Through our Orthodox Project, OCMS supports the development of Orthodox Christian leaders by fostering connections with key theological institutions in Romania. Since 2019, we have collaborated with two major Orthodox faculties, facilitating exchanges and shared learning that strengthen both our communities and contribute to a more united Christian witness
Supporting the training of Orthodox Christian leaders in Romania
The Romanian Orthodox Church has a strong mission history and a tradition of ecumenical relations. In the 1940s the Church came very close to establishing eucharistic communion with Anglicans, a process interrupted, as were their mission programmes, by the soviet backed communist period which lasted until 1989.
Since 2019 OCMS has been developing links with two significant Orthodox faculties of theology in Romanian through faculty and student exchanges and visits by OCMS staff.
Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Dumitru Stăniloae”, Al. I. Cuza University, Iassy
In North East Romania, this university has a very large theology faculty with around a hundred doctoral students, most of whom will become Orthodox priest or teachers of theology in universities or schools. Since 2013 twenty two of their MA and doctoral students have spent time at OCMS to engage with our faculty and students and to be exposed to evangelical approaches to mission.
The Dean of the faculty, Rev Dr Dan Sandu, has accompanied some of these students and the Dean of their Doctoral programme, Rev Fr Viorel Sava will be a Visiting Scholar in 2024-25. OCMS faculty member, Canon Mark Oxbrow, presented a paper in Iassy at their doctoral symposium in the spring of 2024.
During the 2024-25 academic year one of their doctoral students will spend an extended period of six months as part of the OCMS community in Oxford.
Department of Orthodox Theology, University Babeş-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca
In western Romania, the OCMS link with Orthodox theologians goes back to 2019 when Dr. Cristian Sonea invited our Executive Director, Paul Bendor-Samuel, and faculty member, Dr Paul Woods, to participate in a theological symposium in Sibiu.
This has been followed by Dr Sonea (now Dean of the theology department of University Babeş-Bolyai in Cluj-Napoca) spending time at OCMS as a visiting scholar and an invitation to Canon Mark Oxbrow to present a paper for the International Symposium on “Spiritual Health in the 21st Century” at Babeş-Bolyai University.
Historically a strongly Orthodox country, where faith was in some ways strengthen by persecution under communism, Romania now faces the many challenges of secularism and narcissistic individualism.
It is hoped that these academic exchanges will help the church in Romania develop an effective Christian witness in these new circumstances and OCMS to deepen its understanding and appreciation of Orthodox theology.
If you are interested in finding out more about our Romanian Orthodox project or how to become a visiting scholar at OCMS contact Mark Oxbrow at moxbrow@ocms.ac.uk.
