The Vision of God and Its Ethical Trace

Discover How True Spirituality Shapes the Way We Live

Orthodox tradition speaks often and boldly about intimacy with God: seeing God’s face, communing with God, and being transformed by divine life. Yet Scripture also insists on something equally important: true encounter with God leaves a trace in how we live. If our encounter with God is real, it will shape how we treat others, how we speak, how we act, and how we love.

In this 4-week online course, Fr. Bogdan Bucur guides students through a focused exploration of that intersection between spiritual experience and ethical formation. Reading key passages from the Old Testament and the New, alongside two powerful 20th-century Orthodox witnesses, you will discover how authentic spirituality is tested, clarified, and confirmed by a life formed in mercy, humility, and faithfulness.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Understand the traditional link between mystical encounter and ethical formation

  • Recognize how Scripture connects communion with God to responsibility toward neighbor

  • Identify how spiritual claims can be tested by the moral “trace” they produce

  • Discern how Orthodox witnesses help distinguish authentic from false spirituality

Meet Your Instructor

V. Rev. Dr. Bogdan G. Bucur is Associate Professor at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. Born in Romania, he studied Orthodox Theology at the University of Bucharest before moving to the United States in 2000. He completed an MA (2002) and PhD (2007) in Theology at Marquette University and taught Bible and Patristics at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh from 2007 to 2020.

Fr. Bogdan is the author of Angelomorphic Pneumatology: Clement of Alexandria and Other Early Christian Witnesses (Brill, 2009) and Scripture Re-envisioned: Christophanic Exegesis and the Making of a Christian Bible (Brill, 2019), as well as numerous scholarly articles in biblical reception, history, and patristics. He is a priest of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese and brings his scholarly and pastoral experience into conversation in his teaching.

Course Format & Schedule

Live Zoom Sessions:
Tuesdays, 8:00–8:45 p.m. ET

Dates:
April 14 – May 5, 2026

Access Period:
April 7 – June 7, 2026

  • Begin by clarifying the meaning of “covenant” and the binding promises God makes to Abraham. Then turn to Genesis 18–19 to explore what “blamelessness” entails, and how a relationship with God cannot be separated from responsibility toward neighbor.

  • Follow Jacob’s estrangement from both God and his brother Esau, and God’s persistent pursuit of him. Reflect on the mysterious struggle in Genesis 32 and the reunion that follows, as a window into reconciliation, transformation, and renewed vision.

  • Study the parables of the Good Samaritan and the sheep and the goats to see how the New Testament intensifies the link between encountering God and rediscovering neighbor, especially as God becomes our brother in Christ.

  • Read St Dumitru Stăniloae’s “Tenderness and Holiness” and excerpts from Fr Nicolae Steinhardt’s Journal of Joy. See how two 20th-century confessors articulate the same spiritual and ethical truths, and how genuine spirituality can be tested and clarified.

Tuition & Registration

Course Fee: $200
Refund Policy: No refunds after April 6, 2026

To participate, you’ll need to create a username and password during registration. All course materials and recordings will remain available through June 7.

What’s Included

  • 4 live discussion sessions (~45 min each)

  • 4 pre-recorded lectures

  • 4 slide presentations to accompany each lecture

  • Optional reading material

  • Access to session recordings and all course materials from April 7 – June 7, 2026

Participants may submit questions in advance for each live Zoom discussion with the professor.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. This is a non-credit, non-transferable enrichment course designed for personal spiritual and theological growth.

  • No. While the course is grounded in the Orthodox tradition, it welcomes students of all Christian backgrounds and those exploring Orthodoxy.

  • No problem. All live Zoom discussions will be recorded and available to watch anytime during the access period.

  • After registering, you’ll use the login credentials you created to access the course platform. All content will be available starting April 7.

  • No, readings are optional and provided for those who want to explore topics more deeply.

  • Not at this time. This course is for personal enrichment and does not offer a certificate of completion.

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