by John D. Zizioulas, Metropolitan of Pergamon
This remarkable volume is a profound invitation to explore the depth, beauty, and enduring relevance of the Orthodox faith. Drawing from Metropolitan John Zizioulas’ seminal article “Ortodossia” (Enciclopedia del Novecento, 1980) and complemented by a rich selection of his other writings, the book offers a comprehensive vision of Orthodoxy—from its theological foundations to its engagement with the challenges of the modern world. Structured in three parts—The Uniqueness of Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy in History, and Orthodoxy and the Modern World—this work guides readers through topics such as the Eucharistic and Baptismal experience, conciliarity, primacy, the environment, technology, and interfaith dialogue.
An essential resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Orthodox theology and its vital place in today’s world.
300 pages, softbound, 2025
John D. Zizioulas (1931–2023), a renowned modern theologian and former Metropolitan of Pergamon in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, is known for his significant contributions to Christian theology. He earned his doctorate in theology from the University of Athens and held academic positions at various universities. He was a professor of Systematic Theology at the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Thessaloniki and a visiting Professor at King’s College in London. Metropolitan John became a regular member of the Academy of Athens in 1993 and its president in 2002–2003. His extensive ecumenical involvement and scholarly work resulted in several influential publications, solidifying his reputation as a leading Orthodox theologian of our time. He is generally recognized as the most brilliant and creative theologian in the Church, dealing with the most contemporary issues facing humanity today. Аt the culmination of his theological journey, John Zizioulas, has bestowed upon the academic world his magnum opus, a work that surpasses all his previous endeavors in depth, insight, and scholarly rigor. The insights presented in his celebrated Being as Communion and Communion and Otherness provided the groundwork for the extensive exploration undertaken in this seminal piece that will likely be dissected and referenced even more extensively than the author’s prior contributions. This Zizioulas’ work presents a holistic Christian “theory of everything,” as he underscores how eschatological ontology deeply influences the entirety of Christian doctrine. Metropolitan Zizioulas acknowledged the profound challenge of articulating the influence of the future on the present. In 1999, he remarked, “I realize that this concept is most difficult to grasp and to experience,” attributing this difficulty to the fact that “we still live in a fallen world in which protological ontology is the dominant form of rationality.” The future of things in this perspective is defined by its origins and the “given” or the “factum.”
