Intl. liturgical symposium scheduled at St. Vladimir’s

(SVOTS) - From January 29–31, 2009, St. Vladimir’s will host a symposium titled “The Past and Future of Liturgical Theology: Celebrating the Anniversary of Father Alexander Schmemann.” The symposium will be structured around the annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture, to be given this year by renowned liturgist The Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Robert F. Taft, S.J. All lectures will be free of charge and open to the public. I want to go to this so badly that I can taste it. Now to convince my dearest wife.

“I'm very excited about the upcoming Schmemann Lecture and accompanying event,” said The Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel, Assistant Professor in Canon Law and Byzantine Studies at St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) and organizer of the symposium. “We planned this conference for three main reasons,” said Fr. Alexander. “First, to mark the 25th anniversary of Fr. Alexander Schmemann's death; second, because a lot of interest has been shown recently in Eastern liturgical themes at scholarly meetings, and I thought SVS would provide a natural setting to explore such interest further; and finally, there is an exciting two-part article on the state of liturgical theology by one of our invited speakers, Professor Michael Aune, "Liturgy and Theology: Rethinking the Relationship," Worship 81 (2007), which seems to suggest a way forward in the discipline.

“I could also add that this seemed to be a perfect opportunity to invite Fr. Taft to speak,” he concluded. (Fr. Alexander himself pursued and completed his doctoral studies and degree under Fr. Taft.)

A mix of speakers will participate in the conference, including younger Orthodox experts in the field, as well as some non-Orthodox voices. Fr. Taft, this year’s Schmemann Lecturer, was Professor of Oriental Liturgy at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome (1970-2002), where he also served as Prefect of the Library (1981-85), and Vice-Rector of the Institute (1995-2001). In addition, he has been Visiting Professor of Liturgy at the University of Notre Dame since 1974, and was Director of the Graduate Program in Liturgical Studies there in 1977-79. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Orientalia Christian Periodica and is presently Director of Publications at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. He has published hundreds of articles and, at last count, he had written and edited thirty-five books.

Among the other speakers, listed with brief notes of their backgrounds, are:

• Archimandrite Job (Getcha)–former Dean of St. Sergius Theological Institute, Paris; doctoral dissertation regarding the liturgical reforms of Metropolitan Kyprian Tsamblak, 14th century
• Fr. Stephanos Alexopoulos –Orthodox Church of Greece in Athens; author of forthcoming book on the history of the Pre-sanctified Liturgy
• Fr. Michael Zheltov–deacon of the Russian Orthodox Church; editor of liturgical entries for the Orthodox Encyclopedia of the Moscow Patriarchate
• Dr. Bryan D. Spinks–Professor of Liturgical Studies at Yale Divinity School; teacher of courses on marriage liturgy, English Reformation worship traditions, the Eucharistic prayer and theology, Christology, and liturgy of the Eastern churches; author of numerous works
• Dr. Michael Aune–Dean of the Faculty, Dean of the Chapel, Professor of Liturgical and Historical Studies at Pacific Lutheran Seminary and Core Doctoral Faculty in Liturgical Studies at General Theological Union
• Dr. David W. Fagerberg–Associate Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame; author of Theologia Prima: What is Liturgical Theology?
  

A detailed schedule for the entire symposium will be forthcoming, but the date and time of the Schmemann Lecture is firmly set for Friday, January 30 at 7:30 p.m.

For further information please contact events@svots.edu.