Summer Program for Young Orthodox Scholars

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2016

Contact: Dr. Gary Jenkins, Director

610-341-5966 / orthodox@agorainstitute.org

Orthodox Center at Eastern University Announces New Summer Program

Advanced High School students and recent graduates can earn college credit while studying Orthodox literature

March 13, 2016 (St. Davids, Pa.) — What do Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Gogol, and Alexandros Papadiamantis all have in common?

They are some of the celebrated Orthodox Christian authors whose works students will read and discuss during a new honors program offered this July at Eastern University in suburban Philadelphia.

The Summer Program for Young Orthodox Scholars, sponsored by the Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture, will provide promising High School and transfer students the opportunity to earn college credit while challenging themselves intellectually and spiritually. Participants will live in residence on the university's campus from July 7th to the 14th with a select group of peers, engaged in rigorous coursework and discussion of Great Books by Orthodox Christian literary figures.

“We’ve held similar summer programs here at the Templeton Honors College for many years, so we know how formative an experience these programs are for young Christian minds,” Dr. Gary Jenkins, Professor of History and Director of the Orthodox Center, said. “But there’s never been anything like this program offered anywhere in the world from an Orthodox point of view. We are looking to do something totally unique: honors-level, Great Books education using the tremendously rich yet neglected literary patrimony of the Greek, Arabic, and Slavic Orthodox Christian traditions.”

In addition to academic seminars during the week, participants will attend a daily cycle of morning and evening prayers, travel together to cultural sites in the metropolitan Philadelphia area, and interact with local Orthodox clergy. Upon completing the program, students will earn two transferable college credits.

Space is limited and application is required. Admission is available to High School students entering their Junior and Senior year, or recent high school graduates. The fee for tuition, room, board, and course materials is $1,800. Participants will live in single-sex dorms on Eastern University's beautiful campus, with experienced resident advisors to provide mentoring and support.

A PDF of the program’s brochure is available for download by parishes or interested individuals. See the program’s website for more information. Application materials, which will be available on the website very soon, are due no later than May 2, 2016.

More About the Center

The Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture at the Agora Institute of Eastern University is an intellectual and spiritual home for Orthodox students. The academic program at the Center focuses on Eastern Orthodoxy’s broad, deep cultural and intellectual patrimony, especially within the Greek, Arabic, and Slavonic traditions. Faculty are committed Orthodox Christians, dedicated to the education of the whole person.

Students at the Center benefit from a rigorous education in the Great Books of Eastern Christianity, a regular cycle of Orthodox worship, and are able to pursue accredited degrees in 35+ different fields through the Templeton Honors College and Eastern University. Eastern University’s scenic 90+ acre campus is located on a former estate in the historic “Main Line” area of suburban Philadelphia, close to the St. David’s train station (5 minutes) and a brief (20 minute) train ride into downtown Philadelphia. Applications to the Summer Program for Young Orthodox Scholars are currently being accepted, as are inquiries and applications to the undergraduate program. Contact orthodox@agorainstitute.org for more information.