International Theological Conference on Deaconesses, Ordination of Women and Orthodox Theology to be held in Thessaloniki
DEACONESSES, ORDINATION OF WOMEN AND ORTHODOX THEOLOGY – International Conference to Honor Prof. Emeritus Evangelos Theodorou
*Information about the seminar are given in Greek here και here.
The program, the speakers and and their papers are displayed here
ORGANIZED BY
THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI
THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF HOLY CROSS, BOSTON USA
CENTER OF ECUMENICAL, MISSIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
«METROPOLITAN PANTELEIMON PAPAGEORGIOU» (CEMES)
Deaconesses, Ordination of Women and Orthodox Theology.
International Conventional and Electronic Theological Seminar and Conference, 22-24.1.15
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 Conference
After 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 Information
For 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»
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?
Programme Details
Thursday 22.1.15
Amphitheatre 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”
Cand. Dr. Sotirios Boukis
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 King’s College London
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
Humble Theological Contribution to our Orthodox Church on Her Way to the 2016 Pan-Orthodox Council. A research project in three parts for the period December 2014 – March 2016
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