OTSA 2012

If things are a bit quiet around here next week it's because I'm taking an overnight train to New York to present a paper at the Orthodox Theological Society of America's annual conference, this year being held at St. Vladimir's Seminary. I'm delighted to be going, not least for the other fascinating speakers who will be presenting. The list of talks can be had here.

The current president of the OTSA is the priest-scholar Radu Bordeianu, whom I interviewed here, and whose splendid book I reviewed at length here. I was on a panel with him in Los Angeles in March, and can readily affirm that he's not only a fine scholar but an extremely funny and very gracious and warm human being.

My own paper will focus on the influence of Joseph de Maistre on Orthodox and Catholic ecclesiology from the nineteenth century onward. I interviewed two Maistre scholars here.

Among the scholars speaking, many have been featured on here. Edith Humphrey, whom I interviewed here, will be speaking in part about a recent book by John McGuckin, whom I interviewed here.

The historian and priest Oliver Herbel, whom I interviewed here, is speaking.

Nicholas Denysenko, whose new book has just come out as I mentioned this week, will be speaking as well.

Numerous other speakers will be presenting as you can see from the first link above. And the dean of the seminary, the priest-scholar John Behr, whose recent book I noted here, will be offering a public lecture "Reading the Fathers Today."

All in all it should be rewarding not only for the papers, but also the fellowship with some fine people.