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Savvas Agouridis (ed), Orthodox Spirituality. Chistianity – Marxism, Thessaloniki Theologians’ Seminar no. 2, Thessaloniki 1968, 244 pages.

The 2^nd volume of the “Thessaloniki Theologians’ Seminar” is divided in two parts. The first includes 5 presentations regarding the topic “Orthodox Spirituality” and the second 4 on the topic “Christianity and Marxism”.

1^st part: Fr. Symeon Kragiopoulos presents the general lines on which the original Christian spirituality found its expression in the Church in the 4^th century. In this framework he comparatively examines the teaching for spiritual life of Evagrios Pontikos and Makarios of Egypt, which constituted the two basic spiritual movements of the 4^th century.

Georgios Matzaridis presents Orthodox spirituality and theology according to the teaching of St. Gregorios Palamas. In the first part of the presentation he examines briefly the teaching of St. Gregorios on hesychasm and the theory about the glory of God and in the second he describes his teaching on the meaning and the content of the true theology.

Nikolaos Zacharopoulos deals with the issue of spiritual life as described in the writings of St. Nikodimos of Mount Athos, but also from witnesses of his era. In this framework he registers the saint’s views on the knowledge of God and the capability of humans to possess it, while he traces his theology on the Kollyvadic dispute.

Antonios – Aimilios Tachiaos examines the spiritual movements in Slavic Orthodoxy of the 18^th and the 19^th centuries. In sequence he offers the movements that developed in Serbia, Bulgaria and Russia, which came about from the meeting of two trends, the Orthodox spiritual tradition and the new ideas of the French Enlightenment, which prevailed in this particular era.

The last presentation of the 1^st part is by Nikolaos Matsoukas. Here he refers to the content of Orthodox spirituality and the characteristics of modern humans. In the first part he analyses the fundamental points of Orthodox spirituality and in the second the elements and trends in modern spiritual life, as well as the position of Orthodoxy in the modern world.

2^nd part: Savvas Agouridis negotiates the issue of Marxist theorising of History and its meaning. He briefly presents basic points of Marxist thought on the engagement, the understanding and the scope of History and juxtaposes it with the Christian theorizing of History.

Nikolaos Matsoukas examines from the theological point of view certain fundamental views of Marxist theory about the origin and the nature of religion, such as those expressed in the work of I. Kordatos Ancient Religions and Christianity.

Vasilios Stogiannos expounds and offers a theological critique of Marxist views about the origin of Christianity. In the first part of the presentation he summarises the problem in general, in the second he systematically presents views and his critique and in the third an interpretation of Marxist positions together with his conclusions.

The last text of the 2^nd part is authored by Georgios A. Tsananas, who examines critically the work of A.F. Sishkin on Marxist Ethics. The first part of the study presents the basic points of Ethics and in the second, the critique of some fundamental points and their examination from the point of view of Christian Ethics.

Agouridis Savvas (ed), What is the Church, Thessaloniki Theologians’ Seminar no. 3 (reprinted from the journal “Gregorios Palamas”, issue 606-607 of year 1968),  Thessaloniki 1968, 126 pages.

The 3^rd volume of the “Thessaloniki Theologians’ Seminar” contains 7 presentations which refer to the Church, its nature and its substance, examining its various aspects.

Before the presentations there is an introduction by Savvas Agouridis, who briefly broaches the more substantial problems which modern Ecclesiology is called upon to deal with.

Damianos Doikos presents the Church in the Old Testament as a reality and a fore-image. The analysis of the matter is conducted under the method of systematic discussion of relevant material, structured under one or certain basic theological principles. The Old Testament presents the Church itself, with its strength, its basic characteristics, its relationship with the World and finally its glory.

Ioannis Karavidopoulos examines the nature and substance of the Church as presented in the New Testament. The first part of the presentation looks at the historic origin of the Church and Jesus’ relationship with it. The second part presents basic characteristics of the Church as they appear in the New Testament, particularly through the various images and qualifications contained in it.

Fr. Symeon Kragiopoulos deals with the issue of the Holy Trinity and Church relationship. The theme’s entire discussion is on the basis of New Testament and Patristic theology, as well as views of modern theologians. Particularly, he examines issues of the Church in Father God’s Design, Christ and the Church, the Holy Spirit and the Church, the Holy Trinity and the Church.

Fr. Stylianos Charkianakis looks at the content of the conscience of the Church and how this relationship is expressed in connection to the infallibility of the Church. In this framework he researches on the one hand the way of existence of true spirit of the Church as awareness and on the other the real expression instrument of the latter in conjunction with the function of infallibility.

Prodromos Akanthopoulos looks at the concept of the Church according to the Sacred Canons and official interpretations. Initially he examines what we call the Church according to Sacred Canons, while he places particular emphasis on the concept of the Church as a gathering of faithful, ecclesiastical meeting and the like. This constitutes a departure point to examine Canonically membership of the Church, what is its aim and means available for their attainment.

Konstantinos Papoulidis presents views of 19^th century Russian theologians about the Church, since he considers that the ecclesiology of this period is representative of modern Russian theological thought. In this framework he discusses the ecclesiology of the Metropolitan of Moscow Philaretos, views of the so-called Historical School, of the slavophones and the ecclesiology of “Sobornost”, the resonance of the A’ Vatican Convocation in Russia and finally the so-called mystagogic ecclesiology.

The last text in this volume is by Mr. Nikolaos Matsoukas who offers a synoptic view of the ecclesiastical problem as described by WCC resolutions in New Delhi, and the Constitutio dogmatica de Ecclesia and the Decretum de Oecumensmo of the B’ Vatican Convocation which reflects ecclesiastical changes in Protestantism and the Roman Catholic Church.

Anastasiou Ioannis (ed.) Tradition and Renewal in the Church, Thessaloniki Theologians’ Seminar, no. 6, “Gregorios Palamas” journal publication, Thessaloniki 1972, 206 pages.

The 6^th volume of “Thessaloniki Theologians’ Seminar” contains 11 texts on the concept and the role of Tradition and renewal in the life of the Church.

Vasilios Stogiannos examines the relationship of tradition and the Holy Gospel from the religious-historic and historic point of view, with reference to Judaism and Christianity and discusses the historical path from oral tradition to written, ie. the writing of the Holy Gospel.

Ioannis Karavidopoulos presents the views and theology of Saint Paul in relation to tradition and its renewal through epistles, while highlighting the way in which he renewed the initial message and the tradition of the first Church.

Dimitrios Tsamis discusses the definition of the meaning of tradition and the way in operates in the light of the teaching of the Church Fathers, stressing the practice of the parallel insistence on the nucleus of revelation and the dynamic of its interpretation in the Holy Spirit.

Georgios I. Matzaridis describes the relationship of saint Gregory Palamas with Orthodox Tradition and presents the correct way of introduction in the flow of tradition and the liberty of theological creation emanating from this introduction, according to the example of saint Gregory.

Antonios Papadopoulos aims through the examination of history and the Orthodox Church, to present tradition in its substance and the way it is continually renewed up to our time.

Konstantinos Papoulidis examines and presents some of the most basic views of G. Florovski, A. Schmemann and O. Clement in relation to the concept and the nature of the Patristic Tradition and the renewal of the Church’s mission, as they appear in their written works.

Thomas M. Provatakis deals with the issue of Orthodox art and its relationship with tradition and researches the origin of the first and the elements on which it was based, as well as the fidelity or its departure from these during its moulding and its final form.

Nikolaos A. Matsoukas researches the issue of dialectics of the past and present in the life of the Church, focusing mostly on forms of conflict and suggesting reconciliation of the two sides for the development and the promotion of a life of tradition and the Church.

Pantelis Lialiambis refers to the issue of the wider antagonism of generations and its relationship with the ecclesiastical tradition and the demand for renewal within it.

Ioannis L. Dymon presents the rationale and the views of the Roman Catholic Church for the concept of tradition and renewal of the Church as expressed in the B’ Vatican Convocation, examining at the same time two of renewals that came about as a result of its decisions.

The last text of the volume is authored by Georgios A. Tsananas, who looks at certain changes and theological trends in modern Protestantism as real renewal, through the apposition of the theology of top theologians who were instrumental to this regenerative course.