On the occasion of the reception of his Eminence, Metropolitan of Diokleia Kallistos Ware as Fellow by the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, an International Conference is organized in Volos (Thessalia Conference Center, Melissiatika), November 20-22, 2015 on the general theme: "Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia (Ware): The Witness of Orthodoxy in the West."

    Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia (Ware) born in Bath, Somerset, England (1934), he was educated at Westminster School in London and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he took a double first in classics as well as reading theology. On 14 April 1958, at the age of 24, he embraced the Orthodox Christian faith (having been raised Anglican). In the 1964 edition of his book The Orthodox Church, Ware is described as "working in Montreal with the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile". In 1966 he was ordained to the priesthood within the Ecumenical Patriarchate and was tonsured as a monk, receiving the name "Kallistos". In 1966 Ware became a Spalding Lecturer at the University of Oxford in Eastern Orthodox studies, a position he held for 35 years until his retirement. In 1982 he was consecrated to the episcopacy as an auxiliary bishop with the title "Bishop of Diokleia", appointed to serve as the assistant to the bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. Despite his consecration, Ware remained in Oxford and carried on his duties both as the parish priest of the Greek Orthodox community and also as a lecturer at the university. On 30 March 2007 the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated the Diocese of Diokleia to a metropolitan diocese and thus Ware became a titular metropolitan. Metropolitan Kallistos is perhaps best known as the author of the book The Orthodox Church, published when he was a layman in 1963 and subsequently revised several times. In 1979 he produced a companion volume, The Orthodox Way. But his most substantial publications have emerged from his translation work. Together with G. E. H. Palmer and Philip Sherrard he has undertaken to translate the Philokalia (four volumes of five published to date); and with Mother Mary he produced the Lenten Triodion and Festal Menaion. He has authored many books and articles in international theological journals while many of his books have been translated in Greek. His books include: The Orthodox Church, 2nd ed. (Pelican, 1993), The Orthodox Way (Mowbray, 1979,) The Inner Kingdom: Collected Works, Vol. 1 (St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2000,) In the Image of the Trinity: Collected Works, Vol. 2 (St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2006,) Communion and Intercommunion (Light & Life, 1980,), etc.

    The conference is intending to deal with various aspects of his theological thought, ecclesiastical witness and paramount contribution to the presence and mission of Orthodoxy in the western world. The reception of the Church Fathers and patristic theology, his invaluable contribution to the English publication of Philokalia, the highlighting of the importance of the ascetic life and prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition, his understanding of personhood and the position of women in the Church, his ecclesiological and eco-theological insights, as well as his role in the bilateral inter-Christian dialogue with the Anglican Church and the Ecumenical Movement in general are some of the issues that will be discussed during the conference.

    The speakers include: Bishop Jonathan Goodall (Church of England), Dr. Norman Russel (Honorary Research at Stephen's House, Oxford, (UK), Petros Vassiliadis, Professor Emeritus, School of Theology, University of Thessaloniki (Greece), Marcus Plested, Associate Professor, Department of Theology, Marquette University (USA), Symeon Paschalides, Professor, Department of Pastoral and Social Theology, University of Thessaloniki, Rev. Dr. Andreas Andreopoulos, Reader in Orthodox Christianity, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Winchester (UK), Ivana Noble, Professor of Ecumenical Theology, Protestant School of Theology, Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic), Ekaterini Tsalambouni, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Theology, University of Thessaloniki (Greece), Dr. Niki Tsironis, Institute of Historical Research, National Hellenic Research Foundation (Greece), Dimitrios Moschos, Assistant Professor, School of Theology, University of Athens (Greece), Brother Luigi d' Ayala Valva, Bose Monastery (Milan, Italy), Nikolaos Asproulis, Academic Associate of the Volos Academy and the theological journal Theologia (Greece). During the honorary event that will take place after the end of the conference, except the key-note speech by the honored Metropolitan Kallistos, Metropolitan Ignatius of Dimitrias and Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies will also speak.

    The full program of the conference and the honorary event will be available soon at www.acadimia.org

    For registration please fill the form (click here)(click here)

    For more information, contact the Secretariat of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, Mrs Valila Giannoutaki.