On June 11-13, 2015 the 2nd International Meeting of Orthodox and Roman Catholic Biblical scholars, organized by the Volos Academy for Theological Studies in cooperation with the Roman Catholic Theological Faculty in Florence, was successfully held in Volos (Melissiatika Conference Center, Volos). The general theme of the meeting was “The Baptism in the New Testament from an Orthodox and Roman Catholic perspective”. Twelve biblical scholars (6 from the Orthodox and 6 from the Roman Catholic side) specialized in different New Testament books took part in this meeting. The three introductory papers presented the baptismal practices in Judaism and the mystery cults as well as the importance and the theology of baptism in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic tradition. The other five main papers presented the New Testament evidence in relation to baptism and various aspects of the theology of baptism as developed by the different authors of the New Testament: the Gospels (Synoptic and John), Acts, Pauline letters (especially 1 Cor. and Hebrews). During the two workshops, two biblical scholars explored from an Orthodox and Roman Catholic perspective respectively the Gal. 3, 36-28 and Rom. 6, 1-14, presenting its reception in the patristic and liturgical tradition of both East and West.

The meeting was greeted by the Metropolitan Ignatius of Demetrias, the Dean of the Roman Catholic Faculty in Florence Stefano Tarocchi (on behalf of the Roman Catholic team), the Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis and the Professor Emeritus of the School of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Petros Vassiliadis (on behalf of the Center of Ecumenical, Missiological and Environmental Studies. “Metropolitan Panteleimon Papageorgiou”.

From the Orthodox side, the speaker included: Dr. Petros Vassiliadis, Professor Emeritus, School of Theology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (“Baptism in the New Testament: An Orthodox view”), Dr. Konstantinos Zarras, Assistant Professor, School of Theology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (“Baptism in Judaism and in Graeco-Roman Cults”), Dr. Christos Karakolis, Associate Professor, School of Theology, University of Athens, Member of the Board of Directors of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies (“Baptism in John”), Rev. Dr. Demetrios Bathrellos, Lecturer, Hellenic Open University and Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies (Cambridge), Member of the Board of Directors of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies (“Gal. 3,26-28: an Orthodox perspective”), Dr. Moschos Goutzioudis, Lecturer, School of Theology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (“Baptism in Hebrews”), Dr. Aikaterini Tsalampouni, Assistant Professor, School of Theology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, member of the Board of Directors of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies (“Rom. 6: an Orthodox perspective”). From the Roman Catholic side the speakers included: Dr. Filippo Belli, Professor of new Testament at the Central Italy Faculty of Theology in Florence (“Baptism in the New Testament: A Catholic View”), Dr. Stefano Tarocchi, Professor of New Testament and Dean of the Central Italy Faculty of Theology on Florence (“Baptism in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts”), Dr. Elena Giannarelli, Professor at the University of Florence, Faculty of Letters (“Gal. 3:26-28: A Catholic Perspective”), Dr. Francesco Bianchini, Professor of New Testament at the Pontifical Urbanian University, Faculty of Theology in Rome (“Baptism in Paul”), Dr. Gioietta Casella, Assistant Professor of New Testament at the Central Italy Faculty of Theology in Florence (“The Holy Spirit as Agent and Gift in the Baptism according to the Pauline Letters”), Dr. Stefano Romanello, Professor at the Interdiocesan Theological Studium of Gorizia, Udine, Trieste (“Rom 6: A Catholic perspective”).

The conference was also attended by postgraduate students of theology from the universities of Athens and Thessaloniki. The presentations and the discussion pointed out the theological importance of the relatively few New Testament references about baptism, the great importance of this mystery along with Eucharist for the primitive Christianity and the ancient Church in general as well as the role played by the New Testament texts, in the development of the baptismal theology as it is reflected in the patristic texts and the liturgical practice.

The conference proceedings will be published in a collective volume in order to disperse its results to a wider audience, while a detailed discussion took place about the general theme of the next third meeting in Florence in 2017 (“New Testament evidences about the mystery of the Divine Eucharist”).