The Oriental Orthodox Institute, Berkeley
THE ORIENTAL ORTHODOX INSTITUTE, BERKELEY
The historical developments of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in different regions carry parallel traditions while keeping the same theological formulas. While the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Indian, and Syriac churches have cultural differences, they substantively keep the same understanding of faith. The rapid growth of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the western hemispheres began in the second half of the twentieth century through immigration, with members of each tradition’s respective clergy also immigrating along with the people in these years. Some dioceses of the Oriental Orthodox churches have established minor seminaries in different places in the United States. This has caused the felicitous problem, as the establishment of theological institutions with more facilities for advanced studies, research, and publications have become a necessity as well for all these churches in North America. The purpose of the Oriental Institute is to give students the opportunity to explore Patristic theology, while enabling them to address the growing multicultural challenges to Oriental people who move to the Western hemisphere.
The Churches and Institutes affiliated to the Oriental Institute, Berkeley
Peace Institute, Berkeley
The purpose of the Institute is to promote Peace/Nonviolence Education; it works with the Oriental Institute in offering Peace/Nonviolence Education courses. (1). Programs of the Institute include Peace conferences, seminars in Berkeley, and with other Peace education agencies, nationally and internationally. The Institute participates with the United Nations peace building programs; it also has joint-programs with the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi, and, Mahatma Gandhi Vidya Bhavan, Ahamadabad, India. (2) Publications: The Institute publishes Peace/Nonviolence literature and involves in Social Justice activities;, for instance, edits and publishes series of volumes in the Global Peace Studies.
Peace building team:
Professor Beatriz Bissio, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazel
Professor Thomas Massaro S. J, Fordham University, New York
Dr. Bijesh Philip, St. Thomas Orthodox Seminary, Nagpur, India
Dr. George Mathew, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi
Chrysostom Kuriakose, Editor and Publisher
See. https://www.peaceinstituteberkeley.org
Center for the Assyrian Studies, Berkeley
The purpose of the Assyrian Study Center is to arrange courses in Assyrian Church/history/theology/liturgy - students will get opportunities to join different theological programs in the GTU consortium, Berkeley. One major concern of the Center for the Assyrian Studies is to support youngsters who are interested in pastoral ministry and to equip them to the needs of our parishes. In addition, to develop programs and engage in different types of ministries among youth and families of the Assyrians, that includes immigrant problems, and challenges of the Western culture. It is affiliated with the Oriental Institute, Berkeley.
For information:- (https://www.orientalinstituteberkeley.info).
Malankara MarThoma Syrian Church
The Ecumenical nature of the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley consortium encourages the Malankara MarThoma Syrian Church to participate in its programs. Clergies from the MarThoma Syrian Church have come in the GTU in the past decades for research and doctoral studies.
Ecumenical scholarship: There has been established an Endowment Fund in the names of Bishop Paulose Mar Paulose and Dr. M. M. Thomas as a program of the SFTS Alumnai Scholarship Funds. Bishop Paulose Mar Paulose was an Alumni of SFTS/GTU. Dr. M. M. Thomas was a well-known global Ecumenical leader and illustrious theologian and writer; also he was the founding director of the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, Bangalore. For information: (https://www.orientalinstituteberkeley.info).