Byzantine Studies

Byzantine Studies is a rich and growing research interest in the Department of Theology and the wider University. Faculty and students within the department explore multiple facets of Byzantine Christianity, through a combination of attentiveness to the sources, multidisciplinary expertise, and a keen awareness of the contemporary ecumenical value of such scholarship.

A focus on the sources

Faculty and students explore the whole range of Byzantine theology on its own terms. Chronologically, the early, middle, and late periods of Byzantium are all covered. Thematically, research interests include but are not limited to: dogmatic theology, ascetic thought, hymnography, liturgy, homiletics, hagiography, and East-West relations.

Working across disciplines

The department collaborates closely with the Byzantine Studies Program housed in the University’s Medieval Institute. Through this program, we work with faculty in History, Classics, Art History, and beyond to provide an exceptional environment in which to train scholars of Byzantine Christianity, organize events such as the annual Mathews Byzantine Lectures, and fund research initiatives for faculty and students.

Byzantine theology and ecumenical encounter

The department is likewise conscious of the living dimension of Byzantine theology and its critical importance for contemporary ecumenical work. A rigorous study of the sources and a multi-disciplinary approach to the field is combined with a particular openness to the fruitful ecumenical dimension of the study of Byzantine theology. Initiatives such as the biennial Florovsky Tantur Symposium help showcase this ecumenical concern and ensure that the study of Byzantine Christianity is also part of an ongoing and constructive scholarly dialogue with the whole of Christian theology.