birth_date: 1921-11-17 00:00:00
avg_rating: 4.26
name: Olivier Clément
about: Olivier Clément was a French theologian and convert to Orthodox Christianity who taught at St. Sergius Institute in Paris.He was born in 1921 in the south of France. In his youth he was a non-believer. As he grew to maturity, he became influenced by a number of Orthodox theologians in France, notably Vladimir Lossky and Nicholas Berdiaev, eventually receiving baptism at the hands of Fr Evgraph Kovalesvky, later Bishop Jean-Nectaire of Saint-Denis. Although a committed school teacher, Clément was most devoted to his work at the St Sergius Institute and to his writing. His work was wide-ranging — from poetry to literary criticism, philosophy to theology, and extended to book-length interviews with figures such as Ecumenical Patriarch Athenago Olivier Clément was a French theologian and convert to Orthodox Christianity who taught at St. Sergius Institute in Paris.He was born in 1921 in the south of France. In his youth he was a non-believer. As he grew to maturity, he became influenced by a number of Orthodox theologians in France, notably Vladimir Lossky and Nicholas Berdiaev, eventually receiving baptism at the hands of Fr Evgraph Kovalesvky, later Bishop Jean-Nectaire of Saint-Denis. Although a committed school teacher, Clément was most devoted to his work at the St Sergius Institute and to his writing. His work was wide-ranging — from poetry to literary criticism, philosophy to theology, and extended to book-length interviews with figures such as Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras and one of his successors, Bartholomew.The most widely distributed of Clément's many books was perhaps his introductory work on the Orthodox Church in the popular Que sais-je? series, first published in 1961 and now in its seventh edition.Clément also enjoyed friendship and entered into dialogues on major spiritual themes with a number of imminent personalities including Patriarch Athenagoras, Pope John Paul II, the priest and theologian Dumitru Staniloae, and the brother Roger of Taizé.Modest, kindly and balanced, and supported faithfully by his wife Monique, Clément worked selflessly to unite Christians of different backgrounds, to unite France’s various Orthodox communities, and to inspire readers and listeners with a love of the Orthodox tradition which, he believed, would enrich the whole Church. ...more
death_date: 2009-01-15 00:00:00