Building the House of Wisdom
Sergii Bulgakov – 150 Years After His Birth
Fribourg – September 2–4, 2021
International Conference hosted by the University of Fribourg, Switzerland
The conference is organised by the Sergii Bulgakov Research Centre at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) in cooperation with the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University (New York, USA), and the Volos Academy for Theological Studies (Greece).
Under the patronage of Rowan Williams,
Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge (2013–2020), Archbishop of Canterbury (2002–2012)
Sergii Bulgakov is one of the preeminent theologians of the 20th century. The international conference on the occasion of his 150th birthday (16th/28th July 1871 – 13th July 1944) aims to promote the reception of his work in Eastern and Western academic life.
The conference explores Bulgakov’s contribution to meeting the challenges of the modern world and to build bridges between East and West.
The colloquium brings young researchers from different theological disciplines and different ecclesiastical traditions into conversation with established Bulgakov specialists. The official language of the conference is English.
Conference Programme (final version)
Paper abstracts (final version)
Conference venue:
University of Fribourg, Miséricorde: Aula Magna, Avenue de l'Europe 20, 1700 Fribourg
Barbara Hallensleben, Regula M. Zwahlen, Aristotle Papanikolaou, Pantelis Kalaitzidis (eds.): Building the House of Wisdom. Sergii Bulgakov and Contemporary Theology: New Approaches and Interpretations. Münster: Aschendorff Verlag, 2024
This anthology gathers a collection of papers given at the international conference on the occasion of Bulgakov’s 150th birthday at the University of Fribourg in September 2021. The chapters, written by established Bulgakov specialists, not least the keynote speaker Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury (2002–2012), as well as young researchers from different theological disciplines and ecclesiastical traditions, explore Bulgakov’s contribution to meeting the challenges of the modern world and to building bridges between East and West. The authors bring forth a wide range of new creative ways to critically engage with Bulgakov’s theological worldview and cover topics such as personhood, ecology, political theology and trinitarian ontology.
The conference took place in-person for the invited speakers. The record of the live streaming is available on Youtube:
Warum der Ex-Marxist Sergij Bulgakov auch den Alterzbischof von Canterbury fasziniert
And here's why we went to Bern's Kornhauskeller for the closing reception:
Regula M. Zwahlen: Over a Beer with Barth and Bulgakov: Cosmodicy, Public Orthodoxy, 18 July 2022
Main Speakers
Antoine Arjakovsky
Co-directeur du département de recherche Politique et Religions du Collège des Bernardins, Paris, France
Nikolaos Asproulis
Deputy Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, Greece
David Bentley Hart
Faculty Fellow, Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study, USA
Antonio Bergamo
Director of the ISSR of Lecce and Professor of Theological Anthropology at Sophia University Institute, Florence, Italy
Catherine Evtuhov
Professor of History, Department of History, Columbia University, New York, USA
Brandon Gallaher
Senior Lecturer of Systematic and Comparative Theology, University of Exeter, UK
Paul Gavrilyuk
Aquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy at the Theology Department of the University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Barbara Hallensleben
Professor of Dogmatic Theology and Ecumenism, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Pavel Khondzinskii
Dean of the Theological Faculty, St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University, Moscow, Russia
Alexei Kozyrev
Dean and Associate Professor of the Faculty of Philosophy, Chair of History of Russian Philosophy, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
John Milbank
President of the Centre of Theology and Philosophy, University of Nottingham, UK
Natalia Vaganova
Lecturer of Philosophy at the Theological Faculty, St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University, Moscow, Russia
Nathaniel Wood
Associate Director, Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University, New York, USA
Rowan Williams
Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge (2013–2020), Archbishop of Canterbury (2002–2012)
Panel Participants
Deborah Casewell, Germany
Dario Colombo, Switzerland
Justin S. Coyle, USA
Joshua Heath, UK
Caleb Henry, Canada
Austin Holmes, USA
Ivan Ilin, Russia
Nikos Kouremenos, Greece
Sarah Livick-Moses, USA
Adalberto Mainardi, Italy
Graham McGeoch, Brasil
Mark McInroy, USA
Jack Pappas, USA
Liubov Petrova, Russia
Taylor Ross, USA
Yuri Safoklov, Germany
Dionysios Skliris, Greece
Tikhon Vasilyev, Russia
Organising Committee
Barbara Hallensleben
Professor of Dogmatic Theology and Ecumenism, University of Fribourg (Switzerland)
Regula Zwahlen
PhD, Scientific Director of the Sergii Bulgakov Research Centre, University of Fribourg (Switzerland)
Aristotle Papanikolaou
Professor of Theology, Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture, and Co-Founding Director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University (New York, USA)
George Demacopoulos
Fr. John Meyendorff & Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies, and Co-Founding Director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University (New York, USA)
Pantelis Kalaitzidis
Director, Volos Academy for Theological Studies (Volos, Greece), Member of the Executive Committee of the European Academy of Religion (Bologna, Italy)
Sponsored by:
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)
Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University, New York
Volos Academy for Theological Studies, Greece
Fonds de recherche du Centenaire de l’Université de Fribourg
Faculté de théologie de l’Université de Fribourg
Institut d'études œcuméniques de l'Université de Fribourg
Bulgakov and Kandinsky
Kandinsky about Bulgakov (1911):
« Nous parlerons du mouvement religieux russe, où toutes les classes sont partie prenante. Mon ancien collègue le professeur Boulgakov y pourvoiera, spécialiste d'économie politique à Moscou, il est l'un des plus grands experts de la vie religieuse.»
Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, L'Almanach du "Blaue Reiter" (Le Cavalier Bleu), Paris 1981, 9.
Bulgakov about Kandinsky (1914):
« La question des nouveaux chemins de l’art est très intéressante et est profondément abordé dans le travail du peintre W. Kandinsky « Über das Geistige in der Kunst, insbesondere in der Malerei ». München1912. »»
S. N. Bulgakov, Picasso ou „Le cadavre de la beauté“, 1915