With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, a conference entitled Ethnographies of Orthodox Christianity: holism, comparison, and exploration – organised jointly by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland, and the UKRI-funded research project ‘Orthodox Christian Material Ecology’ based at University College London, Department of Anthropology – was held on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th February 2023 at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of The Holy Cross & Archangel Michael in Golders Green, London.
The event brought together a diverse international gathering of academics from within anthropology, theology, and other social sciences as well as Orthodox clergy and laypeople. Keynote speeches were given by Prof Renee Hirschon and Dr Elizabeth Theokritoff; participants also included clergymen from both the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain and the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland.
The conference facilitated the exchange of knowledge and fostered productive dialogue between anthropologists and theologians. Rather than being an anthropology conference about Orthodoxy, this was a conference together with Orthodox scholars and representatives and scholars of Orthodoxy. Participants and attendees were able to share insights with each other, bringing about new directions in enquiry with clergy, academics and the wider community in a collaborative manner.
