Савремени еклисиолошки подсетник о дијаспори

History and analysis of so the called "American Schism" (1963-1992) and recommendations for moving beyond. This book discusses crucial questions regarding the Diaspora, because ecclesial organizations of the Orthodox Church abroad are presented with at least two problems: a) review of our interpretation and comprehension of the Church, specifically through the lens of the last couple of centuries' existing convictions, and b) addressing the question of the Church's mission in the World.

This book was written in a now already distant year of 1990. This is its first publishing since the original intent was to have it available only for the hierarchs of the Holy Synod for the purpose of overcoming the so-called “American schism” within the Serbian diaspora. Presently, as the Serbian schism has been liturgically and administratively vanquished, it is understandable and desirable to have this valuable research available to the public. At the request of the Holy Synod, back then Hieromonk Atanasije acceded to collect all relevant documents in reference to painful schism in Serbian Diaspora, placing them in the light of Orthodox Ecclesiology and Holy Tradition, which was the only way to face it properly and bring it closer to healing. The readers will notice how Bishop Atanasije analyzed responsibly, and impartially the whole question of schism, and at the same time provided comprehensive, integral and thorough ecclesial economy, recommendations for solutions.

This book is the result of his Christ-loving and Church-loving labor. A tangible result of Atanasije's ecclesiological recommendation was the Eucharistic renewal, communion, and reconciliation which was established on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple, February 15 1992. At the Cathedral in Belgrade, His Holiness Patriarch Paul and hierarchs of the Holy Episcopal Assembly celebrated for the first time together since the schism, with Metropolitan Iriney (Kovacevic), up until then, schismatic bishop in Diaspora. Finally, on May 21. 2009, the Holy Assembly made a decision about conclusive administrative unity of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America. In the same time this book reveals crucial question regarding Diaspora, because ecclesial organization of the Orthodox Church abroad presents itself with at least two problems: a) a check-up of our interpretation and comprehension of the Church, specifically of the last couple of centuries existing convictions, and b) a question of the Church mission in the World.

This book is published with the blessings of His Grace, Bishop Longin of New Gracanica - Midwestern America, and His Grace, Bishop Maxim of Western American Diocese, of the Serbian Orthodox Church for North and South America.

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Ова књига осветљава битно питање Дијаспоре. Дијаспора је пред Православну Цркву поставила два битна проблема: питање провере исправности нашег схватања Цркве, оног које се у последњим вековима код многих од нас усталило, и питање мисије Цркве у свету. Текст ове књиге је написан сада већ далеке 1990. године, и до данас био необјављен будући да је само за Синодске Оце Архијереје био намењен ради превазилажења тзв. „Америчког раскола“. Данас, када је тај српски раскол литургијски и административно превазиђен, сасвим је разумљиво и пожељно било да се овај текст предочи јавности.

Athanasius Yevtich (Atanasije Jevtić) was born on January 8, 1938, near Sabac. He graduated from the Orthodox seminary in Belgrade, along with Bishops Amfilohije and Lavrentije. While studying at the Orthodox Theological Faculty, he served a two-year military service. Then, he was ordained a monk with the blessing of the Bishop of Sabac-Valjevo Jovan Velimirovic (St. Nikolaj Velimirovic’s niece), by St. Justin Popovic in Pustinja Monastery near Valjevo, in 1960. He graduated from the Orthodox Theological Faculty in 1963. He then (1964) went to Constantinople (Halki) to study theology and attended courses in the Theological Faculty (Athens). Under the mentorship of Professor of Dogmatics, Dr. Jovan Karmiris, he defended a PhD thesis in Greek on the topic: “Ecclesiology of Paul the Apostle after St. Chrysostom” (1967). In autumn 1968, with the blessing of the Serbian Orthodox Church, he went to Paris to teach at St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute. After one year, he became professor of Patristics at the Institute. While in Paris, he occasionally attended lectures on Patrology at the Roman Catholic Theological Faculty (Institut Catholique de Paris) and some lectures on Byzantine literature at the Sorbonne (Hautes Études). As a professor at the St. Sergius Institute, he participated in the First Theological Conference of Orthodox Theologians in America, in September 1970 in Boston (Holy Cross). In 1972, he came back to Serbia at the Orthodox Theological Faculty, to teach History of the Christian church, History of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Patrology. He has published about a thousand scientific papers and fifty books. He became involved in the cultural movements of the country, with his open speeches, excellent knowledge of theological and philosophical thought and his erudition and versatility, he gained great sympathy and support – especially from youth. He served as Bishop of Banat from 1991 to 1992 and as Bishop Zahumlje and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1999. Due to a serious injury, he retired from archpastoral duties in 1999. During the civil war, he helped the people, the army, orphans, refugees, the wounded and other needy people and the suffering in many ways, restoring the Orthodox faith in Herzegovina through mass baptism and communion. He was a participant in many domestic and international scientific gatherings in the field of church history, theology, philosophy and Christian culture. At the same time, he collaborated in many church and secular journals at home and abroad. Bishop Atanasije has published many translations from Ancient Greek, Ancient Slavonic, Hebrew, French, Russian and other languages. His theological, anthropological, patrological, church-historical works go into all periods of the Church’s history and cover almost all the important issues of Orthodox biblical theology. After the fall of communism in Yugoslavia, he actively worked to strengthen the Orthodox faith among people. Because he never agreed to compromises, Bishop Atanasije was often in conflict with the authorities, mostly secular ones. He was not a politician in a cassock, but a fiery orator. His spoken words are feared by everyone, even by himself, as one journalist said in 1999. He was one of St. Justin Popovic’s spiritual children. The others are Metropolitan Amfilohije (died of COVID-19 in October 2020), Bishop Artemije (who was defrocked in 2010 and excommunicated in 2015, died of COVID-19 in November 2020), Bishop Irinej of Backa (tested positive for COVID-19 in February 2021). Bishop Atanasije’s well known spiritual children are: physicist Emmanuel Sarris, iconographer Stamatis Sklirs (holyicon.org), Bishop Grigorije Duric, Bishop Maxim Vasiljevic, Bishop Dimitrije Radjenovic, etc.