The Mystery of the Theotokos
Bachkovo Monastery, Bulgaria
September 4-8
Conference Programme
Friday, September 4
9:00–9.15 Prayer
Conference Welcome Speech
9.30–10.00 Keynote speech Metropolitan Seraphim Kykkotis of Zimbabwe and Angola, Exarch of Southern Africa
1st Session: The Theotokos in the Patristic Tradition
Chair: Joanne Ruth Saripanidis (Thessaloniki, Greece /UK)
10.00–10.30 Prof. Svetoslav Ribolov (Sofia, Bulgaria)
The Theological Methodology of Theodore of Mopsuestia and the Role of the Virgin Mary within It
10.30–11.00 Dr Ioannis Kaminis (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Confessing the Incarnate Word: St. Gregory the Theologian and the Theological Importance of Theotokos
11:00–11.30 Dr Olga Sevastyanova (Aberdeen, UK)
The Mystery of the Virgin in the Burning Bush image, in Gregory of Nyssa’s The Life of Moses
11:30-12:00 Coffee/Tea
2st Session: The Theotokos in Hymnography and Liturgical Tradition
Chair: Joanne Ruth Saripanidis (Thessaloniki, Greece /UK)
12:00–12:30 Dr Pantelis Levakos (Leuven, Belgium/ UK)
The Liturgical Canon of the Annunciation and Theotokos Hymnography: Toward a Theology of Salvation in Orthodox Worship
Theotokos and the Holy Virgin in the Theology of Saint Maximus the Confessor
12:30–13:00 Dr Dionysios Skliris (Athens, Greece)
13:00–13:30 Dr Theo Andreou (St. Andrews, UK)
Theotokos as the Church, and the Daughter of Zion in John Damascene’s Paschal Canon
14.00–15.00 Lunch
3rd Session: The Theotokos in Eastern and Western Theological Reflections
Chair: Joanne Ruth Saripanidis (Thessaloniki, Greece /UK)
15:30–16:00 Rev. Nishad Issac Chandy University of Pretoria, SA/ Mar Thoma Syrian Church
Theotokos Beyond Confessional Boundaries: Re-evaluating Marian Doctrine in Ecumenical Theology
16–17.00 Panel discussion ‒ Rev. Dr Stephen Headley, Metropolitan Serafim Kukkotis, Prof. Svetoslav Ribolov
17.00 Vespers
19.00 Dinner
Saturday 5 September
9:00-9.15 prayer
1st session: The Theotokos and Christian Anthropology
Chair: Natalia Munataeva
9.15–9.45 Rev. Dr Stephen Headley (Vezelay, France)
The Role of Chastity in Approaching the Mystery of the Theotokos
9.45-10.15 Dr Christos Veskoukis (Exeter, UK)
Sketching Theosis as Creativity: A Berdyaevian Proposal
10.15-10.45 Dr Kalin Anguelov (Sofia, Bulgaria)
“In the Image and Likeness” in the Theology of St. Basil the Great
10:45-11:00 Coffee/Tea
2nd Session: The Theotokos in Patristic and Liturgical Tradition
Chair: Joanne Ruth Saripanidis (Thessaloniki, Greece /UK)
11.00-11.30 Dr Spiros Bekatoros (Strasbourg, France)
From Christological Function to Ecclesial Reality: Re-envisioning the Theotokos in Orthodox Theology
11.30-12.00 Dr Theocharis Papavissarion (Athens, Greece)
The Transcendent Glory of Theotokos in the Teachings of Nicolas Cabasilas and Theophanes of Nicaea
12.00-12.30 Dr Achilleas Dellopoulos (Athens, Greece)
The Theotokos as Mother and as Servant of God according to Saint John of Damascus
13.00-15.00 Lunch
15.00-17.00 Round Table
Chair: Joanne Ruth Saripanidis
17.00 Vespers
19.00 Dinner
Sunday 2 December
8.30 Liturgy at the Cathedral, followed by a communal meal
1st session: Theotokos in Iconography and Ecclesial Life
Chair: Joanne Ruth Saripanidis
13.00-13.30 Nebojsa Dabic (Čačak, Serbia)
Could the representation of the Most Holy Theotokos be used instead of the iconographic representation of Melismos?
13.30-14.00 Dr Emil M. Mărginean (Cluj, Romania)
AI Generative Noise and the Apophatic Silence of the Mother of God: A Perspective from St. Silouan the Athonite
14.30-15.00 Spiros Bekatoros (Strasbourg, France)
From Christological Function to Ecclesial Reality: Re-envisioning the Theotokos in Orthodox Theology
15:00-15:30 Coffee/Tea
2nd session: Theotokos in Contemporary Theology
Chair: Joanne Ruth Saripanidis
15.30-16.00 Julie D. Gunby (USA, Saint Louis University)
The Seal of the Virgin: Intrapartum Christology and the Mystery of the Theotokos’s Birth-giving
16.00-16.30 Paschalis Tsitsifyllas (Athens, Greece)
The Mother Of God In The Greek Orthodox Ecclesiastical Tradition (Monasticism, Parish), Byzantine Iconography And Poetry
16.30-17.00 Natalia Munataeva (Estonia, Tallinn)
TBC
17.00-17.30 Slavisa Kostic (Serbia, Belgrade)
TBC
17.30 Vespers
19.00 Dinner
Monday 7 September
Day trip to the Holy Cross Mountain
Tuesday 8 September
The Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Liturgy at the Cathedral, followed by a communal meal
Conference Outro
Trip to Old Plovdiv
Conference Description
The ninth international conference of ORIC will take place in Bachkovo Monastery, one of the most venerable and spiritually significant monastic centres in Eastern Europe. The conference will be held 4–8 September, during the liturgical celebration of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, and within a monastery dedicated to the Mother of God. The place and the time thus naturally invite theological reflection on the mystery of the Theotokos as lived, celebrated, and contemplated within the life of the Church.
The figure of the Theotokos stands at the very heart of Christian faith, at the intersection of Christology, anthropology, and eschatology. To explore her mystery is to deepen our understanding of the Incarnation, human freedom and sanctity, salvation, embodiment, and the ecclesial vocation of humanity.
The spiritual and historical setting of Bachkovo Monastery, with its strong Byzantine, Bulgarian, and Georgian heritage, offers a uniquely rich framework for theological dialogue. Alongside the academic programme, participants will be invited to take part in a pilgrimage to Old Plovdiv, traditionally associated with the apostolic mission of Apostle Hermas, as well as a visit to the Holy (True) Cross Mountain, a site of deep devotional significance.
The conference will include paper sessions, roundtable discussions, and ecumenical conversations, reflecting the interdisciplinary and interconfessional character of ORIC. Scholars and theologians from different Christian traditions are warmly invited to participate.
Call for Papers
We invite submissions that engage with the theme “The Mystery of the Theotokos” from theological, historical, liturgical, artistic, and spiritual perspectives. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- The theological foundations and historical development of the title Theotokos
- The Theotokos in the patristic tradition, including (but not limited to):
- Ephrem the Syrian
- Athanasius of Alexandria
- Gregory the Theologian
- John Chrysostom
- Cyril of Alexandria
- The Theotokos in hymnography and liturgical tradition
- Iconography of the Mother of God and its theological meaning
- The Theotokos and Christian anthropology
- The Theotokos in Eastern and Western theological traditions
- Ecumenical perspectives on Marian doctrine and devotion
In addition to individual papers, the conference will feature roundtable discussions led by ORIC members, offering space for dialogue on contemporary theological questions related to Marian theology.
Given the ecumenical dimension of the conference, participants from different Christian denominations are especially welcome.
Further details regarding submission guidelines, deadlines, accommodation at the monastery, and the final programme will be announced shortly.
We look forward to welcoming you to Bachkovo Monastery for a time of prayer, study, dialogue, and shared reflection on the mystery of the Mother of God.