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Archbishop Job of Telmessos, who serves as permanent representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the World Council of Churches (WCC), was recently appointed as rector of the Institute of Post-Graduate Studies in Orthodox Theology in Chambésy. Archbishop Job reflected on his new role, its context in international Geneva, and the challenges to justice and peace most on his mind today.
Q: Would you kindly reflect a bit on history of the Institute of Post-Graduate Studies in Orthodox Theology in Chambésy, as well as on its uniqueness?
Archbishop Job: The institute was founded in order to reinforce inter-Orthodox unity and to promote inter-Christian dialogue. One exciting aspect of the institute’s life is that students coming from different parts of the world, from various Orthodox Churches, live together for an adventure of two years that brings them closer to each other and opens their eyes to the rest of the Christian world. The fact that the teaching is delivered in three different faculties, of three different Christian traditions — the Orthodox in Chambésy, the Roman Catholic in Fribourg and the Protestant in Geneva, makes the programme and the experience unique.
Q: As the new rector, what does it mean to you to live and teach in the heart of international Geneva?
Archbishop Job: Geneva is at the same time a small town and an international city. It is a crossroads. Due to the historical presence of several international organizations, it gives an opportunity to meet people from all over the world, to hear about their challenges and their specificity, and to reflect how together we can contribute to make the world better. Geneva makes us conscious of the fact that before all our religious or ethnic specificities, we are first of all citizens of the world and therefore that we have a great responsibility for the world.
Q: In your new role, will you work with international non-governmental organizations or the United Nations?
Archbishop Job: Until now, neither the institute, nor me personally, had any official collaboration with non-governmental organizations or with the United Nations. Perhaps this is an aspect that we have to investigate. Last year, as Permanent Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the World Council of Churches, I participated in a side event during the 37th session of the Council on Human Rights at the United Nations, concerning the prevention of the violence against children. I was impressed with how the non-governmental organizations and the United Nations are sensitive to the voice of the churches, especially on issues such as human trafficking, the environment, refugees and the protection of children. Our churches, and especially the Ecumenical Patriarchate, have much reflected on these issues and have a lot to offer to the world. But it is extremely important to sensitize young students of theology to what the contemporary world expects from the church and from theology.
Q: Will the institute connect with WCC programmes?
Archbishop Job: Of course we must! We also must reinforce our collaboration with the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey. It is not proper that these two sister institutions, living side by side, just glare at each other. The programmes of the WCC are tools at the service of the churches. But who else than the theologians ought to implement them in the local churches? Therefore it is a necessity that the young theologians become more familiar with the work of the WCC and its programmes.
Q: How will your new position build your own faith and your connection to your church? Are there some particular issues related to justice and peace most on your mind right now?
Archbishop Job: I was appointed to this position ten days ago by His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who believes that I am precious to the institute and who also believes that we have to prepare a new generation of Orthodox theologians open to the contemporary world and its challenges, and also open towards the rest of the Christian world. For me this is my priority and, by doing this, I really feel that I am serving my church. I am particularly concerned by the spirit of fundamentalism, narrow mindedness and introversion that is now proliferating within the Orthodox Church. But I believe that only proper theological education is the remedy to this illness. And I wish to serve the Orthodox Church in that way.
Website of the Permanent Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the World Council of Churches