Anca Manolescu

This article presents the figure of André Scrima (1925-2000), a Romanian Orthodox monk, theologian and intellectual whose exceptional journey extends from Bucharest to India, from Lebanon to Rome and Paris. Written in the form of a biographical and intellectual entry, it traces the stages of a life devoted to the Eastern contemplative tradition and to interreligious and ecumenical dialogue. The author shows how Scrima, trained at the Antim monastery under the influence of Stăniloae, was able to articulate monastic rigor with openness to non-Christian traditions, particularly Hindu ones. His role as representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Second Vatican Council, his spiritual direction of the Deir-el-Harf community, and his teaching in Beirut illustrate a theological thought nourished by Eastern hesychasm and apophaticism. The article highlights Scrima's contribution to the renewal of Byzantine liturgical theology and to the ecumenical reflection of the twentieth century.