St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) faculty, staff, and new and returning students marked the beginning of the 2023 Fall Semester on Thursday, August 24, with a Moleben (Prayer Service) for the Beginning of a New Academic Year.
The incoming class of twenty-five men and five women hail from six countries: The United States, Canada, Georgia, Kenya, India, and Romania. The seminarians represent ten Eastern and Oriental Orthodox jurisdictions:
Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA)
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR)
Moscow Patriarchate in the USA (MP)
Serbian Orthodox Church
Romanian Orthodox Church
Georgian Apostolic Church
Coptic Orthodox Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
One first-year seminarian, Caleb Rexford, is coming to seminary from the OCA Diocese of the South to enter the Master of Divinity program.
"I am really hoping to grow in every area of my life while here," he said, "I feel like I’m building my house on a good foundation…so that I can speak about my faith in confidence, and someday even be able to teach and guide others."
SVOTS President, The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield addressed the entire student body on Sunday, August 27, exhorting them to approach their seminary education with a balanced, prayerful mindset.
"The formation you receive at St Vladimir’s Seminary should look like a three-legged milking stool," said Fr Chad. "Academic formation, pastoral formation, and spiritual formation–each one of these is an essential aspect of your training here as future clergy and lay leaders who will go out into the world and serve the Church."
Counting the incoming class, the total student body at SVOTS this year is ninety-three seminarians.
Other additions to the faculty for Academic Year 2023-24 include The Rev. John Black (M.Div. ‘23) and The Rev. Nicholas Fine (M.Div. ‘23). Fr John Black will instruct students in the practice of liturgical music in the Russo-Slavic tradition, and Fr Nicholas Fine will give instruction in Byzantine chant.
May the intercessions of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, our patron Great and Holy Prince Vladimir, and all the saints be with our seminarians, faculty, and staff as a new academic year commences in service to Christ!
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of Archpriest George S. Corey, who fell asleep in the Lord at age 87. Fr George was born on December 19, 1935, in Charleston, WV. He graduated from Charleston High School in 1954, then attended Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Brookline, MA, then St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary when it was still located in Manhattan, NY, then the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey which is attached to the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Fr George traveled extensively throughout the Middle East on six different occasions throughout the years. He also attended and graduated from Morris Harvey College (now, The University of Charleston) where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology/Psychology. He then received a Master of Divinity degree and Doctor of Ministry from St Vladimir’s Seminary.
As a priest, he served the following parishes during a 35-year period: St Michael Church in Louisville, KY (1962-1966); St George Church (now, Cathedral) in Pittsburgh, PA (1967-1977); St George Church in Boston, MA (1977-1986); St George Cathedral in Coral Gables, FL (1986, his sabbatical parish); and St Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY (1987-1997). In 1976, Fr George accompanied Metropolitan Philip (Saliba), the Antiochian Archdiocese Primate of North America to visit the Orthodox Church in the former Soviet Union.
During these 35 years of service, he taught the Orthodox Christian faith at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA; Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline, MA, and at St Vladimir’s Seminary to men studying for the holy priesthood. He also served on the Board of Trustees at St Vladimir’s Seminary as President of the Alumni Association. He served as a Trustee of the Orthodox Monastery of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, where he also served as Vicar General. He was the longtime editor–for more than 20 years–of The Word, the official publication of the Antiochian Archdiocese.
At the appointment of the Metropolitan Archbishop, Fr George was instrumental in the unification of the New York and Toledo Antiochian Archdioceses, the agreement for which was signed by the bishops in Fr George's Pittsburgh office. He also served in the efforts of the Antiochian Archdiocese with the Orthodox Church in America for the canonization of Bishop RAPHAEL of Brooklyn, NY.
He served as spiritual advisor over a period of years for Teen SOYO and the Fellowship of St John the Divine and helped draft the constitution of the Antiochian Women in North America. For his efforts, he was awarded the Holy Cross of Mount Lebanon by the Archdiocese of Zahle, Lebanon; and he was awarded the Antiochian Gold Medal of Merit from the Archdiocese of North America.
Fr George was medically retired in June 1997 whereupon he moved for a short period of time to Lexington, KY. In January 1998, he moved to Ft Lauderdale, FL, and lived there for twelve years. He worked at a very prestigious bookstore on Las Olas Blvd for two years then was resident manager for a 100-unit apartment building for five years. Fr George then taught at an elementary school for special needs children for two years. He adored those "special" children. He then lived in a retirement home in Ft Lauderdale for two years before deciding to move back to Charleston. People have asked him why he moved home, and he said: "I was born, baptized, and raised in Charleston and I want to die in Charleston." And, so, it has come to pass!
He was preceded in death by his parents, Schakabe "Mutt" and Lena Thabet Corey of blessed memory. Fr George is survived by his son George and wife Ana Lucia and his grandson, Matthew Corey of Westport, CT; his son, David, and wife Megan and his grandsons, Augusten and Jude Corey of Grosse Pointe MI; his son, Michael and his wife Grisel Corey and their twin sons, Marc and Michael of Westport, CT; and, son Jonathon and wife, Brijette and his granddaughter, Livia of Westport, CT.
He is also survived by his sister Dolores Bsharah of Redford, MI; sister Barbara Farha of Jacksonville, FL; and brother Lawrence Corey and his wife Lorraine Corey of Burke, VA - as well as all the stray cats, birds, and squirrels that came daily to his patio to be fed. Neighbors called Fr George "St Francis of Assisi" because of his love for animals.
The funeral services will take place at St George Orthodox Cathedral on the corner of Lee and Court Streets in Charleston, where his earthly remains will lie in repose, as follows: Visitation on Friday, August 25 from 4 - 8 p.m. with a Vespers service at 7, followed by the Trisagion Prayers of Mercy. Saturday, August 26, Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. and Funeral Service at 12 p.m., followed by the interment at Sunset Memorial Cemetery. A meal of mercy will be offered at 3:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in South Charleston. Prayers and services are to be conducted by the Dean of the Cathedral, the Rev. Fr Joseph Hazar, Dean Emeritus the Very Rev. Olof Scott, and other visiting clergy.
The graveside service will be held at Sunset Memorial Park in South Charleston. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Freeman Funeral Home of Chapmanville, WV. The Corey family has requested family and friends to refrain from sending flowers. Contributions in Fr George’s memory can be made to St George Orthodox Cathedral, P.O. Box 2044, Charleston, WV 25327-2044 or to Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or to a charity of your choice.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of Reverend Father Andrew Daniel (Leeson Achen) (M.Div. ‘07), who fell asleep in the Lord on the morning of August 18, 2023.
Fr Andrew was a member of the 2023 cohort of the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program at St Vladimir’s Seminary. He served as the Vicar of various parishes in the Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, as a Diocesan Council member, and also as the Vice President of the Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Student Movement (MGOCSM) of the Diocese.
The funeral service was held at St George Malankara Orthodox Church in Staten Island, NY, and the burial service took place at Moravian Cemetery in Staten Island, NY, on August 21, 2023.
Dr Peter Bouteneff, longtime Professor of Systematic Theology at St Vladimir’s Seminary, has touched thousands across the American Orthodox world and beyond through his books, podcasts, and work in the sacred arts. Dr Bouteneff connects with his audience in a personable, down-to-earth manner, consciously seeking to engage listeners and readers in thoughtful conversation.
Dr Bouteneff lives just minutes on foot from campus, with his wife Patricia and their two cats. His son, Michael, works in theater production and is a touring musician (a heavy-metal drummer), and his daughter, Elizabeth, lives and works in South Korea.
How would you describe your background in the Orthodox Church and with St Vladimir’s Seminary? What or who do you feel shaped and formed you along the way?
I have been shaped and formed by some really remarkable people. There were always people in my life who were deeply involved in the Church, intelligent, thinking people, immersed in the arts and culture. My closest family and the people around them were of that world of Russians exiled to Paris – so, Fr Schmemann, Fr Meyendorff, Sophie Koulomzin, Nicholas Arseniev, and later, people like Fr Thomas Hopko. So Christ and the Church were natural subjects for me, nothing artificial, nothing “churchy” in the negative, sticky sense of that word. These people were so level-headed about their identity: loving the best of Russia but with a critical distance, loving Orthodoxy but without an “Orthodox agenda” as such. Because their priority was genuine Christian life. Orthodoxy was simply the natural outflow of that— especially through the Liturgy.
Dr Bouteneff during his student days, 1987-1990
I grew up not far from the seminary but went on to live in many far-flung places. College and conservatory in New England, then working in Japan, travels in the Far East, a month on Mount Athos, some weeks at Fr. Sophrony’s monastery in the UK. Before all my travels, I had no idea that theology would be an attractive pursuit, but as I was heading back to the States I suddenly knew I was headed for St Vladimir’s Seminary. I didn’t know where it would lead; I just knew I wanted to get closer to the Church. Where it did lead, to my continued surprise, was further study in theology! So, to Oxford to learn from Metr. Kallistos Ware – where I also met my future wife, Patricia. Then five years of ecumenical work in Geneva, and, well, back to St Vladimir’s Seminary. I arrived here in the year 2000, and I’ve been here ever since.
In Iasi, Romania, with his doctoral supervisor Met. Kallistos Ware, of blessed memory, January 2019
Say something about your teaching at St Vladimir’s Seminary, in “dogmatic”—or is it “systematic” theology?
Yes, when I arrived here we were calling it “Dogmatic,” but—at some point–we started using the term “Systematic Theology,” which is simply the method by which we teach the dogmas: systematically—topic by topic—like St John of Damascus and others did. Because that’s kind of how we human beings process things: you can’t say everything at once. So you consider, in turn, God, His Son, His Spirit, the Church, the Human Person, redemption, etc. And of course, all those subjects are interrelated, and more importantly they all have their center in the person of Jesus Christ. But anyway these are still “Dogmatic Theology” courses.
You know, having spoken so wistfully of my early mentors, I’ll say that the most challenging aspect of my teaching early on was trying to follow my predecessor Fr Thomas Hopko. Fr Tom had a massive influence on my thinking, maybe more than anyone I studied with—and that says a lot! Anyone who has heard him speak knows what a hugely compelling, informed, and charismatic teacher he was. How on earth do you fill those shoes? It took me years to realize that, well, you don’t.
So I began gradually finding my identity, my role, and my voice. That said, I don’t feel I have a special distinctive “Bouteneff” theology. Because who would need that? I strive to be faithful to the Church’s teachings and its life. And of course, I am speaking from my studies, my experience, and my genuine faith convictions. So it sounds like “me” because it is honestly me. But I’m not planting a flag or building a brand.
The books you’ve written have been on such a variety of subjects…
Yes! One of my favorite aspects of my vocation, and St. Vladimir’s specifically, is that I’ve been given the freedom to pursue my interests, whatever they are. As a result, I’ve scarcely written two books on the same theme. They all followed my interests at the time.
So, Sweeter Than Honey was a kind of first overview of how we do theology. Then I got really interested in how different people read Genesis 1-3, historically, allegorically, etc., and thought to ask, well, how did the early Fathers read those chapters? So I wrote the Beginnings book. Then of course came my fascination with the great composer Arvo Pärt, and the Out of Silence came as a result.
With Arvo Pärt, in Estonia, with an icon presented to him by the seminary, June 2015
And from that came the Institute of Sacred Arts, yes?
Most definitely. You know that my first education was in music – specifically in jazz bass and ethnomusicology. And I still play out regularly. I brought my love of music to the Church - singing in and directing church choirs - but with the Institute of Sacred Arts, it all comes together: music, iconography, architecture, hymnography, with theology and especially with the Liturgy. So our Institute has been producing books, courses, events, and my podcast “Luminous” where I talk to all these amazing people…
With Dr Alexander Lingas at the Cappella Romana concert co-hosted by ISA in March 2023
Back to books, what about How to Be a Sinner?
Well, that’s another book that arose out of my own peculiar interests and curiosity. I was always perplexed by how the “sinner” language, and even the “sinner” identity, worked in the spiritual life. And it turned out that a lot of people shared that perplexity because I think it’s been my most-read book. I certainly get a lot of invitations to give talks about it.
The book I’ve just finished writing is called Jesus for Introverts. That one came out of my own experience as an introvert finding his way through the spiritual life and social life. It’s written in the same style as How to Be a Sinner, where I’m basically sharing insights from my experience, through my reading of the Tradition. And I’m writing as unpretentiously and unsentimentally as I can, as if to a friend. In all these projects, basically, I’m writing books that I’d be interested in reading, books that I need to read! And I figure if I do, then maybe someone else does too…
What do you enjoy about teaching?
Well, that’s easy: it’s the students. In my 23 years of teaching, at the beginning of every year without exception, I am blown away to see this roomful of people who have embarked on this adventure, this risk, for the sake of Christ and the Church. Often they’ve left behind a career, a house, and maybe family, they’ve sacrificed their financial security, and they’ve entrusted it all to God’s hands. And they’re sitting there waiting for us to say something, to speak of things that matter. They trust us to be reliable vehicles for Orthodox Christian teaching. It’s so humbling—talk about entrusting yourself to God’s hands—I do it before every single lecture. And then it becomes so invigorating. You watch connections being made. You get great questions, super-interesting new insights from students. Lately, I’ve begun, once in a while, to actually tell them, in the classroom, that I respect and love them. And I hope that doesn’t feel too weird for them… I figure it’s kind of like a parent’s right, to make your kids squirm once in a while – I mean, I graduated seminary long before most of these folks were even born…
You’re going on sabbatical this year! Do you have a project?
Yes! First, a shout-out to Prof. Alex Tudorie, our Academic Dean. He has been a wonderfully supportive and effective faculty leader, and I have him especially to thank for the sabbatical this year. But I did promise him that I’d produce a book, and it’s on another subject I care very deeply about, namely, the theological reconciliation between Eastern and Oriental Churches. I was first “caught” by that issue during my stint at the World Council of Churches, where the two families have a common “Orthodox” voice. And then here at St. Vladimir’s, where we are so amazingly blessed to have students from Eastern Orthodox churches as well as from the Indian, Coptic, Armenian, Syrian, and sometimes also Ethiopian and Eritrean churches. Even as we feel the pain of being out of sacramental communion with each other, we are constantly experiencing the communion of our history, faith, and worship. Living, studying, and praying side-by-side in our community is a powerful witness of that unbroken connection. So in my book, I’ll be revisiting the early history as well as the modern dialogues. And I hope that this will help build further confidence in the possibility of our restored sacramental communion.
Anything else you’d like to add?
To close, I think the Seminary is in an exceptionally good place right now. The faculty—my goodness! Brilliant, thinking, prayerful people, who love the Church and love our students. (My only wish would be for women on our full-time faculty, but hopefully, that will come!) The staff too are a fabulous team to work with: super-competent and fun. And Fr Chad leads it all with wisdom, and with more balance than most people are aware of. And God keeps sending us students! I’m full of gratitude for all of it.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of His Eminence Metropolitan Daniel (Nushiro) of Tokyo and All Japan. Metropolitan Daniel fell asleep in the Lord Jesus Christ on Thursday, August 10, 2023, at the age of 84.
He served the Lord in clerical orders for 54 years, including 23 as the primate of the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church.
The future metropolitan was born Ikuo Yoshihara, on September 5, 1938, in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Metropolitan Daniel was a convert to Orthodoxy, baptized into the Orthodox Faith in 1956, taking Jude as his baptismal name.
In 1965, he graduated from the Tokyo Theological Seminary, and in 1968 from St Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Divinity.
The future Metropolitan Daniel (far left) with Japanese seminarian classmates and future co-laborers in the Orthodox Church of Japan, at SVOTS in 1967. From left: Jude Ikuo Yoshihara, Roman Okawa, Ekaterina Kato, Justin Yamaguchi, Savvas Onami.
Professor of Liturgical Music Emeritus, David Drillock, remembers the future metropolitan during his studies at St Vladimir’s Seminary as a quiet, studious young man. Other contemporaries recounted memories of a young Japanese seminarian who worked diligently at his studies, supporting himself by working part-time at the local hot dog joint, Nathan’s.
After returning to Japan, he was ordained to the diaconate in November 1969, and to the priesthood in January 1972. He was appointed rector of St Matthew Orthodox Church in Toyohashi, Japan, where he served as a parish priest until 1999.
Following the death of His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosius of Tokyo and All Japan in 1999, he was tonsured a monk in Russia and subsequently consecrated to the episcopacy as Bishop of Kyoto. In early 2000, Bishop Peter [Arihara], another Saint Vladimir’s Seminary alumnus, was elected Metropolitan of Japan, but prior to his enthronement and elevation to the primatial see, he resigned for reasons of health and died shortly thereafter. It was then that Bishop Daniel was elected Primate of the Japanese Church. His elevation to the rank of Metropolitan and enthronement, at which His Holiness Patriarch Alexei of Moscow and His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius of the Orthodox Church in America were present, took place in Tokyo in May 2000, three days after the death of Bishop Peter.
His Eminence Metropolitan Daniel last visited the Saint Vladimir’s Seminary campus in September 2003 as part of a visit to the US for the Enthronement of His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman of the Orthodox Church in America.
St Vladimir’s Seminary Dean at the time, Prof. John H. Erickson, members of the faculty and administration, and the student body welcomed Met. Daniel warmly and held a prayer service at Three Hierarchs Chapel. At the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Daniel reminisced about his years of study at the seminary. He shared with the community the overwhelming feelings he experienced as he passed through the gates of the seminary. With tears in his eyes, he remembered his departed professors and expressed words of gratitude for the education he received through them.
Also in 2003, Met. Daniel spoke about his ministry in the Japanese Church in the interview, “Divine Love Must Reign in the Heart of Man,” leaving behind a valuable record of his worldview and missiological outlook.
The Metropolitan presided over the celebration of several important anniversaries for the Japanese Orthodox Church in September 2020: the 150th anniversary of its founding, the 50th anniversary of its autonomy, and the 50th anniversary of the glorification of St Nikolai of Japan.
His Eminence Archbishop Seraphim (Tsujie) of Sendai led a panikhida for Metropolitan Daniel in the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo on August 16, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. On August 17, a large number of Japanese and multinational Orthodox clergy and faithful gathered at the cathedral to attend Divine Liturgy and the hierarchical funeral service, presided by Archbishop Seraphim. His Eminence led the funeral procession to Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery for the burial.
With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share the news of the repose of Archpriest Joseph Shaheen, 91, who fell asleep in the Lord Jesus Christ on Friday, August 4, 2023, in Naples, FL.
Since his priestly ordination in 1959, Fr Joseph pastored four communities: St George Church of Upper Darby, PA; St George Church of Indianapolis (now Fishers), IN; St Nicholas Church of Montreal, Quebec; and St Paul Church of Naples, where he retired from active ministry in 2017. His tenure covered the construction or renovation of three of those churches. Additionally, Fr Joseph served as ecclesiarch at Archdiocese Conventions, overseeing the operations of the hotel chapels.
"Dear ones, it is essential that we understand that the departing of Fr Joseph Shaheen truly marks the 'end' of a foundational era for our Archdiocese here in America," said Fr. Paul Girgis, Fr. Joseph's successor in Naples. "In fact, he was among the last living men to have been ordained to the holy priesthood by His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony Bashir of blessed memory. That is three metropolitans ago! Fr Joseph was a man that had been involved in building up so much of what we have in the Antiochian Archdiocese today, not to mention our parish here in Naples and several before! May the Lord grant him Paradise."
Fr Joseph graduated St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1960 (M.Div.). In addition to his pastoral duties, he served as spiritual advisor for regional chapters of Teen SOYO, the Fellowship of St John the Divine (now Young Adult Ministry), and the Order of St Ignatius of Antioch. Fr Joseph was elevated to the dignity of Archpriest in 1977.
Funeral arrangements are pending with divine services planned for Aug. 10-11 at St Paul Church in Naples. Final arrangements will be announced soon.
Fr Joseph is survived by his wife, Kh. Diane, to whom he was married for 64 years, and their children Rebecca, Joseph, and Philip.
His Eminence Metropolitan Saba and the hierarchs, clergy, and laity of the Antiochian Archdiocese extend their love and sympathies to the family and friends of Fr Joseph.
Join us for St Vladimir's Seminary Education Day 2023! Listen to discussions by Orthodox scholars and ask them your burning questions on a variety of topics, including Scripture, Church History, current events, and other topics such as; end-of-life issues, personhood, and the importance of Orthodox literature in our lives today. Education Day Online is a six-hour “Zoomathon” where you can participate and pose questions to Seminary professors and guest scholars.
Registration for this event is closed.
The online event is Saturday, August 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT (7 a.m. to 1 p.m. PDT). Join Education Day Online when a topic that interests you is scheduled, or join several discussions throughout the day. It's up to you when you join and for how long. (See the schedule below.)
Education Day Online is also for a good cause—join us and help raise$100,000 to educate seminarians! Attendance is FREE. Please consider making a donation as you register or during the event. (If donating through our Giving Page, please write "ED DAY" in the comment section.)
You may submit questions now, as you register, to be asked during the event on August 5 (please indicate what topic your question belongs to in the comment box). Of course, you will be able to submit questions during the event as well.
Faculty members from St. Vladimir’s Seminary will be joined by Dr Edith Humphrey, SVS Press author and William F. Orr Professor Emerita of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary; the Rev. Dn Dr Sampson Nash, Associate Professor of Medicine for the St Vladimir’s Seminary Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program, and Adjunct Professor of Christian Ethics at St Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (STOTS); Dr Mark Cherry, the Dr. Patricia A. Hayes Professor in Applied Ethics and Professor of Philosophy at St Edward’s University in Austin, TX; Dr Alexander Titus, independent scholar and instructor at Scholé Academy; Dr Paul Meyendorff, Father Alexander Schmemann Professor Emeritus of Liturgical Theology at St Vladimir’s Seminary (1987-2016); and Dr James Buchanan Wallace, Chair and Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Christian Brothers University. We look forward to a fruitful and enlightening day of discussion!
In this faculty spotlight interview, we speak with the Rev. Dn Dr Harrison Basil Russin, known around campus as Dn Harrison. On Saturday, Aug. 5 at 3:05 p.m. EDT, Dn Harrison will be co-hosting the session “Embodying Tradition in Contemporary Orthodox Liturgical Music: Back to the Future?” for Education Day Online 2023, alongside Dr Alexander Lingas, Professor of Music at St Vladimir’s Seminary.
Dn Harrison is the Prokofiev Assistant Professor of Liturgical Music at St Vladimir’s Seminary, as well as the Director of Music at the Seminary. Dr Russin has a Ph.D. in historical musicology from Duke University and has published and lectured internationally on medieval and renaissance music. He is also an active church musician, directing three choirs at St Vladimir’s Seminary, teaching courses in singing, reading, music theory, composition, and conducting, and serving as a consultant to the Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Liturgical Music and Translation. Dn Harrison and his wife Mat. Gabrielle met as seminarians at St Vladimir’s Seminary, and they are both honored to be back working and living at their alma mater. Their son, Simon, just turned one year old.
Dn Harrison, please share a bit about your family background and early life in the Church. What were some early influences that led you to dedicate your life to serving the Church as a seminary educator?
My father’s family immigrated from Galicia (Poland) to the US in the 1890s, and they were part of the movement that was led from the Greek Catholic Church to the Orthodox Church under Fr (now Saint) Alexis Toth. Saint Alexis baptized my grandfather. My mother’s family is of German Protestant background, and has been in America since the mid-18th century. I was baptized in the Orthodox Church as an infant but raised with exposure to both the Orthodox Church and the United Methodist church.
It was primarily my college experience that led me to a deeper Orthodox faith, and that brought me into contact with St Vladimir’s Seminary. I first attended a summer institute in 2007 (one of the last Institutes) and I fell in love with the school. Honestly, I never made a conscious goal of being a seminary educator. I came to the seminary as a student in 2010, and had a fantastic experience as a student; I was offered a part-time position in 2016 teaching music, as I was finishing my doctorate at Duke, and that became full-time in 2020.
As a St Vladimir's Seminary alumnus, how do you draw on your experience as a former student in relating to current students? What do you strive to impart to all of your students?
I have been blessed to have studied under wonderful teachers, thinkers, and readers. The chapel has always been the center of my seminary experience, both as a student and now as a professor, and I hope I can relate that sense of joy in worship to my students. There were many times as a student I remember studying one topic from different angles in different classes, and the chapel was a place where those angles could cohere into a whole.
What is community life at St Vladimir's Seminary like for you?
Similarly, community life for me revolves around the chapel. We are not passive spectators in worship, but constantly engaging in the pronouncement of the word and the singing of hymns. Since my ordination to the diaconate in May 2023, I have been able to witness and “read” another element of Orthodox worship.
On another level, I live in an apartment in a building with seminarians, and we are constantly interacting in different ways. There are many children here the same as my son, and it is a joy for me to see him grow up here.
You led the organization of the Summer Music Institute this year, propelling forward a bold topic: the composition of new liturgical music for use in American Orthodox worship. Why did you and your collaborators feel this was an important area of focus?
Working closely with Talia Sheehan of St Tikhon’s Seminary and Monastery, we focused on the topic of new musical composition because we felt that the creative energy in that direction had “dried up” to a degree; of course, people are still creating new music for worship in the Orthodox Church, but there seems to be little cohesion or guiding principles. Our goal this summer was to gather three composers who are quite different in their experiences and priorities and have them demonstrate how they articulate a vision for music in the Orthodox Church.
What were some key takeaways from this year's Summer Institute?
I always leave the Institute exhausted and exhilarated. The reading session on the final day of the Institute was particularly inspiring; we were able to hear and sing compositions submitted from musicians across the country, and pay attention to how they navigate the different challenges posed by setting liturgical music in English.
In this year's Education Day Online, you and Dr Alexander Lingas will be continuing this discussion of the composition of liturgical music. Can you give us a sneak peek of some of the points you will touch on?
Dr Lingas and I will discuss the different ways the “past” of Orthodox music has been imagined and revived over the centuries. As Dr Lingas has pointed out, there was a general musical lingua franca across the Orthodox world until the 15th century; the musical traditions of most national Orthodox Churches derive from what we call “Byzantine Chant” today. We’ll tie a historical knowledge of Orthodox music to questions about what that can mean for present practice.
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Join the conversation, Embodying Tradition in Contemporary Orthodox Liturgical Music: Back to the Future?, on Saturday, Aug. 5, at 3:05 p,m. EDT, with Dr Alexander Lingas and the Rev. Dn Dr Harrison Basil Russin. Register now to save your seat in their virtual classroom and submit your questions ahead of time.
