Summary of online lecture
Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Ready
DIALOGUE WITH JUDAISM:
A PATH OF DEEPENING ORTHODOX FAITH AND TRADITION
The last lecture of the series “Liturgy after the Liturgy” for the current academic year, took place on Thursday, May 15th, 2025. Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Ready (Director of Orthodox Christian Studies at Trinity College, University of Toronto, Canada) presented the topic . The event was moderated by Liesl Coffin-Behr. The series “Liturgy after the Liturgy” has been co-sponsored by Volos Academy for Theological Studies, the Holy Metropolis of France, and the Vicariate of French-Speaking Parishes (Vicariate Sainte Marie de Paris & Saint Alexis d’Ugine, Ecumenical Patriarchate).
The main topics on which the speaker focused were (1) first, the discovery of a full narrative of the relationship between God and the people of Israel, with a more authentically Christotelic, rather than strictly Christocentric typology; (2) second, the illumination and deeper understanding of existing Orthodox liturgical and religious practices –such as the significance of the Sabbath day in the Christian world– through the Jewish perspective and interpretation; and (3) third, the rediscovery of a more vibrant sense of the patristic tradition, reflecting a dynamic “Talmudic” approach to the quest for truth through dialogue, debate, and the use of heuristic methods. “Many Church Fathers were convinced not only that rabbinic Judaism would disappear, but also that it had to disappear. […] And yet, here we are in the 21st century, confronted with the persistent and living reality of Judaism. It is clear that certain aspects of patristic teaching must be reexamined, particularly what has proven to be a denial of history. […] But it is a source of joy to note that, through dialogue with the Jewish community, Orthodox Christians can gain new insights into their own tradition, deepen their understanding of liturgical practices, and rediscover precious elements of faith and spiritual life that may have been neglected or gone unnoticed.”
In the discussion that followed, there were questions concerning the content of the lecture. The video recording of the event is available on the Vicariate's YouTube channel, at https://youtu.be/hX1ozo2X1f4 (in French).
