Second International Consultation (Damascus, Syria, October 18-22, 2010)

IPSEC’s second international expert consultation emerged from the outcome from Bucharest, and will be organized at the St. Christophoros Patriarchal Monastery the Antiochian Conventions Center in Saydnaya (near Damascus) Syria, October 18-22, 2010. The consultation is organized together with the World Council of Churches (Geneva, Switzerland) The Institute for Theology and Peace (Hamburg, Germany), and the Patriarchate of Antioch (Syria).

Theme: The first consultation on Orthodox Peace Ethics in Bucharest (July 2009), has given insight into the rich tradition of the Orthodox theology on peace as well as the relevance of historical circumstances for the formulation of ethical positions that need further reflection and development in the 21st century.

Purpose: The understanding of peace-oriented justice is rooted in a long ethical and canonical tradition that goes back to the definitions offered by the Roman jurists Celsus and Ulpianus, adopted by the Byzantine State as guiding principles for social justice. While Celsus (+129AD) defined justice as “the art of good and equity,” (jus est ars boni et aequi), Ulpianus (170-228AD) emphasized its distributive aspect, saying that, “justice is the constant and perpetual desire to give everyone his due.” (Justitia est constans et perpetua voluntas, jus suum cuique tribuendi) He described the purpose of justice in non-violent terms saying that, “the precepts of justice are these: to live honestly, to harm no one, and to give everyone his due.” (“Juris praecepta sunt haec: honeste vivere, alterum non laedere, suum cuique tribuere” (Justinian, Institutes I, I, 3; Digest, I, I, 10)

When all Eastern Orthodox Patriarchs adopted Metropolitan Petru Movilă’s Orthodox Confession of Faith during the pan-orthodox synod of Iasi of 1642, the work of peace was understood as doing justice. As this catechism declared, “holy justice means giving everyone his dues as disserved, without discrimination by virtue of one’s wealth or social status. Furthermore, Christian justice means responding to evils by doing the good, as the Apostle taught. (Romans 13:7)” Just at the dawn of a new epoch the report of an Inter-Orthodox Consultation stated in Minsk (1987) that “it is not enough for us simply to theologize, to describe and to prescribe regarding the Orthodox vision of justice and peace. We must also mobilize and work together for God’s purpose to defeat injustices and to establish justice wherever possible, as well as to overcome the forces which threaten peace on earth”.

For details, please read the concept paper available here.

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