On November 2, 2023, Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Executive Director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross will participate in the International Conference “Accessibility-Disability-Church” organized by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the School of Social Theology and Christian Culture.
About the conference:
Accessibility as an important social good and basic human right of people with disabilities has been at the center of discussions in recent years. The same shift and a growing interest in the position of people with special needs is also observed in the various Christian traditions. The discussion in the church space focuses mainly on the pastoral and advisory support that each church community can and should provide to people with disabilities, but also more generally on the theological reflection on the position of these people within the Church. The main questions are whether and in what ways the life of the church community can be made “accessible” in its various manifestations to people with disabilities and what is the theological framework of acceptance and exclusion of these members of the church community. The issue of accessibility in this case covers a wide range of concerns and highlights an important field for the development of pastoral action and theological discourse with the aim of ministering to man while always respecting the human person and his particularity.
Therefore, the present Conference moves within the framework of this reflection and aims to investigate, firstly, what are the conditions and possibilities of developing an “accessible” theological discourse for people with disabilities and, secondly, to what extent and in what ways church life and practice can be accessible to people with a variety of special needs. The purpose of the conference is to bring together theologians and ecclesiastical bodies, representatives of groups of people with disabilities, experts in the field of disability outside the theological field, and scientists active in the field of disability, to raise and process the issues that will arise. from the dialogue between the interlocutors involved, to propose actions and formulate theological and pastoral proposals that will take into account the needs and particularities of people with disabilities. Finally, with the aim of raising awareness and educating our students on issues of accessibility in the church environment, a teaching workshop and the performance of the Divine Liturgy with a modern translation into sign language are planned.
About the HEI
The Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross seeks to facilitate and advance dialogue with other churches and faiths, particularly around theological and ethical, as well as pastoral and practical dimensions of contemporary issues and social challenges of our time. It strives to explore and express the fundamental ethos of the Orthodox Church in open encounters and honest engagement with other confessions and communities.
For further information on the Huffington Ecumenical Institute, contact Elena Kontogli at ekontogli@hchc.edu.