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Papers by Anastacia Wooden
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, 2016
Her dissertation is devoted to the ecclesiology of Nicholas Afanasiev. Her work on this topic was... more Her dissertation is devoted to the ecclesiology of Nicholas Afanasiev. Her work on this topic was published in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies. A native of Belarus, Ms. Wooden lives in Rockville, MD with her husband and four children. Precis This is the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church diplomat Fr. Vitali Borovoy (1916-2008). He actively participated in almost all external engagements of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in the second half of the twentieth century: from inter-Orthodox relations to work in the World Council of Churches (WCC). His ecumenical career unfolded during challenging times for his church. Internally, it was determined by the tension between the Soviet state's continual persecution of the ROC and its simultaneous demand that the ROC work for the state's benefit in external relations. Externaly, it was affected by the Cold War and the solidification of the opposition between the West and the countries of the Soviet Block. No other assignment reflected these tensions as fully as Borovoy's participation in the work of the Vatican Council II (Council) as an observer from the ROC. This paper commemorates the life and work of this remarkable person and pays particular attention to the circumstances that enabled and shaped his participation in the work of the Council.
Pathways for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, 2018
This chapter focuses on the observers from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at Vatican II. Speci... more This chapter focuses on the observers from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at Vatican II. Special attention is paid to the process of sending out invitations, treatment of observers at the Council, tensions in relations between ROC observers and other observers, and personalities of two ROC observers—Fr. Vitalij Borovoj and Fr. Vladimir Kotliarov. Besides the value of historical reconstruction of the events surrounding Vatican II, this paper sheds light on the complex interplay of ecclesiastical and secular political factors involved in having non-Catholic observers at the Council. As such, it gives a telling example of the multifarious nature of concrete ecumenical engagements.
Journal of ecumenical studies, Sep 22, 2010
I. Introduction Eucharistic ecclesiology has shaped theological discussion on the nature of the c... more I. Introduction Eucharistic ecclesiology has shaped theological discussion on the nature of the church in the second half of the twentieth century. Russian Orthodox theologian Nicolas Afanasiev (1893-1966), who coined the term "eucharistic ecclesiology," was one of the first theologians who experienced and articulated the vision of the church in light of the eucharistic mystery. (1) He was the only Orthodox theologian whose work was specifically mentioned in the records of the proceedings of Vatican II. (2) However, Afanasiev's eucharistic ecclesiology is often criticized for an alleged one-sidedness manifested in so-called localism, or congregationalism, that is, favoring the local church over the universal church, neglecting the role of bishops in the unity of the church, and even equating parishes with the local church. There is no lack of authors who offer their corrections of Afanasiev's work. Before his teaching can be corrected, however, it needs to be understood. Close examination of Afanasiev's critics reveals that they rarely include even a brief mention of the founding principles of eucharistic ecclesiology as they were formulated by Afanasiev himself. At the same time, his critics base their statements on a small number of his essays and the works of other theologians, almost never referring to his two most important works: his book The Church of the Holy Spirit and his programmatic essay Lord's Supper (also translated as Banquet of the Lord). (3) Some of Afanasiev's core insights, such as the notion of eucharistic assembly and the development of the interrelation of the laity and the church hierarchy, have rarely been topics of a fruitful theological discussion. (4) This situation, when Afanasiev is better known through the works of his critics than through his own works, is understandable since very few scholars actually had an opportunity to grasp Afanasiev's vision in its entirety and integrity. For many years, Afanasiev's published works were available only in Russian and French. Only recently, an effort led by Fr. Michael Plekon resulted in the publication of English translations of some--but not all--of his major works. For example, Afanasiev's major work, The Church of the Holy Spirit, which was started in the 1940's, was published only after his death, first in Russian in 1971, and then in French in 1975. (5) It appeared in English only in 2007. His major essay, Lord's Supper, which summarized the insights of The Church of the Holy Spirit, was published in Paris in 1952 in Russian, but was never published in English. As a result, of his two works that could have contextualized Afanasiev's thought, only one became available to wider theological circles, and then only in 2007. The bulk of his lectures and studies still remain unpublished. Copies of some of these materials were circulated in St. Sergius Orthodox Seminary circles for years, and now some of them are available on the Internet. (6) Beyond that, his lectures and studies have not been widely distributed. The thesis of this essay is that the incorporation of The Church of the Holy Spirit and Lord's Supper into theological reflection radically recontextualizes Afanasiev's ecclesiological vision by grounding it in his notion of the eucharistic assembly. This not only refutes much of the criticism addressed against his work, but it also moves the attention of the theological community beyond Afanasiev's often-discussed position on the relationship of local and universal churches to a potentially fruitful use of the notion of the eucharistic assembly as a lens for viewing all aspects of the Christian life, particularly the regretful divisions inside the church. To demonstrate this thesis, I will first give an overview of Afanasiev's work that is not centered on a concern about the relationship between local and universal churches (which, I believe, was not Afanasiev's main concern) but that instead focus on his notion of eucharistic assembly, its historical metamorphoses, and the eventual decline in the church's self-consciousness. …
This is the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church dipl... more This is the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church diplomat Fr. Vitali Borovoy (1916-2008). He actively participated in almost all external engagements of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in the second half of the twentieth century: from inter-Orthodox relations to work in the World Council of Churches (WCC). His ecumenical career unfolded during challenging times for his church. Internally, it was determined by the tension between the Soviet state’s continual persecution of the ROC and its simultaneous demand that the ROC work for the state’s benefit in external relations. Externaly, it was affected by the Cold War and the solidification of the opposition between the West and the countries of the Soviet Block. No other assignment reflected these tensions as fully as Borovoy’s participation in the work of the Vatican Council II (Council) as an observer from the ROC. This paper commemorates the life and work of this remarkable person and pays particular attention to the circumstances that enabled and shaped his participation in the work of the Council.
This chapter focuses on the observers from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at Vatican II. Speci... more This chapter focuses on the observers from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at Vatican II. Special attention is paid to the process of sending out invitations, treatment of observers at the Council, tensions in relations between ROC observers and other observers, and personalities of two ROC observers—Fr. Vitalij Borovoj and Fr. Vladimir Kotliarov. Besides the value of historical reconstruction of the events surrounding Vatican II, this paper sheds light on the complex interplay of ecclesiastical and secular political factors involved in having non-Catholic observers at the Council. As such, it gives a telling example of the multifarious nature of concrete ecumenical engagements.
I. Introduction Eucharistic ecclesiology has shaped theological discussion on the nature of the c... more I. Introduction Eucharistic ecclesiology has shaped theological discussion on the nature of the church in the second half of the twentieth century. Russian Orthodox theologian Nicolas Afanasiev (1893-1966), who coined the term "eucharistic ecclesiology," was one of the first theologians who experienced and articulated the vision of the church in light of the eucharistic mystery. (1) He was the only Orthodox theologian whose work was specifically mentioned in the records of the proceedings of Vatican II. (2) However, Afanasiev's eucharistic ecclesiology is often criticized for an alleged one-sidedness manifested in so-called localism, or congregationalism, that is, favoring the local church over the universal church, neglecting the role of bishops in the unity of the church, and even equating parishes with the local church. There is no lack of authors who offer their corrections of Afanasiev's work. Before his teaching can be corrected, however, it needs to be under...
This chapter on the historical context of the Union of 1595-1596 is not a result of a dedicated h... more This chapter on the historical context of the Union of 1595-1596 is not a result of a dedicated historical research but, rather, a survey of widely used sources and most frequent interpretations. 1 The idea to write this historical overview came as a result of an engagement with a project about bishops Josaphat Kuncevich and Joseph Siamashka, presented in this volume. Even before the start of the project, it was expected that evaluation of these controversial historical figures will differ greatly along
Precis This is the hundredth anniversary of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church diplomat F... more Precis This is the hundredth anniversary of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church diplomat Fr. Vitali Borovoy (1916-2008). He actively participated in almost all external engagements of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in the second half of the twentieth century: from inter-Orthodox relations to work in the World Council of Churches (WCC). His ecumenical career unfolded during challenging times for his church. Internally, it was determined by the tension between the Soviet state's continual persecution of the ROC and and its simultaneous demand that the ROC work for the state's benefit in external relations. Externaly, it was affected by the Cold War and the solidification of the opposition between the West and the countries of the Soviet Block. No other assignment reflected these tensions as fully as Borovoy's participation in the work of the Vatican Council II (Council) as an observer from the ROC. This paper commemorates the life and work of this remarkable person and pays particular attention to the circumstances that enabled and shaped his participation in the work of the Council. Prologue
This essay reintroduces the work of the Russian Orthodox theologian Fr. Nicolas Afanasiev. Readin... more This essay reintroduces the work of the Russian Orthodox theologian Fr. Nicolas Afanasiev. Reading Afanasiev's major works-The Church of the Holy Spirit and his programmatic essay on the Lord's Supper-leads one to the conclusion that the relationship of the local and universal churches was not the central concern of his eucharistie ecclesiology. Rather, Afanasiev's work was aimed at the restoration of the meaning of "gathering together as a Church"-beginning with the liturgical lives of local assemblies and extending into the relationships between various churches. Accordingly, in view of this aim, his eucharistie ecclesiology can be called and better understood as "ecclesiology of the eucharistie assembly." Afanasiev's attention to the eucharistie assembly has a rarely explored ecumenical significance. He finds that the problems of the eucharistie assembly and the problems of the divided church are of the same nature and, therefore, cannot be solved separately from each other.
The goal of this paper is to show that an encounter of the Eucharistic ecclesiology of the Russia... more The goal of this paper is to show that an encounter of the Eucharistic ecclesiology of the Russian Orthodox theologian Nicholas Afanasiev and Catholic theology in the 1950s was a truly fruitful instance of reciprocal leaning between Orthodox and Catholic theologies. I also hope to show that this example has not only historical significance but it continues to be a source of insight for Catholic ecclesiology. Fr. Nicholas Afanasiev (1893 is known for coining the phrase "Eucharistic ecclesiology." The claim that his thought exerted certain influence on Catholic ecclesiology prior to Vatican II is confirmed by the fact that he was mentioned three times in the preparatory documents for the council's Constitution on the Church. 1 In this paper I will explore two questions arising from this fact: a historical question of how Afanasiev became known to the fathers of the council and a theological question of why his work was considered significant enough to warrant mention. This paper will conclude with a discussion about what Afanasiev's teaching can offer today to the study of the council's ecclesiology.
Books by Anastacia Wooden
Palgrave Macmillan, 2021
This volume which I edited together with Anastacia Wooden (CUA) came out from the papers presente... more This volume which I edited together with Anastacia Wooden (CUA) came out from the papers presented at the conference "Stolen Churches" held in Stuttgart in 2019 (more about this conference here: https://oec.dialogue.group/stuttgart2019/). This second volume offers ecumenical impulses and suggestions how dialogue between the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches could move forward. Second part is dedicated to practical and canonical issues.
Palgrave Macmillan, 2021
This volume which I edited together with Anastacia Wooden (CUA) and came out from the papers pres... more This volume which I edited together with Anastacia Wooden (CUA) and came out from the papers presented at the conference "Stolen Churches" held in Stuttgart in 2019 (more about this conference here: https://oec.dialogue.group/stuttgart2019/). This first volume explores historical and theological themes, that should serve as impulses for the furtherance of the dialogue between Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches.
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, 2016
Her dissertation is devoted to the ecclesiology of Nicholas Afanasiev. Her work on this topic was... more Her dissertation is devoted to the ecclesiology of Nicholas Afanasiev. Her work on this topic was published in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies. A native of Belarus, Ms. Wooden lives in Rockville, MD with her husband and four children. Precis This is the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church diplomat Fr. Vitali Borovoy (1916-2008). He actively participated in almost all external engagements of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in the second half of the twentieth century: from inter-Orthodox relations to work in the World Council of Churches (WCC). His ecumenical career unfolded during challenging times for his church. Internally, it was determined by the tension between the Soviet state's continual persecution of the ROC and its simultaneous demand that the ROC work for the state's benefit in external relations. Externaly, it was affected by the Cold War and the solidification of the opposition between the West and the countries of the Soviet Block. No other assignment reflected these tensions as fully as Borovoy's participation in the work of the Vatican Council II (Council) as an observer from the ROC. This paper commemorates the life and work of this remarkable person and pays particular attention to the circumstances that enabled and shaped his participation in the work of the Council.
Pathways for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, 2018
This chapter focuses on the observers from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at Vatican II. Speci... more This chapter focuses on the observers from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at Vatican II. Special attention is paid to the process of sending out invitations, treatment of observers at the Council, tensions in relations between ROC observers and other observers, and personalities of two ROC observers—Fr. Vitalij Borovoj and Fr. Vladimir Kotliarov. Besides the value of historical reconstruction of the events surrounding Vatican II, this paper sheds light on the complex interplay of ecclesiastical and secular political factors involved in having non-Catholic observers at the Council. As such, it gives a telling example of the multifarious nature of concrete ecumenical engagements.
Journal of ecumenical studies, Sep 22, 2010
I. Introduction Eucharistic ecclesiology has shaped theological discussion on the nature of the c... more I. Introduction Eucharistic ecclesiology has shaped theological discussion on the nature of the church in the second half of the twentieth century. Russian Orthodox theologian Nicolas Afanasiev (1893-1966), who coined the term "eucharistic ecclesiology," was one of the first theologians who experienced and articulated the vision of the church in light of the eucharistic mystery. (1) He was the only Orthodox theologian whose work was specifically mentioned in the records of the proceedings of Vatican II. (2) However, Afanasiev's eucharistic ecclesiology is often criticized for an alleged one-sidedness manifested in so-called localism, or congregationalism, that is, favoring the local church over the universal church, neglecting the role of bishops in the unity of the church, and even equating parishes with the local church. There is no lack of authors who offer their corrections of Afanasiev's work. Before his teaching can be corrected, however, it needs to be understood. Close examination of Afanasiev's critics reveals that they rarely include even a brief mention of the founding principles of eucharistic ecclesiology as they were formulated by Afanasiev himself. At the same time, his critics base their statements on a small number of his essays and the works of other theologians, almost never referring to his two most important works: his book The Church of the Holy Spirit and his programmatic essay Lord's Supper (also translated as Banquet of the Lord). (3) Some of Afanasiev's core insights, such as the notion of eucharistic assembly and the development of the interrelation of the laity and the church hierarchy, have rarely been topics of a fruitful theological discussion. (4) This situation, when Afanasiev is better known through the works of his critics than through his own works, is understandable since very few scholars actually had an opportunity to grasp Afanasiev's vision in its entirety and integrity. For many years, Afanasiev's published works were available only in Russian and French. Only recently, an effort led by Fr. Michael Plekon resulted in the publication of English translations of some--but not all--of his major works. For example, Afanasiev's major work, The Church of the Holy Spirit, which was started in the 1940's, was published only after his death, first in Russian in 1971, and then in French in 1975. (5) It appeared in English only in 2007. His major essay, Lord's Supper, which summarized the insights of The Church of the Holy Spirit, was published in Paris in 1952 in Russian, but was never published in English. As a result, of his two works that could have contextualized Afanasiev's thought, only one became available to wider theological circles, and then only in 2007. The bulk of his lectures and studies still remain unpublished. Copies of some of these materials were circulated in St. Sergius Orthodox Seminary circles for years, and now some of them are available on the Internet. (6) Beyond that, his lectures and studies have not been widely distributed. The thesis of this essay is that the incorporation of The Church of the Holy Spirit and Lord's Supper into theological reflection radically recontextualizes Afanasiev's ecclesiological vision by grounding it in his notion of the eucharistic assembly. This not only refutes much of the criticism addressed against his work, but it also moves the attention of the theological community beyond Afanasiev's often-discussed position on the relationship of local and universal churches to a potentially fruitful use of the notion of the eucharistic assembly as a lens for viewing all aspects of the Christian life, particularly the regretful divisions inside the church. To demonstrate this thesis, I will first give an overview of Afanasiev's work that is not centered on a concern about the relationship between local and universal churches (which, I believe, was not Afanasiev's main concern) but that instead focus on his notion of eucharistic assembly, its historical metamorphoses, and the eventual decline in the church's self-consciousness. …
This is the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church dipl... more This is the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church diplomat Fr. Vitali Borovoy (1916-2008). He actively participated in almost all external engagements of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in the second half of the twentieth century: from inter-Orthodox relations to work in the World Council of Churches (WCC). His ecumenical career unfolded during challenging times for his church. Internally, it was determined by the tension between the Soviet state’s continual persecution of the ROC and its simultaneous demand that the ROC work for the state’s benefit in external relations. Externaly, it was affected by the Cold War and the solidification of the opposition between the West and the countries of the Soviet Block. No other assignment reflected these tensions as fully as Borovoy’s participation in the work of the Vatican Council II (Council) as an observer from the ROC. This paper commemorates the life and work of this remarkable person and pays particular attention to the circumstances that enabled and shaped his participation in the work of the Council.
This chapter focuses on the observers from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at Vatican II. Speci... more This chapter focuses on the observers from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at Vatican II. Special attention is paid to the process of sending out invitations, treatment of observers at the Council, tensions in relations between ROC observers and other observers, and personalities of two ROC observers—Fr. Vitalij Borovoj and Fr. Vladimir Kotliarov. Besides the value of historical reconstruction of the events surrounding Vatican II, this paper sheds light on the complex interplay of ecclesiastical and secular political factors involved in having non-Catholic observers at the Council. As such, it gives a telling example of the multifarious nature of concrete ecumenical engagements.
I. Introduction Eucharistic ecclesiology has shaped theological discussion on the nature of the c... more I. Introduction Eucharistic ecclesiology has shaped theological discussion on the nature of the church in the second half of the twentieth century. Russian Orthodox theologian Nicolas Afanasiev (1893-1966), who coined the term "eucharistic ecclesiology," was one of the first theologians who experienced and articulated the vision of the church in light of the eucharistic mystery. (1) He was the only Orthodox theologian whose work was specifically mentioned in the records of the proceedings of Vatican II. (2) However, Afanasiev's eucharistic ecclesiology is often criticized for an alleged one-sidedness manifested in so-called localism, or congregationalism, that is, favoring the local church over the universal church, neglecting the role of bishops in the unity of the church, and even equating parishes with the local church. There is no lack of authors who offer their corrections of Afanasiev's work. Before his teaching can be corrected, however, it needs to be under...
This chapter on the historical context of the Union of 1595-1596 is not a result of a dedicated h... more This chapter on the historical context of the Union of 1595-1596 is not a result of a dedicated historical research but, rather, a survey of widely used sources and most frequent interpretations. 1 The idea to write this historical overview came as a result of an engagement with a project about bishops Josaphat Kuncevich and Joseph Siamashka, presented in this volume. Even before the start of the project, it was expected that evaluation of these controversial historical figures will differ greatly along
Precis This is the hundredth anniversary of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church diplomat F... more Precis This is the hundredth anniversary of the Russian Orthodox theologian and church diplomat Fr. Vitali Borovoy (1916-2008). He actively participated in almost all external engagements of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in the second half of the twentieth century: from inter-Orthodox relations to work in the World Council of Churches (WCC). His ecumenical career unfolded during challenging times for his church. Internally, it was determined by the tension between the Soviet state's continual persecution of the ROC and and its simultaneous demand that the ROC work for the state's benefit in external relations. Externaly, it was affected by the Cold War and the solidification of the opposition between the West and the countries of the Soviet Block. No other assignment reflected these tensions as fully as Borovoy's participation in the work of the Vatican Council II (Council) as an observer from the ROC. This paper commemorates the life and work of this remarkable person and pays particular attention to the circumstances that enabled and shaped his participation in the work of the Council. Prologue
This essay reintroduces the work of the Russian Orthodox theologian Fr. Nicolas Afanasiev. Readin... more This essay reintroduces the work of the Russian Orthodox theologian Fr. Nicolas Afanasiev. Reading Afanasiev's major works-The Church of the Holy Spirit and his programmatic essay on the Lord's Supper-leads one to the conclusion that the relationship of the local and universal churches was not the central concern of his eucharistie ecclesiology. Rather, Afanasiev's work was aimed at the restoration of the meaning of "gathering together as a Church"-beginning with the liturgical lives of local assemblies and extending into the relationships between various churches. Accordingly, in view of this aim, his eucharistie ecclesiology can be called and better understood as "ecclesiology of the eucharistie assembly." Afanasiev's attention to the eucharistie assembly has a rarely explored ecumenical significance. He finds that the problems of the eucharistie assembly and the problems of the divided church are of the same nature and, therefore, cannot be solved separately from each other.
The goal of this paper is to show that an encounter of the Eucharistic ecclesiology of the Russia... more The goal of this paper is to show that an encounter of the Eucharistic ecclesiology of the Russian Orthodox theologian Nicholas Afanasiev and Catholic theology in the 1950s was a truly fruitful instance of reciprocal leaning between Orthodox and Catholic theologies. I also hope to show that this example has not only historical significance but it continues to be a source of insight for Catholic ecclesiology. Fr. Nicholas Afanasiev (1893 is known for coining the phrase "Eucharistic ecclesiology." The claim that his thought exerted certain influence on Catholic ecclesiology prior to Vatican II is confirmed by the fact that he was mentioned three times in the preparatory documents for the council's Constitution on the Church. 1 In this paper I will explore two questions arising from this fact: a historical question of how Afanasiev became known to the fathers of the council and a theological question of why his work was considered significant enough to warrant mention. This paper will conclude with a discussion about what Afanasiev's teaching can offer today to the study of the council's ecclesiology.
Palgrave Macmillan, 2021
This volume which I edited together with Anastacia Wooden (CUA) came out from the papers presente... more This volume which I edited together with Anastacia Wooden (CUA) came out from the papers presented at the conference "Stolen Churches" held in Stuttgart in 2019 (more about this conference here: https://oec.dialogue.group/stuttgart2019/). This second volume offers ecumenical impulses and suggestions how dialogue between the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches could move forward. Second part is dedicated to practical and canonical issues.
Palgrave Macmillan, 2021
This volume which I edited together with Anastacia Wooden (CUA) and came out from the papers pres... more This volume which I edited together with Anastacia Wooden (CUA) and came out from the papers presented at the conference "Stolen Churches" held in Stuttgart in 2019 (more about this conference here: https://oec.dialogue.group/stuttgart2019/). This first volume explores historical and theological themes, that should serve as impulses for the furtherance of the dialogue between Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches.