Sts Cyril and Methodius: The Encounter of Faith and Culture – History and Paradigm

Presented by Dr Birute Arendarcikas RSM

The evangelical mission of the Byzantine missionaries, Saints Cyril and Methodius, to the Christianisation of the Slavs of Greater Moravia in the ninth century, is relevant today for its innovative approach to evangelisation.

Their approach to mission indicates that it is something more than the simple conversion of individuals to Orthodoxy. It first requires a knowledge and understanding of the language, culture, and traditions of the actual people to whom it is addressed.

This presentation aims to examine this essential aspect of mission as it arose in Velehrad, Czech Republic, in the context of the 2023 Russian Byzantine Catholic International Congress, which is concerned with the reunion of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches in the modern incarnation of the Rus.