CLERGY KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Man of Steel, Man of Faith?

Lecture by Fr. Niko Bekris
Father Niko will discuss his personal experience with the Man of Steel through childhood, seminary, and even today, as well as the history of Superman — his Judeo-Christian roots, allegories, and creators’ personal lives, and more. He is also looking forward to fielding general questions on Orthodox Christianity and the history of comics!
Father Nikolaos (Niko) Bekris is priest at Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church in Castro Valley, California. He is also the writer of the blog 'Christ, Coffee, and Comics' and the podcast 'Creative Blessings,' with his friend and co-host Chris Kotsakis. Fr. Niko is married to the love of his life, Stella Zahariudakis, and God has blessed them with two boys, Christos and Dimitri. Fr. Niko enjoys ministry, spending time with his wife, Greek folk dancing, contemporary Greek and American music, and life in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also an avid Seattle sports fan, and comic book/graphic novel reader.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
​Messiah or Hot Mess? The Theology of Superheroes ​

Lecture by Steven Christoforou
Superheroes reflect a messianic hope: that a great power can heal this broken world. But our depictions of superheroes have often been more destructive than salvific: they lay waste to entire cities, or get bogged down by gritty depictions that undermine their heroism. In this talk, Steven will take a closer look at attempt to depict larger-than-life heroes — and why these messianic figures tend to be a hot mess.
A graduate of Yale University, Fordham University School of Law, and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Steve is passionate about sharing the Gospel in a clear and accessible way and helping people see Christ at work in their lives.

Faithful Hearts, Froward Tongues:
Spiritual Portraits from the Tolkien Legendarium

Lecture by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
In the works of master story-teller J. R. R. Tolkien, a persistent theme of judging not by appearance but by the heart is frequently revisited.  Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick will explore some examples from these works and discuss how this dynamic may be attended to in our personal relationships and spiritual lives.
The Very Rev. Archpriest Andrew Stephen Damick is pastor of St. Paul Orthodox Church of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, author of Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy, Bearing God, and An Introduction to God. He is also host of the "Amon Sûl", "Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy", and "Roads from Emmaus" podcasts on Ancient Faith Radio, co-host of "The Areopagus" podcast, and he is a frequent speaker at lectures and retreats both in parishes and in other settings.

More than Good and Evil:
How Fairy Tales Teach Christian Humility

Lecture by Anna Mussman
If fairy tales are about good conquering evil, why do they so often seem unjust? Why shouldn’t Rumpelstiltskin get his wages? Why should Hansel and Gretel’s father get to share their jewels?  Fairy tales remind us that good and evil play out within a messy and unsatisfactory world. They caution us not just against the forest, but against ourselves. It’s a reminder we modern readers desperately need.
Anna Mussmann is a wife, mother, former teacher, and writer for The Federalist. She spends a lot of time reading books and then trying to get other people to want to read them, too. She especially thinks you should read fairy tales and she is happy to tell you why.

Trekking through the Expanse of the Heart

Lecture by Jonathan Jacobson
Star Trek: Discovery and The Expanse both depict human life in the 23rd century, portraying not only advanced technologies, exotic worlds, and interplanetary conflicts, but also characters struggling to comprehend the life and death of loved ones and possibly entire civilizations. While the two series take dramatically different views of the future of organized religion, they differ less in describing the human quest for connection with, and meaning in, a vast universe that is full of mystery, danger, and beauty. In this presentation, Jonathan will compare and contrast these two visions, and consider how the Church offers contemporary humans a way to explore strange new worlds and to seek out new life in a journey that fulfills our deepest human longings.
Jonathan Jacobson was born during Season 1 of Star Trek: Original Series. While his original career goals were to design starships and travel back in time to see dinosaurs, he ended up obtaining a PhD in economics at M.I.T., watching epic science fiction series on TB with his family, and reading ancient Christian theology on the side. Since trekking to Virginia with his astrophysicist wife during season 1 of Deep Space Nine, Jonathan has explored the strange new worlds of public policy research, fatherhood, becoming Orthodox, working for the federal government, and encountering the expanse of an empty nest. He presented previously at Doxacon Prime in 2013 and in 2015.

Biblical Typology in The Lord of the Rings

​Lecture by Michael Haldas
In this lecture, Michael will address the Biblical archetypes and Christian typology found in J.R.R. Tolkien's great masterpiece. It will explain how characters, places and events in The Lord of the Rings are similar to those types of characters, places and events found in the Bible, and how this offers greater insight into the influences behind Tolkien's sub-creation.
Michael Haldas is an author, blogger and religious educator for the Orthodox Christian Network, podcaster for Ancient Faith Radio (AFR), and a speaker. He is also an avid Tolkien enthusiast and the author of Echoes of Truth: Christianity in the Lord of the Rings. Michael has written Tolkien-themed articles and done numerous Tolkien-themed podcasts for his AFR Sacramental Living podcast series. He is serving on the Tolkien Panel for AFCON 3 (an annual Ancient Faith Podcasting and Writers conference) in June 2019, and will be speaking at Doxamoot, the first Orthodox Christian Tolkien Conference, in September 2019. He teaches adult religious education at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Bethesda, Maryland.

Thanos and Athanatos:
Marvel's Avengers and the Orthodox Concept of the Person

Lecture by Zachary Porcu
Hollywood is not known for its rich theological content, but would you have guessed that Hollywood often relies on theology in order for its movies to make sense? Take Marvel’s Infinity Wars and its sequel Endgame: the films’ villain justifies his campaign in the name of the “greater good,” yet this is the same justification that the heroes employ when giving their own lives to stop the villain. Zachary argues that the difference between the heroes and the villain lies in a concept that is unstated in the film but necessary for it to make sense: the robust concept of the human person, one which was not invented by Modernity or even by the West, but was first articulated by Orthodox Christian theologians in late antiquity.
Zachary is a professor of theology and doctoral candidate at the Catholic University of America. A church historian with a rich academic background in philosophy and classics, Zachary specializes in late antique patristics and Eastern Orthodox theology. He is the author of the forthcoming work, The Gospel You Never Heard: An Introduction to Christianity from the Perspective of the Ancients, and has written and presented extensively on Christianity’s relationship to modern culture, the secularizing effects of the Reformation, and the development of patristic thought. Zachary lives in Virginia with his wife where he enjoys coaching fencing and designing tabletop games.

Everyday Enchantment:
C.S. Lewis and the Importance of Imagination in Knowing God

Lecture by Sarey Concepción
Reason has dominated the way many have communicated about God since well before the time of the Enlightenment. But even science now attests to the fact that logic and rationality are not the most winsome tools for wooing a listener, because this paradigm of communication lacks respect for the full experience of the human person. Through a thorough exploration of both C.S. Lewis’ writings and life story, Sarey will describe the importance of inspiring a sense of beauty in our discourse about God. By wedding a sense of beauty to our rationality, we reclaim a way of communicating to the spiritual center of people through the great human capacity for imagination.
Sarey Martin Concepción spent a decade working with filmmakers and musicians in the entertainment industry before making a surprise vocational pivot towards theological interests. With a vision for becoming a writer (exploring spiritual themes in both fiction and nonfiction), she got her M.A.T. from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2017 (Theology and the Arts emphasis). She now works as the creative content and editorial manager for a department at Fuller that facilitates projects at the intersection of faith and the sciences. She continues to be involved in film as she writes and produces on the side, often collaboratively with her husband, and volunteers for several film festivals. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband, Stephen Cervantes Concepción, and a very old chihuahua named Eight.
Picture
Doxacon Prime of Washington, D.C. is sponsored by
Protection of the Holy Mother of God Orthodox Church
Orthodox Church in America — Romanian Episcopate
7223 Roosevelt Ave, Falls Church, VA 22042
​ stmaryorthodox.org

This event is blessed by Archbishop Nathaniel.

Copyright © 2015