Happy Easter!
A Blessed Holy Week!

Violent Death and Remembrance

“During war, the Orthodox Church prayed for peace, and also warned its members not to kill, for killing in war was still murder. For instance, Canon 13 of Basil the Great stated that any soldier who killed on the battlefield was to be deprived from receiving communion for 3 years. With martyrdom as the ideal way of embracing the paradise, the attitude was simply reduced to the logic that it is better to be killed than to kill, and it challenged the moral authority of erratic sovereigns. Dying an innocent death becomes a gateway towards immortality, because the killer deprives the victim from the opportunity to repent. [...] The burial of the dead triggered the creation of ample memorial services that defined how such heroes were to be remembered by the posterity. In such a context, the violent death caused by the fury of war (or religious persecution) became associated with a particular doctrinal construal. In the name of devoutness, the real stories were skewed in ways that turned the moral qualities of a hero into archetypes of holiness. Paradoxically, the rituals constructed around such fallen heroes become epicentres for collective healing through forgiveness and reconciliation.” (Marian G. Simion, “The ambivalence of ritual in violence: Orthodox Christian perspectives”, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 73(3), a4526. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v73i3.4526)

PODCAST:

The Meaning of Lamentations in the Slavo-Byzantine Rite

CALL FOR PAPERS

4th International Conference ComSymbol on

“Belief in Technology: Mediatization of the Future
and the Future of Mediatization”

Aurel Vlaicu University
November 8-9, 2018, Arad, Romania

IMPORTANT DATES!

April 6: Abstract Submission
April 15: Abstract Acceptance Notification
June 15: Paper Submission
July 7: Paper Acceptance Notification

All proposals and questions should be addressed to: essachess@gmail.com

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invitation to participate in a survey
“Liberal Views of Religion in Political Campaigning”

This survey is part of a field education project conducted by Shannon Noe`lani Schmidt, a graduate student at Harvard Divinity School and IPSEC Research Associate, under the supervision of Marian Gh. Simion, PhD. The survey attempts to study the presence of religion in political campaigning in the United States, and also to investigate the liberal attitudes toward this phenomenon. Therefore, the survey is limited to the United States of America. In order to collect reliable data, we invite only our US readers to participate in this survey. Thank you in advance for your participation, cooperation and understanding. If you have questions or concerns please contact Dr. Simion at office@ipsec.education. (Please click here if the survey does not appear below!)

Religion for Diplomats is an IPSEC coaching program designed to train Foreign Service officers and transnational business leaders in the arts of political ritual, religious etiquette, religious protocol and diplomacy, and negotiation with religious leaders. The program is anchored in Dr. Marian Simion’s postdoctoral project “Global Religion Advancing Successful Policymaking,” (GRASP) developed at Harvard Divinity School during 2013-2015, and it is anchored into the theories, structures and practices of diplomacy, as well as into the role of religion in human affairs. (For details, contact Dr. Marian Simion at office@ipsec.education).

WCC decries violence on Israel-Palestinian border (Ekklesia Daily Bulletin)

When the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed (L’Agence France-Presse)

Greek Orthodox Church Sells Land In Israel, Worrying Both Israelis And Palestinians (NPR)

For more news about conflicts affecting Orthodox Christians around the world, click here!

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The first part reviews ancient Christian writings, rituals, religious laws, and contemporary writings, for the purpose of identifying the core teachings of the Orthodox Church on violence and peace. The second part explores themes such as ‘evil’ and ‘dualism’ for the purpose of comprehending heretical attitudes that emerged during times of war. Political subjects such as Just War and Nationalism are explored for the purpose of identifying instances when members of the Orthodox Church sanctioned defensive violence and bolstered xenophobia. The third part recommends peacemaking methods applicable to Orthodox Christian settings in light of the tripartite dimension of violence against God, self, and another human being.