This article contents a review of the modern dialogue between the Eastern and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, both official and unofficial. It starts with a brief encounter of the Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and a review of the result of the modern dialogue. It analyses also other topics which have to be discussed for reaching full unity, like mutual recognition of the saints, the lifting of condemnations, the recognition of the seven ecumenical synods etc. It concludes with a short encounter on the reasons for continuing the dialogue and steps to be made for achieving full unity between the two Orthodox Church families.

Keywords: - Oriental Orthodox Churches; Eastern Orthodox Churches; modern dialogue between Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches;

Mrs. Christine Chaillot (Ecumenical Patriarchate) is a Swiss Orthodox theologian. She is specialised in the actual situation of Orthodox Churches (both Eastern and Oriental).

The study presents introspectively and summarizes the work Counsels for royal education [Ὑποθῆκαι τῆς βασιλικῆς ἀγωγῆς] addressed by Byzantine Emperor Manuel II to his son and successor John VIII the Paleologue (1425-1448). The analysis in this study focuses on the paideical dimension of Emperor Manuel's Counsels, highlighting an educational project based on ethical values validated by both pre-Christian Greek philosophical and Christian theological traditions.

Keywords: - Theology ; philosohpy ; ethics ; education ; culture.

Gina Luminiţa SCARLAT is lecturer at University ,,Dunărea de Jos” University, Galați, Romania, Departement of Orthodox Theology

Location : - Galați, Romania
E-mail : - ginaluminis85@yahoo.com

Starting from the interactions of Benedict Baruch Spinoza with the clusters of the dominant Calvinism in the Netherlands, our study aimed to assess how the unconventional theological vision of the Amsterdam philosopher overlaps with the socinians' thinking, the systematic subordinationist confession which, opposed to the official Reformed Church, reached over the 16th Century, to occupy somewhat relevant positions in the confessional landscape of the provinces of Holland, Zeeland and Friesland. At the end of our trial, we may conclude that, although authentic from the point of view of the form of manifestation (arianism, pnevmatomahie, disavowing the soteriological significance of the sacrifice and resurrection of the Savior, rejection of the sacramental work and authority of the Church, etc.) the ups and downs are in reality the partially convergent endings of somewhat uncompatible theological and philosophical developments and constructions, which are nothing but an implicit consequence of the irreconcilable antagonism between Spinoza's pantheism and the biblical inspirational thematics professed by Lelio and Fausto's Sozzini descendants.

Keywords: - Benedict Baruch Spinoza; Socinianism; Colleges; Pantheism; Arianism; Pneumatomy; Theory of Sample; Soteriology.

Dan Ţăreanu holds a PhD in Theology. He is presently an independent researcher.

Location : - Sibiu, România
E-mail : - dantareanu@yahoo.com

This article will try to offer a description of the context and history of the Dialogue with a Persian, a literary work belonging to the byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaeologus. I will start by presenting the life of the author, emphasizing the general aspects of the important activities and events during his life, which had an impact on the visions of the emperor and influenced his thinking, as reflected in his own writings. These aspects point mostly to the declining of the byzantine state and the servitude towards the Muslim-Turkish enemy. The largest opera of the emperor (the Greek text published in 1966 expands on 301 pages), but neglected until our time by scholars, The Dialogue with a worthy Persian mouterizes in Ancyra of Galatia is a remarkably rich work, both literary and because of its thematic, with a high level of theology and spirituality, placed in the context of interreligious dialogue between a Christian and a Muslim. The environment of its appearance is important since it includes several aspects that have caught public attention even today, especially in September 2006, when pope Benedict XVI quoted a critical passage regarding Islam from the Dialogue. This study will focus on the general aspects of the Dialogue and the context of its creation, seen as relevant for understanding its purpose in the nowadays interreligious dialogue.

Keywords: - Byzantium; Manuel al II-lea Palaeologus; Islam; dialogue; Muslim polemics

Bogdan Timariu is doctoral student at Orthodox Theological Faculty St. „Andrei Șaguna”, „Lucian Blaga” University, Sibiu, Romania.

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
E-mail : - bogdantmr@yahoo.com

The study explores the rich meaning of one of the most important theological formula developed by Father Ion Bria in his spiritual approach of the missionary theology, the expression "Liturgy after the Liturgy", which brings together and gives new understandings to the deaconship, spirituality, theological education, social ethics, Christian political discipline, etc. These topics connected with the Liturgy were treated by him in many studies, and then resumed and developed in a volume bearing exactly this title “Liturgy after the Liturgy”1 intending to "rediscover the primordial significance of the Orthodox Liturgy, namely its evangelizing and confessing force, which extends into all spheres of the Christian's life, in the community of the Church and in the society."

Keywords: - Liturgy; mission; martyria; diacony; theological education

Valentin MOŞOIU is Orthodox priest and doctorate student at St. „Andrei Şaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Teology, „Lucian Blaga” University, Sibiu, Romania.

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
E-mail : - valentinmosoiu@yahoo.com

The study on both parts presents systematically the basic conception of St. Cyril of Alexandria on priesthood and the particularity of the worship brought by Jesus Christ. A crucial role for this approach is taken up by the exegetical reception of the Cyrillic works. Our analysis, in the first part, is taking into consideration, besides this incipient fact, the compositional and functional identity of the High Priest of the Old Covenant, analysed in its specific features combined in the person of the Son of God embodied as the high priest of all humanity par excellence.

Keywords: - St. Cyril of Alexandria; sacrifice; priesthood; iconomy; redemption

Ionuț-Vasile Crișan is doctoral student at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology St. „Andrei Șaguna,” „Lucian Blaga” University, Sibiu, Romania. This article was initially published in Revista Teologică XXVIII (1/2018), p. 160-188. We publish it here a corrected version of this article.

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
E-mail : - crsnionut@yahoo.com

Edited first in Rome in 1840 and in Athens in 1852, the De Haeresibus et Synodis (CPG 8020) treaty attributed to the patriarch Germanos I (715-730) is a brief summary of Church history from the first seven centuries included in Byzantine canonical collections as historical - dogmatic introduction to the issue, the characters and judgments of the Ecumenical and Local Councils. The treaty illustrates the genre of so-called „synopsis of synods” studied by F. Dvornik and J. Munitiz and theologically valorized by H. J. Sieben. Recent historians today consider the treaty as compiled in its original form before 692 with a final added after the conclusion of the first phase of the iconoclasm. Paternity issues can be clarified from a critical edition of the text that is still missing. Independent of the philological and historical evaluations, the Germanian treaty "On the heresies and synods" reflects an important moment in the constitution of the self-consciousness of Byzantine Orthodoxy as the Church of the Six Ecumenical Councils, and deserves to be known and received as such.

Keywords: - Germanos I patriarch of Constantinople; heresies; Syntagma; Byzantine theological and political thinking; confession of faith; theological culture.

Archdeacon Dr. Ioan I. ICĂ jr. is Professor at the Orthodox Theological Faculty „Andrei Şaguna” of „Lucian Blaga” University in Sibiu, Romania.

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
E-mail : - ioan.ica@ulbsibiu.ro

The translation of the Homily to the Nativity of St. Athanasius is an attempt to complete the Athanasian corpus in Romanian. Its importance lies in the Christological dogmatic value, which refers to the theology of the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ and its consequences: the communication of the attributes between the divine nature and the human nature, the Theotokos, the chenosis, the uniqueness of the divine hypostasis of the Logos and deification.
The homily is remarcable for its emphasis on the divinity of Christ, a theological feature of the Alexandrian School and its representatives.

Keywords: - Athanasius; Homily; Birth of God; Son of God; Mother of God; Birth of Being; Incarnation iconomy; Holy Virgine

Pr. Cornel TOMA este doctor în Teologie Dogmatică și preot paroh la Biserica „Sfinților Ioan Botezătorul și Mina” din Brașov.

Location : - Brasov, Romania
E-mail : - evphymia@gmail.com

The homily De regressu (CPG 4394) is one of the chrisostomic sermons with an undeniable authenticity that gives us a wonderful picture of how St. John relates to his audience and at the same time offers a demonstration of strength to his rival, Bishop Severian of Gabala, whom he tries to get him to abandon his plans for usurpation of the archbishop's throne.

Keywords: - St. John Chrysostom; Severian of Gabala; Palladius of Helenopolis; De regressu; Ephesus; Constantinople; homiletics.

Dr. Dragoş BOICU is at the “Andrei Şaguna” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania.

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
E-mail : - dragos.boicu@ulbsibiu.ro

This short paper contents a short biography of Father Robert Taft SJ, as well as a brief review of his works and contribution in field of liturgical studies, as Father Taft recently passed away. His name is well known for his contribution in the theological research of the history of the Liturgy through his many books, studies and articles published, but also thanks to the students he tutored during his career at the Oriental Pontifical Institute in Rome. In the Roman Theological Faculties one can still hear the expression taftismo to catalogue Taft academic research style. On the 2nd of November, last year, the Pontifical Oriental Institute academic community announced that Father Robert Taft SJ passed away. This article is intended to be an intellectual and spiritual review of his life and activity. In the following lines we will try to summarise the main biographical stages of this great figure of both Roman and Oriental academic theology, starting from the roots of his fascination regarding the Eastern liturgy, trying to reach the main aspects of his life and activity: the importance of his publications and the ecumenical relevance of his academic career. Another aspect will be the identification of some of his students, now professors in different universities of the world and belonging to both Catholic Church and Orthodox Church who represent today a continuation of his vision about the academic research of the Liturgy.

Keywords: - Robert Taft; The Byzantine Rite; Liturgy; The Great Entrance; Pontifical Oriental Institute; the story of the Liturgy.

Dr. Alexandru-Marius CRIȘAN is associated with the Center for Ecumenical Research, Sibiu, ”Lucian Blaga” University, Sibiu, Romania.

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
E-mail : - alexandru_marius@yahoo.com

I decided from the very beginning to write a kind of chronicle on the IOTA Conference 2019. However, this is far from being a classical chronicle on a scientific event, but rather a sincere and personal opinion on the IOTA Conference 2019. In order to make sure that I present my own uninfluenced opinion, I intentionally avoided reading any other chronicle or opinion on the conference. I know there are many reviews and chronicles on the IOTA published in different periodicals and especially on the internet.

Rev. Daniel BUDA, Jun. Professor at the “Andrei Şaguna” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
E-mail : - daniel.buda@ulbsibiu.ro