Protopresbyter John Romanides (1972–2001): Professor, Theologian, Historian

Abstract

The personality of Protopresbyter John Romanides stands out against the other outstanding Greek theologians of the twentieth century in his striving for «otherness», which was expressed by a constant search for deep answers to those questions of theology and history that had long seemed settled and resolved for most. This striving manifested itself in all the main areas of Fr. John: creating dogmatics of a «different kind», developing his own understanding of history, expressed in the so-called «Roman theory», and also creating a special direction in theology - «therapeutic». Like the work of the proto-presbyter, professor and theologian, his life itself was a living expression of a certain aloofness in relation to the outside world. A Greek-Asian-American who lived a considerable part of his life in Athens, he always remained a «sign of contention» both in relation to contemporary Greek society and in the midst of professional academic theology and the Church hierarchy. The biography and significance of Fr. John Romanides' work is the subject of the present publication.