The Institute of Church History (ICH) of the Lviv Theological Academy (LTA) organized an international scholarly session, "Christian Ukraine: Historical Inheritance and Living Reality". Part of the International School of the Humanities, the session was dedicated to various aspects of the history of Christianity in Ukraine. The project was conceived and realized through the joint efforts of the ICH and the Center for the Study of the Classical Tradition at the University of Warsaw (known by the Polish acronym OBTA UW). About 40 students and young scholars from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia took part. Themes of discussion ranged from the period of the Union of Brest in 1596 to modern times.

• Father Borys Gudziak, Ph.D.: The Christian Inheritance of Ukraine, History and Understanding
  
• Teresa Hennel-Chynczewska: Relations between the Apostolic See and the Polish Republic in the 16th and 17th centuries
  
• Dr. Ihor Skochylias: Exploring the numerous sources on church history from the 17th and 18th centuries
  

The early modern period of Ukraine’s Christian history was summarized in a seminar discussion of Fr. Gudziak’s book, Crisis and Reform: The Kyivan Metropolitanate, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the Genesis of the Union of Brest. The most disputed point in this discussion was: how deep was the crisis in the Kyivan Church at that time? Fr. Gudziak observed that the discourse on this question has a hundred-year tradition and the problem of crisis should be assessed, as much as possible, from the psychology of the people of the 16th and not of the 20th century.

Dr. Oleh Turii, assistant director of the ICH, led two seminars on the church history of the 19th and 20th centuries: "The Church and the Ukrainian National Movement in the 19th Century" and "The Liquidation of the UGCC by the Soviet Power." The participants were given various source materials and so were able to form their own opinions on the issues.

The Oral History Project of the ICH was presented as a continuation of the seminars. Participants of the session had the unique opportunity of conducting a collective interview with members of the former underground UGCC.
Outside the confines of the sessions, guests were able to do the following:

• Tour the archives in Lviv’s city and regional depository and in the National Museum
  
• Travel to various locations in western Ukraine to become acquainted with the regional specifics of the life and history of the UGCC
  
• Meet and converse with representatives of various religious communities
  
• Experience the depth and beauty of the Byzantine Liturgy
  

This international scholarly session was part of a continuing partnership between the LTA and the OBTA UW, which includes the exchange of students and researchers.

© ICH 2001-2005; Web Administrator e-mail: ichwebmaster@ichistory.org