Online lecture
Sabino Chialà
“IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF THE WORLD”:
THE EPISTLE TO DIOGNETUS AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR OUR TIME
Monday, March 10, 2025, 7 pm CET
The third event of the “Time for action” series for 2025 will take place on Monday, March 10, 2025, at 7 pm Athens time (EET). Dr Sabino Chialà, prior of the Monastic Community of Bose, will present the topic “‘In the world but not of the world’: The ancient Epistle to Diognetus and its significance for our time.” The lecture will be in English with live interpretation into Greek, and it will be moderated by Dr Nikos Kouremenos, PhD in Coptic Studies, Research Associate of Volos Academy. The link for attending via the Zoom platform is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89046729095
The ancient Epistle to Diognetus, a text lost for centuries and found in Constantinople in a very fortunate way in 1436, delivers a profitable message for our time and our Churches. It defines the place of Christians in society in a way that can inspire our reflection today. The lecture will try to delve deeper into this message.
Sabino Chialà, prior of the Monastic Community of Bose, is a scholar of Semitic languages. He completed his studies at the University of Turin and the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve. He has studied the apocrypha, publishing a translation and commentary of the Book of Parables of Enoch (Libro delle parabole di Enoc. Testo e commento,Brescia 1997). In his Syriac work he has studied especially Isaac of Nineveh, translating into Italian some of his works, in particular Discorsi ascetici. Terza collezione, Bose 2004, of which he has also prepared a critical edition, Isacco di Ninive. Terza collezione, CSCO 637–638: Script. Syr. 246–247, Lovanii 2011. He has also published some introductory studies to Isaac’s history and thought, among them Dall’ascesi eremitica alla misericordia infinita. Ricerche su Isacco di Ninive e la sua fortuna,Firenze 2002. Eastern Syriac monasticism lies also within his range of interest (Abramo di Kashkar e la sua comunità,Bose 2005) and also the history of syriac exegesis (La perla dai molti riflessi. La lettura della Scrittura nei padri siriaci, Qiqajon, Bose 2014). In collaboration with Ignazio De Francesco he has published a collection with commentary of the Islamic saying of Jesus ( I detti islamici di Gesù, Milano 2009). He was visiting professor in the Studium Biblicum Francisanum in Jerusalem, in the Theological Faculty of the Orthodox University of Balamand in Lebanon, and now in the Theological Faculty of Turin. He is a member of the Ambrosian Academy of Milan, ancient president of Syriaca,the association of Syriac studies in Italy, and since 2014 he is one of the catholic members of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
