John of Damascus, Modern Greek Orthodoxy, and Christian Theologies of the Fall and Incarnation - An Interview with Dr. Norman Russell
While Christian-Muslim relations are at the heart of our work, Dialogue Across Borders has always taken a keen interest in Eastern Christianity. In part, this is because of our close proximity to and interest in the Coptic Orthodox tradition in Egypt. Last summer, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Norman Russell lecture at the Alexandria School’s annual Epiphany Conference in Cairo about early Christian theology. He is the author and translator of many important works on Eastern Orthodoxy, including The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Patristic Tradition (Oxford University Press, 2004), Theosis and Religion (Cambridge University Press, 2024), Gregory Palamas and the Making of Palamism in the Modern Age (Oxford University Press, 2019), and Cyril of Alexandria (Routledge, 2004).
His many translations include works by classical authors like John of Damascus (d.749) and modern Greek Orthodox theologians such as Christos Yannaras (d.2024) and Panayiotis Nellas (d.1986). In my view, he is one of the most learned scholars in the Anglophone world about the Greek theological tradition, whether ancient or modern. He completed his doctorate at Oxford University under the supervision of Metropolitan Kallistos Ware (d.2022) and has lectured in many universities and theological institutions in Europe and the United States. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at St. Stephen's House, Oxford University.
(Two of Dr. Russell’s publications.)
For all these reasons, I was very pleased to have an opportunity to interview Dr. Russell earlier this month. The interview touches on Dr. Russell’s recent work on John of Damascus, different strands in the Greek theological tradition, modern Greek Orthodox theology, Orthodox-Oriental Orthodox relations, conceptions of Incarnation and the Fall in Eastern Christianity, and Islamic responses to Christian beliefs about the Fall. In short, the interview provides a useful window on a central dimension of global Christianity that many in the West know too little about. Selected excerpts of the interview can be found here. A video of Dr. Russell’s recent lecture in Cairo can be found here.
We are very grateful for Dr. Russell’s time and remarkable expertise in early and Eastern Christianity.
Matthew Anderson
Director - Center for Arab-West Understanding
Executive Editor - Dialogue Across Borders (Brill)
January 26, 2025
Emerging Perspectives on Intercultural and Interreligious Relations
Dialogue Across Borders is a database of summary translations of Arabic newspaper articles with references to their sources about intercultural and interreligious relations, focusing primarily but not exclusively on Muslim-Christian relations. The database also contains articles with editorial analysis and interviews on the subject.