Representatives of the Almaty Seminary Participated in the III International Scientific and Practical Conference “Theology, Society, State: A Space for Dialogue”

On February 21-22, 2025, the III International Scientific and Practical Conference “Theology, Society, State: A Space for Dialogue” was held at Saratov Theological Seminary, organized jointly with Almaty Seminary.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, faculty members and a student of the Almaty Theological School took part in the forum.

During the plenary session, after the reading of the greeting from the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Rector of Almaty Seminary Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov, and other representatives of the organizing committee, a presentation was delivered by Protopriest Alexander Gaichenya, Head of the Department of Church History and Historical Disciplines at Almaty Seminary. Father Alexander’s report was devoted to the experience of Church-State relations in Kazakhstan during the time of Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov).

During the sectional meetings of the conference, reports were presented by faculty members of the Department of Church-Practical Disciplines, Priest Kirill Gromov and Deacon Rustik Yakupov, as well as Vice-Rector for Research A.P. Solovyov and first-year student Gleb Bogdanov.

On February 21, at the section “The Diversity of Religious Practices in a Post-Secular Society: Social Aspects”, Priest Kirill Gromov delivered a research report on “The Emergence and Spread of Neo-Pentecostal Communities in Kazakhstan from 1990 to the Present.”

On the same day, at the section “The Church and Contemporary Challenges of Secular Culture”, Deacon Rustik Yakupov presented a report titled “The Perspective of the Russian Orthodox Church on Artificial Intelligence,” while student Gleb Bogdanov addressed the challenges and characteristics of Orthodox mission in the online space.

On February 22, at the joint theological and philosophical section, Vice-Rector for Research A.P. Solovyov delivered a report in an online format on the topic: “Interpretation of the Phenomenon of Secularization in the Philosophy of Religion of Russian Religious Thinkers of the Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries: A Methodological Aspect.”

At the conclusion of the scientific event, a cultural program was organized for all participants. Members of the Almaty Seminary delegation also took part in liturgical services at Saratov’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, including the night youth Liturgy.