The workshop on the theme “Orthodox Theology in the Public Sphere: Reclaiming a Credible Public Voice” took place in Thessalia Conference Center, Melissatika, Volos, Greece on October 23 and 24, 2026. The Workshop was organized by Volos Academy for Theological Studies and the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) with the support of the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias, Greece, the Holy Metropolis of Peristeri, Greece, the foundation Agape Hellas, and the Huffington Ecumenical Institute (CA, USA). The workshop examined the public discourse of Orthodox theology in contemporary Europe and beyond, addressing the ways Orthodox theology can possibly contribute to democratic and pluralistic societies without becoming either a civil-religious ideology or a self-enclosed ecclesial commentary.

Dr Nikos Kouremenos welcomed the participants on behalf of the organizers. Speaking first, Prof. Dr Vasilios N. Makrides (University of Erfurt, Germany) offered an historic overview of the relationship between Orthodoxy and the modern societies, focusing on the reasons that kept Orthodoxy marginalized and practically absent from the public debate. Rev. Prof Cyril Hovorun (Sankt Ignatios College, Stockholm, Sweden, and Huffington Ecumenical Institute, CA, USA) presented various forms of nationalism, following the notes of George Orwell and the model of his famous novel “Animal Farm”, and highlighted the relation of these cases with the current situation in Ukraine. The next speaker, Rev. Prof Nikolaos Loudovikos (University of Ioannina, Greece), focused on the writings of Jürgen Habermas and Ernst Bloch on post-secularism, and their significance in understanding what are the advantages and the shortcomings of Orthodoxy in the post-secular world. Prof. Dr Haralambos Ventis (University of Athens, Greece) spoke on the social responsibilities of the Orthodox theology, which are frequently neglected in the name of tradition and of proclamations which become a dead letter, exploring the question to whom Orthodoxy is finally accountable. The next speaker, Dr Nikolaos Asrpoulis (Deputy Director of Volos Academy) addressed the topic of the diminished significance of dogmatic theology within the public sphere, seeking ways which could provide meaning to humanity and the whole world, fostering the catholicization of existence while rejecting levelling tendencies. Rev. Prof. Vasileios Thermos (Supreme Ecclesiastical Academy of Athens, Greece; Psychiatrist) focused on the distinction between the Church of seals and the Church of hearts, which give rise respectively to an ideological Orthodoxy and an existential Orthodoxy, two paths which often intertwin and end to results radically different from those intended. Dr Lidiya Lozova (independent researcher, Lviv, Ukraine) presented the case of the Kyivan Theological School of Metropolitan Petro Mohyla in 17 ^th century Ukraine, which gave the church an agency within a non-Orthodox state, but later was handed it to the Russian imperial apparatus. Prof. Dr Sveto Riboloff (University of Sofia, Bulgaria) presented the topic of the Bulgarian diaspora and its various approaches to religion, focusing on the most conservative variants and their affiliation with the Moscow Patriarchate, which ended up imposed overall the Bulgarian church. Dr Nikos Kouremenos (Volos Academy) spoke on the relationship between the Orthodox Church and political power and its tendency to invest theologically to the national aspirations, showing that “Russki mir” finally is not a unique case. Dr Ionuț Biliuță (“Ioan Petru Culianu” Institute, Târgu Mureș, Romania) explored the relationship of the Church with the state in 20 ^th century Romania, presenting both positive and negative cases of intervention and highlighting the continuing appeal that personalities of the fascist Iron Guard of the Mid-war period still exert to the Romanian Church. Dr Effie Fokas (American College of Greece, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy) spoke on the possible forms of relationship between the state and the Church, according to Cecile Laborde, and applied these distinctions to the case of Greece. Speaking last, Dr Pantelis Kalaitzidis (Director of Volos Academy), referred to the pending relationship of Orthodoxy with modernity and postmodernity, the potential and the limits of the theolog­ical discourse in the post-secular context and the importance of the eschatological understand­ing of Tradition in order to cope with these new realities.

Rich discussions that took place in the end of each session. Among the topics approached, were the influence of the various periods of the Greek civilization in the formation of the European modernity, the close embracement of most religions, Orthodoxy included, with authoritarian regimes, the appeal of strong leaders to social groups that feel marginalized, etc. It became clear that the Orthodox church remains a strong voice in the post-secular environment, but very frequently conveys messages far away from the teachings of the Gospel.

The proceedings of the Workshop are expected to be published in the near future.