Paul Gavrilyuk

University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, Theology, Faculty Member

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Prof. Paul L. Gavrilyuk holds the Endowed Aquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy in the Theology Department at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA (2013- present). His fields of expertise range from historical theology to philosophy of religion to ecumenical studies. He has contributed to the understanding of the early Christian doctrine of God, of modern Russian religious thought, and of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue. He is the founding president of the International Orthodox Theological Association and Rebuild Ukraine. See his academic biography on his website: https://paulgavrilyuk.wordpress.com/

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Papers by Paul Gavrilyuk

The Faith of Nicaea, the Hierarchy of Truths, and the Restoration of Eucharistic Communion between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches

International Journal of Systematic Theology, 2025

The paper discusses the problem of Orthodox-Catholic disunity by naming non-theological and discu... more The paper discusses the problem of Orthodox-Catholic disunity by naming non-theological and discussing theological issues behind the issues in bilateral dialogues between the Churches. The main theological issue is the absence of agreement on which doctrinal differences should or should not count as church-dividing. The author argues that the concept of the 'hierarchy of truths', introduced by Vatican II's Unitatis Redintegratio is a promising heuristic tool for distinguishing the doctrines that pertain to the 'fundamental Christian faith' and other important doctrines that do not have the same authoritative status. The author proposes that the agreement on the 'Nicene faith' could function as a sufficient condition for the Eucharistic communion between the two Churches on two grounds of the use of the Creed in the rites of initiation and the liturgy. The author subsequently articulates three potential objections to his proposal, responds to these objections, and finishes the paper with what could be called a 'Nicene Formula of Reunion'. The proposed Formula includes a commitment to seeking an increasingly greater convergence on doctrinal and ecclesiastical issues on which there is continuing, although not churchdividing disagreement. The main goal of the official Orthodox-Catholic dialogue is the restoration of full communion between the two Churches. After decades of valuable discussions, the attainment of this goal continues to remain a somewhat vague prospect. Why are we in this situation? Is the goal of full communion achievable at all? If it is, what needs to be done to achieve it? If it is not, why precisely has the problem of disunity

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WHEN THE PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW BLESSES A WAR: THE RUSSIAN WORLD AND THE SACRALIZATION OF VIOLENCE

Modern Theology, 2024

The article explains that the ideology that fuels Russia's war against Ukraine was produced withi... more The article explains that the ideology that fuels Russia's war against Ukraine was produced within the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church and had Kirill Gundiaev, the Patriarch of Moscow, as its major proponent. The ideology of the so-called "Russian World" denies to the Ukrainian state a right to independent existence. This ideology also postulates a clash of civilizations between the Holy Rus' as a defender of the traditional Christian values and the secular West. The most recent pro-war statements of Patriarch Kirill are analyzed in light of this dichotomy.

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