IPSEC Research

IPSEC’s research program is case-oriented in nature and it is conducted for the purpose of identifying key resources, and new areas of interest. This research emerges from international consultations, Inter-Religious Dialogue Program, Church-State Relations, Just War Theory, and special projects.

In light of the modern tools available for studying social and religious behavior, there is a significant need for groundwork in the field. This groundwork needs to be developed at an interdisciplinary level, because the Church’s approval of using military force–and the imposition of the death penalty–is conditioned by complex factors of influence which often ignore official dogma (as primarily formulated during the first seven Ecumenical Councils), and the institutional structure of Eastern Christianity. These factors of influence are political, cultural and psychological in nature and thus must be studied together from the tripartite perspective of rationality, structure and culture. The tripartite perspective will elucidate whether endorsements of war resulted from the personal interests of a particular high ranking clergy (rationality), or this was the result of the interests of the Church as an institution (structure), or if this emerges from the local mentality (culture).

The research methodology is process oriented because in Eastern Christian theology, peace is not a fait accompli but a spiritually driven process. Therefore, this “peace process” needs to be understood as an active spiritual process or exercise, with social features that can be classified and quantified. The process is functional in nature in the sense that cognitive realities and feelings (inputs) affect the spiritual leaders’ worldview in their interpretation of the sacred texts (pastoral process), thus leading to decisions (outputs), which either conform to, or contradict the basic message of the Gospel, that of turning the other cheek. (See figure below!)

© Copyright Notice
"This is the official website of the Institute for Peace Studies in Eastern Christianity (IPSEC). Much of the text, images, graphics, audio and video clips, and other content of the site (collectively, the “Content”), are protected by copyright law. In some cases, the copyright is owned by third parties, and IPSEC is making the third-party Content available to you under the fair use doctrine, and through the approval of the third-party. Fair use permits only certain limited uses of the Content. You may use the website and its Content only for your personal, noncommercial educational and scholarly use. Some Content may be provided via streaming or other means that restrict copying; you may not circumvent those restrictions. If you wish to distribute or make any of the Content available to others, or to use any Content commercially, or to use any Content for any purpose other than your personal, noncommercial educational and scholarly use, you must obtain any required permission from the copyright holder." More about the copyright Law at http://www.copyright.gov/