ORTHODOX ACADEMY OF CRETE (OAC)
The fundamental mission of the Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC) is the dialogical witness and liturgical ministry of Orthodoxy in the modern world. To do so, they are dedicated to cultivating the spirit of dialogue between Orthodoxy and other existing confessions, as well as between faith, science and culture. They function with a canonical relationship with the Holy Metropolis of Kissamos and Selinon and operate under the spiritual auspices of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. The organization is administered by a board of ten members under the presidency of His Eminence, the Metropolitan of Kissamos and Selinon, Amphilochios.
The OAC functions as a workshop open to dialogue between the Church and society and the intelligentsia. The entity organizes annual cycles of thematic studies in the form of Open University, seminars, international conferences and editions. Its objective is cooperation, synergy with other organizations and to be able to establish a joint discussion on the difficulties of our times, all in a spirit of respect for the diversity of each person. The OAC aspires to be a place of dialogue and spiritual exchange at the service of God and humanity.
Since 2019 the OAC is a Research Center recognized by the State and is part of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe), of the Network of Academies and Laity Centres in Europe (OIKOSNET EUROPE). In addition, it has signed cooperation contracts with university and research centers such as the Holy Theological Faculty of Halki, the Foundation for Technology and Research, the Museum of Natural History of the Univ. of Crete, the Technical University of Crete and the University of Ioannina.
Their main tasks:
- Organization and hosting of local, national and international conferences on its own initiative or in cooperation with churches, universities or other organizations
- Conduct various programs and activities of an educational and/or practical nature (such as, for example, introductory seminars on Orthodoxy, iconography, Cretan cuisine and nutrition, seminars on the history and culture of Crete).
- Conduct scientific work in the fields of theology and the environment