ORIC Conference 2023 Tbilisi

ORIC Sixth International Theological Conference

In cooperation with the Theological School of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University in Tbilisi, Georgia

The conference is organised with the financial support of the Fellowship of St. Alban and St Sergius

READING SCRIPTURE AS ORTHODOX THEOLOGIANS

                 1-7 December 2023 Kutaisi-Tbilisi

Conference Programme

Monday 4 December

SCRIPTURE AS A PROPHESY ABOUT CHRIST

Opening of the Conference 

Talks at the Theological School of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University in Tbilisi

8.45-9.00 am Prayer

9.00-9.10 am Conference Welcome Speech

9.10-9.20 am Dean of the Faculty Welcome Speech

9.20-10 am Dr. Olga Sevastyanova, Keynote Speech: Meeting God Face to Face

10.00-10.10 am Coffee break

1st Session

Chair: Rev. Dr Stephen Headley

10.10-10.40 am Metropolitan of Zimbabwe Serafim Kykotis

The Biblical exegesis of St. Athanasius the Great vs. the one of Arius’

10.40-11.10 am Dr Danut Vasile Jemna

Scriptural exegesis of Irenaeus of Lyon

11.10-11.40 am Dr Zdenko Sirka

Biblical exegesis of the Cappadocian Fathers

11.40- 12.10 am Dr Olga Sevastyanova

Scriptural exegesis of Gregory of Nyssa

12.10 pm Taking ORIC Group Picture

12.20-1.45 pm Lunch

2nd Session

Chair: Dr. Dionysius Skliris

2-2.30 pm Dr Eka Tchkoidze

The letter of Abgar in the Church practice (a Georgian case)

2.30-3.00 pm Dr Alessia Brombin

Interpreting Scripture through Chrysostom’s lens: John Chrysostom’s path to divine reconciliation

3- 3.30 pm Dr Guram Lursmanashvili

George the Hagiorite and his contribution to Georgian biblical studies

3.30-3.45 am Coffee break

3.45-5.15 pm Panel Discussion: Scripture as a Prophesy about Christ: Different Approaches to Scriptural Exegesis in Patristic Tradition

Chair: Guram Lursmanashvilli

5.30-6.45 pm Dinner at Sormoni Restaurant (57 Alexander Kazbegi Ave, Tbilisi 0101)

7 pm Vespers in the Faculty Chapel

Tuesday 5 December

SCRIPTURE AS A WORD OF GOD

Talks at the Theological School of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University in Tbilisi

8.45-9.00 am Prayer

1st Session

Chair: Dr Emil Marginian

9.00-9.30 am Dr Dionysios Skliris

The logoi of Scripture according to Saint Maximus the Confessor and their relevance for a contemporary Narrative Theology

9.30-10.00 Dr Bogdan Brinza

“Ὁ πάθος and τό πάθημα – Their role in the demarche of interpretation of the Holy Scripture in the vision of Saint Maximus the Confessor.”

 10 -10.15 am Coffee break

2nd Session

Chair: Natalia Munataeva

10.15-10.45 am Dr Eirini Arthemi

Scriptural exegesis of Cyril of Alexandria

10.45- 11.15 am Dr Emil Marginian

An innovative spiritual approach to holy writings and sacred scriptures in Nil Sorsky

11.15-11.45 am Dr Stefan Zeljkovic

Reading scripture as orthodox theologians means living scripture as disciples of Christ towards others

12.00-1.30 Lunch

3rd Session

Chair: Dr Petre Maican

1.30-2.00 pm Dr Sotiris Mitralexis

Scripture’s language and its sociopolitical adventures: An unfortunate case study from early 20th-century Greece

2.00-2.30 pm Rev. Dr  Nathanael Neacșu

Scripture, Church, Tradition. A dynamic theological reading of the Scripture within the traditional framework of the Church

2.30-3.00 pm Rev. Dr Stephen Headley

Scripture as God’s writing on our heart

3-3.30 pm Dr Raul-Ovidiu Bodea

The notion of Biblical Faith in the Theology of John Zizioulas

3.30-3.45 pm Coffee break

4.00-6.00 pm Round Table: Brainstorming Different Approaches to Biblical Exegesis

Chair: Natalia Munataeva

6.10 pm Dinner at Sormoni Restaurant (57 Alexander Kazbegi Ave, Tbilisi 0101)

Wednesday 6 December

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

Talks at the Theological School of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University in Tbilisi

8.45-9.00 am Prayer

1st Session

Chair: Dr Natalia Doran

9.00-9.30 am Aleksandre Gabunia

Rediscovering Scriptural perspective of Byzantine iconography: The inverted perspective of Orthodox Christianity

9.30-10.00 am Dr Petre Maican

The primacy of experience in interpreting Scripture: A critical assessment

10.00-10.30 am Dr Natalia Doran

Creation Psalm – a case study of Orthodox interpretation

10.30-10.45 Coffee break

10.45- 11.15 am Dr Viktar Niachayeu

The empirical study of the regularity and importance of Bible reading among the highly religious Orthodox population

11.15-11.45 am Slavisa Kostic

The contribution of  Emilijan Čarnić to Biblical hermeneutics and textual criticism for Serbian Biblical Scholarship

12.00-1.30 pm Lunch

2nd Session

Chair: Paschalis Tsitsifulas

1.30-2 pm Dr Elena Narinskaya

The prophets and community building in Biblical exegesis

2-2.30 pm Dr Lawrence Osborn

To till and to keep: towards an Orthodox reading of Genesis 2:15 in the context of the Climate Crisis

2.30-3 pm Dr Viorel Coman

The Holy Spirit and Scripture: Andre Scrima’s contribution to Vatican II’s dogmatic constitution on Divine revelation Dei Verbum

3-3.15 pm Coffee break

3.15-4.45 pm Round Table

Reading Scriptures as Orthodox Theologians: Contemporary Challenges and Perspectives

ORIC Members Research and Publications Reports

Chair: Dr Olga Sevastyanova

5 pm Brainstorming of the ORIC Future Activities

6 pm Dinner at Sormoni Restaurant

7 pm Conference Closing and Vespers