Cyril Hovorun

Cyril (Serhiy) HOVORUN

Fields of expertise:

• Christian traditions of late antiquity

• ecumenism and convergence of traditions

• ecclesiology

• political theology and social ethics

• sociology of religion

• dialogue between religion and science

• new forms of teaching in multi-cultural environments

• international cooperation of theological schools

Positions:

• Assistant Professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles

• Director of Huffington Ecumenical Institute

• International fellow at Chester Ronning Centre for the Study of Religion and Public Life (University of Alberta)

Language proficiency: Ukrainian, Russian, Modern Greek, and English (speaking); Latin, Old Greek, French, and Italian (reading)

Education:

1992 Department of Physics at the Kiev National University

1994 Kiev Theological Seminary (BTh)

1998 Kiev Theological Academy (MTh)

Thesis: Movement of the Kollybades in Greece in the 18th Century and its Influence on the Development of the Church of Greece (in Russian).

2000 Department of Theology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (BA)

2003 MA and PhD in Theology at the University of Durham (UK)

Thesis: Theological Controversy in the Seventh Century Concerning Activities and Wills in Christ. University of Durham, UK. Supervisor: Andrew Louth. Published by Brill: Cyril Hovorun. 2008. Will, Action and Freedom.

Teaching experience

Full time:

2002-2005 Early Christian traditions at the Moscow Theological Seminary ‘Sretenskaya’

2003-2007 Early Christian traditions at the Moscow Theological Academy

2007-2012 Early Christian traditions at the Kiev Theological Academy

2009-2012 Early Christian traditions and methodology of research at the Doctoral School of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow)

2014-2016 Systematic theology at Sankt Ignatius Theological Academy, Stockholm

2016 Political theology at the National University of ‘Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’ (Kiev, Ukraine)

2016-2017 Eastern Christian Traditions at Loyola Marymount University

Lectured at:

• Seminary ‘Makarios III’ in Nairobi, Kenya

• Minsk Theological Academy, Belarus’

• St Tikhon’s Humanitarian University, Moscow

• Smolensk Theological Seminary, Russia

• Nikolo-Ugresh Theological Seminary in Moscow

• Kazan Theological Seminary, Russia

• Penza Theological Seminary, Russia

• Saratov Theological Seminary, Russia

• Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary, Russia

• Tavricheskaya Theological Seminary in Simferopol, Ukraine

• Poltava Theological Seminary, Ukraine

• Orthodox Seminary in Paris

• Villanova University, USA

• University of Heidelberg, Germany

• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• University of Oxford

• Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong

• Alliance Bible Seminary in Hong Kong

• St Joseph University in Macau

• Taiwan Theological College and Seminary

• Beijing Normal University, China

• Peking University, China

• Tsinghua University in Beijing, China

• Renmin University in Beijing, China

• Capital Normal University in Beijing, China

• Minzu University in Beijing, China

• Beijing Language & Culture University, China

• Nanjing Theological Seminary, China

• Princeton Theological Seminary, USA

• Nankai University in Tianjin, China

• Chinese Academy of Social Science, Beijing

• University of Uppsala, Sweden

• University of Manitoba, Canada

• University of Winnipeg, Canada

• University of Regina, Canada

• University of Alberta, Canada

• Harvard University

• Yale University

• National University 'Kyiv-Mohyla Academy' (Ukraine)

• University of Munich

• University of Iceland

• Butler University (Indianapolis)

• University of the Fraser Valley (Canada)

• Zhejiang University (China)

• Durham University

• Columbia University

• University of Toronto

Membership and fellowship:

• Accompaniment Group for the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland

• American Academy of Religion

• Association for the Sociology of Religion

• International Association of Patristic Studies (AIEP-IAPS)

Research experience

From 2012 to 2014, I was a research fellow at Yale University. My project was on ecclesiology. Among the foci of my studies was the perception of the church in the early Christian period. I employed a wide array of interdisciplinary instruments, including sociology of religion and political science.

My research is focused on the historical developments of the Christian theological traditions, both eastern and western, from the apostolic times through the Late Antiquity. I regularly present on this period at the Oxford Patristic conferences, congresses of Byzantine studies, theological conferences in Bose (Italy), annual meetings of the Fellowship of St Alban & St Sergius (UK), Patrologentagungs organized by the Pro Oriente Foundation in Europe, Orientale Lumen conferences in the US and Australia, Windsor consultations on ecclesiology, meetings of St Irenaeus group on the theological dialogue, biannual International theological conferences in Moscow, etc. I am a member of the North American Patristic Society, Association for the Sociology of Religion, and American Academy of Religion, and participate in their conferences.

Since May 2016, a visiting scholar at Harriman Institute in Columbia University. Subject of the research: the religious dimension of the Maidan and the war in the east of Ukraine.

Selected presentations at recent conferences (2012-2015)

Religion and the crisis in Ukraine

American Academy of Religion

Atlanta, November 2015

Fundamentalism in eastern Christianity

International conference “Political theology: theological reflection on contemporary politics”

Belgrade, November 2015

Russian Theologians on the Boundaries of the Church

International Conference “Models of Unity in the Quest for Christian Unity 19th 20th Century”

Bose, Italy, October 2015

The Letter of the Polish Bishops as an inspiration in seeking solutions to actual conflicts

Conference on the 50th anniversary of the Letter by Polish Fathers of Concilium Vaticanum II “We forgive and we beg for forgiveness”

Rome, October 2015

The Church and War - a Complicated Dialectics of Relationship

5th International Congress of Belorussian Studies

Kaunas, October 2015

The Role of the Churches in the Ukrainian Crisis: Ecumenical Cooperation

Council on Christian Approaches to Defence and Disarmament

Baltimore, September 2015

Cyril of Alexandria: a phenomenological theologian?

Oxford Patristic Conference

Oxford, August 2015

From Byzantium to China: pattrens of the church-state relations

International Conference on Jing Jiao (Nestorianism)

University of Hong Kong, June 2015

Interpreting the ‘Russian world’

The Churches in the Ukrainian Crisis

Freising, Germany November 2014

Theological Languages of Ecumenical Convergences

Historicizing Ecumenism

Bose, Italy November 2014

Maximus Confessor on primacy

Saint Irenaeus Joint Orthodox-Catholic Working Group

Rabat, Malta November 2014

Crisis in Ukraine

Putin, Religion, and Ukraine

Fordham University, New York November 2014

Creative traditionalism: John Damascene

Polyphonic Theology of the Church Fathers

Heidelberg October 2014

The Paths of the Orthodox Ecclesiology in the Twentieth Century: Eucharist and Community

Eucharist in Contemporary Orthodox Theology

Bucharest October 2014

Beyond New Jerusalems and New Romes: Toward the Triangle of Church, Society, and State

Church in the modern society

Joensuu, Finland September 2014

Ecclesiology of Communion as the Common Language of the Confessional Traditions

Communio – koinonia: sources, ways, understanding

Kiev September 2014

Church-State Relations: Dilemmas of Human Freedom and Coercion

Blessed are Peacemakers

Bose, Italy September 2014

Ideologies: New Dividing Lines in the Church

Ukrainian Orthodoxy in the Global Family of Orthodox Churches

Toronto May 2014

Civil religion in the Orthodox milieu

Political modernity and the responses by contemporary Orthodox theology

Vienna January 2014

Civil Religion and Religious Pluralism

The Orthodox and the Other

Oslo December 2013

Maximus, a Cautious Neo-Chalcedonian

Annual meeting of the North Americal Patristic Society

Chicago, IL May 2013

Church Between Sacred and Profane: Towards Accepting State

Church and Democracy

Stockholm, Sweden February 2013

Evolution of Church Governance: from the Diaspora-Model to Pentarchy

I Concili Ecumenici: aspetti storico-giuridici e canonistici

Rome,

Pontifical Oriental Institute December 2012

Can ‘Canonical Territory’ Survive Modern Ecclesiology?

Canonical territory as a modern challenge

Oslo, Norway December 2012

The Regional and Universal Church in the Current Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue

Symposium on the involvement of the Russian Orthodox Church in ecumenical relations

Castle of Hernen, The Netherlands November 2012

The Science and Religion Dialogue in the Post-Atheist Setting

The Science and Religion Dialogue: Past and Future

Heidelberg, Germany

October 2012

Borders of Salvation: Reading Fathers with Russian Theologians

Patristic Colloquy “For us and for our salvation” - Soteriology in East and West

Esztergom, Hungary

October 2012

Patristics After Neo-Patristics

A Celebration of Living Theology

Durham, UK

July 2012

Transmitting Christian Messages Across Cultural Borders

Orientale Lumen

Melbourne, Australia

July 2012

Educational System of the Russian Orthodox Church

The future of theology in changing landscapes of universities in Europe and beyond

Oslo, Norway

June 2012

Factors of the Church Unity from the Orthodox Prospective

The Primacy of the Pope in Catholic-Orthodox Ecumenical Dialogue

Kosiče, Slovakia

May 2012

Church and Nation

Ecclesiology and Nationalism

Volos, Greece

May 2012

A Quest for the Christian Identity

Windsor Consultations on Ecclesiology

Thessalonica, Greece

Feb 2012

I serve on the editorial board of the periodicals ‘Church and Time’ (Moscow), ‘International Journal of Orthodox Theology’ (Bamberg, Germany), ‘Kyiv-Mohyla Humanities Journal’ (Kiev), and ‘The Wheel’. I am also a member of the evaluation committee of the Manfred Lautenschläger Award (formerly The John Templeton Award for Theological Promise).

Contributions to research and publishing projects:

2006-2010 Concepts and Practices of Freedom in the Biblical Traditions and Contemporary Contexts ~ University of Heidelberg with support of The John Templeton Foundation

2011-2012 Biblical Visions: Reading the Gospels with the Early Church ~ A guidebook to study Fathers of the Church in the ecumenical context. Project by the Commission on Faith and Order of the WCC

2011-2013 Orthodoxy and Ecumenism: A Handbook for Theological Education ~ A project of the WCC. Co-editor of the project.

2004-present Православная энциклопедия (Orthodox Encyclopedia) ~ A multi-volume project of the Russian Orthodox Church

2006-present The John Templeton Award for Theological Promise (later Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise) ~ member of the board of evaluators

2009-2010 The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity ~ Wiley-Blackwell.

2010-present Cathechism of the Russian Orthodox Church ~ Responsible for the chapters on Christology and Ecclesiology

2010-present Μεγάλη Ορθόδοξη Χριστιανική Εγκυκλοπαίδεια (Great Orthodox Christian Encyclopedia) ~ Project of the University of Thessalonika

2010-present Dialogue Between Science and Theology ~ under the auspices of The John Templeton Foundation

2015 Critical edition of the acts of the Slavic councils by the Corpus Christianorum, in collaboration with La Fondazione per le scienze religiose Giovanni XXIII in Bologna

Ecumenical experience:

Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to:

• Commission of the World Council of Churches on Faith and Order

• Orthodox-Lutheran dialogue

• Orthodox-Anglican dialogue

• Orthodox-Roman Catholic dialogue

• Orthodox-Oriental dialogue

• Orthodox-Jewish dialogue

• Dialogue of the Orthodox Churches and United Bible Societies

Administrative experience:

Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate

As an expert on internal and external church policies, church-state relations, was responsible for the relations between the local Orthodox churches.

Chair of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Managed relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest religious community in Ukraine, with over 12 000 parishes, with other religious communities within and outside of Ukraine, as well as with the Government of Ukraine, all major political parties, and non-governmental organisations. Obtained profound experience of the ways in which the church can be affecting and affected by the society. In the period immediately following ‘the Orange revolution,’ facilitated positive impact of the church on formation of civil society in Ukraine, initiated dialogues between previously hostile religious groups.

First deputy Chair of the Committee for education of the Russian Orthodox Church

Vice-rector of the Doctoral School of the Russian Orthodox Church

For approximately three years I was in charge of the process of reforming the educational system of the Russian Orthodox Church. This system includes 1 doctoral school, 12 universities, and 80 seminaries in 9 countries (including the United States). My task was to reconfigure this system and to make it compatible with the western educational standards, particularly the ‘Bologna process’ in the European Union. During the process of adjusting the Russian system to meet the Bologna requirements I established numerous international connections of the Russian theological schools with the western universities. As a result, the ecclesiastical educational institutions outperformed even the most prestigious state universities in Russia in some aspects of their work with the western partners. I organized joint PhD and Master programs with the Universities in Amsterdam, Helsinki, Heidelberg, Louvain, Fribourg in Switzerland, and others.

Coordinator of theological programs at the National University of ‘Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’

At the present stage, I develop master programs in Humanities for this leading Eastern-European University.

Associate dean of the Sankt Ignatius Theological Academy

The Academy runs a program of theological studies for the studeints with the Eastern (Byzantine) and Oriental traditions, in cooperation with the University of Uppsala.

Publications:

I have over 200 publications on Christian theology and spirituality in English, Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Greek, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Serbian, Swedish, Portugese, Chinese, and Romanian languages.

Most scholarly publications are available at: http://yale.academia.edu/CyrilHovorun/Papers

BOOKS:

(2016) #Кунсткамера великого и ужасного (Wonders of the Panorthodox Council), (Moscow: Christian Book Club), in Russian.

(2016) The Councils of the Orthodox Churches in the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Era. Edited by Alberto Melloni, Frederick Lauritzen, Georghios Vlantis, Cyril Hovorun, and Davide Dainese, (Turnhout: Brepols).

(2015) Meta-Ecclesiology, Chronicles on Church Awareness, (New York: Palgrave Macmillan).

(2014) 由安提阿到西安—聶斯托利派的演變 (From Antioch to Xi’an: an Evolution of ‘Nestorianism’). Hong Kong: Chinese Orthodox Press (in Chinese).

(2013) Orthodox Handbook on Ecumenism. Resources for Theological Education, Geneva: WCC-CEC-Volos Academy-Holy Cross School of Theology (co-editor).

(2013) Reading the Gospels with the Early Church. A Guide. Geneva: WCC (co-editor).

(2008) Will, Action and Freedom. Christological Controversies in the Seventh Century. Leiden - Boston: Brill The Medieval Mediterranean, 77.

ARTICLES in ACADEMIC JOURNALS

Peer-revieved journals:

(2016) “Humanitarianism and the Churches in Ukraine.” The Review of Faith & International Affairs 14, no. 1 (March 24, 2016): 43–50.

(2016) “Is the Byzantine ‘Symphony’ Possible in Our Days?.” Journal of Church and State, January 2016.

(2015) “Church-State Relations: Dilemmas of Human Freedom and Coercion.” The Expository Times 126, no. 6 (March 2015).

(2014) “Церковь и идеология: разделения и редукции.” (Church and Ideology: Divisions and Reductions, in Russian) Государство, религия, церковь в России и за рубежом 32, no. 3 (October 2014): 225–46.

(2013) “Church and Nation: Looking through the Glasses of Post-Secularism”, St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly 57 (November 3-4): 423-430.

(2013) “Influence of Neoplatonism on Formation of Theological Language”, Studia Patristica 58: 13-18.

(2013) “Evolution of Church Governance: from the Diaspora-model to Pentarchy”, Iura Orientalia IX: 91-99.

(2013) “Загальне та окреме в Церкві” (Common and Particular in the Church), Філософська думка: Sententiae IV: 194-201.

(2011) “Два значења слободе у источно-светоотачком предању” (Two Meanings of Freedom in the Patristic Tradition, in Serbian), Богословље 1: 8-19.

(2011) “Христианская этика: на пути от самодостаточности к самоопределению” (Christian Ethics on the Way from Self-Sufficiency to Self-Definition, in Russian), Труди Київської Духовної Академії 14: 55-59.

(2010) “Controversy on Energies and Wills in Christ: Between Politics and Theology”, Studia Patristica 48: 217-220.

(2005) “Hristos - unic şi compus” (Christ – One and Composite, in Romanian), Studii Teologice, Bucureşti Seria A III-A, Anul I, Nr. 2: 101-121.

Other academic and ecumenical journals:

(2016) “The Havana Declaration: Hopeful and Yet Ambiguous.” First Things, February 15, 2016.

(2016) “Orthodox Fundamentalism: From Religion to Politics.” The Wheel, no. 4 no. 4 (January 11, 2016): 54–60.

(2015) “„Politische Orthodoxie" als kirchliche Herausforderung.” Religion und Gesellschaft in Ost und West, December 2015, vol. 43: 22-5.

(2014) “The Church in the Bloodlands.” First Things, New York, October 2014. http://www.firstthings.com/article/2014/10/the-church-in-the-bloodlands

(2014) “Die Kirche auf dem Maidan: Die Macht des gesellschaftlichen Wandels.” Ökumenische Rundschau, no. 3 no. 3 (September 2014): 383–404.

(2013) “Factors of the Church Unity From the Orthodox Prospective.” Edited by Šimon Marinčák and Anthony O'Mahony. Orientalia et Occidentalia 13: 95-102.

(2013) “De regionale en universele Kerk in de huidige orthodox-katholieke dialoog”(On Regional and Universal Church in the Current Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue), Digitaal Oecumenisch Theologisch Tijdschrift 20: 28-33.

(2011) “Εἴσοδος στὴν Ἐκκλησία: ἕνα ξεκίνημα γιὰ τὴν ὑπέρβαση τοῦ δυαλισμοῦ” (Entrence to the Church: a Start for Overcoming Dualism), Σύναξη 117: 68-75.

(2010) “Дальнейшие пути реформирования духовного образования” (Further Perspectives on Reformation of the Theological Education, in Russian), Церковь и время 2 (51): 57-62.

(2010) “Christ’s Will and Freedom according to the Sixth Ecumenical Council”, Lutheran Forum 44.2: 40-47.

(2009) “L’orthodoxie aujourd’hui: un espace pour la grâce”, Irénikon LXXXII / 2-3: 193-211.

(2007) “The Cross: Fear of Death or Love to Life?” Sobornost, incorporating Eastern Churches Review 29.1: 60-66.

(2007) “One Europe: two humanisms”, Istina 52.1-2: 257-260.

BOOK CHAPTERS

(2016) “The Theological Hermeneutics of The Russian Orthodox Church’s Basic Teaching on Human Dignity, Freedom and Rights.” In Christentum und Menschenrechte in Europa: Perspektiven und Debatten in Ost und West, edited by Vasilios N Makrides, Jennifer Wasmuth, and Stefan Kube, (Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2016): 45-8.

(2015) “Maximus, a Cautious Neo-Chalcedonian”, in: Oxford Handbook of Maximus the Confessor. Edited by Pauline Allen and Bronwen Neil, (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2015): 106-26.

(2014) “Patristics after Neo-Patristics”, in: A Celebration of Living Theology. Edited by Justin Mihoch and Leonard Aldea. Bloomsbury: 205-213.

(2012) “Convergence between Theology and Science: Patterns from the Early Christian Era”, in: The Spirit in Creation and New Creation. Edited by Michael Welker. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: 111-119.

(2011) “Севир Антиохийский” (Severus of Antioch), in Книга еретиков (The Book of Heretics). Санкт-Петербург: Амфора Александрийская библиотека: 258-266.

(2009) “Papstamt: Manöver zwischen Extremen”, In: Stiftung Pro Oriente. Jahrbuch 2008, ed. by Stiftung Pro Oriente. Pro OrienteWien: Phoibos Verlag Wien: 166-171.

(2008) “Die Brester Union im Zusammenhang mit der Tätigkeit römisch-katolischer Missionare im Osten”, in: Die Union von Brest (1596) in Geschichte und Geschichtsschreibung: Versuch einer Zwischenbilang. Edited by: Johann Marte, Олег Турій. Pro Oriente, Інститут Історії Церкви Українського Католицького Університету Львів: 41-48.

Further information:

publications: http://yale.academia.edu/CyrilHovorun

video presentations: https://www.youtube.com/user/cyrilhovorun/videos

LinkedIn profile: Cyril Hovorun (https://goo.gl/azAAf4)