Second International Conference Held at St. Nersess Seminary Brings Scholars Together from Around the World
“Sitting as a Stranger”: Evagrius in the Desert & Beyond June 4-6, 2026
On June 3, scholars from across the world began to converge on the campus of St. Nersess Seminary in Armonk, New York, for the start of a three-day hybrid, international conference entitled “Sitting as a Stranger: Evagrius in the Desert and Beyond,” devoted to the life and influence of the revered 4th-century monastic thinker, writer, and spiritual father, Evagrius of Pontus. From his ascetic cell in the Egyptian desert, Evagrius’ teachings spread across the known world, shaping the thought, discipline and aspirations of monks from the Middle East to the Caucasus mountains and eastward to China, as well as westward to Europe and eventually to the New World.
The conference opened on the morning of June 4 with words of welcome from Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, Fr. Mardiros Chevian, Dean of St. Nersess Seminary, and Dr. Roberta Ervine, seminary Director of Studies and co-organizer of the conference. Throughout the three days of the conference twenty-three speakers in eleven panels discussed Evagrius’s many roles and wide-reaching influence.
The first morning’s sessions were dedicated to Evagrius in Armenia. Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, offered a paper on “Evagrius in Nerses Lambronats‘i’s Commentary on the Psalms,” followed by Profs. Robin Darling Young (emerita, Catholic University of America) on the Armenian and Syriac translations of Evagrius’ Gnostikos and Peter Cowe (Distinguished Narekatsi Professor of Armenian Studies at UCLA) on “Evagrius’ Place in the Curriculum of the Northern Vardapets”. After a brief break, Dr. Jesse Arlen, presented on “Evagrian works in the Curriculum of Armenian Monastic Academies,” while Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan (Washington D.C.), spoke about the “Armenian reception of Evagrius’ Ban Khratu”.
Other presenters touched on Evagrius as a spiritual guide, metaphysician, philosopher, and contemplative theologian, as well as his presence in Syriac, Latin and Buddhist writings. For Panel Five: Evagrius in the Arabic and Chinese Worlds, Fr. Alexander Treiger, joined the Zoom Webinar from Halifax, Canada, and presented “Evagrius in The Noetic Paradise” followed by Fr. Francis Tiso, traveling from Isernia, Italy, offered an engaging paper on “Evagrius in China: The Book on Profound and Mysterious Blessedness (Zhixuan anle jing)”.
Evagrius’ thinking on time and corruption, space and geometric structure, the life of the soul, spiritual progress and spiritual practice, and the importance of physical location to the exercise of prayer were all touched on, as were his place in orthodox and miaphysite thought, and the modern applicability of his teaching on thoughts and sin. (For a full program flyer and booklet CLICK HERE.)
A special moment on the last day of the conference was an online interview with Coptic monks Abunas Pistavros Elmacari and Abuna Makar El Baramousy from Wadi El Natrun, Egypt. They presented the practice of spiritual life in the Egyptian desert today.
The conference organizers were especially gratified to welcome Archbishop Boghos Levon Zekiyan from Venice, Italy, Prof. Alexandru Ionuț Tudorie, dean of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, and Prof. Peter Bouteneff as panel respondents.
Finally, the keynote address by Stephen J. Davis, Woolsey Professor of Religious Studies and Professor of History at Yale University, “Evagrius Ponticus in the Coptic Orthodox Church: A Modern Origenist Controversy and the Contested Legacy of a Monastic Saint,” closed the conference with an integrative rich keynote address connecting the double meaning of the conference theme of “Sitting as Strangers” and offered an exegetical reading of a Coptic illumination of Evagrius and his teacher Origen.
In addition to the many thought-provoking presentations, the shared meals and on-campus accommodations made it possible for speakers and attendees to meet, mingle, connect ideas and inspire new projects. Many of the participants arrived as strangers and departed as friends and colleagues. We look forward to seeing the fruits of this conference for years to come.
To access a full recording of the conference sessions, please visit:
Day 1: https://youtu.be/FgznqxowuSM
Day 2: https://youtu.be/M62ZpDUnI4A
Day 3: https://youtu.be/WyLE2InO7ao
If you would like to support future academic conferences at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, please use the donation button and include “Academic Conferences” in the note.
