Jean Gueit

The Orthodox Fraternity in Western Europe is the subject of this historical and institutional article written by Jean Gueit. The author adopts a descriptive and analytical approach to trace the rise of this inter-jurisdictional movement, focusing particularly on its development in France. The main idea is to show how the Orthodox Fraternity has been able to bring together faithful and communities belonging to different canonical jurisdictions, thereby fostering pastoral and spiritual unity beyond traditional ecclesiastical boundaries. From a theological and historical perspective, the article highlights the structuring role of this movement in the life of Orthodoxy in Western Europe, illustrating the dynamics of convergence between orthodox traditions of diverse origins in the face of challenges specific to the diaspora. This study contributes to a better understanding of the organization and identity of contemporary Orthodoxy in a Western context.

This article constitutes a personal testimony by Jean Gueit, an Orthodox priest, on the decisive influence of Father Boris Bobrinskoy on his liturgical, theological and pastoral formation. The author traces his journey from his childhood in the Russian-speaking Orthodox community of Nice to his presbyteral ministry, by way of his arrival at the Crypt of the Cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevsky in Paris in 1970. The central idea is that Father Boris embodied a synthesis between theological rigour and pastoral discernment, particularly in his differentiated approach to welcoming converts and in his liturgical practice in French. The article highlights the ecclesiological contribution of this ministry: the rediscovery of the communal dimension of the Eucharistic liturgy, inherited from the works of Afanassiev, Kern and Schmemann, and its concrete transmission in the context of French-speaking Orthodoxy in Western Europe.

This article is the transcript of an inaugural lecture delivered at an orthodox theology congress. Drawing on the patristic adage "God became man so that man might become God," the author develops a reflection on the tension between belonging to the world and transcending its conflictual logic. He analyzes the human condition as structured by antagonistic polarities that only law and political power can partially contain. Faced with this fundamental conflictuality, the theology of deification offers an alternative perspective: God reconciles man with himself and with the cosmos, where human institutions can only limit its effects. The article thus provides an ecclesiological reading of Christian freedom, distinguishing the Church as the body of the risen Christ from any form of authoritarian institution, and highlighting the liberating role of the Holy Spirit.

This article reports on the closing conference delivered by Father Jean Gueit, chaplain of the Orthodox Brotherhood, within the framework of a theological congress. It is a conclusive synthesis aimed at identifying the lines of convergence between the preceding contributions. The central idea is that freedom in Christ is not an abstract notion, but a liberation brought about by the Holy Spirit, collectively built within the Church. The author argues that the Orthodox Church is called to engage with the world in order to bear witness to the Truth therein, ensuring coherence between discourse and practice. On the ecclesiological and historical level, the article situates this congress within the preparatory process of the pan-Orthodox council and presents the Orthodox Brotherhood as a space of visible unity among Orthodox Christians, oriented toward mission and evangelical witness.

This article offers a portrait of Olivier Clément (1921-2009), a French Orthodox theologian whose intellectual and spiritual journey is retraced by Jean Gueit, a priest and academic. The approach is that of a reflective testimony, informed by a direct knowledge of the man and his work. The author highlights the singular path of this thinker of atheist origins, shaped notably by Vladimir Lossky, who became one of the principal mediators of the Orthodox tradition in the West. The central idea is that Clément's thought is structured around a theology of beauty inherited from Dostoevsky, centered on the transfiguration of man and the world in Christ. On the theological level, the article underscores Clément's contribution to ecumenical dialogue and his ability to respond, through the resources of the Orthodox tradition, to the spiritual crises of contemporary societies.