Professor Christos Yannaras Visits USA

In the month of November the Serbian Western Diocese had an honor of hosting one of the most renowned Orthodox theologians and philosophers of our time, professor Christo Yannaras from Athens, Greece, author of more than 50 books and Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences in Athens.

Professor Yannaras' visit in USA began in Washington D.C., and continued with his meeting with Serbian, Greek, and American communities in which he delivered several important lectures. The visit filled with illuminating presentations, lively discussions, and thought-provoking interviews included Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Monastery of St Herman in Platina, Sacramento, San Francisco, Berkeley, New York, and other places.

All those who attended were enriched by his thoughts on the following topics: Crisis of Economy, crisis of Policy: Is there a cultural alternative? (San Francisco), Does Science Today Make Philosophy Superfluous? (San Diego), Religion and Church: Two Incompatible Realities? (Los Angeles), and other contemporary themes. The bulk of Professor Yannaras' work has been in studying and researching the differences between the Hellenic-Christian and Western European philosophical traditions. Yannaras is interested not in theoretical differences, but as these define praxis, that is, a mode of life. He "has been for several decades one of the most prolific, original, and contemporary Orthodox writers in Greece... and perhaps one of the most significant Christian philosophers in Europe," according to Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Christos Yannaras is an important Greek philosopher and author of more than 50 books, many of which have been translated into multiple languages. He was born in Athens in 1935. He is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences. He studied Theology at the University of Athens and Philosophy at the Universities of Bonn and Paris. He holds a doctorate from the Faculty of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He also holds a Ph.D. from the Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines of the Sorbonne. He has been nominated Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, by the University of Belgrade, St. Vladimir's Seminary and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Professor Yannaras has served as visiting professor at the Universities of Paris, Geneva, Lausanne and Crete.

Source: Diocese of Western America