On Friday, June 22, eminent Orthodox theologian Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) delivered a lecture on the Jesus Prayer at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC.

Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia was born Timothy Ware, in 1934. In infancy, he was baptized an Anglican, and became a convert to Orthodoxy in 1958. He spent a considerable period of time in St. John the Theologian Monastery -on the Island of Patmos, Greece, and has frequently been in Jerusalem and on Mt. Athos. In 1966, he received monastic tonsure, and was ordained a hieromonk. From 1966 until his retirement in 2001, he was Spalding Lecturer of Eastern Orthodox Studies at the University of Oxford. In 1982, he was consecrated Bishop of Diokleia, vicar to the Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain (Ecumenical Patriarchate). Following his consecration to the Episcopate, he remained at Oxford, where he continued to teach at the University, and to head a Greek Orthodox parish.

Since his retirement in 2001, Metropolitan Kallistos has continued to be active, publishing his works and lecturing on Orthodoxy. Until recently, he chaired the Board of Directors of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies at Cambridge. He is the president of the Friends of Orthodoxy on Iona. Metropolitan Kallistos’ most famous book is The Orthodox Church, which was first published in 1963, before his tonsure into monasticism and his ordination to the priesthood. Several editions have been published since, including one in Russian. Together with G.E. Palmer and Philip Sherrard, he translated four of the five volumes of the Philokalia. Metropolitan Kallistos and Nun Maria together prepared an English version of the Lenten Triodion and the Festal Menaion.

A video of the lecture and audio podcast are available to our readers in English below:

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese

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