'Themes in Contemporary Theology' Lecture by Very Revd Prof. Alexis Torrence

On 24 September, faculty and students welcomed via Zoom the Very Revd Prof. Alexis Torrance, Archbishop Demetrios Associate Professor of Byzantine Theology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA, for the College’s ongoing series ‘Themes in Contemporary Theology.’

A protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, Fr Alexis warmly thanked Archbishop Makarios for the invitation before addressing the topic ‘Of His Flesh and Bones: Theological Anthropology via the Humanity of Christ.’ Based on insights from his recent book, Human Perfection in Byzantine Theology: Attaining the Fullness of Christ (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020), Fr Alexis explored the Christology of Sts Maximus the Confessor, Theodore the Studite, Symeon the New Theologian and Gregory Palamas in order to demonstrate the immediate existential relevance for our humanity, via an exploration of the saints’ reflections on our participation in the holy Eucharist as well as related themes.

A robust Q&A followed with fascinating observations from faculty and students, all of which were deftly addressed by Fr Alexis.