Fr. Alexander Schmemann

Overview

Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann was born on September 13, 1921, in Tallinn, Estonia, and grew up in the Russian émigré world of France. He studied and then taught at the St Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris before moving to the United States in 1951 to teach at St Vladimir's Seminary.

He became dean of St Vladimir's in 1962 and served until his death. At the heart of his theology was the conviction that the liturgy is the living expression of the Church's faith — the world received back as gift and Eucharist. His most famous book, For the Life of the World, carried this vision to a wide readership.

For decades his Radio Liberty broadcasts reached listeners behind the Iron Curtain, among them Alexander Solzhenitsyn. He played a central role in the life of the newly autocephalous Orthodox Church in America. He reposed on December 13, 1983.

Life in Brief

1. 1921

   Born in Estonia

   Alexander Schmemann is born on September 13, 1921, in Tallinn, into the Russian émigré world. source ↗

2. 1946

   Ordained priest in Paris

   After studies at the St Sergius Institute he is ordained to the priesthood. source ↗

3. 1951

   Moves to the United States

   He joins the faculty of St Vladimir's Seminary in New York. source ↗

4. 1962

   Dean of St Vladimir's Seminary

   He becomes dean, a post he holds until his death, shaping a generation of Orthodox clergy and theologians. source ↗

5. 1970

   Autocephaly of the OCA

   He is a leading figure in the establishment of the autocephalous Orthodox Church in America. source ↗

6. 1983

   Repose in the Lord

   Father Alexander reposes on December 13, 1983. source ↗

Works by Fr. Alexander Schmemann

• For the Life of the World — His best-known work, on sacrament and the world as Eucharist.
• Great Lent — A study of the Lenten journey of the Church.
• Introduction to Liturgical Theology — A foundational scholarly work on the development of the liturgy.
• The Eucharist: Sacrament of the Kingdom — His mature synthesis on the Divine Liturgy.
• The Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy — A survey of Orthodox church history.
• The Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann, 1973–1983 — His posthumously published personal journals.

About Fr. Alexander Schmemann

• St Vladimir's Seminary — memorial profile — The seminary's account of his life and deanship.

Historical Significance

Father Alexander Schmemann is a defining voice of modern Orthodox liturgical theology in the English-speaking world — a teacher who helped the Church in America recover the Eucharist as the source and goal of its life.

Related Figures

• Fr Georges Florovsky — His older colleague at St Vladimir's and a shaping influence on émigré theology.
• Fr John Meyendorff — His colleague and successor as dean of St Vladimir's Seminary.
• Fr Thomas Hopko — His student and son-in-law, who carried his catechetical vision to a wide audience.
• Alexander Solzhenitsyn — The Russian writer who listened to his Radio Liberty broadcasts from the Soviet Union.