Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis

The Rev. Dr. John  Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, was born in Australia (1958), where he matriculated from The Scots College (1975). He received his degree in Theology from the University of Athens (1980), a diploma in Byzantine Music from the Greek Conservatory of Music (1979), and was awarded a research scholarship to St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary (1982). He completed his doctoral studies in Patristics at the University of Oxford (1983).

After several months in silent retreat on Mt Athos, he served as Personal Assistant to the Greek Orthodox Primate in Australia (1984-94) and was co-founder of St Andrew’s Theological College in Sydney (1985), where he was Sub-Dean and taught Patristics and Church History (1986-95).  He was also Lecturer in the Divinity School (1986-90) and the School of Studies in Religion (1990-95) at the University of Sydney. In 1995, he moved to Boston, where he was appointed Professor of Theology at Holy Cross School of Theology and directed the Religious Studies Program at Hellenic College until 2002.  He established the Environment Office at the same School in 2001.  He has also taught as professor of Patristics at Balamand University in Lebanon. A member of the Office of Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Affairs of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, he coordinates the Social and Moral Issues Commission of the Orthodox Churches in America. Currently, he serves as theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch on environmental issues.

The author of over twenty books and numerous articles in several languages on the Church Fathers and Orthodox Spirituality, Fr. John’s most recent publications include Soul Mending: The Art of Spiritual Direction (Holy Cross Press, 2000), In the Footsteps of Christ: Abba Isaiah of Scetis (SLG Press Oxford, 2001), The Body of Christ: A Place of Welcome for People with Disabilities (Light and Life, 2002), Letters from the Desert: A Selection from Barsanuphius and John (St. Vladimir’s Press, 2003), Cosmic Grace, Humble Prayer: The Ecological Vision of the Green Patriarch (Eerdmans, 2nd ed. 2009), Light Through Darkness: the Orthodox tradition (Orbis Books, 2004), John Climacus: From the Egyptian Desert to the Sinaite Mountain (Ashgate, 2004), The Ecumenical Patriarchate: A Brief Guide (Ecumenical Patriarchate, 2005), The Reflections of Abba Zosimas (SLG Press Oxford, 2006), Beyond the Shattered Image: Insights into an Orthodox Christian Ecological Worldview (Light and Life, 2nd ed. 2007), In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (World Wisdom Books, 2nd revised ed. 2008), and Diakonia: Remembering and Reclaiming the Diaconate (Holy Cross Press, 2009). Two volumes with the full correspondence of Barsanuphius and John appeared in 2006-2007 in the Fathers of the Church series of Catholic University Press. He is the editor of three volumes containing the select writings of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Fordham University Press, 2010-2012).

He lives in Maine.