Nikos Nissiotis

This article by Greek theologian Nikos Nissiotis, a contribution to the Groupe des Dombes, offers a systematic study of the nature and function of episcopal priesthood in the Orthodox tradition. Taking both a historical and theological approach, Nissiotis argues that the episcopate can only be understood in terms of the eucharistic and charismatic community, and not according to an individual line of succession directly linking Christ to the bishops. The main contribution of the article is to move beyond the opposition between institution and charism by showing that episcopal authority is fundamentally communal, eucharistic and eschatological. This approach makes it possible to critique both the juridical ecclesiologies of the Catholic Churches and the rejection of the episcopate in certain Protestant traditions, thus opening up prospects for ecumenical convergence on the question of ordained ministry.

This article reports on the Second Congress of Orthodox Theological Schools and Faculties, held in Athens in August 1976, forty years after the first congress of 1936. It brings together two complementary documents: the introductory address by Nikos Nissiotis and the unpublished report of the group discussions written by Constantin Andronikof. The congress, which gathered more than one hundred theologians around the theme of theology as an expression of ecclesial life, the presence of the Church in the world, and spiritual renewal, made it possible to take stock of contemporary Orthodox thought. The principal contribution lies in the consecration of the neo-patristic synthesis, the critique of theology's academic withdrawal, and the in-depth examination of concrete ecclesiological questions, notably the canonical organization of the Orthodox diaspora, the relationship between catholicity and ethnicity, and the ecumenical dimension of Orthodoxy.

This article is a homily delivered by Nikos Nissiotis, director of the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, at a memorial service held in Chambésy in July 1972, shortly after the death of Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I. Drawing on the passage from the Second Epistle to Timothy (4:6-8), Nissiotis offers an exegetical and eulogistic meditation in which the words of Saint Paul — libation, departure, good fight, finished race, kept faith — serve as an interpretive framework for re-reading the patriarchate of Athenagoras. The article highlights the three axes of the patriarch's ministry: the spiritual renewal of Orthodoxy, inter-Orthodox solidarity, and ecumenical engagement. Its theological contribution lies in the articulation between Pauline apostolate and contemporary patriarchal diakonia, proposing a theology of love as a fundamental category of Orthodox ecclesiology.

This article by Nikos Nissiotis examines the threefold articulation between theological presence, ecumenical engagement, and the internal cohesion of Orthodoxy. Belonging to the field of systematic theological study, it argues that all authentic Orthodox theology must simultaneously integrate the historical, universal, and missionary dimensions of the Church. The author analyzes the limitations of Western ecclesiologies — Roman juridism and Protestant functionalism — in order to propose an alternative grounded in a eucharistic, pneumatological, and trinitarian theology. He defends Orthodox participation in the World Council of Churches as the privileged framework for dialogue, distinct from bilateral negotiations with Rome. The principal contribution lies in a lucid self-critique of Orthodoxy itself: Nissiotis identifies ecclesial nationalism as a deviation symmetrical to Western sociologism, and formulates concrete proposals for renewing Orthodox internal unity with a view to a credible ecumenical contribution.

This article brings together two texts presented by the Orthodox delegation at the New Delhi Conference (1961): a collective declaration and a lecture by Nikos Nissiotis, deputy director of the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey. The study develops an Orthodox theology of ecclesial unity through a twofold approach: ecclesiological and ecumenical. The central idea contrasts an "ecumenism in space," deemed insufficient because it is limited to existing denominations, with an "ecumenism in time" grounded in a return to the common apostolic tradition. Nissiotis then articulates the notion of unity in relation to Trinitarian life and the event of Pentecost, distinguishing testimony (_martyria_) from service (_diakonia_). The theological contribution lies in a dynamic and inclusive redefinition of the term "orthodoxy," conceived not as a confessional label but as a synonym for "catholic" and "apostolic," thereby opening an original path for ecumenical reflection.

This article reproduces a paper delivered by Nikos Nissiotis at the Lausanne Christian Youth Assembly in July 1960. The author, deputy director of the Bossey Ecumenical Institute, develops a theological reflection on the relationship between the Churches of Europe and the world. Drawing on the ecclesiology of the Greek Fathers, he argues that any geographical or ethnic designation applied to the Church risks betraying its essential catholicity. Authentic Christian mission does not consist in transmitting a civilization or responding to immediate social problems, but in integrating human beings into the Body of Christ through the sacraments. Nissiotis then analyzes the consequences of ecclesial divisions in Europe, which have led to the loss of this universal vision. The article constitutes a significant contribution to Orthodox ecumenical theology by articulating catholicity, Pentecost and mission from the Greek patristic tradition.