We are pleased to announce that the sixteenth international conference of the Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network (EIIRN) will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece, from September 17 to 20, 2025. The conference theme will be “Dissent, Power, and Christian Identity after Nicaea,” and the event will be co-organized by the Center of Ecumenical, Missiological and Environmental Studies “Metropolitan Panteleimon Papageorgiou” (CEMES) and hosted by American College of Thessaloniki and Metropolis of Thessaloniki.
This conference is anticipated to be one of the key events commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. Convened in 325 AD by Emperor Constantine I, this council inaugurated an enduring paradigm not only in ecclesial administration but also in church identity. The Council’s processes and conclusions remain broadly normative with regard to church polity and the limits of Christian diversity. Given that Nicaea took place at a time of remarkable religious pluralism and diversity and was convened in response to the disputes over “what is the Church” within that context, that early ecclesial reality shares an important resonance with our current historical moment. The purpose of 16th International Ecclesiological Investigations Conference (co-sponsored by Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute) is to pose the questions: In what ways does Nicaea continue to shape how we configure the Church today, with what opportunities and at what cost?
Thessaloniki 2025 website is now live along with much more information about the gathering, its organizers and sponsors, its keynote speakers, its para-conference activities in the global cultural capital of Thessaloniki (including a boat tour of the Athos Peninsula), and available scholarships to support the participation of graduate students and seminarians.
The Call for Papers is open until March 1, 2025.
