Our Purpose

Our main purpose is to honor the memory of Fr. Florovsky by promoting the study of his thought, as well as the study of the partistic sources upon which Fr. Florovsky relied.

Firestone Library holds most of Fr. Florovsky's personal papers, many of which remain unexamined and uncatalogued. We hope to increase awareness of this collection and inspire scholarly publication or re-publication of work by or about Fr. Florovsky.

We also intend to provide venues for the scholarly and devotional study of Orthodox Christian theology in general, always remaining faithful to Fr. Florovsky's emphasis on Orthodoxy's patristic heritage.

Plans for Future

The Fr. Georges Florovsky Orthodox Christian Theological Society aims to promote study of Orthodox theology among Orthodox Christians themselves but also in dialogue with the intellectual life of Princeton University and of the world at large. Some plans for specific activities include:

• An annual lecture, delivered by an eminent Orthodox thinker and geared toward the entire campus community. A memorial service for Fr. Florovsky would be offered in conjunction with this lecture.


• Occasional conferences or symposia, which would bring together scholars of patristic theology and Fr. Florovsky's work.


• Publicizing of the Florovsky papers in the broader scholarly and theological community, to encourage full cataloguing and subsequent study of his thought.


• Regular meetings (once or twice per semester) where students from Princeton or guests (particularly graduate students) can share their scholarly work in any field and reflect on it with reference to Orthodox theology.


• Regular (approximately monthly) seminars—or reading group-style—meetings for the study of patristic theology.


• Occasional guest speakers or panels, co-sponsored with other campus organizations or academic departments and programs, engaging with contemporary theological and intellectual issues (e.g. religious philosophy in Russia today, religion and the theory of evolution, Genesis and the Big Bang, etc.).

Again, the path of life is the path of renunciation, of mortification, of sacrifice and self-oblation. One has to die to oneself in order to live in Christ. Each one must personally and freely associate himself with Christ, the Lord, the Saviour, and the Redeemer, in the confession of faith, in the choice of love, in the mystical oath of allegiance. Each one has to renounce himself, to "lose his soul" for Christ's sake, to take up his cross, and to follow after Him. The Christian struggle is the "following" after Christ, following the path of His Passion and Cross, even unto death—but first of all, following in love.