Liturgiological Perspectives of the Relations between the Church of England and the Serbian Orthodox Church in the 19th–20th Centuries

Abstract

The arrival of some 55 seminarians from St. Sava’s Theological Seminary in Belgrade, accompanied by a number of their professors, in the United Kingdom in 1916 and 1917, who took refuge at the colleges in Cuddesdon and Dorchester as well as at St. Stephen’s House in Oxford, was one of the more important events in the development of the relations between the Church of England and the Serbian Orthodox Church. Such an encounter allowed both sides to gain a better understanding of one another’s traditions. It significantly improved their friendly intercourse, established in the 19th Century. The liturgical implications of these relations were recognized in Serbia. For example, during the First World War it seems possible that some Anglicans had received Holy Communion from the Orthodox Serbian side. Also, in Serbia an official order was issued that burials taken for Anglicans should be given with full sacramental rites. In retrospect, it should be recognized that the colleges in Cuddesdon and Dorchester, respectively, facilitated the further development of Orthodox Liturgiology, including other theological disciplines among the Eastern Orthodox Schools in the 20th Century.

Keywords

• church of england
• serbian orthodox church
• theology
• liturgy
• relations
• liturgiology