Institute of Old Catholic Theology

Visiting Scholars

Every semester, internationally renowned theologians are invited to the Institute for Old Catholic Theology in Bern for a longer stay. Younger researchers from Central and Eastern Europe also regularly come to make use of the rich library collections.

Fall semester 2024

Dr. Marilena Vlad

Dr Marilena Vlad (Romanian Academy’s Institute for South-East European Studies, Bucharest, Romania)

Dr Marilena Vlad, currently a member of the Institute of Southeast European Studies, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, is a researcher specialising in Neoplatonic and Byzantine philosophy. She stayed at our institute for research purposes as part of her project "Order and Hierarchy in Late Antique and Byzantine Thought" (2022-2024). She focussed on the understanding of the Trinity in the works of Dionysius Areopagita.

Spring semester 2023

Prof. Dr. Ivaylo Naydenov

Prof Dr Ivaylo Naydenov (Dean of the Orthodox Theological Faculty Sofia, Bulgaria)

The Bulgarian Orthodox theologian once completed his doctorate at the Faculty of Old Catholic Theology. As dean, he plans to build on existing contacts. Among other things, he has presented a lecture on an Old Catholic theology course that is part of the curriculum for theology students at the University of Sofia in Bulgaria.

Spring semester 2023

Prof. Dr. Mariya Horyacha

Prof Dr Mariya Horyacha (Universität Lviv/Lemberg, Ukraine)

The Ukrainian-Catholic patristics theologian was invited to the Institute for Old Catholic Theology as a guest researcher. As part of this, she gave a public lecture on the churches during the war in Ukraine: "Traditional Churches of Ukraine in the Wartime (2022-2023): Challenges and Responses".

Fall semester 2022

Prof. Dr. Linda Woodhead

Prof Dr Dr h. c. Linda Woodhead (King's College London, United Kingdom)

In the fall semester of 2022, Anglican professor Dr Dr h.c. Linda Woodhead (King's College, London) was in Bern for a block seminar on "Spirituality, Magic, Gender and Power" as part of an Anglican teaching assignment.

Spring semester 2022

Ass. Prof. Dr. Kaholi Zhimomi

Ass Prof Dr Kaholi Zhimomi (United Theological College Bangalore, Indien)

The Baptist assistant professor for the History of the Christianity spent a research semester at the Institute for Old Catholic Theology and took on an English teaching assignment on "minority studies" for international students at the University of Bern.

Fall semester 2021 und spring semester 2022

Prof. Dr. John Behr

Prof Dr John Behr (University of Aberdeen, Grossbritannien)

In 2021 and 2022, the Orthodox theologian organised a two-part study day for PhD students. The first part took place online in fall semester 2021, in spring semester 2022 Prof Behr was present in Bern and also gave the lecture: "The Timaeus Reworked: Gregory of Nyssa's On the Human Image of God".

Fall semester 2020 (online due to the pandemic)

Prof. Dr. George Pattison

Prof Dr George Pattison (University of Glasgow)

In the 2020 fall semester, the Anglican theologian was invited to an online doctoral colloquium on the topic of "Human being, who are you?". As part of this, he presented several chapters from his latest trilogy "A Philosophy of Christian Life".