Summer School of Theology 2025

World with Broken Borders: Theological Perspectives on Displacement and Diasporas

Світ зруйнованих кордонів: богословські погляди на вимушене переміщення та діаспору

28.07-2.08

Zoom

The reality of refugees and displaced persons is an unrelenting woe in the modern world. Almost every country in the 21st century faces the challenges of migration in one way or another: as a country that people leave or as a country that receives others. Russia’s war against Ukraine brought to us, among other injustices, the agonizing heartache of the experience of displacement. Since its outbreak – the annexation of Crimea and the armed conflict in eastern parts of Ukraine in 2014 – approximately 1.5 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes in search of new refuge within the country, with only a small number considering seeking refuge outside of it. With the outbreak of full-scale war and the invasion of the northern and southern regions of Ukraine by Russian troops, the number of displaced persons and refugees has increased dramatically – around 4 million displaced persons within the country and 6 million refugees. The trauma of displacement can take different forms: sometimes people leave their homes without realising that their home is lost forever and therefore live in the hope of returning, and sometimes they leave after their home has lost its symbolic meaning and security function. Day by day, with each Russian shelling, there is a growing number of abandoned homes – everything from houses to cities, especially those near the frontline. Every day, a dwelling place loses its sacred meaning of attachment, becoming a perilous no man’s land. That is why people go in search of a new home.

The stories of refugees and IDPs are another face of wars, armed conflicts, environmental disasters, poor living conditions in countries, and persecution based on ethnic, religious, political, and other views. Often, refugeeism becomes a topic of research not only for psychologists, psychotherapists, and sociologists, but also for political experts.

Refugees become the focus of attention of global human rights organisations and the media, although the latter often reduce this discourse to political disputes that trigger emotional reactions in society. Politicisation of discourses leads to distortion and mythologisation of refugee representation both abroad and within countries: from discourses about criminal foreigners to discourses about migrants as a stepping stone to economic progress and cultural renewal of the host country.

The simplification and politicisation of the topic of refugees often has an impact on religious communities, hospitality practices, and ecumenical dialogues. Migration theology emerges against the backdrop of misleading views on migrants and challenges anti-migrant narratives that are also circulating among religious communities, including Christian. Although the theme of refugee and forced migration is inseparable from the biblical narrative, diaspora/migration theology is a relatively young academic discipline. But given that migration affects so many aspects of life and society on a global scale and is a present, heartrending sorrow in Ukrainian society, the 2025 Summer School of Theology aims to address these challenges and to consider various interdisciplinary approaches to exploring the ideas and perspectives of migration theology. This summer, we will come together to consider how such a theology can help us to cultivate compassion and respect for those who have been forced to leave their homes (for whatever reason), understanding the different aspects of the experience of displacement, and nurturing a sense of responsibility towards both the host and the hosted.

Featured Speakers 2025

The Summer School of Theology will host theologians, philosophers, religious scholars of various Christian traditions, as well as representatives of various religious movements, public personas, and cultural influencers.

Chris J. H. Wright

Mission theologian, an Anglican clergyman, and an Old Testament scholar. He studied for his PhD (in Theology) at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England. Dr. Wright currently serves as an International Ambassador for the Langham Partnership. He is the author of a number of commentaries on the Old Testament books and books on theology, including The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative.

Diane Langberg

Globally recognized psychologist with 54 years of clinical experience working with trauma patients. She has trained caregivers from six continents in responding to trauma and to the abuse of power. For 29 years she directed her own practice in Jenkintown, PA – Diane Langberg Ph.D. & Associates. Now, in partnership with Dr. Phil Monroe, Langberg, Monroe & Associates continues this work which includes seventeen therapists with multiple specialties.

M. Daniel Carroll R.

Scripture Press Ministries Professor of Biblical Studies and Pedagogy in the Wheaton College graduate school, where he has taught Old Testament since 2016. Dr Carroll is half-Guatemalan and was raised bilingual and bicultural. For many years, he was a professor in Guatemala City. Upon returning to the US and before coming to Wheaton, he taught at Denver Seminary for 20 years. His PhD is from the University of Sheffield in the UK. He has authored or edited 19 books, several of which are on the Bible and migration.

John Ahn

Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Howard University. Dr. Ahn is trained in ancient Near Eastern and Religious Studies. He holds the PhD in Religious Studies (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament), Yale University. Dr. Ahn was president of the Mid-Atlantic Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) (2021-2022). He also served as the section review leader for Daniel and the Book of the Twelve (Minor Prophets)—NRSV-Updated Edition.

Jehu J. Hanciles

D.W. and Ruth Brooks Professor of World Christianity and Director of World Christianity program at Candler School of Theology of Emory University. Dr Hanciles has lived and worked in Sierra Leone, Scotland, Zimbabwe, and the USA. His latest research surveys the history of global Christian expansion through the lens of migration, and his new book is titled Migration and the Making of Global Christianity (Eerdmans, 2021). He serves as associate editor of Missiology, one of the premier scholarly journals of mission studies, and on the editorial advisory committee for Baylor University Press’s Studies in World Christianity.

Barnabas Aspray

Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore, USA. Dr. Aspray holds the PhD in Philosophy of Religion, Cambridge University. He is author of Ricœur at the Limits of Philosophy: God, Creation, and Evil (CUP, 2022). His current research project is on Christian responses to refugees and immigration. A coauthored interreligious monograph, On the Significance of Religion for Immigration Policy, will be published later this year as part of series “Religion Matters” (Routledge).

Ulrich Schmiedel

Professor of Global Christianities at Lund University in Sweden. Specializing in public and political theology, he has written widely on religion in the public square. Currently, he is leading a five-year research project on “Faith-Based Refugee Relief in Europe: Connecting the Empirical and the Ethical”, funded by the European Research Council. Author and co-author of a number of books, including Living in A World of Neighbours: Activists and Academics in Conversation about Multi-Faith Refugee Relief (2025).

Namsoon Kang

Professor of Theology and Religion at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University. Dr Kang previously taught on the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, UK and Methodist Theological University in Seoul, South Korea. Her particular theoretical interests are in discourses of cosmopolitanism, apophatic theology/philosophy, postmodernism, postcolonialism, feminism, and diaspora. Her writing engages recent theories of cosmopolitan rights, justice, and hospitality, especially those of Immanuel Kant, Hannah Arendt, and Jacques Derrida.

Yousef AlKhouri

Christian Arab Palestinian theologian and activist from Gaza. Dr. AlKhouri is the Academic Dean of Bethlehem Bible College and is a member of the steering committee of Christ at the Checkpoint and the board of Kairos Palestine. He holds PhD from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He has published widely in Arabic and English on Palestinian theology and Christianity. His recent work, “Which Gospel? The Militarization of Sacred Texts in the Context of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza,” explores the weaponization of scripture in colonial contexts.

Ivan Rusyn

Rector of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary and Deputy Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church. Dr Rusyn holds a Master of Theology in Contextual Missiology from the University of Wales in the United Kingdom, and PhD in Theology from Drahomanov National Pedagogical University. His research interests include theology of mission, theory and practice of mission, religious studies, theology of religion, and interreligious and intercultural dialogues.

Melody Wachsmuth

Lecturer at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Croatia as well as a lecturer and board member of the Roma Bible School in Southeastern Europe and Germany. Her research interests include mission, culture and gospel, and eco-theology and creation care. She has also written extensively on issues related to the Roma people in Central and Eastern. She is the author of Roma Pentecostals Narrating Identity, Trauma, and Renewal in Croatia and Serbia (Brill, 2023).

Bulus Galadima

Professor of Historical Theology and Philosophy. Dr Bulus was formerly President of Jos ECWA Theological Seminary in Nigeria and later the Dean of the Cook School of Intercultural Studies at Biola University in California. He is currently a Co-Catalyst of Diasporas of the Lausanne Movement. He is an adjunct faculty for schools in Nigeria and the US. Bulus and his wife have a ministry to widows and orphans in Nigeria. His most recent publications are Africans in Diaspora and Diasporas in Africa (2024) and Asians in Diaspora and Diasporas in Asia (2025).

Alexander Negrov

Founder and President of Hodos Institute, leading research initiatives to shape leadership practices in the U.S. and his native Ukraine. With over 30 years of experience teaching theology and leadership, Dr Negrov is a passionate advocate for spiritual, ethical, and effective leadership. He holds a PhD in New Testament Studies from the University of Pretoria and completed advanced leadership studies at Durham, Cambridge, and Oxford. His recent books include Hodos Leadership (2025) and Leadership in Ukraine: Studies During Wartime (with Ronald E. Riggio, 2025).

Cristian S. Sonea

Orthodox priest and professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, where he currently serves as Head of Department. He holds a PhD in Missiology and Ecumenism and a Habilitation in Theology from the same institution, as well as a Certificate in Ecumenical Studies from the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Geneva. His academic research focuses on Orthodox theology, mission, and ecumenical dialogue. He serves as parish priest at St Andrew’s Church in Cluj-Napoca.

Robert J. Vitillo

Secretary general of the International Catholic Migration Commission. Msgr. Vitillo has served as the head of the Caritas Internationalis delegation and as an attaché for the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. He completed graduate studies in theology, clinical social work, and management. A trained social worker with a broad expertise in migration and refugee services, child protection, social services, human rights, HIV/AIDS and global health.

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School Schedule 2025

Simultaneous Ukrainian translation of all English lectures will be provided.

28 липня

2 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

1 pm (CEST)

7 am (EDT New York time)

4 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

3 pm (CEST)

9 am (EDT New York time)

Migrants, Refugees and Foreigners: Old Testament Perspectives and Imperatives

God’s people throughout the Bible are portrayed as “foreigners and strangers”...

God’s people throughout the Bible are portrayed as “foreigners and strangers,” sometimes migrants, asylum seekers, and displaced. Such descriptions could be metaphorical or spiritual, but often brutally literal too. The laws God gave to the Old Testament in relation to such people made sure that they didn’t forget their own origins in those realities – and, in remembering, should behave with compassion and justice in their own land. Surveying this material is profoundly challenging, since it seems we have learned so little.

Speaker: Chris J. H. Wright

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

6 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

5 pm (CEST)

11 am (EDT New York time)

Living with War and Finding Hope

Speaker: Diane Langberg

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

July 29

2 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

1 pm (CEST)

7 am (EDT New York time)

4 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

3 pm (CEST)

9 am (EDT New York time)

Discovering What the Bible Has to Say about Migration

The history of humankind is the history of migration. Humans have migrated because of wars...

The history of humankind is the history of migration. Humans have migrated from the beginning because of wars, environmental disasters, for better work and family circumstances, and more. It should not be surprising, then, that the Bible has a lot to say about migration. Most readers of the Bible, however, are not aware of just how much of the Bible deals with migration. This lecture is an introduction to this topic, which is central to much of the Old and New Testaments.

Speaker: M. Daniel Carroll R.

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

6 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

5 pm (CEST)

11 am (EDT New York time)

Forced Migrations: Historical and Contemporary – the 6th Century BCE and 21st Century CE – With Generational Consciousness

Speaker: John Ahn

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

July 30

2 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

1 pm (CEST)

7 am (EDT New York time)

TBD

Speaker: Ivan Rusyn

Language: Ukrainian

Translation: English

4 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

3 pm (CEST)

9 am (EDT New York time)

Welcoming the Stranger: A Christian Theology of Refugees and Immigration

This lecture offers an in-depth exploration of the divine purpose...

This lecture offers an in-depth exploration of the divine purpose behind Jesus’ experience as a refugee, as recorded in Matthew 2, and its broader theological implications. It begins by considering three reasons for Jesus’ displacement. (1) to recapitulate the displacement in Israel’s story, (2) to recapitulate the exile of Adam and Eve, (3) to point forward to the Church's calling to be "aliens and strangers" in the world. From this theological groundwork, the lecture moves into contemporary implications: (1) to transform refugees from “other” to “same” in the eyes of Christian citizens, (2) to reassess the notion of a “Christian nation.”

Speaker: Barnabas Aspray

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

6 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

5 pm (CEST)

11 am (EDT New York time)

Displacement, Migration and Missio Dei: Theological Reflections from an African Christian Perspective

This lecture is about how migration reveals not only human frailty but also...

This lecture is about how migration reveals not only human frailty but also divine opportunity. I will examine the biblical foundations of migration and draw some missiological implications from an African perspective. Different cultural and theological lenses help us see dimensions we might otherwise overlook. In particular, African experiences of displacement, hospitality, and resilience offer rich insights into how God is at work in and through migration.

Speaker: Bulus Galadima

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

July 31

2 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

1 pm (CEST)

7 am (EDT New York time)

Leadership Perspectives Among Slavic Evangelicals in the United States

This lecture examines how leadership is understood within Slavic...

This lecture examines how leadership and leadership formation are understood within Slavic Evangelical communities in the United States, focusing on the interrelationship between theology, self-discipline, and spiritual maturity. Based on a study conducted by the Hodos Institute in partnership with several educational organizations, the session will present insights from surveys and interviews with 150 leaders from diaspora churches. Key findings from research and training initiatives carried out between April 2021 and May 2025 will be shared, offering a comprehensive view of leadership formation in these contexts.

Speaker: Alexander Negrov

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

4 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

3 pm (CEST)

9 am (EDT New York time)

TBD

Speaker: Jehu J. Hanciles

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

6 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

5 pm (CEST)

11 am (EDT New York time)

The “Other” Displaced: Exposing Hierarchies of Hospitality Through the Experience of the Roma

Speaker: Melody Wachsmuth

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

August 1

2 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

1 pm (CEST)

7 am (EDT New York time)

Orthodox Romanian Diaspora. Mission, Challenges, Perspectives

This lecture explores the dynamic presence of the Romanian...

This lecture explores the dynamic presence of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the context of labor migration. It examines how migration impacts both personal and communal identities, focusing on the theological and social dimensions of human dignity. Special attention is given to the evolution of pastoral care – from sporadic, “on-call” ministry to models of consistent and contextual “proximity” pastoral presence. The lecture also addresses current pastoral and missiological challenges, offering insights into the evolving mission of the Church in diasporic contexts.

Speaker: Cristian S. Sonea

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

4 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

3 pm (CEST)

9 am (EDT New York time)

Diversity as a Key to Democracy: Refugees – Religions – Racisms

According to the International Organization for Migration, the death toll...

According to the International Organization for Migration, the death toll for migrants is rising, with more and more deaths counted every year. The borders of Europe are among the most dangerous and deadliest in the world. Drawing on fieldwork in multi-faith-based refugee relief organizations active across the continent, this lecture analyses and assesses the hidden theology in political discourse and public debate about the borders of Europe. I argue that religious diversity is not eroding democracy, despite the prominence and persistence of this assumption. Contrary to the suggestion that Europe should accept Christian rather than non-Christian migrants to protect its democracy – a suggestion that pressures people on the move into competition with each other – I advocate for the potential of religious diversity to boost democracy.

Speaker: Ulrich Schmiedel

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

6 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

5 pm (CEST)

11 am (EDT New York time)

TBD

Speaker: Namsoon Kang

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

August 2

2 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

1 pm (CEST)

7 am (EDT New York time)

4 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

3 pm (CEST)

9 am (EDT New York time)

Catholic Response to the Needs of Displaced Persons and Refugees

This lecture will explore migration and forced displacement from a Catholic...

Speaker: Robert J. Vitillo

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

6 pm (EEST Kyiv time)

5 pm (CEST)

11 am (EDT New York time)

Palestinian Christians in Gaza: History of Faith and Resilience in the Face of Empires

This lecture explores the enduring presence and witness of the Palestinian...

This lecture explores the enduring presence and witness of the Palestinian Christian community in Gaza, tracing its roots back to the first century. Strategically located on a key trade route connecting Asia and Africa, Gaza was long coveted by ancient empires, yet Christianity flourished in this coastal region for centuries. The steadfastness of Gaza’s Christian community amid successive waves of imperial conquest speaks to their deep-rootedness in the land and their unwavering faith. Since 2023, however, the very existence of this historic community has been under severe threat due to the ongoing Israeli blockade and genocidal war. This lecture highlights the lived realities and pressing challenges facing Palestinian Christians in Gaza today, while raising critical theological and ethical questions for the global church’s solidarity and witness.

Speaker: Yousef AlKhouri

Language: English

Translation: Ukrainian

To Participate in the School, You Need

To participate in the school, you need to fill out the registration form. Immediately after registration, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the event. The Zoom link is unique to each participant, so please do not share your registration information with anyone else. Each participant must register separately and receive their own link to join the meeting. You will also be able to add the event to your calendar so that you do not miss the lectures. Participants who register by July 20 will receive detailed information on how to participate in the school (one week before the start of the school), as well as materials from the speakers to prepare for the lectures. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your spam folder. If there is no confirmation either, write to us at office@eeit-edu.info (please indicate "Summer School of Theology 2025" in the subject line). The School is free for everyone.

Registration

We encourage all participants to join our Facebook community to get more information about our speakers, lecture topics, possible changes to the schedule, and other organizational details. We do not spam with advertisements or a lot of news. After submitting a request to join the group, await approval from the administrator.

All lectures from the previous sessions of 2022, 2023 and 2024 can be found on our YouTube channel (in the original language).