ways to engage scholarship with the Church. The gulf between academia and the life of the average lay person often remains wide; formative study and the Church many times are perceived as two distinct worlds that should not and cannot merge. However, the academy and the Church can each contribute towards the others enrichment and growth.
Watch video of "The Church for Academia".
"Religion in America through Orthodox Eyes: The Travelogue of a Nineteenth-Century Russian Orthodox Thinker"
The 2016 Annual Orthodoxy in America Lecture
Presented by Vera Shevzov, Professor of Religion, Smith College
Watch Professor Shevzov's lecture.
Interview with Ancient Faith Radio on "Tradition, Secularization, Fundamentalism"
On May 20, 2016, George Demacopoulos and Aristotle Papanikolaou were interviewed by Bobby Maddex of Ancient Faith Radio about the Patterson Triennial Conference on "Tradition, Secularization, Fundamentalism."
Panel: "Divorce and Remarriage: Explorations in Faith"
On March 7, 2016, the Orthodox Christian Studies Center hosted an interreligious panel discussion on divorce and marriage.
Read about the panel and listen to the discussion on the Fordham News site.
Installation of Father John Meyendorff and Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies
On October 5, 2015, George Demacopoulos was installed as the inaugural Father John Meyendorff and Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies.
Watch a video of the installation ceremony and inaugural lecture, or read the article on the Fordham News site.
"The Decisive Importance of Councils in the Life of the Church"
His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos Ware
On June 26, 2015, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware delivered the keynote address for the "Conference in Preparation for the Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church."
Watch Metropolitan Kallistos' lecture.
Panel: "Putin, Religion, and Ukraine"
This panel discussion was made possible through gifts received from the Jaharis Family Foundation, Inc., the Nicholas J. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation, Inc., and donors to the Orthodox Christian Studies Center.
On November 4, 2014, an international panel of experts convened at the Orthodox Christian Studies Center to discuss the complicated role that religion is playing in the tension between Ukraine and Russia, and the way in which religion is being used both to construct and resist a new 'East-West' divide.
For more about the panel, please read International Panel: Putin is Using Religion to Sustain War in Ukraine.
Watch "Putin, Religion, and Ukraine."
Cambridge Scholar Argues Liturgy's Relevance
2014 Orthodoxy in America Lecture
In Fall 2014, Rowan Williams, the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, made an argument for the relevance of the liturgy in today's world as part of the Orthodox in America Lecture Series, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate of human letters, honoris causa.
For complete details, read the article.
Watch Rowan Williams' ceremony and lecture.
Sharing the Good News in a Multi-Religious Country: Theological Reflections on Other Religions
Archbishop Anastasios, Primate of Albania
2013-14 Orthodoxy in America Lecture
For more information, you can download a PDF of the lecture, watch a video of the event, or read the article on Fordham's news page.
Fordham Installs First Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture
Fordham University and members of the Orthodox Christian community celebrated a milestone on Nov. 18 with the installation of Aristotle Papanikolaou, Ph.D., as Fordham's first Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture.
For complete details, read the article on Fordham's news page or watch a video of the event.
Panel: "Syria in the Crosshairs: Religion, Violence, and the Legacy of Exploitation in the Arab World"
Moderated by George E. Demacopoulos, Professor of Historical Theology
Director and Co-Founder of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center
This event was possible because of support from the Fordham University Office of Alumni Relations, the Deans of the Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Theology.
March 2014 marked three years since the Syrian civil war began. However, as a panel at Fordham University revealed, the cause of the unfettered violence in the region and how the world ought to respond still remain largely unclear.
The panel discussion featured:
- Michael Wahid Hanna, Fellow at the Century Foundation
- Nadieszda Kizenko, Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Albany, State University of New York
- Joseph Massad, Associate Professor of Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies at Columbia University
- Christopher Awad, FCRH '14, Orthodox Christian Studies student
For more details, read the article on Fordham's news page. You can also watch a video of the event.
"The Way of the Pilgrim: How the Orthodox Philokalic Tradition Came to Modern America--And what America Made of it"
2012 Annual Orthodoxy in America Lecture
by Very Rev. John A. McGuckin, Columbia University, and Union Theological Seminary
The Very Rev. John Anthony McGuckin is the Ane Marie and Bent Emil Nielsen Professor in Late Antique and Byzantine Christian History, Union Theological Seminary; Professor of Byzantine Christian Studies, Columbia University; Director, Sophia Institute, the William and Maria Spears International Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture. Rev. McGuckin was introduced by William G. Spears, Chairman and Founder, Spears Abacus.
Read more. Watch the video of Fr. McGuckin's Lecture.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Receives Honorary Degree from Fordham University
October 27, 2009
The Spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians visits with students and bestows his blessing upon Fordham's Orthodox Christian Studies Program.
- Read the Story
- View pictures of the ceremony
- Read the Fordham Magazine article
- View the degree Ceremony
- View the Patriarch's address