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ABOUT THE INSTITUTE

Established in 2003 through a generous grant from the late Stephen and Catherine Pappas, the Pappas Patristic Institute at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts is devoted to the advancement of patristic studies in service to the Church and the academy. A part of Hellenic College Holy Cross, the Pappas Patristic Institute pursues and supports scholarship relating to Early Christianity, Late Antiquity, and Byzantium in order to promote the study of the Church Fathers and their theology, which serve as the foundation of Orthodox tradition and constitute a critical component of the western intellectual heritage. The Institute works closely with other seminaries, theological schools, and universities in Boston and boasts a diverse Administrative Board made up of scholars in patristics, Early Christianity, and allied fields. The Institute contributes to patristic studies through the organization of conferences, lectures, summer programs, and publishing in the field. To read more about the history and past work of the Institute, click here.

DIRECTOR

The Pappas Patristic Institute is directed by Dr Tikhon Alexander Pino. A Cuban-American, Dr Pino holds a BA in Greek and Latin (Classics) from the Catholic University of America (2005), an MTS from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (2013), and a PhD from Marquette University (2021). He is the author of Essence and Energies: Being and Naming God in St. Gregory Palamas, published by Routledge in 2022; and he has published widely on the Greek theological tradition, including articles on hylomorphic theory in Aristotle and Plotinus, the doctrine of God in Philo of Alexandria, the Trinitarian theology of Basil of Ancyra and St Maximos the Confessor, and the anthropology of St Mark of Ephesos and Thomas Aquinas. He is especially interested in the interaction between Byzantine and Scholastic Theology as well as the intersection of metaphysics and mysticism in the Greek patristic tradition. An instructor of Liturgical Greek and other courses at Holy Cross, Dr Pino's work has appeared in the Journal of Theological Studies, the Journal of Early Christian Studies, the Heythrop Journal, Analogia, Franciscan Studies, Dionysius, Byzantinisches Archiv - Series Philosophica (De Gruyter), and the Greek Orthodox Theological Review He served as Assistant Director of the Pappas Patristic Institute since 2021 and was appointed Director in 2024. You can read more from Dr. Pino by clicking here.

ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD

Paul Blowers, PhD

Dean E. Walker Professor of Church History

Emmanuel Christian Seminary, Milligan University

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Michael Magree, SJ, PhD

Assistant Professor of Theology

Morrissey College of Arts and Science, Boston College

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Timothy Patitsas, PhD

Interim Dean of Hellenic College

Assistant Professor of Ethics

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

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Eugen J. Pentiuc, PhD, ThD, DD, ex officio

Dean of Holy Cross

Archbishop Demetrios Professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Origins

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

 

Christos Simelidis, DPhil

Assistant Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Literature

School of Philology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

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Rachel J. Smith, PhD

Associate Professor of Christian Spirituality

Villanova University

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Kelley Spoerl, PhD

Professor of Theology

Saint Anselm College

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James Skedros, ThD, Chair

Michael G. and Anastasia Cantonis Professor of Byzantine Studies and Early Christianity

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

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To read a short bio of each of the members of the Administrative Board, click here.

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Assistant Director
Board
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