As part of the NevskyTalks project, the Section for External Mission of the Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade–Karlovci organized another one of its regular lectures in English, primarily intended for foreign nationals residing in Serbia, who are interested in Orthodox Christianity.
On Thursday, 25 September 2025, at 6:30 p.m., on the premises of the Missionary Department within the parish hall of the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, a new lecture was held. The topic of the lecture was “The Legacy of St. Sophrony (Sakharov),” delivered by Zlatko Vujanović, a religious education teacher at the Ninth Gymnasium in Belgrade. David Đorđević, permanent associate of the Section for External Mission, who had also previously given a NevskyTalks lecture, acted as the moderator.
After the summer break, the lecture drew a record number of attendees from Australia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other countries, currently residing in Serbia. Among the newcomers was also an elderly couple from Sweden.
The lecturer presented the spiritual journey of St. Sophrony Sakharov, emphasizing his ascetic experience within the Athonite tradition and the decisive influence of St. Silouan the Athonite. Special attention was devoted to St. Sophrony’s role in relating Orthodox theology to contemporary issues, including its relationship with theology as such and art. The audience was also introduced to his critical stance on Eastern religions and his strong commitment to preserving the authenticity of the Orthodox faith. The importance of his theological legacy for the life of the Church today—particularly in the domain of spiritual guidance and pastoral practice—was also emphasized.
The introductory presentation lasted about half an hour, followed by an interactive discussion with the audience lasting about an hour.The participants showed great interest in the subject matter, as shown by a lively discussion interspersed with numerous questions. The main issues concerned the relationship of St. Sophrony with Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović and Archimandrite Justin Popović, and the views of St. Sophrony on art and academic theology, as well as his critical stance towards Far Eastern religions.
At the conclusion of the lecture, the Head of the Missionary Department, Rev. Dr. Oliver Subotić, thanked the lecturer and guests, and extended his invitation for some future occasion when the same lecture will be delivered in Serbian, stressing that St. Sophrony’s life and work are still relatively unknown in Serbia.
The lecture was recorded and will be posted on the YouTube channel of the Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Belgrade–Karlovci in the near future.
