One of the essential figures of the 20th century

This article by Denise Dumolin is devoted to the figure of Olivier Clément, a French Orthodox theologian of the twentieth century, presented as an exceptional mediator between East and West, between atheism and faith, and between the various Christian denominations. Drawing on personal testimony and intellectual and spiritual portraiture, the text relies on direct recollections, notably a day of conferences at the Abbey of Sylvanès in 1985, radio collaborations, and ecumenical exchanges. The central idea is that Clément embodies an Orthodox thought of universal scope, capable of nourishing Catholics and Protestants alike. The contribution of the article lies in shedding light on Clément's concrete role in ecumenical dialogue — illustrated by his composition of the Way of the Cross in 1998 at the request of John Paul II and by his analysis of his work Rome autrement — as well as in the transmission of previously unpublished fragments of his theological thought on the image of God, the liturgy, and the resurrection.