Public Lecture Series
Encounter ancient spiritual wisdom...
Explore eternal truth...
Discover a transformative way of life...
All lectures are followed by light hors d'oeuvres & drinks.
Admission is free. All are welcome.
Location: Rudder Forum | Texas A&M University
LECTURE ONE: Sunday, February 4th, 7pm
Reverend Doctor Harry Pappas
Father Harry has been the parish priest at Archangels Greek Orthodox Church in Stamford, Connecticut since 2009. He has taught at Yale Divinity School, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary, and the Resurrection of Christ Seminary in Albania.
Father Harry is married to Kerry (Kaloudis) who, despite her own theological education at Holy Cross and training as a Marriage & Family Therapist, helps keep at least one of his feet on the ground, especially in caring for their three children: Rebecca, Joshua, and Hannah. His particular interests include Bible study, preaching, worship, contemplative prayer, pan-Orthodox cooperation, and ministry development, especially social outreach and missions, with multiple trips to Project Mexico/ St. Innocent Orphanage in Mexico, and the Hogar Rafael Orphanage in Guatemala.
Grains & Grapes Given in Gratitude
Christianity celebrates the mystery of how all material reality is intimately connected to the reality of the spirit that includes what is invisible and immaterial. Both dimensions of reality derive from the one Creator God of Scripture, who has revealed Himself in both the Old and New Covenants He established with His people.
God's law and revelation in the Old Covenant is not entirely abandoned in the New Covenant, however. Patterns of sacrifice, worship, giving thanks, and seeking union with the divine can be seen as central practices of the people of Israel in the Old Testament. This lecture will examine how such patterns — which developed over a long historical trajectory that challenges modern scholars but is embedded in canonical texts — have been adopted and adapted in the New Covenant celebration of Eucharist, particularly that which has been handed over in Eastern Christianity.
LECTURE TWO: Sunday, February 18th, 7pm
The Cosmic Reality of Communion
While some Christians today view Communion as a mere symbolic memorial of Jesus' death, the ancient Church saw it as an image of the destiny of the universe. The greatest philosophers of the post-Hellenic age not only viewed Communion in regards to humanity's relationship with God, but also with the entire Creation and even with the devil.
This lecture will detail the traditional Christian understanding of everything in existence, the source of evil and suffering in the world, and the unique role that Communion is meant to play in that reality.
Alexandros Pandazis
Alexandros Pandazis is the Campus Missionary of the Orthodox Christian Church here in College Station, where he lives with his wife Rachel and two children, Christina and Evangelos.
Alexandros graduated from St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH with a bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Politics before receiving his Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston, MA. Prior to coming to College Station, he served in a variety of Orthodox Christian ministries around the country including writing for the Y2AM YouTube series Be the Bee, teaching at St. Herman of Alaska Christian School, and on staff at the CrossRoad Institute.
LECTURE THREE: Sunday, March 3rd, 7pm
The Apocalyptic Reality
of the Lord's Supper
When the first disciples began bearing witness to Christ throughout the world, it was not “doctrine” and “ethics” that struck the listeners and enabled countless people from all walks of life to open their minds and hearts to God. It was an overwhelming sense that a tremendous mystery was unfolding before them and that they were invited into this mystery — a mystery speaking of God’s personified love leaving its hiddenness in order to seek us out and to heal, empower, and transform us into friends of the Friend of mankind, so much so that we would share, increasingly, in the very resurrected mode of life of which He is the pioneer and prototype.
This lecture examines the ways that the Fathers of the Church used the Scriptures of Israel to articulate the mystery of Christ and His presence in the Eucharist. In particular, the lecture will focus on the patristic interpretation of the vision of Isaiah, the story of the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, and that of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Reverend Doctor Bogdan Bucur
Fr Bogdan Bucur was born in Romania and is married to Cristina with whom he is the parent of Irina, Andrei, and Miruna. He serves as the Associate Professor of Patristics at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Christian Seminary.
After studying at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest, Fr Bogdan left for the USA, where he earned his Master of Arts and PhD in Religious Studies at Marquette University under the direction of (now Archbishop) Alexander Golitzin. He was ordained a priest in 2010 and served as the pastor of St Anthony Orthodox Church in Butler, PA for ten years. While there, he was an Assistant and then Associate Professor of Theology at Duquesne University where he worked in the areas of Early Christian Studies and Reception History of the Bible.
