Source: Orthodox Christian Network
St. Davids, PA, February 3, 2016
Students are now welcome at the Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture.
Dr. Gary Jenkins, a member of St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, PA and a professor at Eastern University in the Philadelphia area, has overseen the creation of series of programs for Orthodox students at the university.
“After much prayer and consultation with hierarchs and clergy throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, I am happy to say that the Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture is a reality,” Dr. Jenkins said. “Students who come to Eastern University can take a minor in Orthodox Thought and Culture, participate in a regular cycle of liturgical worship, benefit from special lectures and cultural events, and expect to find supportive peers and professors who are also committed Orthodox Christians.”
Eastern University is a fully accredited, Christian university with 35 majors and about 1,500 undergraduate students on a beautiful campus in suburban Philadelphia.
Dr. Jenkins will oversee the university’s minor in Orthodox Thought and Culture and also direct a Center of the same name, which will serve as a hub for Orthodox students’ spiritual, academic, and professional development.
The Center is housed within the Agora Institute, an academic consortium that collaborates closely with faculty and students at the Templeton Honors College and Eastern University.
By nesting within an established university and an existing administrative structure, the Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture can focus on providing a robust and holistic Orthodox formation for its students, even as the students avail themselves of the full resources of the larger university and complete their degrees in a wide variety of fields.
“We look forward to more students joining the growing community of Orthodox Christians on campus,” Dr. Jenkins said, “and we are especially thankful to the dozens of donors around the country who have supported this initiative.”
Students interested in applying or transferring to Eastern University for Fall 2016 may contact Dr. Jenkins at orthodox@agorainstitute.org, as should individuals interested in exploring a donation during the Center’s inaugural year.
