ABOUT THE INSTITUTE
Established in 2003 through a generous grant from the late Stephen and Catherine Pappas, the Pappas Patristic Institute at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts is devoted to the advancement of patristic studies in service to the Church and the academy. A part of Hellenic College Holy Cross, the Pappas Patristic Institute pursues and supports scholarship relating to Early Christianity, Late Antiquity, and Byzantium in order to promote the study of the Church Fathers and their theology, which serve as the foundation of Orthodox tradition and constitute a critical component of the western intellectual heritage. The Institute works closely with other seminaries, theological schools, and universities in Boston and boasts a diverse Administrative Board made up of scholars in patristics and allied fields. The Institute contributes to patristic studies through the organization of conferences, lectures, summer programs, and publishing in the field. To read more about the history and past work of the Institute, click here.
DIRECTOR
The Pappas Patristic Institute is directed by the Very Reverend Archimandrite Maximos Constas, Professor of Patristics and Orthodox Spirituality at Holy Cross. An alumnus of Hellenic College Holy Cross, Fr. Maximos received his PhD in Patristics and Historical Theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (1993) and was tonsured at the Holy Monastery of Simonopetra on Mt. Athos, where he lived from 2004-2011 before being invited to contribute to the work and development of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. In addition to his tenure at HCHC, Fr. Maximos has served as a member of the faculty of Harvard Divinity School (1998-2004) and has taught in the Department of Classics at Harvard University. He has taught numerous courses on the writings of the Church Fathers and published widely in the field of patristics. His books include Proclus of Constantinople and the Cult of the Virgin in Late Antiquity (2003); Maximos the Confessor, On Difficulties in the Church Fathers: The Ambigua to Thomas and John (2014); Maximos the Confessor, On Difficulties in Sacred Scripture: The Responses to the Questions of Thalassios (2019); and St John Chrysostom and the Jesus Prayer: A Contribution to the Study of the Philokalia (2019). In addition to several articles, he is currently preparing a critical edition and English translation of John Geometres' tenth-century Life of the Virgin. You can read a longer biography of Fr. Maximos here; and you can see a list of his publications here.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Fr. Maximos Constas is assisted in his role as Director by Tikhon Alexander Pino. Dr. Pino holds a BA in Greek and Latin (Classics) from the Catholic University of America (2005), an MTS from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (2013), and a PhD from Marquette University (2021). A revised version of his dissertation (written under the direction of Marcus Plested) is currently at press with Routledge: Essence and Energies: Being and Naming God in St. Gregory Palamas. He has published widely on the Greek theological tradition, including articles on Aristotle and Plotinus, Philo of Alexandria, Basil of Ancyra, Maximos the Confessor, Mark of Ephesos, and the interaction of Byzantine and Scholastic Theology. His work has appeared in the Journal of Theological Studies, the Journal of Early Christian Studies, the Heythrop Journal, Analogia, Franciscan Studies, Dionysius, and Byzantinisches Archiv - Series Philosophica (De Gruyter). He is currently editing two collections: The Legacy of St. Gregory Palamas: Studies in Late Byzantine Theology and its Reception, and Ephrem Graecus: The Greek Writings Attributed to St. Ephrem the Syrian in Byzantium. You can read more from Dr. Pino by clicking here.
ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
Dean E. Walker Professor of Church History
Emmanuel Christian Seminary, Milligan University
Assistant Professor of Theology
Morrissey College of Arts and Science, Boston College
Interim Dean of Hellenic College
Associate Professor of Ethics, Holy Cross GOST
Assistant Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine Literature
School of Philology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Associate Professor of Christian Spirituality
Villanova University
Professor of Theology
Saint Anselm College
Michael G. and Anastasia Cantonis Professor of Byzantine Studies and Early Christianity
Holy Cross GOST
V. Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas, PhD
Director (ex officio)
Dean of Holy Cross GOST (ex officio)
To read a short bio of each of the members of the Administrative Board, click here.