60 years ago Emeritus
Professor Evangelos Theodorou, 93 years old now, opened the discussion
within the Orthodox theological circles on the thorny issue of the
Ordination of Women with his dissertation on the deaconesses. To honor
this pillar of modern Greek Orthodox theology the Center of Ecumenical, Missiological and Environmental Studies “Metropolitan Panteleimon Papageorgiou” (CEMES) organized
an Online International Theological Seminar, using the BigBlueButton
platform of the e-conferencing facilities of the Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki, Greece.
The Concept of the Seminar
The
Orthodox Church for more than a generation now has taken a concrete
position on the issue of the Ordination of Women in the Sacramental
Priesthood, expressed in the final document of the famous Rhodos
Conference. Quite recently, however, a number of distinguished Orthodox
theologians have expressed some reservations concerning the theological
arguments put so far officially forward. The reformulation by
Metropolitan of Diokleia Kallistos (Ware) of his seminal and primordial
argumentation on the ordination of women, the tireless and prayerful
approach to the issue by the late Elizabeth Behr-Sigel, as well as her
titanic struggle for the overall place of women in the Orthodox Church,
including the liturgy, or the expressed theological views by the late
Nikos Matsoukas, one of the greatest Orthodox dogmatic theologians, to
mention just few, in addition to a considerable number of theological
dissertations by Orthodox theologians, not to mention other well
documented positions by both Orthodox and non-Orthodox theologians, seem
to have challenged the official Orthodox, but also Roman Catholic,
position.
Addressing two decades ago
the Anglican communion during their Lambeth Conference Metropolitan of
Pergamon John (Zizioulas), representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
warned all concerned that the problem cannot be solved by using either
the argument from sociology or the argument from tradition. What is
desperately needed is to address this delicate issue, which has caused
painful divisions among, as well as across, almost all Christian
traditions, on the basis of a sound theological ground.
The seminar, which started early October 2013 in the traditional
face-to-face conventional way, aimed at scrutinizing all the theological
arguments, both for and against the possibility of the ordination of
women in the sacramental priesthood, in order to provide the Orthodox
Church and the world Christian community with all the authentic
theological (not just sociological or traditional) evidence.
International Ecumenical ConferenceAfter
the end of the seminar (June 3) CEMES, together with other Orthodox
academic institutions, will organize an International Ecumenical
Theological Conference on "Diaconesses, Ordination of Women and Orthodox
Theology, dedicated to Prof. Evangelos Theodorou. The official
languages of the conference will be English and Greek, and will take
place in both conventional and electronic form in December 2014-January
2015.
The conference will be open to
all interested academic or cleric theologians, and the call for papers
from July 2014 to the end of September 2014. All speakers will be
invited to submit a 300 word (max) abstract and a short CV with a photo
to the secretariat of CEMES (cemes2014@gmail.com)
to be posted in advance to the website of the Conference. The speakers’
papers may be rooted in the areas of biblical, patristic, liturgical or
fundamental theology, or other related to the subject areas. All
registered speakers will present a 30 minutes final paper (approx 4000
words). In the case of a large number of candidates selected speakers
will address the plenary, whereas the rest to smaller groups arranged
according to the topic. All accepted papers will be considered for
publication.
Electronic Conference InformationFor
both presenters and attendees of the conference from around the globe
no extra software is needed, and Webinar access will be provided by the
organizers entirely for free. All is needed is registration to the
secretariat of CEMES (cemes2014@gmail.com).
All registered participants, speakers and attendees, will be given very
simple instructions how to use the electronic platform and enter the
plenary or group rooms of the conference. Thus they will be able to
present, and listen to or watch presentations from anywhere in the world
with just a reliable internet connection and a computer. To all those
who would wish to receive a certificate, the academic committee will
provide one.
All further
information about the conference, as well as details how to register, or
to view biographies of the registered speakers and the abstracts of
their paper, will be displayed on this website later.
The
Concept of the Conference on the basis of the dilemmas posed in the
course of the international post-graduate/post-doctoral seminar on «Deaconesses, Ordination of Women and Orthodox Theology»
We should ask ourselves:
1. Historically, is the exclusion of women from the sacramental priesthood based on human law (de jure humano) or divine law (de jure divino)?
2.
On the thorny issue of the ordination of women, should the Orthodox
Church and her theology use canonical, liturgical, Trinitarian,
Christological, ecclesiological, eschatological or sociological
criteria?
3. In selecting theological criteria, should priority be
given—and if so, how much—to the long-standing “primary” liturgical
tradition of the Church, over the various doctrinal expressions that
were subsequently formulated?
4. Is it legitimate to use human,
biological concepts of gender and the supposedly masculine or feminine
structures of each of the persons of the Holy Trinity?
5. Does the
Church’s acceptance of the dominant stereotypes of social appearance and
behavior, as well as elements of an institutional character, belong to
divine or human law? On an ethical level, does this, rather than
confronting gender-based violence (GBV), actually lay the foundation for
it and perpetuate it?
6. How and to what extent does the basic theological position that at the eschatonthere will be no discrimination based on biological sex influence the debate about the ordination of women?
7.
If our secularized society today seems to have moved beyond the
biblical principle of “woman from man,” is it necessary—and, if so, to
what extent—to abolishpatriarchalism in the Christian Church?
8.
Over the course of history, the Christian priesthood has been
rationally juxtaposed to deified worldly power, magic, mystery cults,
and orgiastic rites, which sometimes worshiped feminine life in
creation. What significance, therefore, can we attribute to the Paschal
sacrifice of the (male) Christ and the final victory over all these
binding authoritarian forces that lead to death, and what impact does
this have on the issue of women's ordination?
9. Given the kenotic
sacrificial love and ascetic assumption of the world with a view toward
the sanctification of all things, how can we prevent the association of
women's ordination with secular games of power, subjugation to the
egocentricity of the human beings, male or female, and subordination to
the priority of an instinctual life whose greed rapes the natural
environment?
10. Does the invocation of elements of ontological
reduction and the division of humans into two hierarchically
superimposed sexes negate the doctrine of the Divine Incarnation and
annul its objectives?
11. Does the presence of demonic elements
(e.g., ideas about women being cursed for their culpability in the Fall
and their eternal punishment in subjugation to men, as well as about
their impurity with their consequent marginalization in the Church’s
life of worship and administration, etc.) compromise the Church’s
witness to the world, raising in addition an enormous ethical problem?
12.
Does the exclusive “male priesthood”—derived from the historically
indisputable male form of the Incarnate God—constitute a binding element
of divine grace? How strong is this theological argument?
13. If,
according to Orthodox Christian anthropology, the archetype of the human
being is Christ, does the invocation then of the male sex of the Word
of God provide theological, canonical, historical-critical, and
liturgical grounds for the exclusion of women from the sacramental
priesthood?
14. If every human person is created unique, complete and free, designed to achieve deification (theosis)
through his/her virtuous life, how is possible theologically to define
the nature of human beings, or even their virtuous life, on the basis of
gender? Does this not lead to a denial of the completeness of human
nature at the crown of creation, as well as its call to the “likeness of
God”?
15. Regarding the ministry of the priesthood, does not the
selective use and transfer of practices based on gender—which
theologically and anthropologically permit the impairment of the human
person—substantially undermine rather than encourage the achievement of
the Orthodox ideal of theosis?
16. If the human person is
determined by his/her relationship with others, and if the Eucharistic
community is, for the Orthodox, the primary framework for constructive
and virtuous relationships, which are fully possible for both men and
women, perhaps then women are not only capable of entering the
sacramental priesthood, but are actually needed for it, so that the
members of the body of Christ have, in the person of their pastors,
examples of more fully embodied virtue?
17. Great theologian saints,
such as St. Gregory the Theologian and St. John Chrysostom, speak about
the priesthood with metaphors based not on male paternal models, but
rather on examples of virtue for the community. Additionally, both
hierarchs use both masculine and feminine metaphors to describe the
method and the ministry of the priesthood. What theological arguments,
therefore, can justify the exclusion of women from this priesthood?
18.
How important, for the Orthodox Church’s theological arsenal, is the
fact that the institution of deaconesses has a conciliar ecumenical and
canonical foundation, which in fact has never been repealed by
subsequent synodal decision?
19. Since deaconesses were installed into their ministry through ordination (hierotonia), which was the same as that for the major orders of the clergy, and not by simple laying on of hands (hierothesia),
and their ordination had an absolute likeness in form and content with
the ordinations of the major order of the clergy, what does this mean
for the general issue of women's ordination?
20. Can the proposed
distinction of the special priesthood into “diaconal” and “hierourgic,”
i.e., a quantitative rather than qualitative distinction, have an effect
on the general issue of women's ordination?
21. What impact does
the close terminological connection that Basil the Great makes,
repeatedly, between “diaconal” and “hierourgic” have on the general
issue of women's ordination?
22. How can the clear assurance in the ancient prayers that Christ did not ban womenalso from having liturgical duties in the churches (ὁ μηδὲ γυναίκας …λειτουργεῖν τοῖς ἁγίοις οἴκοις σου ἀποβαλλόμενος)
possibly lead to a change in the Orthodox Church’s stance regarding the
ordination of women into the special sacramental priesthood?
23.
How can the interpretation in the canonical sources that the deaconess,
as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, held a higher position even than that of
the presbyters, who were considered symbols of the Apostles, affect the
possibility of upgrading the status of women in relation to the
theological legitimacy of their participation in the special sacramental
priesthood?
24. Can Orthodox bishops at any time, without any
relevant conciliar decision, ordain deaconesses and accept them into the
major orders of the clergy?
25. If the Orthodox Church is
characterized by its liturgical (and Eucharistic) theology, how crucial
is it today to revive the institution of deaconesses ordained for their
necessary missionary witness, particularly in the area of Orthodox
Church ministry?
26. Even with the current («τό γε νυν έχον», based
on tradition and the canonical order of the Church) exclusion of women
from the sacramental priesthood, can the Church ignore the calls and
contemporary challenges for a stance more consistent with the core of
her theology?
27. Throughout Western Christian history, there has
been a gradual degradation of women on three issues: the position of
Mary Magdalene, of St. Junia, and the institution of deaconesses. The
long-standing tradition of the East, on the other hand, which has now
been scholarly confirmed, takes pride in these persons and institutions.
How could this affect the position of the Orthodox Church?
28. How
can the indisputable evidence in the New Testament and in the first
Christian centuries of important women “apostles” (e.g., Junia),
scientifically now and unanimously accepted, affect the Orthodox
theological argument on the issue of women's ordination?
29. Does
Patriarch Gregory of Antioch’s reference connecting women, until the 6th
century, with both the apostolic office and the ordination («Μαθέτω Πέτρος ὁ ἀρνησάμενός με, ὃτι δύναμαι καὶ γυναῖκας ἀποστόλους χειροτονεῖν» PG
88, 1864b) not demonstrate that there is at least some evidence that
the Church held a different attitude in the Eastern Christian tradition
regarding the liturgical role of women?
Thursday 22.1.15Amphitheatre ΙΙΙ, Building of ΚΕDΕΑ of AUTH
18:00-18:30 Greek Time (16:00-16:30 GMT)
Official Opening – Greetings from Ecclesiastical and Academic Institutions
18:30-19:00 Greek Time (16:30-17:00 GMT)
Laudatum for Prof. Emeritus Evangelos Theodorou
By Prof. Kyriaki Fitzgerald-Karydoyanes
19:00-19:30 Greek Time (17:00-17:30 GMT)
Response by the Honored Prof. Emeritus Ev. Theodorou
19:30-20:00 Greek Time (17:30-18:00 GMT)
Introduction to the Conference
By Prof. Emeritus Petros Vassiliadis
1st Session (Electronic)
Chairwoman: Prof. Niki Papageorgiou of AUTH
22:00-22:30 Greek Time (20:00-20:30 GMT)
“Τhe Theological Presuppositions and Logical Fallacies
in much of the Contemporary Discussion of the Ordination of Women”
Prof. Valerie Karras
22:30-23:00 Greek Time (20:30-21:00 GMT)
"Catholic Women Deacons: Past Arguments and Future Possibilities"
Dr. Phyllis Zagano
23:00-23:30 Greek Time (21:00-21:30 GMT)
“The Problematic οf the Catholic Church on Deaconesses and the Ordination of Women”
Dr. Dimitrios Keramidas
Friday 23.1.15
Amphitheatre ΙΙΙ, Building of ΚΕΔΕΑ of AUTH
2nd Session
Chairman: Prof. Miltiadis Konstantinou ,
Dean of the Theological School of AUTH
9:00-9:30 Greek Time (7:00-7:30 GMT)
“Lex orandi est Lex Credendi: Women Deacons as Emissaries of Divine
Eleos:
The Witness of the Ordination Rite”
Prof. Kyriaki Fitzgerald-Karydoyanes
9:30-10:00 Greek Time (7:30-8:00 GMT)
“The Inclusive Language from an Orthodox Perspective
in Relation to the Ordination of Deaconesses”
Prof. Fr. Emmanuel Clapsis of HC
10:00-10:30 Greek Time (8:00-8:30 GMT)
The Diaconal Ministry in the Orthodox Church
Prof. Fr. John Chryssavgis
3rd Session
Chairman: Prof. Emeritus Petros Vassiliadis of AUTH
11:00-11:30 Greek Time (9:00-9:30 GMT)
“Junia as an Apostle and the Consequences for the Ordination of Deaconesses”
Prof. Emeritus John Karavidopoulos
11:30-12:00 Greek Time (9:30-10:00 GMT)
“May Magdalene and the Deaconesses”
Cand. Dr. Ekaterina Drosia
12:00-12:30 Greek Time (10:00-10:30 GMT)
“The Ordination of Deaconesses and the Gender and Genderless of the Incarnate Christ”
Dr. Konstantine Yokarinis
4th Session
Chairman: Prof. Fr. John Chryssavgis
12:30-13:00 Greek Time (10:30-11:00 GMT)
“The Religious Historical and Sociological Typology of Women’s Submission to Men.
The Ecclesiological Consequences on the Ordination of Women”
Prof. Christophoros Arvanitis
13:00-13:30 Greek Time (11:00-11:30 GMT)
“Orthodox Christian Anthropology”
Prof. Konstanitinos Agoras
13:30-14:00 Greek Time (11:00-12:00 GMT)
“Women’s Ordination and the Eschatological Body.
Towards an Orthodox Anthropology beyond Sexual Difference”
Prof. Spyridoula Kypriou-Athanasopoulou
5th Session (Electronic)
Chairwoman: Prof. Kyriaki Fitzgerald-Karydoyanes of HC
16:00-16:30 Greek Time (14:00-14:30 GMT)
“Unique Bodies, Unique Gifts: Towards a Liturgy that Deifies”
Dr. Μaria Gwyn McDowell
16:30-17:00 Greek Time (14:30-15:00 GMT)
“Women and Diaconal Ministry in the Orthodox Church:
Past, Present, and Future”
Cand. Dr. Teva Regule
17:00-17:30 Greek Time (15:00-15:30 GMT)
“The Order of Deaconesses and Liturgical Renewal in the Orthodox Church: Historical, Teleturgical and Theological Aspects”
Srboljub Ubiparipović
6th Session
Chairman: Prof. Georges Martzelos of AUTH
17:30-18:00 Greek Time (15:30-16:00 GMT)
“The Canonical Tradition on Issues of the Role and Witness of Women
in the Liturgical Life of the Church”
Prof. Theodore Yagou of AUTH
18:00-18:30 Greek Time (16:00-16:30 GMT)
“The Ordination of Deaconesses in the Orthodox LiturgicalTradition”
Prof. Panagiotis Skaltsis of AUTH
18:30-19:00 Greek Time (16:30-17:00 GMT)
“Problems in the Rejuvenation of the Ministry of Deaconesses”
Prof. Dimitra Koukoura
7th Session
Chairman: Prof. Theodore Yagou,
President of the Department of Pastoral and Social Theology of AUTH
19:30-20:00 Greek Time (17:30-18:00 GMT)
“Martha and Mary as Models of Christian Witness”
Prof. Niki Papageorgiou
20:00-20:30 Greek Time (18:00-18:30 GMT)
“The Theological Significance of Perichorisis:
Its Consequenses for the Ordination of Deaconesses”
Dr. Ioanna Sahinidou
20:00-20:30 Greek Time (18:00-18:30 GMT)
“Woman from Man…Judge among yourselves,” I Cor 11: 8b, 13a:
Social Transformation, Demythologizing Female Deities or Paschal Reversal?
Dr Evanthia Adamtziloglou
Saturday 24.1.15
Amphitheatre “Metr. Panteleimon Papageorgiou”
H. Μ. of St. Theodora of Thessaloniki
8th Session
Chairman: Prof. Chrys. Stamoulis
President of the Department of Theology of AUTH
9:30-10:00 Greek Time (7:30-8:00 GMT)
“The Question of Women’s Ordination: Feminist Ecclesiological Challenge
or Feminist Promotion? Comments on the Rhodos Document”
Dr. Ioannis Lotsios
10:00-10:30 Greek Time (8:00-8:30 GMT)
“The personality of Elisabeth Behr- Sigel and the Order of Deaconesses”
Prof. Eleni Kasselouri
10:30-11:00 Greek Time (8:30-9:00 GMT)
“Deaconesses and Ordination of Women in the Theology of Nikos Matsoukas”
Cand Dr. Maria Chatziapostolou
9th Session
Chairwoman: Prof. Anna Koltsiou of AUTH
11:30-12:00 Greek Time (9:30-10:00 GMT)
“The Order of Deaconesses in the Ancient Non Calchedonian Orthodox Churches:
Sources, Historical Process and Modern Situation ”
Dr. Nikolaos Kouremenos
12:00-12:30 Greek Time (10:00-10:30 GMT)
“The Official Discussion on Women’s Ordination within the Anglican Communion”
Prof. Vassiliki Stathokosta
12:30-13:00 Greek Time (10:30-11:00 GMT)
“The Theological Problematic in the Various Protestant Denominations”
Soririos Boukis M.Th.
10th Session
Chairman: Prof. Fr. Emmanuel Clapsis of HC
13:00-13:30 Greek Time (11:00-11:30 GMT)
“Thomas Aquinas’ Influence on the Christian View on Women”
Prof. Metr. of Proussa Elpidophoros of AUTH
13:30-14:00 Greek Time (11:30-12:00 GMT)
“The Liturgical Presence of Women in Ancient Greece”
Prof. Anna Koltsiou of AUTH
14:00-14:30 Greek Time (12:00-121:30 GMT)
“Human Sexuality in the Latin Patristic Tradition”
Prof. Fotios Ioannidis of AUTH
11th Session (Electronic)
Chairwoman: Prof. Dimitra Κοukoura of AUTH
17:00-17:30 Greek Time (15:00-15:30 GMT)
“Ordination, Apostolic Succession, and Ecumenism”
Elizabeth M. Smith
17:30-18:00 Greek Time (15:30-16:00 GMT)
“Orthodox Theological Criteria from 1 Peter
for Women’s Ordination in the Church”
Arthur J. Keefer - Greece
18:00-18:30 Greek Time (16:00-16:30 GMT)
“Problematic English Language in the Church of the Triune God”
Prof. Emeritus Stuart Hall of Oxford
12th Session
Chairman: Prof. Emeritus Antonios-Emil Tachiaos of AUTH
18:30-19:00 Greek Time (16:30-17:00 GMT)
“Women in the History of the Church”
Lecturer Antonia Kyriatzi
19:00-19:30 Greek Time (17:00-17:30 GMT)
“The Role of Haeresies in Shaping the Patristic Teaching on Women”
Dr. Evangellia Voulgaraki-Pisina
19:30-20:00 Greek Time (17:30-18:00 GMT)
“The Role of Women in the Church according to Patristic Documents
up to the 5th Ecumenical Council”
Dr. Eirini Aremi
13th Session 20:00-20:30 Greek Time (18:00-18:30 GMT)
Conclusion of the Conference – Perspectives for the Future
ORGANIZATION
THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF AUTH
THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF HOLY CROSS, BOSTON USA
CENTER OF ECUMENICAL, MISSIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
«METROPOLITAN PANTELEIMON PAPAGEORGIOU» (CEMES)
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Fr. JOHN CHRYSSAVGIS
Fr. EMMANUEL CLAPSIS
KYRIAKI FITZGERALD-KARYDOYANES
MILTIADIS KONSTANTINOU
GEORGIOS MARTZELOS
PETROS VASSILIADIS
ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE
ΝΙΚI PAPAGEORGIOU
ELENI KASSELOURI
ΑΝΤOΝΙΑ ΚΥRIATZI
ΕVΑNTHIA ADAMTZILOGLOU
AIKATERINI DROSIA
ΝΙΚΟS DIMITRIADIS
PAVLOS VASILEIADIS
PRESS AND MEDIA
MOSCHOS GOUTZIOUDIS
SECRETARIAT
DIMITRIOS NIKIFOROS
EVAGELLOS ΑΝΑSΤΑSΙΟU
ΤRΙΑΝΤΑFΥLLΟΣ ΑLΕXΙΟU
The Printed Program
ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ
