Daniel Lossky

This article is the text of the concluding address delivered by Daniel Lossky, secretary general of the Orthodox Fellowship, at the XVIIIth Orthodox Congress. In the form of a meditative synthesis, it takes up the themes of the congress by articulating a biblical and patristic reflection on fear and awe. The central idea is that fear, presented in the Scriptures as an obstacle to faith, hope and love, can nevertheless, when it is transformed into reverent awe of God, become a gateway to contemplation and communion. The article carefully distinguishes between paralyzing fear, linked to sin and death, and reverential awe, which opens one to an encounter with the Wholly Other. Drawing on figures such as Mother Maria Skobtsova, Saint Maximus the Confessor and Olivier Clément, it proposes a theology of crisis as a place of discernment and spiritual maturation oriented toward eucharistic life.

This article reports on the 17th Orthodox Congress in Western Europe, organized by the Orthodox Brotherhood, of which Daniel Lossky serves as Secretary General. It is an account of an ecclesial and institutional nature, presenting the proceedings and orientations of an assembly bringing together Orthodox faithful established in a Western context. The central question raised by this congress — the Church as a space of freedom — constitutes the guiding thread of the reflections engaged during this gathering. On a theological level, the article examines the very nature of the ecclesial community: to what extent does the Church offer its members an authentic space of spiritual and human freedom? The contribution of this text lies in its capacity to document the life and thought of the Orthodox diaspora in Western Europe, bearing witness to its contemporary ecclesiological concerns.

This article examines the ecclesiological vision shared by two major figures of twentieth-century French-speaking Orthodoxy, Father Cyrille Argenti and the lay theologian Olivier Clément. The study draws on a comparative analysis of their respective thoughts in order to identify the convergences and complementarities that characterize their conception of the Church. The main idea is that these two personalities, coming from different backgrounds, developed a coherent and original ecclesiological vision, deeply rooted in the Orthodox tradition while addressing the contemporary Western context. On the theological level, the article highlights the way in which Argenti and Clément together contributed to formulating a living ecclesiology, articulating the mystical and communal dimension of the Church, and thus offering a lasting contribution to Orthodox reflection in the diaspora.

This article examines the situation of Orthodoxy in Western Europe and the challenges posed by its presence in a cultural and religious context distinct from its lands of origin. Daniel Lossky adopts a reflective and ecclesiological approach to analyze the conditions for an authentic Orthodox witness in the West. The central idea is that Orthodox communities in Western Europe are called to fully live out their ecclesial belonging while engaging in open dialogue with Western societies and the other Christian traditions historically established in this territory. The contribution of the article lies in its highlighting of the tensions between fidelity to the Orthodox tradition and the necessity of active integration into a multi-confessional environment, thereby laying the groundwork for a reflection on the identity and mission of the Orthodox Churches of the diaspora.

This article examines the role of Olivier Clément within the Orthodox Brotherhood in Western Europe, an organization of which he was one of the founding members. Through a historical and institutional study, Daniel Lossky traces the theologian's concrete involvement in structuring the Orthodox presence in Western Europe. The central idea is that Clément did not limit himself to abstract theological reflection, but formulated precise canonical proposals concerning the organization and future of Orthodoxy in this diasporic context. The article makes a twofold contribution: it sheds light on a lesser-known dimension of Clément's work, that of institution builder, and it documents the canonical debates relating to the jurisdiction and unity of Orthodox communities established outside traditionally Orthodox territories, a question that has remained central to contemporary Orthodox ecclesiology.

This article is a personal testimony dedicated to the figure of Father Nicolas Lossky (1929-2017), Orthodox theologian and prominent actor in the ecumenical movement of the twentieth century. Written by Daniel Lossky, his grandson, it is part of a collection of eight testimonies addressing different dimensions of the work and personality of the deceased. The author draws the portrait of a man whose entire existence was oriented by a profound desire for unity among Christians, a desire inseparable from his faith and his theological commitment. The contribution of this testimony lies in the intimate light it sheds on the coherence between the life and thought of Father Nicolas Lossky, a figure of dialogue between the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant traditions, whose spiritual and intellectual legacy remains significant for contemporary ecumenism.

Daniel Lossky's article focuses on the condemnation of phyletism — or ecclesial nationalism — issued by the Council of Constantinople in 1872 and on its contemporary relevance for Orthodox communities in the West. Drawing on personal theological reflection, the study examines the historical conditions under which this council defined phyletism as an ecclesiological heresy, before exploring its current implications. The central argument is that the proliferation of co-territorial Orthodox jurisdictions in the diaspora constitutes a concrete manifestation of the problem condemned in 1872. The article's contribution lies in its articulation of this conciliar precedent with the question of the canonical organization of Orthodox Churches outside their historical territories, proposing as a response the establishment of multiethnic and territorial episcopal structures capable of transcending national divisions within a single local Church.