Timothy Ware
Encyclopedia
Kallistos Ware is an English bishop within the Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate and one of the best known contemporary Eastern Orthodox theologians. From 1982 to his retirement in 2001 he held the position of Bishop of Diokleia. In 2007 he was made a metropolitan bishop
.
From 1966 to 2001, Ware was Spalding Lecturer of Eastern Orthodox Studies at the University of Oxford. He has authored numerous books and articles pertaining to the Orthodox Christian
faith.
in London (to which he had won a King's Scholarship) and Magdalen College, Oxford
, where he took a double first in classics as well as reading theology. On 14 April 1958, at the age of 24, he embraced the Orthodox Christian faith (having been raised Anglican
), travelling subsequently throughout Greece
and spending a great deal of time at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
in Patmos
. He also frequented other major centres of Orthodoxy such as Jerusalem and Mount Athos
. In 1966 he was ordained
to the priesthood and was tonsure
d as a monk
, receiving the name Kallistos.
ship at Pembroke College, Oxford
, and in 1982 he was consecrated
to the episcopacy
as an auxiliary bishop
with the title Bishop of Diokleia, appointed to serve as the assistant to the bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
. Despite his consecration, Ware remained in Oxford and carried on his duties both as the parish priest of the Greek Orthodox community and also as a lecturer at the university.
Since his retirement in 2001, Ware has continued to publish and to give lectures on Orthodox Christianity. He was previously the chairman of the board of directors of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge
. He is the chairman of the group Friends of Orthodoxy on Iona and of the Friends of Mount Athos.
On 30 March 2007 the Holy Synod
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated the Diocese of Diokleia to a metropolitan diocese
and thus Ware became a titular metropolitan even though he has never had pastoral care of any diocese and is nominally an assistant bishop in the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain.
and concelebrated the liturgy with Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh.
he has undertaken to translate the Philokalia
(four volumes of five published to date, but no progress has been made with the fifth volume for sixteen years now); and with Mother Mary he produced the Lenten Triodion
and Festal Menaion
.
He has also co-authored, edited and translated many other works.
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
.
From 1966 to 2001, Ware was Spalding Lecturer of Eastern Orthodox Studies at the University of Oxford. He has authored numerous books and articles pertaining to the Orthodox Christian
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
faith.
Early life and ordination
Born Timothy Ware in Bath, Somerset, England, he was educated at Westminster SchoolWestminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
in London (to which he had won a King's Scholarship) and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, where he took a double first in classics as well as reading theology. On 14 April 1958, at the age of 24, he embraced the Orthodox Christian faith (having been raised Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
), travelling subsequently throughout Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and spending a great deal of time at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian is a Greek Orthodox monastery founded in 1088 in Chora on the island of Patmos. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage site. It is built on a spot venerated by both Catholics and Eastern Orthodox as the cave where St...
in Patmos
Patmos
Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. One of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese complex, it has a population of 2,984 and an area of . The highest point is Profitis Ilias, 269 meters above sea level. The Municipality of Patmos, which includes the offshore islands of Arkoi ,...
. He also frequented other major centres of Orthodoxy such as Jerusalem and Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
. In 1966 he was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
to the priesthood and was tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
d as a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
, receiving the name Kallistos.
Professional and academic life
In 1966 Ware became a Spalding Lecturer at the University of Oxford in Eastern Orthodox studies, a position he held for 35 years until his retirement. In 1970 he was appointed to a FellowFellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
ship at Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
, and in 1982 he was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
to the episcopacy
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
as an auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
with the title Bishop of Diokleia, appointed to serve as the assistant to the bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
The Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain is an Archdiocese of the Eastern Orthodox Church, part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Its present head is His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios . Its jurisdiction covers those Orthodox Christians living in Great Britain, the Isle of Man,...
. Despite his consecration, Ware remained in Oxford and carried on his duties both as the parish priest of the Greek Orthodox community and also as a lecturer at the university.
Since his retirement in 2001, Ware has continued to publish and to give lectures on Orthodox Christianity. He was previously the chairman of the board of directors of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. He is the chairman of the group Friends of Orthodoxy on Iona and of the Friends of Mount Athos.
On 30 March 2007 the Holy Synod
Holy Synod
In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod...
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated the Diocese of Diokleia to a metropolitan diocese
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
and thus Ware became a titular metropolitan even though he has never had pastoral care of any diocese and is nominally an assistant bishop in the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain.
Relations with the Moscow Patriarchate in Great Britain
Ware attended and spoke at the 2011 annual conference of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of SourozhRussian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh
The Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh is a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church which has for its territory the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Its name is taken from an ancient see in the Crimea that no longer has a bishop...
and concelebrated the liturgy with Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh.
Publications
Ware is perhaps best known as the author of the book The Orthodox Church, published when he was a layman in 1963 and subsequently revised several times. In 1979 he produced a companion volume, The Orthodox Way. But his most substantial publications have emerged from his translation work. Together with G. E. H. Palmer and Philip SherrardPhilip Sherrard
Philip Sherrard was a British author, translator, and philosopher. His work includes important translations of Modern Greek poets, and books on Modern Greek literature and culture, metaphysics, theology, art and aesthetics...
he has undertaken to translate the Philokalia
Philokalia
The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters of the Eastern Orthodox hesychast tradition. They were originally written for the guidance and instruction of monks in "the practise of the contemplative life". The collection was compiled in...
(four volumes of five published to date, but no progress has been made with the fifth volume for sixteen years now); and with Mother Mary he produced the Lenten Triodion
Triodion
The Triodion , also called the Lenten Triodion , is the liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine rite during Great Lent, the three preparatory weeks leading up to it, and during Holy Week.Many canons in the Triodion contain only three odes or...
and Festal Menaion
Menaion
The Menaion refers to the annual fixed cycle of services in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches. Commemorations in the Menaion are tied to the day of the calendar year.-Service books:...
.
Partial bibliography
- The Orthodox Church, 2nd ed. (Pelican, 1993 ISBN 0-14-014656-3)
- The Orthodox Way (Mowbray, 1979, ISBN 0-264-66578-3)
- The Lenten Triodion, Tr. Mother Mary and ArchimandriteArchimandriteThe title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
Kallistos Ware (St. Tikhon's Seminary Press, 2002, ISBN 1-878997-51-3) – first published by Faber and Faber Ltd., 1978 - The Inner Kingdom: Collected Works, Vol. 1 (St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2000, ISBN 0-88141-209-0)
- In the Image of the Trinity: Collected Works, Vol. 2 (St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2006, ISBN 0-88141-225-2)
- Communion and Intercommunion (Light & Life, 1980, ISBN 0-937032-20-4)
- How Are We Saved?: The Understanding of Salvation in the Orthodox Tradition (Light & Life, 1996, ISBN 1-880971-22-4)
- Praying with Orthodox Tradition (Abingdon, 1990, ISBN 0-281-04431-7)
- Eustratios Argenti: A Study of the Greek Church under Turkish Rule (Clarendon, 1964, ASIN B0006BMI94)
He has also co-authored, edited and translated many other works.
External links
- Official biography of Kallistos Ware
- Timothy Ware: Strange Yet Familiar: My Journey to the Orthodox Church Autobiographic account of his conversion from Anglicanism to Orthodoxy
- Excerpts from The Orthodox Church by Bishop Kallistos Ware – Part I: History
- Excerpts from The Orthodox Church by Bishop Kallistos Ware – Part II: Faith and Worship
- Interview with Bishop Kallistos (RealVideo)
- The Orthodox Way in Greek
- The Orthodox Way in Albanian
- How to Build the Local Church, a talk given at a conference of the Archdiocese of Orthodox parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe, Institut St-Serge, Paris, October 2005
- My Journey to the Orthodox Church, a luncheon speech given at Seattle Pacific University (link to iTunes U; MP3 download here).