Workshop: “Orthodox Christianity and the Modern Age: Developing a New Hermeneutic of Tradition”

This workshop will examine the complex relationship between the Orthodox Church and modernity, focusing on its historical resistance to social and cultural shifts and the implications of its commitment to tradition. The discussion will cover the ideological divide between progressive Orthodox thinkers and traditionalists. By examining these perspectives, the workshop will assess how resistance to modernity has reduced the Orthodox Church’s appeal, weakened its missionary impact, and led to identity crises among younger adherents. Furthermore, the workshop will explore how emphasizing tradition fosters regressive stances that may harm social cohesion, intensify nationalism, and encourage intolerance. These tensions also have geopolitical implications, as tradition-based ideology influences Russia’s cultural and political opposition to the West. The workshop will promote the evolution of theological ideas that would allow Orthodoxy to align with contemporary society.

Respondent: Eric Gregory(Link is external), Department of Religion

Image: Blind Mother, Egon Schiele, Wikiart