COURSES
SPRING 2026 | Course Offering
The Ecumenical Movement – The Sources
The Ecumenical Movement that started in the second half of the 19th century does not constitute an ideology but rather reflects the authentic commitment to reconcile divided Christians in the unity of the Church and the reality of communion. Throughout the past century, the quest for Christian unity has assumed many shapes and forms that may be studied through major documents produced throughout the 20th century and beyond. This course will define the boundaries of Ecumenism and its challenges for contemporary Orthodoxy by looking inward as well as outward as faithful and thoughtful Christians.
This course will be taught by Rev. Dr. Nicolas Kazarian and facilitated by the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at HCHC.
3-credits | Online Synchronous | Mondays 6:30 PM (EDT)
SPRING 2026 | Course Offering
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: Life and Ministry
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is one of the most prominent and accomplished religious leaders not only in the Orthodox Churches but also in the global Christian world. His distinguished personality and patriarchal ministry have undoubtedly left a permanent seal on the recent history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Orthodox Church, and the broader society.
This course will outline and evaluate the enduring and formative tenure of the Ecumenical Patriarch on the First Throne of Orthodox Christianity from before his election to this day. It will especially highlight his invaluable contribution to Inter–Orthodox, Inter-Christian, and Inter-Religious relations, his ecumenical approach to major contemporary challenges—including, among others, secularism and globalization, religious fundamentalism and fanaticism, rising nationalism and racism, the demand for social justice, religious freedom, and tolerance. Special emphasis will also be given to the role of the Ecumenical Patriarch in finalizing preparations for and ultimately convening the historic Holy and Great Council.
This course will be taught by Dr. Stylianos Charalambidis. Dr. Charalambidis was born in Thessaloniki in 1979. He holds a Degree in Theology and Law from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as well as a Master’s and a PhD from the same University. He is an Assistant Professor of the History of the Ecumenical Movement and Inter-Orthodox Relations at the School of Social Theology and Christian Culture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He actively participates in the Ecumenical Movement as a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate both at the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches. He has authored four scholarly books, and his articles have appeared in several academic journals. He is fluent in Greek, English, and German.
3-credits | Online Synchronous | Tuesdays 11:00 AM (EDT)
SPRING 2026 | Course Offering
Orthodox Christian–Muslim Relations
For more than 13 centuries, Orthodox Christians and Muslims have lived among one another and shared the same societies and cultures. Orthodox Christian relationships with Muslims have been one of the most enduring and impactful factors in Orthodox church history, yet the profound complexities of these relationships have often been forgotten across the centuries or obscured by the context of modern politics. The Orthodox Christian-Muslim Relations course will introduce students to the history of Orthodox Christian-Muslim relations by utilizing historical, theological, and anthropological approaches to this topic. Areas of particular focus will include a comparative analysis of the experiences of Orthodox living under Muslim rule (as in the ‘Abbasid and Ottoman Empires) and Muslims living under Orthodox rule (as in the Russian Empire), the transformative effects of modern nationalism, and the history of Orthodox theological approaches to Islam.
The course is taught by Dr. Philip Dorroll, Associate Professor of Religion at Wofford College, SC.
Online-Asynchronous course | 3-credit course
FALL 2025 | Course Offering
For the Life of the World: Toward an Orthodox Social Ethos
This online course explores the landmark document For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church (FLOW), produced under the aegis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate following the Holy and Great Council of Crete (2016). The document articulates a renewed vision for Orthodox Christian engagement with the contemporary world, addressing social justice, economic inequality, environmental degradation, racial and ethnic divisions, political violence, and the challenges of pluralism.
Students will engage FLOW both theologically and contextually, examining the document’s internal coherence, historical precedents, and reception within and beyond Orthodox communities. Attention will also be given to ecumenical and interfaith implications, particularly in light of recent global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine and Gaza. Weekly synchronous sessions will include lectures by scholars and theologians who contributed to the drafting and commentary of FLOW. A curated digital archive of interviews, essays, and critical responses will be hosted at huffingtoninstitute.hchc.edu.
Taught by Fr. David Williams.
David Williams is a postgraduate researcher at Royal Holloway University of London, research Associate at the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge, and co-editor of the recently published Sacred Mobility in Byzantium and beyond, Brill, 2025. From 2020-24, he directed Interdisciplinary liberal arts and Theology at the University of Saint Katherine in San Diego, California. A Byzantinist by training, his research and publishing explore inter-Christian and inter-faith relations between Christians and Muslims, and Jews in the Medieval Mediterranean. He is a Protodeacon of the Orthodox Church ordained in 2014.
Online | Synchronous course offered in the Fall of 2025 | 3-credit course
Registration is now open.
Future Course Offerings:
The following courses are subject to change based on interest and availability.
- Orthodox-Catholic Relations
- For the Life of the World: Towards an Orthodox Social Ethos
- Bartholomew: Life and Ministry
- Ecumenical Movement: Documents
- Islam and Orthodox Christianity
- Ecumenical Movement: Challenges
- The Broken Body of Christ: An Orthodox Theology of Disability
- Ecumenical Movement: Visionaries
- Ecology and Theology
- Women’s Ministries
- Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Relations
SPRING 2025 | Course Offering
The Soul and the Soil: Orthodox Christianity and the Natural Environment
The climate crisis is the most urgent challenge facing humanity. How does Orthodox Christianity respond? This course provides an opportunity for students to become acquainted with the past, present, and future of the Orthodox Church’s commitment to creation care in an ecumenical context. Beginning with a survey of the current situation regarding the climate crisis, followed by a description of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s pioneering contribution, the course will explore further initiatives and practices in local Orthodox churches around the world, as well as examine relevant synodal decisions, encyclicals, and other official documents. In addition, the work and practice of contemporary Orthodox thinkers and saints will be highlighted through their writings and lives.
Taught by Dr. Nikolaos Asproulis
Dr. Nikolaos Asproulis is deputy director at the Volos Academy for Theological Studies and Lecturer at the Hellenic Open University. He has written extensively on Orthodox theology, political theology, and ecotheology, including (with John Chryssavgis, Priests of Creation: John Zizioulas on Discerning an Ecological Ethos (2021).
Online | Synchronous course offered in the Spring of 2025 | 3-credit course
SPRING 2025 | Course Offering
The Ecumenical Movement-The Visionaries
Who are the influential personalities and visionaries behind the ecumenical movement? In this new course offered by the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross, we will explore the lives and contributions of key figures who through over a century, have shaped and advanced the cause of Christian unity across denominational boundaries. From early pioneers to modern-day visionaries like Pope Paul VI, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, Archbishop Desmond Tutu among many others, this course will examine the diverse array of individuals, clergy and laity alike, who have played pivotal roles in fostering dialogue, reconciliation, and cooperation among different Christian traditions. Through in-depth study and analysis of their writings, speeches, and actions, we will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities and dynamics of the ecumenical movement, and how these personalities have left an indelible mark on its history and trajectory.
The course will be taught by Rev. Dr. Nicolas Kazarian.
Online | Synchronous course offered in the Spring of 2025 | 3-credit course
FALL 2024 | Course Offering
Anglicans and Orthodox in Dialogue
The course will examine the theological conversations between Anglicans and Orthodox, especially through the official bilateral dialogue that was established 50 years ago as well as in the work of the International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue (ICAOTD) and the Agreed Statements produced by the Commission. This has been one of the most important dialogues of the Orthodox Church marked by contributions of distinguished contemporary Orthodox theologians, among them, Metropolitan John Zizioulas and Metropolitan Kallistos Ware. Part of the course will coincide with the next meeting of the ICAOTD which will take place in October for the first time on the campus of Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology sponsored by the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at HCHC. This will offer a unique opportunity for students to be exposed to firsthand experience of this bilateral ecumenical dialogue.
The course is taught by the Rev. Dr. Christos Christakis, Orthodox co-secretary of the ICAOTD over the last 30 years.
In-person and Online course offered in the Fall of 2024 | 3-credit course
FALL 2024 | Course Offering
The Ecumenical Movement: Challenges and Opportunities
The “Ecumenical Movement: Challenges and Opportunities” course follows but is not dependent on the previous course on the “Ecumenical Movement: The Sources” taught in the Spring of 2024. The Ecumenical Movement has presented the church with several issues that have and continue to be addressed and wrestled with ranging from ecclesiology to the eucharist, initiation to ordination, worship, and liturgy. Ecumenical relations have presented opportunities to identify key points of theological and praxis convergence and divergence across the major denominations of Christianity. Many of these challenges will be explored alongside the numerous opportunities for Christians to work across denominational lines on social services and social justice actions. Attention will be paid to the work and documents of the National Council of Churches, with supplemental documents from the World Council of Churches.
The course is taught by the Rev. Dr. Philip Halikias, Adjunct Professor at Hellenic College Holy Cross, MA.
Online-Synchronous course | 3-credit course
SUMMER 2024 | Course Offering
Orthodox Christian–Muslim Relations
For more than 13 centuries, Orthodox Christians and Muslims have lived among one another and shared the same societies and cultures. Orthodox Christian relationships with Muslims have been one of the most enduring and impactful factors in Orthodox church history, yet the profound complexities of these relationships have often been forgotten across the centuries or obscured by the context of modern politics. The Orthodox Christian-Muslim Relations course will introduce students to the history of Orthodox Christian-Muslim relations by utilizing historical, theological, and anthropological approaches to this topic. Areas of particular focus will include a comparative analysis of the experiences of Orthodox living under Muslim rule (as in the ‘Abbasid and Ottoman Empires) and Muslims living under Orthodox rule (as in the Russian Empire), the transformative effects of modern nationalism, and the history of Orthodox theological approaches to Islam.
The course is taught by Dr. Philip Dorroll, Associate Professor of Religion at Wofford College, SC.
Online-Asynchronous course | May 28-June 21, 2024| 3-credit course
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