A Communion in Faith and Love

“The present volume is compiled and published in the hope that current and future research will be inspired by Behr-Sigel’s life and theological work, which ventured into uncharted territories, to explore further its implications for theology and especially ecclesiology."

—from the Foreword

The life and work of Orthodox theologian and ecumenical pioneer Elisabeth Behr-Sigel  (1907-2005) still hold radical implications for how we understand authentic Christian life and what it means to be church.

Born into a Lutheran family and ordained in the Reformed tradition, Behr-Sigel converted to Orthodox Christianity and continued a lifetime of theological wrestling with the major questions and leading thinkers of her time. Forged in the religious and social struggles of twentieth-century Europe, she dove deep into the tradition and saw clearly the relevance of Orthodox spirituality and theology for our turbulent age and Christian communion in the church.

Here are featured the latest and best scholarship on the theological legacy of Behr-Sigel, her restless and searching spirit, her deep appreciation of the early church writers, her creative endurance of the assaults of wartime Europe, and her grappling with and championing of the ordination of women—all mark her as a model theologian for today.

Sarah Hinlicky Wilson served for nine years as research professor at the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg, France, and currently serves as editor of the theological quarterly Lutheran Forum.

Aikaterini Pekridou serves as dialogue secretary for the Conference of European Churches and is co-editor of the volume Many Women Were Also There, on Orthodox women in the ecumenical movement.