EVANGELOS THEODOROU

Editorial Director of the Journal Θεολογία/Theologia, 1982-2008

Evangelos Theodorou served as Professor of Practical Theology at the School of Theology of the University of Athens. He was born in 1921 in Aydin in Asia Minor. He completed his secondary education in Piraeus. In 1938, he was admitted first in his class to the Theological School of the University of Athens, from which he graduated with honors in 1943. Since his student years, he has been fluent in German and speaks English and French. He worked as an assistant at the Panteion University of Political Sciences, as a professor at various colleges, and in 1949 he was hired as an editor of the journal Ecclesia. In 1951–1952, he taught as the first professor at the Preparatory School for Deaconesses of the Apostoliki Diakonia. In 1952–1953, he continued his graduate studies in Marburg, Germany, where, in addition to theological courses, he took classes in Philosophy, Psychology, Education, and Sociology. In 1954, he received his doctorate with honors from the School of Theology at the University of Athens. In 1959, he was elected Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at the Theological School of Athens and for two years taught courses in Catechetics, Liturgy, and Ecclesiastical Rhetoric or Homiletics. From 1961 to 1968, he served as a full Professor of Homiletics and Liturgical Studies at the School of Theology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and from 1968 until 1988, he served as a full Professor of Practical Theology (Liturgics, Ecclesiastical Rhetoric, and Catechetics or Christian Pedagogy) at the School of Theology of the University of Athens. At the same time, Evangelos Theodorou taught at the School of Deaconesses, at the Higher Ecclesiastical Preparatory School of the Rizarios School, at the Preparatory School for Catechist Candidates of the Apostoliki Diakonia, at the War College, at the National Defense College, and elsewhere. He served as Dean of the Theological Schools of Thessaloniki and Athens, as well as Rector of the University of Athens (1980–1981). Having made a significant contribution to the field of church ministry, Evangelos Theodorou also served as director of the Apostoliki Diakonia (1967–1970) and frequently represented the Church of Greece and Greek theology in inter-Orthodox, inter-Christian, and inter-church dialogues. From 1982 to 2008, he served as editor-in-chief of the Church of Greece’s journals Ecclēsia, Theologia, and Ephēmerios, successfully serving the Church’s mission in the modern world through his theological and scholarly work. A member of numerous academic bodies and institutions, with a significant presence at academic conferences around the world, and a visiting professor at many universities, Evangelos Theodorou was a prolific author. His multifaceted work covers significant areas of Practical Theology, Philosophy, and Sociology. His works have been translated into various European languages. He is regarded as the proponent of the revival of the institution and ordination of deaconesses, and his related studies have received international recognition.