Public Orthodoxy

Public Orthodoxy Public Orthodoxy is the curated blog of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University.

Public Orthodoxy is a curated blog of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University.

“They Are Like the Angels”: Genderless Bodies in Heaven?Gender is a charged topic in the Church today. Some might say th...
08/14/2026

“They Are Like the Angels”: Genderless Bodies in Heaven?

Gender is a charged topic in the Church today. Some might say that gender differences are fixed and unchanging as God intended them in this way. Others might say that gender is a social construct, and, like other social constructs, it can be rebuilt in whatever way one desires. Yet it may come as a surprise to many in both camps that Scripture is not so clear about whether gender differences are, in fact, immutable....

Gender is a charged topic in the Church today. Some might say that gender differences are fixed and unchanging as God intended them in this way. Others might say that gender is a social construct, and, like other social constructs, it can be rebuilt in whatever way one desires. Yet it may come as a....

The existence of Christ's sisters is poorly documented in early Christian texts, with sparse and conflicting references ...
08/07/2026

The existence of Christ's sisters is poorly documented in early Christian texts, with sparse and conflicting references that require extensive interpretation. While church tradition suggests they were Joseph's children from a prior marriage, the limited evidence provides few details about their lives or roles in the Church, leaving their historical significance obscured.

D. P. Curtin examines the extant historical evidence on the existence, identity, and roles of the sisters of Christ.

"Environmental pressures often cause organisms to diminish themselves into something stable but without much real potent...
07/29/2026

"Environmental pressures often cause organisms to diminish themselves into something stable but without much real potential. Horseshoe crabs and crocodiles have endured from prehistoric times by acquiring impenetrable physiological panoplies and efficient metabolisms, and both are impressive creatures; but neither species is on its way to producing a Shakespeare."

A common misunderstanding of classical evolutionary theory is that the “fittest” organisms that natural selection favors are merely those who have mastered their environmental milieux. Even in Darwinian terms, that is an impoverished picture; if it were the whole story, it would not be a formula...

Почему важна свобода словаЭта статья исследует уникальную человеческую способность к речи, её происхождение в ходе эволю...
07/29/2026

Почему важна свобода слова

Эта статья исследует уникальную человеческую способность к речи, её происхождение в ходе эволюции и глубокое значение для формирования мышления, творчества и социального сотрудничества. В статье рассматриваются биологические и генетические основы речи, а также то, как речь не только обеспечивает общение, но и занимает священное место в православном праксисе и в становлении личности. И это подчёркивает значение свободы слова для поиска истины и для выражения нашей человеческой природы....

Эта статья исследует уникальную человеческую способность к речи, её происхождение в ходе эволюции и глубокое значение для формирования мышления, творчества и соц....

Традиция, которая позволяет мыслить смелоВ Православной Церковью где-то между строк часто звучит тихое заблуждение: будт...
07/29/2026

Традиция, которая позволяет мыслить смело

В Православной Церковью где-то между строк часто звучит тихое заблуждение: будто вера наиболее крепка лишь тогда, когда любые вопросы запрещены, а истина процветает лишь тогда, когда вопрошания не приветствуются. Однако этот страх чужд глубинной памяти Церкви. Православие рождалось не в безмолвии, а в движении, из встреч, борьбы, слушания и отважных речей. Там, где Церковь жива, вопросы не угрожают ей, наоборот, они пробуждают ее....

В Православной Церковью где-то между строк часто звучит тихое заблуждение: будто вера наиболее крепка лишь тогда, когда любые вопросы запрещены, а истина процветае...

"Inquiry can mean many things. It can be open-ended inquiry, ready to accept whatever conclusion seems to be warranted b...
07/27/2026

"Inquiry can mean many things. It can be open-ended inquiry, ready to accept whatever conclusion seems to be warranted by the evidence, like that of a scientist or a detective. Or it can be inquiry within a context of belief, which seeks not so much to establish new beliefs as to elaborate and clarify those already held."

I come into this conversation as something of a gadfly. I agree with its fundamental premise in only a qualified way, and with the concerns about suppression of speech that motivate it hardly at all. Let us take the premise first. The statement by Jaroslav Pelikan is from an address he gave at Valpa...

The Church is free. It is free to do whatever is needed for the good of the faithful and to further its mission to make ...
07/24/2026

The Church is free. It is free to do whatever is needed for the good of the faithful and to further its mission to make disciples of all nations. Yet in the modern era, the Orthodox Church is shackled by a serious shortcoming, namely the lack of an effective mechanism for conciliarity.

The Church is free. It is free to do whatever is needed for the good of the faithful and to further its mission to make disciples of all nations. Yet in the modern era, the Orthodox Church is shackled by a serious shortcoming, namely the lack of an effective mechanism for conciliarity.

"Speech is considered to be a property that it is uniquely human, and to define when speech first appeared in evolution ...
07/22/2026

"Speech is considered to be a property that it is uniquely human, and to define when speech first appeared in evolution is to identify in some ways when human beings began."

This article explores the uniquely human capacity for speech, its evolutionary origins, and its profound significance in shaping thought, creativity, and social cooperation. It examines the biological and genetic foundations of speech and discusses how speech not only enables communication but also....

A Tradition That Dares to ThinkImage Credit: iStock.com/Elena Nechaeva Free Inquiry Project Series Intro: Jaroslav Pelik...
07/21/2026

A Tradition That Dares to Think

Image Credit: iStock.com/Elena Nechaeva Free Inquiry Project Series Intro: Jaroslav Pelikan once observed, “Orthodoxy is truly orthodox only when it is eager to encourage free and responsible inquiry, even into orthodoxy itself.” Pelikan’s observation is the foundation of this “Orthodoxy and Free Inquiry” series. Discussion, conversation, dialogue, and debate have been critical to the articulation and flourishing of Christianity. And yet, there are examples of attempts to suppress certain conversations within the Orthodox Church today....

https://publicorthodoxy.org/2026/07/21/a-tradition-that-dares-to-think/

Free Inquiry Project Series Intro: Jaroslav Pelikan once observed, “Orthodoxy is truly orthodox only when it is eager to encourage free and responsible inquiry, even into orthodoxy itself.” Pelikan’s observation is the foundation of this “Orthodoxy and Free Inquiry” series. Discussion, con...

The “All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Communities”—Is It Truly All-Ukrainian?Thirty years ago, in July 19...
07/17/2026

The “All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Communities”—Is It Truly All-Ukrainian?

Thirty years ago, in July 1996, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations was established. The initiative came from the State Committee for Religious Affairs. At first, the head of the Committee (which was then a department of the Ministry of Culture) was actually listed among the members of the Council. Until 2005, state representatives even co-signed the Council’s documents and statements....

Thirty years ago, in July 1996, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations was established. The initiative came from the State Committee for Religious Affairs. At first, the head of the Committee (which was then a department of the Ministry of Culture) was actually listed amon...

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