The Cambridge Companion to the Byzantine Church

Our Faculty Member, Dr Andrew Mellas, together with a good friend of St Andrew’s Theological College, Professor Bronwen Neil (Macquarie University), have finished editing the Cambridge Companion to the Byzantine Church. This new publication invites readers to explore the intricate dimensions of the Church in Byzantium—its emergence, theology, art, liturgy and histories—and its afterlife, in captivity and in the modern world. Across 30 chapters, distinguished scholars show how the Byzantine Church was multifaceted and multivocal: a canonical and conciliar institution, the mystical embodiment of Christ, and a tapestry of liturgical communities.

Some of the chapters were written by scholars who have been part of the story and life of St Andrew’s Theological College: Bishop Damaskinos (Olkinuora) of Haapsalu; Rev Dr John Chryssavgis and Professor David Bradshaw. Most importantly, the Cambridge Companion to the Byzantine Church is blessed with a Foreword written by His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

While the Cambridge Companion is an ambitious undertaking and has traversed considerable terrain, several desiderata remained unfulfilled. However, this volume was never meant to be the end of the road for the readers who peruse it. It is meant to serve as a compass for a journey of lifelong learning, allowing readers—in the words of William Butler Yeats—to sail to the holy city of Byzantium.

During the assembly of this volume, the editors farewelled colleagues who were meant to be part of the Cambridge Companion: Metropolitan Kallistos Ware in August 2022, Professor Elizabeth Jeffreys in September 2023 and Fr Dr Ivan Moody in January 2024. And in October 2025, one of the contributors, Professor Mary B. Cunningham, passed away. The Cambridge Companion is dedicated to the memory of these eminent and beloved scholars.

Learn more about the chapters in the Cambridge Companion and how to order it here: https://www.cambridge.org/au/universitypress/subjects/history/european-history-450-1000/cambridge-companion-byzantine-church?format=PB