John (Zizioulas)

John Zizioulas was born in 1931 ^[2] in the village of Katafigio, near the city of Kozani . In this city, he completed his general education. After graduating from high school, he entered the University of Thessaloniki , but two years later he transferred to the University of Athens , where his family moved.

While studying at the university, he simultaneously completed a full course of studies at the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches in Bosset ( Switzerland ), the director of which was the famous theologian prof. Nikos Nisiotis . There he first seriously came into contact with the theology of other Christian denominations of the West.

After completing his studies at the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches, he enters graduate school at Harvard University , where he defends his doctoral dissertation on the theme "Christology of Maximus the Confessor." There, John Zizioulas had the opportunity to learn from such well-known scholars and theologians as professor of theology Paul Tillich , Orthodox pathologist theologian George Florovsky , professor of classical philology Werner Jäger and others.

There, John spent three years collaborating with the Byzantine Research Society of Harvard University, the well-known organization Dumbarton Oaks , of which he was elected a member. In this scientific center of international importance, he had contact with prominent personalities of the academic community.

Then he returned to Greece and in 1966 presented for defense at the University of Athens a doctoral dissertation on the topic: “Unity of the Church in the Divine Eucharist and in the Bishop” ^[3] .

In 1966-1967, he worked as a researcher at the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens. In the summer of 1967, he was appointed secretary of the Faith and Church Organization department of the World Council of Churches , whose proto-head was prot. George Florovsky, and remains in this capacity until 1970. In Geneva, John Zizioulas was at the epicenter of theological discussions at the interfaith level. He actively participated in the creation of theological programs, being responsible for organizing international conferences on inter-Christian issues.

In 1970, he was elected a teacher of dogmatic theology at the University of Edinburgh , where he stayed for three years.

In 1973, he was elected professor of systematic theology at the University of Glasgow . He received this place thanks to the international recognition of his scientific contribution. A characteristic feature of his teaching in the UK was a comparison of Western and Orthodox traditions, as well as a certificate of Orthodoxy in the West.

In 1984, Metropolitan John accepted an invitation to teach dogmatic and symbolic theology at the Thessaloniki University named after Aristotle, where he worked until 1998. At the same time, he taught until 1987 in Glasgow .

On June 14, 1986, he was ordained deacon , and on June 15, 1986, he was ordained a presbyter .

On June 17, 1986 he was elected bishop of the Patriarchate of Constantinople with the title of Metropolitan of Pergamon.

June 22, 1986 in the Patriarchal St. George’s Cathedral was consecrated bishop of Pergamon with the elevation to the rank of Metropolitan. The consecration was headed by Metropolitan Mir Lycian Chrysostomos (Konstantinidis) ^[4] .

In 1989, he became a permanent professor emeritus at Queen's College London University .

In 1993, he was also elected a permanent member of the Athens Academy of Sciences .

In the fall of 2000, he was entrusted with the leadership of the Representation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Athens.

Since 2001, he served as deputy chairman of the Athens Academy, and in 2002 was elected its chairman.

In the period 2006-2007, Metropolitan John was a member of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

John Zizioulas taught as a professor emeritus at the Gregorian University in Rome and the University of Geneva, and also delivered lectures at many universities in Europe.

Abroad, more than ten doctoral dissertations have been written about his ministry. He is also an Honorary Lecturer at various universities, Chair of the Theological Dialogue Commissions, Advisor to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and Chair of the Inter-Orthodox Commission for Environmental Protection.

In February 2014, ahead of the pan-Orthodox meeting, Vatican Insider stated in an interview that disagreements between the Patriarchate of Constantinople and Moscow threaten the process of ecumenical dialogue between the Orthodox Churches and Rome ^[1] .

In a December 2014 interview with Vatican Insider , he stated that he saw the basis for “rapid progress” on the path to achieving complete Christian unity under Pope Francis ^[5] .

The French Orthodox theologian Jean-Claude Larcher wrote a special work with a critical analysis of the personalism of Metropolitan John, where he notes that the “originality” of his reasoning has far-reaching negative consequences in many theological areas ^[6] . Orthodox theologians notice traces of monarchianism , tritheism , Nestorianism , Doketism , monoenergyism and monophelitism in the concepts of Zizioulas. Zizioulas denies the Orthodox theology of Divine energies and shares the views of a number of Catholic theologians, influenced by Thomist teachings mixed with personalism , rejecting the Orthodox concept of deification ^[7] .

• The Order of Merit of the III degree (Ukraine, January 4, 2019) - for outstanding activities aimed at strengthening the authority of Orthodoxy in the world, the establishment of the ideals of spirituality and mercy, a significant personal contribution to the development of the autocephalous local Orthodox Church of Ukraine ^[8] .

• List of living bishops of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople

• The Eucharist, some biblical aspects // Symbol. - Paris: 1990 - No. 24. - S. 9-56
• Self-understanding of the Orthodox and their participation in the ecumenical movement