19 October, 2020
Dear Fathers and Friends,
Greetings from the OTSA Executive Committee. We are excited to announce the schedule and registration link for the upcoming Annual Meeting, and to share a few other important things with you.
- The 2020 Annual Meeting: The schedule and registration for our Annual meeting on November 12-14 are now available. The outline of the schedule is attached to this email. A more detailed conference schedule with the paper abstracts will be available here on the 2020 Annual Meeting page on our website shortly.
- Registration is FREE to members in good standing, which means you must be current in your dues. For non-members and inactive members, the registration fee is $30.00 Register for the meeting here. Once registered, a ZOOM link (and credentials) will be sent.
- If needed you can add your dues to the cart when registering.
- There is no fee for those with complimentary or provisional membership.
- The meeting will be virtual, via ZOOM, for the first time. Understanding that this format brings with it new challenges as well as benefits, we have incorporated into the schedule a variety of ways for us to engage in theological discussion, thoughtful reflection, and friendly conversation. The theme of the meeting is Theological Anthropology, and we have a wide range of papers and a panel presenting on that topic, offering a variety of perspectives, promising lively and insightful discussion. We also have a panel on the timely topic of the relation of the Academy and the Church, arising from the blog OTSA has sponsored. We will have the opportunity to pray together, reflect on crucial topics, renew acquaintances and friendships, and make new ones.
- Our meeting is set up to enable multiple small breakout sessions. Your input is especially important in this. Please contact Teva to schedule a “dinner conversation” during the Thursday and Friday dinner hours (between 6:00 and 7:00 pm), and identify those with whom you would like to “dine.” In addition, we have thematic discussion groups set up for Friday lunch; let us know if you would like to be part of a particular thematic “lunch table” or if you want to host a thematic “table” at that time. Finally, we have the opportunity for socializing in small groups on Thursday and Friday evenings after the formal programs of the meeting; please let us know if you would like us to set up a group for you and your party. Email Teva: teva@mit.edu or Helen: helen60076@ayhoo.com.
- Florovsky Lecture: A separate registration is necessary for the Florovsky Lecture, which will be in webinar format, free, and open to the public. This year the speaker for the Florovsky Lecture will be Fr. Michael Plekon, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Sociology, Religion and Culture, The City University of New York-Baruch College. The title of the lecture is “Community as Church, Church as Community: Death and Resurrection in the Parish Today.” Register in advance for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
- OTSA Small Grants: OTSA provides seed money and/or small grants for Orthodox initiatives. Through these grants, OTSA seeks to help and support the mission of Orthodox associations and initiatives with the greater purpose of building up the body of Christ. Those interested in applying for a grant should provide a proposal, which includes a short description of the project/initiative (~300 words), information about the requesting organization, and the funding request amount. The deadline for application for grants for this year is November 6, 2020.
- Academy and the Church Blog: Our newest post is by Crina Gschwandtner, “Keeping the Tradition Alive Today.”
Please consider offering a post to this blog, which is ongoing. We will address the topic further at a panel at the Annual Meeting.
- Meeting between OTSA Officers and Archbishop Elpidophoros: On October 9, Archbishop Elpidophoros (Chairman of the Assembly of Bishops), Bishop Irinej (Chairman of the Committee for Agencies and Endorsed Organizations), staff from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and the Assembly of Bishops, and current OTSA officers met via ZOOM to discuss the relationship between the Assembly of Bishops and OTSA. We reviewed the history of OTSA and the ways in which it has worked in collaboration with the Assembly of Bishops. We then explored ways in which OTSA can provide assistance to the hierarchs, and to the entire body of the Church, through its work of the exploration and examination of theological issues and areas of concern to the faithful today. His Eminence saw OTSA’s contribution to this study as important and beneficial, and encouraged our work. We hope to meet again to discover ways to implement these efforts.
- In Memoriam: We are saddened at the loss of our colleague Virginia Kimball, who reposed on July 18, 2019. A member of the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell, MA for many years, Virginia was also the president of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the United States and a past president of the Mariological Society of America. May her memory be eternal.
Respectfully submitted,
Teva Regule, PhD, OTSA President
Helen Creticos Theodoropoulos, PhD, OTSA Secretary