Using Technology Responsibly
Thanksgiving Message from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros
This Thanksgiving, we are facing a critical moment in the health of our country, but just as much, a critical moment in the health of our souls. Let us show our love for one another by protecting the living image of God that is each and every human being. #WearΑMask More »
Be the Bee #157 | 3 Reasons to Fast from Social Media
Why do we fast from good things like tasty food? A the start of the Nativity Fast, we'll share three basic reasons why fasting helps transform our spiritual lives. But then we'll go a little deeper and explore why these same reasons suggest you should fast, not just from food, but from social media as well.
More »Archbishop Elpidophoros Hosts a Virtual Town Hall with Thousands of Faithful
of faithful across America. Moderated by Emmy Award winning Journalist, Demetria Kalodimos of Nashville, TN, the Town Hall, entitled, “A Pastoral Word with Archbishop Elpidophoros." More »
Preface to "For the Life of the World" - Social Ethos Document
The task of producing a single statement of the social doctrine of the Orthodox Church is of its nature a complicated, not to say contentious, undertaking. The Orthodox Church operates within a vast variety of cultural and historical contexts, each with its own social and political concerns and traditions. The Church regards its social teaching as nothing other than a faithful transcription of the moral teachings of the gospel into the language of public ethics and policy, and insists that every Orthodox Christian is called to live in the world as a faithful disciple of Christ, called to fellowship with the whole communion of saints. More »
Kiosk Convenience Increases Stewardship
Is a donation kiosk right for your parish? In a recent study of church giving conducted between 2015 and 2017, the traditional methods of donating (cash and check) are declining whereas electronic giving (online, credit/debit card, via bank transfer) is on the rise. The study indicates that the availability of electronic giving extends the opportunity to donate to your church to occasional attendees and those who are absent. More »
New GOARCH Website Impresses on the Screen and Behind the Scenes
An institution’s new website often heralds changes behind the scenes that are even more momentous than what the viewer sees. Visitors who go the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese at goarch.org will encounter a new more attractive, functional, and resource-rich, environment, but according to Chief Information Officer Theo Nicolakis, “When we refer to the new website, what we are really talking about is the introduction of an entirely new global communications system for the Church.” More »
I.T., Internet Ministry Departments Help Families with Internet Safety
The spiritual focus of departments within the Church can take different forms in order to enhance the spiritual dimension of its overall mission. That certainly applies to the Archdiocese Departments of Information Technology and Internet Ministries, both under the supervision of Theo Nicolakis, the chief information officer for the Archdiocese, As a Holy Cross School of Theology graduate, he also has the ability to connect with people on both a practical and spiritual level. More »
Facebook as a Lenten Discipline : An Orthodox Pilot Study
Over the last few years, clergy and others have begun preaching about restricting one’s use of technology, encouraging a “technology fast” as a Lenten discipline. The goal of fasting and ascetic discipline during Lent is “to make us conscious of our dependence upon God,” as Metropolitan Kallistos Ware writes. Limiting our use of electronic devices to break our dependence on (or even addiction to) technology and focus instead on our interior life, even for a short period, has entered a new awareness within the context of fasting. But are people changing their use of technology in real ways? Is their use of technology affecting the way they observe Great Lent? More »
The Trench | "How Your Brain Works" | Episode 19
After a long hiatus, Christian returns to discuss neurobiology and some of its implications for how we live our lives as Christians. More »
Patience and Prayer
We live in an age of almost instant communication: cell-phones, iPads, emails, Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, and a host of other programs allow us to reach out to others both near and far, and receive answers from them effortlessly and within seconds. There is much to be praised in these technologies, which bring us closer together, but they also have their negative effect. More »
The Emerging Reconciliation Between Religion and Science
A basic theme of this essay is that the mechanistic worldview we have inherited from the nineteenth century is no longer tenable, and in light of current scientific developments it is outdated. Likewise, the belief that only concrete matter is real and that only that which is accessible to our five senses, with the aid of scientific instruments, is true can no longer be supported even by science itself. More »
Orthodoxy in a New Media Age
Learn about Orthodoxy in a new media age. Discovering Orthodox Christianity is a series of talks, shows, and presentations designed to introduce and explain the basic teaching of Orthodox Christianity. More »
Iconography and Technology
We considered whether or not an application for smart devices dedicated to downloading a new icon every day would serve the purpose of parishes that were on a budget but had access to a tablet. Such application exist for downloading new wallpapers on a daily basis – why not icons? There were three basic areas of contention – each of which would need to be examined and evaluated before we could proceed. More »
“The Science and Theology of Conception” theme of OCAMPR November 2011 conference
The Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion (OCAMPR) announces a conference titled “The Science and Theology of Conception,” to be held at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, November 4-5, 2011. More »
On Creation and Evolution
The 1981 decision which determined unconstitutional the Arkansas law requiring the balanced treatment for “Creation Science” and “Evolution Science” in the public schools of that state, has raised several questions of concern for Orthodox Christians. More »
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: The Science
This article by Andrea L. Kalfoglou, Ph.D describes various Biotechnologies that are in use and under development, including in vitro fertilization, reproductive genetic testing, stem cell research, therapeutic cloning of human embryos, and genetic modification. More »
Archbishop Demetrios welcomes Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to America
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America welcomes His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to New Orleans and the United States and the participants of the RSE Symposium. More »
Archbishop Demetrios at the 2009 Religion, Science, and Environment Symposium
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America offers his opening remarks and welcome to His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Religion, Science, and Environment Symposium in New Orleans, LA on October 21, 2009. More »
Alleviating World Poverty and the Millennium Development Goals
This paper by Evangelos A. Calamistis on alleviating world poverty in reference to the UN’s Millenium Development Goals was presented at the 38th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in 2006. More »
Pastoral Letter from SCOBA
With this letter, we, the hierarchs of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas, wish to share with you some disturbing observations concerning the destruction of many lives in our nation, as explicit sexual content becomes increasingly available through a variety of technologies. We are writing at this time because we know that you care deeply about the well-being of your children, and it is precisely your children who may pay the highest price and become victims of the uncontrolled availability of all that is now technologically available on the internet. More »