Archimandrite Fr. Aristarchos - Vassileios Grekas
- Tel. (+30) 210.727.5702 ,
Email: arstgr@theol.uoa.gr
Section of Patristics, History of Doctrine & Symbolics
Department of Theology NKUA

Scientific Field:Theology and Ecclesiastical Literature.

• CV

Very Revd.   Dr. Aristarchοs (Vasileios) Gkrekas 
Clergy - Archimandrite of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens.
Associate Professor of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Ph.D. Theology.

(Last update 10/10/2024)

Education

He is a graduate of the Arkakeio Pedagogical Academy of Patras and the Pedagogical Department of Primary Education of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens. From the Department of Theology of the Faculty of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki he received a Bachelor degree, (MSc) and Ph.D.

From Durham University in the United Kingdom, he received a Master's degree in International Relations entitled: "Conflict Prevention
Sustainable Peace and Security". In the United Kingdom he successfully completed programs at  University of Oxford and University of Cambridge.

In the United States of America, he successfully completed program at Georgetown University - School of Foreign Service and two programs at Harvard University - Kennedy School (Leadership for the 21st Century:
Chaos, Conflict, and Courage), (Artificial Intelligence: Exploring Policy, Technology, and Governance).

Experience

Following his military service with the Greek Air Force, he worked as an executive for a private company in Patras, Greece (1990-92).

He was admitted as a novice monk at the Monastery of Simonos Petras in Mount Athos, Greece, in 1993, where he became high-ranked monk in 1996, and remained there until 2000. He renovated and settled in the Holy Hut of Saint Athanasios Athonite at the Holy Cloister of Annunciation, affiliated with the Holy Monastery of Xenophontos at  Mount Athos, Greece, in 2000.
He served thrice as the Holy Hut law official and trustee from 2001 to 2013.

He is a Clergyman of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, and a teacher under the Ministry of Education of Greece.

During 2011-12, he was seconded for a year to the Holy Archdiocese of Thyatira and Great Britain.

2015 – 2019: Teaching Staff at the Supreme Ecclesiastical Academy of Athens. 

2018 - 2019: Special Teaching Staff at the Supreme Ecclesiastical Academy of Athens, Ph.D. Theology.

May - June 2019: Assistant Professor at the Department of Theology of the School of Theology of EKPA, published in FEK,  C 897 - 30.05.2019.

April 2023: Permanent Assistant Professor at the Department of Theology of  the Theological School of the EKPA, published in FEK, C 876 - 04.03.2023.

March - April 2024 - Present: Associate Professor at the Department of Theology of the School of Theology of EKPA, published in FEK, C 975 - 26.03.2024.

Teaching Staff at Hellenic School of Armed Forces and Security Forces.

He has published books and has published articles in journals, in Greek and English, with theological content and in international relations. He has organized and participated as a speaker at international conferences and workshops.

Publications - Books

He published in Greek the book entitled: The Church as a Place of World Human, Society, God / Study in Ecclesiology of St. Maximus the Confessor, edited by ostraconpublishing, Thessaloniki 2014.

He published in Greek the book entitled: The Capture of Hesychastic 
Spirituality in the work of St. Nicodemus Holy Mountain, edited by ostraconpublishing, Thessaloniki 2015.

He has published in English the book: International Αctors in Peace Processes, The Role of Organizations and Religion in Global Practice, edited by ostraconpublishing, Thessaloniki 2015.

He published in Greek the book entitled: The Peace Process in the context of Global Governance, the peace-building role of Organizations and Religion in Global Practice, edited by  ostraconpublishing, Thessaloniki 2016.

He has published in English the book: Maximus the Confessor, Mystagogical approach of the Universe’, edited by ostraconpublishing, Thessaloniki 2016.

He has published in English the book: Hesychastic  Spirituality in the 18th  century. Study in the works of st Nicodemos Agiorites, edited by ostraconpublishing, Thessaloniki 2016.

He published in Greek the book entitled: The Functionality of Religion in the 21st Century, edited by Ostracon Publishing, Thessaloniki 2019.

He published in Greek the book entitled: Themes of Patristic Literature and Theology I, published by Ostracon Publishing, Thessaloniki, 2020.

He published in Greek the book entitled: Artificial intelligence and man, Orthodox theological approach, published by Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece, Athens, 2022.

He published in Greek the book entitled: Photius the Great as Patriarch and theologian, Exponent of the ecumenical perspective of the Byzantine Empire, published by the Apostolic Ministry of the Church of Greece, Athens, 2023.

He published in Greek the book entitled: The impression of hesychast spirituality in the work of Saint Nicodemus Agioreitis, Expanded edition, 
Collecta Academica XV, published by Ostraconpublishing, Thessaloniki, 2023.

He has published in English the book: Exploring Religious Dimensions in AI  and Humanity, Aristarchos Gkrekas, Nicholas Kokkinos, ed. Bloomsbury,
Rowman & Littlefield Academic, Lexington Books, Washington DC Maryland, 2024.

He published in Greek the book entitled: Studies of Ecclesiastical Literature and Theology from the 8th century onwards,Collecta Academica XLIV, published by Ostraconpublishing, Thessaloniki, 2024.

Chapters in a collective volume in Greek:

"The ecclesiological approach to the distinction between builder and non-builder according to Nikolaos Matsoukas", IAKOVOU MEMORIAL, Volume in memory of the Metropolitan of the Principonnisos, Mr. Iakovos Sofroniadis (1947-2018), Holy Metropolis of Didymoteihou, Orestiados & Soufli, published by Stamouli, Thessaloniki 2020, pp. 189 -202.

"The contribution of Saint Gregory Palamas to the Eastern Orthodox tradition", Dedicatory - Multi-collective Volume, Metropolitan Papandreou of Damascus 936 - 2011, published by Municipality of Thermo, Thermo 2021, pp.97-118.

"Perspectives of Orthodoxy in the modern international environment", Honorary Volume of the Theological School of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens for the thirty-year ministry of the Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Bartholomew I, Alter Ego SME AE, Athens 2021, pp.351-362.

"The theology of Pachomios Rousanos", Honorary Volume of the Theological School of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens for the successful fifteen-year Archpriesthood of His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Mr. Ieronymos II, Athens 2023, pp.361-377.

Scholarships

He has received scholarships from IKY - Erasmus and from the University of Georgetown in the United States.

Honorary Distinctions - Research

British Council, Study UK Alumni Awards 2024 , Social Action, Finalist.

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London, U.K. FRSA

Member of the Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, U.K.

Member of the Academic Council of the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy (EIPD), Athens.

Member of the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) U.S.A.

Μember of The Royal Society of Medalists and Decorated of Belgium - Provincial Namur.

Member of  Harvard Christian Alumni Society, U.S.A.

Member of the Scientific Committee and Director of the Department of "Cultural and Religious Diplomacy" of the Institute of Foreign Affairs (Institute of Foreign Affairs), Athens.

Days and hours to communicate with students:

Monday 12.00-13.00

Office Number 111, First Floor
Tel. off.: +30 210 7275702

(greek webpage)
Tμήμα Θεολογίας ⇒ Αρχιμανδρίτης π. Αρίσταρχος - Βασίλειος Γκρέκας