An International Conference on “Orthodoxy and Fundamentalism” will be held on May 10-12, 2018, in Belgrade, Serbia. The conference is organized by the Volos Academy for Theological Studies in co-operation with the Institute for the Study of Culture and Christianity (Belgrade, Serbia); the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University (New York, USA); the Chair of Orthodox Theology of Münster University (Germany); the Romanian Institute for Inter-Orthodox, Inter-Confessional and Inter-Religious Studies (INTER, Cluj-Napoca, Romania); St Andrews Biblical Theological Institute (Moscow); Sankt Ignatios Orthodox Theological Academy (Stockholm, Sweden); the European Forum of Orthodox Schools of Theology (EFOST, Bruxelles), and the Center for Philosophy and Theology (Trebinje, Bosnia-Herzegovina). With the support of the Dom omladine Beograda

In the context of late modernity, the Church and its theology are called with boldness to effectively address the challenges posed by the rapid development of the sciences, the gradual dominance of anti-democratic perceptions and practices, the marginalization of the weak of the world by implementing in practice the sacrificial ethos being taught by its Lord, Jesus Christ, in the perspective of the coming Kingdom of God who will ultimately judge the truth of beings and history. In the light of the biblical and patristic tradition, any trace of fundamentalism, contrary to the continuous incarnation of the Gospel in the world and history, the opening and the response of the Church to every other, can only be rejected as an expression of both an anti-Christian spirit in general, an anti-Orthodox morality in particular.

The main objective of the conference is to address the phenomenon of fundamentalism in the contemporary world, especially in the context of the countries and regions where Orthodox Christianity has been the dominant and traditional faith. The issues that we aspire to explore include (but are not limited to): fundamentalism as a religious and ideological phenomenon, the relationship between fundamentalism, traditionalism and modernity, fundamentalism in the contemporary Orthodox world, fundamentalist responses to the issues of modernization, pluralism and democracy, Orthodox responses to political liberalism and secularism, theology, the construction of the (fundamentalist) “self.” The conference also aspires to discuss the role of religious fundamentalism in the contemporary social and political crises.

International Conference on: “Orthodoxy and Fundamentalism”

May, 10-12, 2018, Belgrade, Serbia

Speakers:

Bishop Jovan Ćulibrk, of Pakrac and Slavonia, Serbian Orthodox Church

Dr. Tarek Mitri , Professor, American University of Beirut, Lebanon, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon

Conservatism, Fundamentalism and Identity Politics in the Arab world

Dr. George Demacopoulos , Professor, John Meyendorff Chair of Theology, Fordham University, Co-Director, Center for Orthodox Christian Studies, Fordham University, New York, USA

The Recent Invention of "Traditional" Orthodoxy

Dr. Frances Kostarelos, Anthropology and Sociology Program, Governor’s State University Illinois (U.S.A.)

Conflicting Greek Orthodox Christian Discourses on Fundamentalism and Fragmenting Greek Orthodox Church Institutions in the United States

Dr. Anastasia Mitrofanova , Russian Orthodox University, Professor at the Russian State University for the Humanities (RGGU)

Fundamentalism in the Ideology and Practice of the Orthodox Political Movements in Contemporary Russia

Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis , Director, Volos Academy for Theological Studies, Lecturer, Hellenic Open University, Research Fellow KU Leuven (Belgium)

Eschatology and Fundamentalism

Dr. Petre Maican , University of Aberdeen, (U.K.)

Giving the Laity its Voice Back: One Way to Tackle Fundamentalism in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Dr. Aristotle Papanikolaou , Professor, Archbishop Demetrios Chair of Theology, Fordham University, Co-Director, Center for Orthodox Christian Studies, Fordham University, New York, USA

Pluralism, Secularism and Fundamentalism

Rev. Dr. Vladan Perisic , Professor, School of Theology, University of Belgrade, Serbia, Director, Center for Theology and Philosophy (Trebinje, Bosnia-Herzegovina)

Theoretical Presuppositions of Christian Fundamentalism

Dr. Katerina Bauer , Assistant Professor, University of Prague, (Czech Republic)

T wo Examples of Non- Fundamentalist but Rooted Spirituality: Mother Maria Skobstova and Alexander Men

Dr. Sergei Chapnin , Fellow at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, Former Editor of the Magazine of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russia)

Matilda & Matilding: The Rise and Fall of the Radical Orthodox Fundamentalists in Russia

Dr. Vassilios Ν . Makrides , Professor, Sociology of Orthodox Christianity,University of Erfurt (Germany)

The Notion of Orthodoxy as the Sole True Faith: A Particular Source of Orthodox Christian Rigorism

Dr. Haralambos Ventis , Assistant Professor, Department of Social Theology, School of Theology, University of Athens

Fundamentalism in the Orthodox Church: Intrinsic or Transient?

Katerina Pekridou , Theological Dialogue Secretary, Conference of European Churches (Brussels, Belgium)

Fundamentalism at Ecumenism

Dr. Brandon Gallaher, Lecturer of Systematic and Comparative Theology, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Exeter (U.K.)

Conversion to Orthodoxy in North America and Orthodox Fundamentalism: A Personal View

Rev. Dr. Christoph d’Aloisio , Institut de théologie orthodoxe St. Jean le théologien (Brussels, Belgium)

Fundamentalist Hermeneutics as a Risk in Education

Dr. Petar Jevremovic, University of Belgrade (Serbia)

Epistemology of the Radicalized Faith

Rev. Dr. Demetrios Bathrellos, Lecturer, Hellenic Open University, Visiting Professor, Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies (Cambridge, U.K.), Member, Board of Directors, Volos Academy for Theological Studies

Roots of Orthodox anti-Western Fundamentalism in the Church of Greece

Rev. Dr. Vasileios Thermos, Child and Adult Psychiatrist, Assistant Professor, Higher Ecclesiastical Academy of Athens

Fundamentalism: Theology in the Service of Psychosis

Dr. Pedrag Dragutinović, University of Belgrade (Serbia)

Reading Without Interpretation? Fundamentalism and Biblical Hermeneutics

Dr. Davor Džalto, President, Center for the Study of Culture and Christianity (Belgrade, Serbia), Assistant Professor, American University of Rome (Italy)

How to be the Right Kind of “Fundamentalist”?

Vyacheslav Gorshkov, Post-graduate student in Religious Studies, National Pedagogical Dragomanov University (Kyiv, Ukraine)

Religious fundamentalism and forms of collective egoism