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Important issues Δελτία Τύπου Event for Peace and Justice
Important issues Δελτία Τύπου Event for Peace and Justice | Event for Peace and Justice |
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 On Monday, May 9, 2011 in Auditorium A of the School of Theology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), the Volos Academy for Theological Studies and the Schools of Theology (AUTH) held a successful event on Peace and Justice on the occasion of the book, published by the Volos Academy, entitled: "And on earth peace ... A vision and a call for the people and churches today. An Orthodox contribution" (Athens: Indiktos, 2010). Dr Angeliki Ziakas, Lecturer in the Faculty of Theology and a member of the organizing committee, welcomed the participants and guests. A warm introductory welcome was also given by Prof. Dimitrios Kaïmakis, President of the School of Theology, who stressed in his remarks that peace is a biblical concept connected in the Old Testament with justice and in the New Testament with love, and that it pertains to the whole person and every aspect of one’s life, i.e. one’s relationship with God, oneself, one’s fellow human beings, and the environment. His Eminence Metropolitan Ignatius of Demetrias noted, among other things, that: .jpg "eirini_(25).jpg") “With the hope of the Heavenly Jerusalem and the experience of the foretaste of the Eschaton every time the community is gathered together ‘in the same place,’ the Church as a body and each member individually must struggle to realize ‘blessed are the peacemakers’ (Mt. 5:9) and ‘blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake’ (Mt. 5:10).  The thirst for reconciliation, justice, equality, freedom, respect, and sacrificial love for one’s fellow human being lies at the heart of the Gospel message. For Orthodox theology, abusive human tendencies and deviations, such as conflicts, violence, war, social injustice, poverty, inequality—which are essentially the result of selfishness, egoism, and the whole host of the demonic powers of division and the corruption—are nothing but the alienation of human nature, the denial of the unity of the human race and, ultimately, opposition to God’s plan for the salvation of the world.”His Eminence thanked the President of the School of Theology, Prof. Dimitrios Kaïmakis, for his hospitality and ten years’ of magnificent cooperation between the School of Theology and the Volos Academy, and highlighted the important and pioneering role of the School of Theology in issues related to the ecumenical dialogue.  The first speaker, Professor Petros Vassiliadis of the School of Theology (AUTH), presented the biblical and liturgical conception of peace in the Orthodox tradition, noting that this is what the Church hopes and prays for in the Liturgy, i.e. the peace of the whole world, and that the Church must, with its pastoral and social work, realize this peace and witness to it in the modern world. .jpg "eirini_(44).jpg") Dr Dimitra Papadopoulou, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Director of the UNESCO Chair of AUTH, after congratulating the Volos Academy for Theological Studies for its multifaceted and fascinating work, which pertains to the dialogue between Orthodoxy and the modern world and its problems, highlighted the commonalities in the activities of the UNESCO and the initiatives of the WCC, such as are presented in the Academy’s new book, “And on earth peace….”  Finally, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander of Nigeria attempted to assess the current state of affairs in Africa and the role that the Orthodox Church can and should play there in order to promote and cultivate a culture of peace. As examples, he cited the traditional Ouzama and Oubudu, which demonstrate that those who teach the Gospel as the word of peace and reconciliation ought to take into consideration the context and “the earth” in which one is called to grow and bear fruit. Ethics, customs, and local traditions, if they are utilized correctly, can become productive tools and not lethal weapons. .jpg "eirini_(97).jpg") The Director of the Volos Academy, Dr Pantelis Kalaïtzidis, offered the Department of Theology, as “antidoron,” a complete collection of the books of the Academy for Theological Studies for the School of Theology’s library.The event was moderated and coordinated by Dr Stelios Tsompanidis, Assistant Professor of the School of Theology, and Dr Eleni Kasselouri-Hatzivasileiadis, Member of the Academic team of the Volos Academy and Teaching at the Hellenic Open University. The event was attended by faculty members of the School of Theology (AUTH), graduate and undergraduate students of the School of Theology, master's students in the Hellenic Open University’s “Studies in Orthodox Theology” program, students from other Schools of AUTH, and teachers of religious education of the public school system.
For more photos, click here .
 
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