Twentieth-Century Eastern Christian Sacramental Theology

The goals of the course are to situate the writings of these authors within the trajectory and context of their other works as well as the broader tradition within which the authors operated; and to mine these writings for answers to questions - both historical and contemporary- about the nature of God's presence and action in the world, especially during privileged events called "the Holy Mysteries" (Sacraments). This will be achieved by a close reading of seminal or significant twentieth-century texts. This will help the student discern ecumenical connections with other Christian traditions. Among the many questions to be treated in dialogue with other traditions will be the scriptural foundations of the Sacraments, their "efficacy," the nature of the transformation proffered in these rites, the nature of sacramentality, the diverse numbering of the Sacraments, and their place in increasingly secular environments.