'Themes in Contemporary Theology' Lecture by Revd Dr Stefanos Alexopoulos

On 5 November, faculty and students welcomed via zoom Revd Dr Stefanos Alexopoulos (Assistant Professor of Liturgics and Sacramental Theology at the Catholic University of America), for the College’s ongoing series ‘Themes in Contemporary Theology’ held with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia. After thanking His Eminence, Fr Alexopoulos addressed the fascinating topic: “Popular Piety and Official Liturgy in Byzantium: The Office of Holy Communion in Byzantium.” He deftly navigating the manuscript tradition of the office of Holy Communion in the Byzantine context, drawing inferences from what we can learn from it today. Fr Alexopoulos has worked on many important books related to this theme, including his monograph The Presanctified Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite (Peters, 2009), as well as co-editing Inquiries into Eastern Christian Worship (Peeters 2012), A Living Tradition: On the Intersection of Liturgical History and Pastoral Practice (The Liturgical Press, 2012), and Studies on the Liturgies of the Christian East (Peeters 2013). A robust Q&A followed this last session in our successful 2021 Theology Seminar Series.