| If a student from Middle America enrolls in today’s university, he or she may quickly discover that certain ideas on campus are not only unacceptable, they are considered dangerous or a form of hate. They may be quickly bullied or enticed into changing their speech, and learning to become part of the controlling mainstream of campus reality. This is the world of American Post-Modernism on the University Campus. It is not found everywhere, but it is found in many (perhaps most) places. I was in a University setting in the late 80’s at Duke University, where Post-Modernism was becoming all the rage. It had not yet become the dominating force of campus life, but it was beginning. It felt like an echo of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. I had a fellow student (a woman) bring charges against me for calling her “dear” in the course of a doctoral seminar. If the circumstances had been slightly different, I would have been suspended. She is probably still suffering from the intolerable pain of the “insult.” Of course a socially-based construct of reality requires a heavy dose of social interaction. The close quarters and isolation of a University’s culture provides a cocoon of sorts, an incubator for the practice of “political” theory. But the rise of social media (which, interestingly, had its beginning in the university setting) has broadened the playing field. Today, social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is deeply integrated into the larger media experience (news outlets in all forms). With it, the world becomes a college campus, “reality” is socialized and shaped by media. It is this role of social media and its prominent (even “all-consuming”) role in youth and Millennial culture that has enabled the sudden shift of public opinion on sexual politics over the past decade. If perceptions and labels are social constructs, then the way to change them is to overpower them. Our public perceptions and politics have not changed through a careful exchange of ideas and rational discourse. They have been “over-powered” through a Post-Modern-inspired social campaign that sometimes bullies, “flames,” and simply overwhelms. The response and participation of the larger media in this process has ratified a new “social construct” and marginalized discussion and dissent. |
| Orthodox Christians can reverse this trend by creating a campus ministry environment that is willing to sail into deep waters and get messy with our culture. College students need to encounter an Orthodox Christianity that is willing to honestly wrestle with the great questions of our culture and not politely avoid them for fear of offending people. This goes beyond simple question-and-answer sessions at chapter meetings or national conferences. It means pro-actively educating young people to seek answers from the Church on life’s most important questions. It means dealing with doubt. College campuses are not neutral environments when it comes to the questions about life, and campus ministry should not be a neutral environment either. Campus ministry leaders need to confront the great questions of our culture by presenting Orthodoxy in its fullness. This means more than simply posing questions, it means giving honest answers that come from the heart of the Church’s Tradition. The Orthodox answer to questions about human life, forgiveness, marriage, sexuality, gender, work, family, vocation, love, and worship need to be compassionately and clearly presented. Why hide the Church’s most beautiful and healthy teachings when they have the power to change so many lives? Christ reminds us to “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) The second way to reverse this downward slide is to stress the difference between information and wisdom when it comes to our Faith. Our culture is saturated with information from a variety of outlets such as social media and 24-hour news services. It is the information age. Likewise, when it comes to Orthodox Christianity, campus programs often settle for presenting information about Orthodoxy rather than the wisdom of Orthodoxy. Information about Orthodoxy limits our knowledge to facts and ritual knowledge while the wisdom of Orthodox Christianity provides us with the ability to use our faith to live our vocation as human beings. Deep down, college students yearn for an experience of faith that is more than Facebook posts and YouTube videos. They yearn for the meaning that only Christ can give and an authentic sense of community that can only be found in the hospital of sinners that is Church. |
| Catholic, Orthodox students unite The university’s new Catholic Chaplain, Father Jordan Lenaghan, is working to support the Eastern Orthodox community at Quinnipiac. As part of this mission, Father Peter Orfanakos, a Greek Orthodox pastor from Orange, Conn., held a Vespers service on Thursday, Nov. 14. A Vespers is a prayer service done in the Eastern Orthodox Church at sunset to honor a different saint each day. Eastern Orthodox students and members of the Catholic Student Association attended the Vespers service. “We just want to help out our fellow brothers and sisters of faith,” said senior Marina Dugan, public relations for the Catholic Student Association. Father Orfanakos was senior Evan Milas’ pastor growing up. Milas said he would enjoy having more Vespers services on campus. “It was great having [Father Orfanakos] come to campus,” Milas said. “Just kind of a piece of home coming here.” Father Orfanakos and Father Lenaghan hope to hold more services that both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox students can attend. “I think what you’re seeing tonight is the giant leap forward,” Father Orfanakos said. Father Orfanakos will speak at a faith and dialogue series on prayer in the Eastern traditions in the spring semester, Father Lenaghan said. Father Lenaghan also plans to reach out to the Hellenic Student Association, the Greek student group on campus which many Orthodox students are a part of, to find out their needs. “Catholic chaplaincy is providing the opportunity for Orthodox students to come to a deeper appreciation and understanding of their own religion by providing services and opportunities for them,” Father Lenaghan said. A stronger Eastern Orthodox presence on campus is something Orthodox students have been calling for, according to Father Orfanakos. “At the very practical level, there are Orthodox students at Quinnipiac and this is a way to meet their religious [needs],” Father Orfanakos said. About 1.5 percent of students identify as Eastern Orthodox, according to Father Lenaghan. |
| Joining the choir as canonarch—a liturgical soloist in Orthodox monastic practice—will be Hierodeacon Herman (Majkrzak) of St. Tikhon’s Monastery brotherhood and teacher of liturgics at St. Tikhon’s Seminary. McInnis Auditorium is located on the main campus of Eastern University at 1300 Eagle Road Saint Davids, PA 19087. A campus map is available for download . Proceeds from the event will benefit St. Tikhon " s Theological Seminary and the Orthodox Center at Eastern University. Tickets will be available at the door and are for adults and for students. Direct donations above that level are most welcome. Seating is limited, so please write to orthodox@agorainstitute.org to express interest and reserve tickets for pick up at the event. ++++ More about the Center The Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture is a new academic program offered by the Agora Institute of Eastern University in Philadelphia. Students at the Center benefit from a rigorous education in the Great Books of Eastern Christianity, a regular cycle of Orthodox worship, and are able to pursue accredited degrees in 35+ different fields through the Templeton Honors College and Eastern University. Eastern University’s scenic 90+ acre campus is located on a former estate in the historic “Main Line” area of suburban Philadelphia, close to the St. David’s train station (5 minutes) and a brief (20 minute) train ride into downtown Philadelphia. Contact orthodox@agorainstitut e.org for more information. More about the Chamber Choir The Chamber Choir of St. Tikhon’s Monastery is a professional vocal ensemble under the auspices of St. Tikhon’s Monastery in Pennsylvania, America’s oldest Orthodox monastery. Founded in 2015 by artistic director, Benedict Sheehan, and Archimandrite Sergius, abbot of St. Tikhon’s Monastery, the Chamber Choir’s mission is to explore, promote, and build up the tradition of Orthodox sacred music in America, and to bring people of today’s world into contact with the living tradition of ancient Christianity through vibrant and inspiring choral singing. The group is comprised of some of the finest solo and ensemble singers in the New York area and around North America. |
| [Eighth Day Institute, Feb 2019] Back in my college days, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I was a hippie and a spiritual seeker. The range of spiritual options on campus was broad, and I sampled a bit of everything: Ananda Marga Hinduism, Zen Buddhism, Hare Krishna, Transcendental Meditation. I say I was a “seeker,” but that’s not exactly right; I didn’t expect to reach a destination. I was, more accurately, a spiritual explorer, always traveling toward a new horizon. There’s something about that era that I don’t understand, though. My friends and I savored all the more-esoteric religions, but for some reason we hated Christianity. We ridiculed it automatically, reflexively. The Jesus Freak movement had arrived on campus and, when I ran into newly born-again students, I enjoyed trying to shake their faith. I’d tell them that the myth of a dying-and-rising god isn’t unique to Christianity, but appears in religions around the world. I savored any opportunity for unsettling them and sowing doubts. Christianity roused in us a kind of malicious delight, though I don’t know why. Somebody donated stacks of the paperback New Testament, Good News for Modern Man , and they were placed in all the dorm lobbies. My friend George, at his dorm, tore them up. When bystanders objected, he said, “It’s a bad translation.” We thought this was hilarious—a witty bit of revolutionary theater. And we felt, for some reason, that Christians deserved this kind treatment. We told each other that it would do them good. I don’t remember how hearing their faith mocked and insulted was supposed to help them. But something stirring inside made us want to embarrass or sadden them. Other religions didn’t stir up this zestful cruelty; only Christians roused this desire to wound and gloat. The hostility was so inexplicable, yet so intense, that you’d almost think it was related to some unseen spiritual battle. We told each other that Christians deserved this treatment because they were stuffy and judgmental. But the Jesus Freaks on campus weren’t like that. They looked like our fellow hippies, and were humble, cheerful, and generally amiable. We found that irritating. I would say, “There’s something wrong with those Christians. They’re too clean .” |
| Companies Tom’s and Tyson regularly have chaplains and religious leaders minister to their employees. Forever 21 prints the verse John 3:16 on the bottom of all of its bags, and Herman Miller is run in the Reformed Protestant tradition. According to the poll, these actions are well received by most demographics except one. According to the poll, young adults, 45 years old and younger, are less interested in Christian businesses. Youths under the age of 25 are the least interested in Christian businesses. Moreover, four percent of adults 18 to 26 years of age are even slightly less likely to be patrons of Christian businesses. That is the highest percentage among all the age ranges. Recently, college students at the Indiana University South Bend led their chancellor to suspend Chick-fil-A from selling its chicken sandwiches on two campus locations. Students and college staff raised concern over Chick-fil-A’s embrace of traditional marriage. Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy stressed that the company’s franchises often give food donations to community efforts, including to Pennsylvania churches hosting marriage workshops. Gay rights groups had caused uproar when they found out that two Philadelphia Chick-fil-A locations donated food to a Pennsylvania Family Institute marriage seminar. PFI openly champions traditional marriage between one man and one woman as its public policy platform. The controversy caused Chick-fil-A to be temporary suspended from serving food at Indiana University campuses. Cathy, a Southern Baptist, has stated his personal belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. The Cathys also supports traditional marriage through their organization, the Winshape Foundation. Chancellor Una Mae Reck, however, reinstated Chick-fil-A on Indiana University campuses on Feb. 3. “Upon review, it is clear that the local Chick-fil-A franchise providing sandwiches to campus in no way violates the letter or spirit of those policies,” Reck concluded in a statement. |
| John Reeves , Blumenthal Professor of Judaic Studies, Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte: “Moses on the Margins: Eschatology and Demonization.” Professor Reeves published in 1996 Heralds of That Good Realm: Syro-Mesopotamian Gnosis and Jewish Traditions and more recently (2005) Trajectories in Near Eastern Apocalyptic: A Postrabbinic Jewish Apocalypse Reader. He awaits the imminent appearance of his Prolegomena to a History of Islamicate Manichaeism, which illustrates well his enduring interest in the complex religious antecedents to Islam. Program Registration The registration fee will be for students), and will cover the Thursday evening full buffet, breakfast daily and lunch on Friday and Saturday, refreshments at lecture venues during the day, and distributed materials. In addition, a cafeteria and other eateries are available on campus. Evening meals will not be provided, but recommendations and instructions will be circulated, listing the wide range of restaurants available within easy Metro distance. Take this opportunity to sample, in one another " s company, what DC has to offer. The University is served by the Red Line " s Brookland station immediately adjacent to the campus. For your registration form, please click on the link immediately above. Accommodation Simple but recently refurbished hall-of-residence accommodation on campus will be available for speakers at a rate of per night (which will include all bedding, linen, and towels). Showers and toilets are provided in what will be gender-specific corridors. Special needs can be met. Others attending from outside Washington should make their own arrangements, and if you would like information about what is available nearby, please contact the Administrative Coordinator (see below) after March 12: we shall be delighted to send you a list by email attachment. Publication All papers delivered at the conference (which may be extended and revised) will be considered for inclusion in a volume published by the Catholic University of America Press as part of the Center " s " CUA Studies in Early Christianity " series. Acceptance of a shorter paper for delivery, however, is not an automatic guarantee of publication. |
| For well over half a century, Orthodox Christian Fellowship has served on the front lines of Orthodox Christian college campus ministry, and has sought to embolden our students not only in their pursuit of academic excellence, but also in support of their pursuit of Divine Truth through the Holy Orthodox Church and the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ! OCF is again excited to announce the continuation of their highly successful initiative, “The First 40 Days” program, which involves extensive effort from our Orthodox Chaplains and Spiritual Advisors alongside our student leaders in order to contact every incoming freshman within their first 40 days on campus. We wholeheartedly pray for and strongly encourage your support of these noble efforts by ensuring that the contact information for your parish’s incoming college students be sent each and every year to the OCF North American Office for dissemination to our dedicated local chapters across North America! Additionally, with the greatest sincerity and earnestness, we encourage your committed financial support of this fundamental ministry, which functions completely on the contributions of caring Orthodox faithful like yourselves. We are asking that a special collection be taken on this day in support of the good work of OCF, and encourage the entire faithful – clergy, parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles and friends of our treasured college students – to be generous in your offering of support to this ministry on their behalf. May our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, who calls that all men and women seek to dwell in the fullness of unity of which only He can truly provide and fulfill, guide and strengthen all of our cherished and blessed Orthodox college students all across North America. +Bishop Gregory – bishopgregoryofnyssa@gmail.com Liaison to OCF for the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America Jennifer Nahas – jennifer@ocf.net Executive Director of OCF Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese |
| “This practicum is highly recommended by the Holy Synod of Bishops for participants in the Church’s Diaconal Vocations Program and other programs of diaconal formation.” Photo: www.oca.org The Ninth Annual Diaconal Liturgical Practicum — a program held in conjunction with the Orthodox Church in America’s Diaconal Vocations Program [DVP] and Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary — will be held Sunday, July 12 through Wednesday, July 15, 2015 on the seminary campus in Yonkers, NY. The four–day program will focus on intense practical liturgical training for deacons and lay diaconal candidates. During the program, practical liturgical training will be supported by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and other services, while intensive workshops will provide participants with the skills needed to serve effectively as an attentive server, deacon, or priest. In addition, focused presentations will augment the deacon’s understanding of his place in the liturgical life of the Church and his broader vocation as a symbol to the faithful of the diakonia of Jesus Christ. “This practicum is highly recommended by the Holy Synod of Bishops for participants in the Church’s Diaconal Vocations Program and other programs of diaconal formation,” said Archdeacon Kirill Sokolov, DVP Director and leader of the practicum’s liturgical workshops. “In addition to liturgical practice, sessions will also cover chanting and vocal technique and address public speaking and teaching about our faith.” Participants are asked to arrive after 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 12. The last day of the practicum, July 15, includes morning Divine Liturgy, a closing discussion, and brunch. Participants may leave campus at noon for 3:00 p.m. and later flights from area airports. Registration information may be obtained by contacting dvp@oca.org . Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. |
| Under the leadership of Archbishop Iakovos (1911–2005) of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese, SCOBA initially brought together the presiding bishops of eleven jurisdictions and developed a number of committees to deal with common challenges. Although SCOBA was not a formal synod, in canonical terms, many viewed it as the first step towards greater administrative and canonical unity. Each jurisdiction continued to maintain its own identity, yet SCOBA provided a significant means of cooperation. Unlike the earlier federation, SCOBA included the Russian Orthodox metropolia as well as the Moscow patriarchal exarchate. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (the Synod Abroad) refused to cooperate at this time, citing its opposition to those who recognized the leadership of the Church of Russia. SCOBA set about coordinating various national pan-Orthodox activities which had begun in earlier decades. These included programs related to religious education and campus ministry. An Education Commission and a Committee on Scouting were established in 1960. These were followed by a Campus Commission in 1965. The Orthodox Theological Society was established in 1965. With the development of the ecumenical movement, SCOBA became responsible for establishing formal bilateral theological dialogues with the Episcopal Church (1962), the Roman Catholic Church (1966), the Lutheran Church (1968), and the Reformed Churches (1968). A commission for dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox Churches was established in 2000. In more recent years, SCOBA has formally sanctioned the establishment of a number of additional agencies. Among the most notable are the International Orthodox Christian Charities (1991), the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (1994), and the media outreach of the Orthodox Christian Network (2003). A Military Chaplaincy Commission supports chaplains for Orthodox Christians serving in the armed forces. In addition, seven other pan-Orthodox organizations have received SCOBA’s endorsement. |
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