INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE THOUGHT AND MISSION OF ST JUSTIN POPOVIC

May 10-11, 2019

INSTITUTE FOR PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIAL THEORY |

University of Belgrade
International conference
Thought and Mission of St Justin Popović

International conference

Thought and Mission of St Justin Popović
Belgrade, Serbia
10 – 11 May 2019

In order to mark 125 years from Justin Popović’s birth and 40 years from his repose the Centre for Byzantine-Slavic Studies of the University of Niš, the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the University of Belgrade and the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory of the University of Belgrade venture to organize the international conference “Thought and Mission of St Justin Popović”, in Belgrade from 10^th till 11^th May 2019.

As a monk, cleric and saint of the Orthodox Church, as a professor of the University of Belgrade and as cofounder of the Serbian Philosophical Society, Justin Popović (1894–1979) is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Orthodox theologians of the twentieth century. Despite unanimous recognition of Justin Popović’s undeniably great intellectual and spiritual achievements, certain dimensions and aspects of his work remain either unobserved or represent an occasion for varying interpretations.

The aim of the conference is to highlight the dimensions and aspects of Justin Popović’s work which have not been sufficiently explored or remain subject to divergent – sometimes conflicting –  interpretations, and to dialogically evaluate the contribution of his thought not only to Orthodoxy, but to Christian theology and spirituality in general. In this sense, the conference is a forum for responsible critical consideration and formulation of new scientific-methodological approaches, and for more subtle interpretations of Justin Popović’s legacy: particularly in regard to his critique of humanism and non-Orthodox Christian denominations. As well, the conference strives to find ways to carefully distinguish between Justin Popović’s authentic spirituality and philosophical-theological thought and its reduction, instrumentalization and ideologization within frameworks of non-critically affirmed politics of power, cultural or of other kind. Not least, the conference represents an collective embodiment of collegial good will to support and to nurture the legacy of Fr Justin as Saint, Theologian, Philosopher, Culture criticist, and as a remarkable witness of Christ the Godman — addressing all ends of the world.

                                                                                                            Dr Vladimir Cvetković

Prof. Dr Bogdan Lubardić

10 May 2019

Festive Hall of the Rectorate, University of Belgrade

Studentski trg 1, Belgrade

10.00-10.30 Opening of the conference and welcome speeches
Prof. dr. Ivanka Popović (The Rector of the University of Belgrade)
Prof. dr Aleksandar Fatić (Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade)
Adj. prof dr Aleksandar Đakovac (Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Belgrade)
Prof. dr Dragiša Bojović (Centre for Byzantine-Slavic Studies, University of Niš)
10.30-11.15 Plenary lecture
Bogdan Lubardić, Fr Justin Popović and Anglican Theologians: Critical Reflections on a Complex and Multifaceted Encounter (in English)

Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, Kraljice Natalije 45, Belgrade

12.00 – 13.30 Registration of participants and lunch (Hall on the 1^st floor)
13.30-15.30 Session 1
Panel 1: Dogmatics, Liturgics and Exegesis of St Justin Popović (1^st floor)
Chair: Aleksandar Fatić

1. Jovan Puruć, Father Justin – An Interpreter of the Holy Scripture (in Serbian)
2. Djordje N. Petrović, Eucharistic Joy in Justin Popović’s Dogmatics: A Reflection of a Protagonist (in English)
3. Aleksandar Đakovac, Dogmatics of Father Justin Popović in Context (in Serbian)
4. Pavle Kondić, Justin of Ćelije’s Mitre and Skufia (in Serbian)

Panel 2: Justin Popović, Dostoevsky and Religious Philosophy (4^th floor)
Chair: Ivica Živković

1. Sladjana Ristić-Gorgiev, Philosophy and Its Meaning in the Works of Father Justin of Ćelije (in Serbian)
2. Sunčica Denić, Symbolical and Lyrical in the Reception of Saint Justin Popović’s Works (Serbian)
3. Sladjana Aleksić, Abba Justin Popović: The Aesthetics of Spiritual Insights in Light of Dostoyevsky’s Work (in Serbian)
4. Nemanja Škrelić, Justin of Ćelije and Dostoyevsky: The Problem of Human Determinism and Freedom (Serbian)

15.30-16.00 Coffee break (1^st floor)
16.00-18.00 Session 2
Panel 3: Justin Popović’s Anthropology: From the Bottom of Hell to the Third Heaven (1^st floor)
Chair: Slađana Ristić Gorgiev

1. Aleksandar Fatić, Тhe Moral Therapeutic Meaning of the Dialectic of God-centeredness and Man-centeredness in Saint Justin Popović (in Serbian)
2. Aleksandar Petrović, Paradigmatic Ways to the Land оf the Living of Abba Justin Popović: Revealing Human Self-understanding (in Serbian)
3. Slobodan Prodić, Father Justin (Popović) and Monasticism (in Serbian)
4. Marko Šukunda, Abba Justin and the Doctrine on Unclean Spirits (in Serbian)

Panel 4: Justin Popović between Ecumenism and Communism (4^th floor)
Chair: Tomas Bremer

1. Zdenko Širka, Protestantism as a Pan-Heresy: Would Justin and Luther understand each other? (in English)
2. Julija Vidović, “The Pan-heresy of Ecumenism” according to St Justin Popović (in Serbian)
3. Neven Vukić, The Church and the Red Star – the Serbian Orthodox Church and the communist persecution in Yugoslavia (in English)
4. Vladimir Cvetković, St Justin Popović on Papacy (in English)

11 May 2019

Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, Kraljica Natalije 45, Belgrade

09.30-10.30 Plenary lecture (1^st floor)
Thomas Bremer, Justin Popović: A Roman-Catholic Perspective (in Serbian)
10.30-11.00 Coffee break
11.0-13.00 Session 3
Panel 5: Justin Popović and Europe
Chair: Zdenko Širka

1. Bogoljub Šijaković, Justin’s Svetosavlje vs. European humanism (in Serbian)
2. Ivica Živković, The Critical Thought of Archimandrite Justin Popović and Christian Education Today (in Serbian)
3. Dragan Šljivić, The Army of Christ and the Army with Christ: St Justin of Ćelije, St Nikolaj of Ohrid and Žiča and Military Ethos (in Serbian)
4. Pavle Botić, Abba Justin on Idolatry (in Serbian)

Panel 6: Justin Popović as a Spiritual Director
Chair: Bogdan Lubardić

1. Ilarion Đurica, The Effectiveness of Learning Faith under the Spiritual Guidance of the Venerable Justin the New: A Personal Experience
2. Dragiša Bojović, Who are the Disciples of Fr Justin (Serbian)
3. Ljubiša Kostić, The Ontological Foundation of St Justin of Ćelije’s Preaching (in Serbian)
4. Pavle Jović, Serbs about St Justin Popović (in Serbian)

13.00-14.30 Lunch (1^st floor)
14.30-16.30 Session 4
Panel 7: Asceticism and Theology of Personhood of St Justin Popović
Chair: Dragiša Bojović

1. Svilen Tutekov, Saint Justin New of Ćelije and the Ascetic Key for the Theology of Personhood (in Serbian)
2. Svetlana Marjanov, The Notion of Personhood in the Works of Justin Popović (in Serbian)
3. Aleksandar Mihailović, Holiness between Asceticism and Liturgy in the Thought of St Justin (in Serbian)
4. Predrag Vukić, The Letter of Archimandrite Justin Popović to Lukijan Zečević, the Abbot of Ostrog Monastery on Easter 1964.

Panel 8: Valorisation and Reception of St Justin Popović
Chair: Vladimir Cvetković

1. Dimitry Tribushny, Saint Justin of Ćelije as an Original Thinker (in English)
2. Stephen C. Headley, St Justin on Providence: Sources and Consequences (in English)
3. Dionysios Skliris, “I love therefore I know”: The Critique of Western Philosophy According to Saint Justin the Νew (Popović) to and its Patristic Presuppositions (in English)
4. Phillip Calington, Reception and Importance of St Justin and His Works Among Converts in the West (in English)

16.30-17.00 Coffee break (1^st floor)
17.00-17.30 Final Remarks and Closing of the Conference
Each speaker is allotted 30 minutes: 20 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes for the discussion.
The papers for publication should be submitted by 30 of September 2019 to the following email address: vladimir.cvetkovic@instifdt.bg.ac.rs
All papers will be peer-reviewed. The papers should not exceed 6000 words.
The photograph of Justin Popović is from the personal photo documentation of Boško Bojović. He is the owner of copyrights.
Click here to view and download the Conference Program.
Click here to view and download the Book of Abstracts.