New York, September 26, 2026
Photo: online.svots.edu
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary’s online school is offering a four-week course this fall examining how the Eucharist shapes Christian moral life, from marriage to the treatment of the poor to reconciliation with enemies.
The course, titled "Living in Communion: Orthodox Ethics in Light of the Eucharist," is taught by V. Rev. Dr. Philip LeMasters, an archpriest of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America who serves as priest of St. Luke Orthodox Church in Abilene, Texas, and teaches at McMurry University, the Antiochian House of Studies, and St. Vladimir's Seminary. He holds a Ph.D. in Christian Theology and Ethics from Duke University and is the author of several books and essays in Christian ethics.
The course description argues that it’s easy to think of Communion as concerning only a couple of hours on Sunday morning, with the rest of life carrying on untouched afterward—but that the Orthodox tradition insists otherwise. To receive the Eucharist is to be united to Christ, and that union lays claim to marriages, finances, care for the poor, and the way Christians meet a world marked by violence.
Over four weekly sessions, Fr. Philip will draw on Biblical, Patristic, liturgical, and contemporary sources to explore what it means to live eucharistically. The course is open to all Christians, not just Orthodox.
The weekly topics are:
● Week 1: Ethics as Communion with God and Neighbor
● Week 2: Marriage as Water Becoming Wine
● Week 3: The Poor and the Body of Christ
● Week 4: Communion with the Prince of Peace
Live Zoom sessions will run on Tuesdays from 8:00 to 8:45 p.m. ET, from October 6 through October 27.
Each week includes a roughly 45-minute live discussion, a pre-recorded lecture, an accompanying slide presentation, and optional reading materials.
Learn more and register for the course at the school website.
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