PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2009: May-August, Research Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington DC

2009: January-February, Research Fellow, Russell Kirk Center, Michigan, USA

2008: September-December, Visiting Fellow of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture

2005-2007: New Europe College Bucharest, Postdoctoral Fellow

2002-2006: Affiliate Researcher of the Center for the History of Religions, University of Bucharest

EDUCATION

2008: January, succesful examination for the PhD degree, King’s College London

2002-2007: King’s College London, doctoral studies in Theology and Religious Studies

2005: BA, Department of Orthodox Theology, University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

2002: MA in Patristics, Department of Theology, Durham University, UK

2000-2001: University of Munich, Germany (Socrates/Erasmus Visiting Student)

2000: BA, Department of Philosophy and History, University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania (with honours)

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Continental philosophy, political theology, intellectual history, religion and politics

FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS
2008: Russell Kirk Center, Fall Fellowship

2006: New Europe College, Guest of the Rector & Europa Grant

2006: Shortlisted for Christ Church (Oxford) Junior Research Fellowship

2005: New Europe College (Bucharest), Postdoctoral Fellowship

2002-2005: Renovabis Stiftung (Germany) Grant

2002: King’s College Theological Trust, Doctoral Scholarship

2002: Churchil Colllege, Cambridge UK, Doctoral Scholarship (declined)

2001-2004: Ratiu Foundation (London), Bursary

2001: Society for Sacred Mission (UK) & Durham University Scholarship

2001: Friends of Peterhouse College (Cambridge) Bursary (declined)

2000: Open Society Institute (Bucharest), Grant

1998: Outstanding Junior Research Award, University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

1996: First Prize at the National Contest for Philosophy (juniors), Ministry of Education, Deva

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

This is a selection from more than a hundred essays, popular articles, forewords, afterwords, book chapters, book-reviews, short-notices published in various periodicals. Interviews and short responses are not included in the count.

PERSONAL BOOKS

• The Burden of Freedom (Povara libertăţii. Antiteze, paradigme şi biografii moderne), Bucharest: Editura Polirom („Plural M" Series), 2009, 344 pages.

• The Word as Photography (Verbul ca fotografie. Disidenţe culturale şi comentarii politice), Bucharest: Curtea Veche Press („Constelaţii” Series), 2009, 277 pages.

• Conservative Elegies (Elegii conservatoare), Cluj-Napoca: Eikon Press („Theologia Socialis” Series), 2009, 321 pages.

• The Grammar of Orthodoxy: Tradition after Modernity (Gramatica Ortodoxiei. Tradiţia după modernitate) preface by Mihai Şora (Jassy: Polirom Press, 2007), 311 pages. This book offers a set of scholarly inquiries into the metaphysical, political and ethical assumptions of major contemporary philosophers and theologians. There are frequent references to the American cultural scene. REVIEWS in Adevarul (13 martie 2007); Idei în dialog, vol. 4 (April 2007); România literara (25 May, 2007); Luceafarul (April 2007); Convorbiri literare (May 2007); Dilemateca (May 2007); Time-Out (27 July-9 August); Dilema Veche (8-14 Nov. 2007), etc. 

• The Owl among the Ruins. Religion and Society in Post-Communist Romania (Bufniţa din dărâmaturi. Insomnii teologice în România post-comunistă), 2nd revised and expanded edition: Jassy, Polirom Publishers, 2008, 400 pages). The book explores the predicament of Eastern Orthodoxy in the post-Communist Romania, with frequent references to the ethical, cultural and political wars waged through its transition from totalitarianism to democracy. REVIEWS in Observator cultural, vol. 273 (16-22 June 2005); Dilema Veche, vol. 74 (17-23 June 2005): 12; Adevarul literar si artistic, vol. XIV (19 July 2005): no. 777; România literara, vol. 30 (3-9 August 2005): 9; Ziarul financiar (11/18 September 2005); Convorbiri literare (October 2005); Luceafarul 37 (October 2005); Jurnalul national (02 April 2006); Archaeus 10 (2006): 176-177; Dilema Veche (6 Apr 2008); etc.

EDITED BOOKS

· Memory, Humanity, and Meaning. Essays in honor of Andrei Pleşu’s sixtieth anniversary, offered by NEC alumni & friends (Bucharest: Zeta Books, 2009), edited together with Bogdan Tataru-Cazaban.

· O filozofie a intervalului. In Honorem Andrei Pleşu (Bucharest: Humanitas, 2009), edited together with Bogdan Tataru-Cazaban.

BOOK CHAPTERS (SELECTIONS)

• ‘The Reception of the Philokalia in Modern Romania: The Commentaries of Rev. Dumitru Staniloae’ in Brock Bingaman and Bradley Nassif (eds.), The Philokalia: Exploring the Classic Text of Orthodox Spirituality, Oxford University Press, 2010 (in preparation).

• ‘The Life of the Cross in St Athanasius,’ in D. Vincent Twomey and Dirk Krausmüller (eds.), Salvation. Proceedings of the Sixth Maynooth Patristic Conference at the Institute of Byzantine Studies (July 2005), Queen’s University Belfast, 2010 (forthcoming).

• ‘Husserl’s Dualism of Meaning versus Intuition, and Marion’s Phenomenology of Donation,’ in Leo Stan and Vlad Puescu (eds.) Dualism (Bucharest: Zeta Books, 2009): 171-190 [in Romanian].

• ‘Divine Infinity and the Language of Perfection. A Reading of St Gregory of Nyssa,’ in Mihail Neamtu and Bogdan Tataru-Cazaban (eds.), Memory, Humanity, and Meaning. Essays by NEC alumni & friends honoring the sixtieth anniversary of Andrei Pleşu (Bucharest: Zeta Books, 2009): 207-224.

• ‘The Theologico-Political Constitution of Monastic Liturgy,’ in Adrian Pabst and Christoph Schneider (ed.), Encounter between Eastern Orthodoxy and Radical Orthodoxy. Transfiguring the World through the Word (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008): 249-270.

• ‘Romania 2007: Culture War and Religious Armistice,’ Iuliana Conovici (ed.), Churches and Politics during the 20th century Romania, Special Issue of Studia Politica(Bucharest: 2007): 747-778 [in Romanian].

STUDIES AND ARTICLES

• ‘Secularisation and Religious Orthodoxy in Modern Romania. A Case-Study: the Practice of Fasting,’ New Europe College Yearbook (2006-7 Academic Year), forthcoming.

• ‘Liturgical Orality or Textualist Oblivion? A Case-Study: Printing the Scriptures into Romanian (16th-18th century), St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, vol. 52 (2008) 3-4: 367-88.

• ‘Revisiting Orthodoxy and Nationalism,’ Pro Ecclesia, vol. 15 (2006) 2: 153-160.

• ‘Between the Gospel and the Nation: Dumitru Staniloae’s Ethno-Theology,’ Archæus. Studies in the History of Religions, vol. 10 (2006) 3: 9-46.

AFTERWORDS

• ‘The Architecture of Jean-Luc Marion’s Thought,’ postscript to J.-L. Marion, Crucea vizibilului (Sibiu: Deisis, 2000): 141-182 [Romanian].

BOOK TRANSLATIONS

• Hugo Tristram Engelhardt Jr, The Foundation of Christian Bioethics, [2000], from American English to Romanian (Sibiu: 2005, in collaboration).
• John Behr, The Way to Nicaea, vol. I [2001], from English to Romanian (Bucharest: 2004)
• Jean-Luc Marion, La croisée du visible [1991], from French to Romanian (Sibiu: 2000).
• Andrew Louth, Discerning the Mystery [1983], from English to Romanian (Sibiu: 1999).
  
  

ESSAYS AND JOURNALISM [in Romanian, selection]

• ‘Language and Beauty in Gregory of Nyssa (III),’ Idei în dialog, vol. 6 (May 2009): 21-23.

• ‘Language and Beauty in Gregory of Nyssa (II),’ Idei în dialog, vol. 6 (April 2009): 21-23.

• ‘Language and Beauty in Gregory of Nyssa (I),’ Idei în dialog, vol. 6 (March 2009): 21-23.

• ‘David Bentley Hart: a critique of Deleuze,’ Idei în dialog, vol. 5 (December 2008): 21-23.

• ‘Metaphysics and Boredom in Jean-Luc Marion,’ Idei în dialog, vol. 4 (December 2007): 21-22, etc.

MISCELLANEA

• ‘Notes éparses sur nos maladies historiques,’ Studia Theologica, vol. VII, no. 1 (2009): 36 –48.
• ‘De Juventute Mea,’ in Ilie Trif (ed.), Paradoxul creştin şi cartea tinereţii (Alba-Iulia: Ed. Arhiepiscopiei Ortodoxe, 2007): 65-89.
• ‘Nebunul şi profetul. O interpretare pascală a «morţii lui Dumnezeu»,’ Altarul Banatului, vol. XII (2001) no. 1-3: 22-44.
• ‘Iubirea nupţială: între opacitatea idolatră şi transparenţa iconică,’ Altarul Banatului, vol. XI (2000) no. 1-3: 31-61.
• J.-L. Marion, ‘Raţiunea formală a infinitului,’ Echinox, vol. XXI (2000) no. 1-3: 4-7, traducere si introducere.
• ‘The Challenges of Nihilism: Words and Images,’ Studia Universitas “Babeş-Bolyai” Studia Europea, vol. XLIV (1999), no. 1-2: 145-154.
• ‘Modele hermeneutice ale medierii,’ Echinox, vol. XIX (oct-dec. 1998): 14-15.
• ‘Resemnificarea identităţii,’ Echinox, vol. XIX (ian-mart. 1998): 20-21.

BOOK REVIEWS

Archæus, vol. 2, no. I-II (1998), Revista Echinox, vol. XXI, no. 1-2-3 (2000); „Archæus sau creanga de aur,” Vatra (2001), no. 2, 20-24; J.-L. Marion, Étant donné. Essai d’une phénoménologie de la donation (1998), Studia Phænomenologica I (2001) 1-2, 380-388, R. Kühn, Husserls Begriff der Passivitaet (1998), Studia Phænomenologica I (2001) 1-2, 389-393; A. David and J. Greish (ed.), Michel Henry. L’épreuve de la Vie (2001), Studia Phænomenologica II (2002) 3-4; R. Williams,Arius. Heresy and Tradition ( 2001), Archæus V (2001) 1-2, 135-139; A. Meredith, The Cappadocians (1995), Archæus V (2001) 1-2, 147-150; St Symeon the New Theologian, Writings III (Hymns, Epistles, and Chapters) (Sibiu, 2001), Archæus VI (2002) 3-4, 429-432; R. P. Vaggione, Eunomius of Cyzicus and the Nicene Revolution (2000), Archæus VI (2002) 3-4, 446-450; J. Behr, The Way to Nicaea (Crestwood, NY: SVS Press, 2001), Archæus VI (2002) 3-4, 437-443; M. Henry,Incarnation. Pour une philosophie de la chair (2000), in Sobornost/Eastern Churches Review 24 (2002) 2, 98-101 ; H. T. Engelhardt Jr., The Foundation of Christian Bioethics (2000), Sobornost/Eastern Churches Review 25 (2003) 2, 121-123; J. W. Drijvers & J. W. Watt (ed.), Portraits of Spiritual Authority. Religious Power in Early Christianity, Byzantium and the Christian Orient (1999), Archæus VII (2003) 3-4, 406-409, J. Behr, Asceticism and Anthropology in Irenaeus and Clement(2000), Archæus VII (2003) 3-4, 382-389; M. J. Edwards (ed.), Neoplatonic Saints. The Lives of Plotinus and Proclus by their Students, ET by M. Edwards (2000),Archæus VII (2003) 3-4, 395-397; P. T. Kroeker & B. K. Ward, Remembering the End ( 2002), Archæus VII (2003) 3-4, 356-360; F. Young, The Making of the Creeds, with a preface by G. Jones (2002), Archæus VII (2003) 3-4, 350-353; G. Bunge, Earthen Vessels. Practice of Personal Prayer According to the Patristic Tradition (2002), Archæus VII (2003) 3-4, 343-347; Max L. Stackhouse & D. B. Obenchain (eds.), God and Globalization: Christ and the Dominions of Civilization ( 2002), Archæus VII (2003) 3-4, 360-366; Hieromonk Macarie of Simonopetras (G. Bonnet), The Mystagogy of the Liturgical Time in Triodion (Deisis 2000), ArchæusVIII (2004) 1-4, 432-433; Mark J. Edwards, Origen Against Plato (2002), Archæus VIII (2004) 1-4, 418-419; S. Dumitrescu, The Ecumenical Tabernacles of Petru Rareş and their Celestial Model. An Investigation of the Churches-Tabernacles from Northern Moldavia (Bucureşti, 2004), Archæus VIII (2004) 1-4, 396-398; G. R. Evans (ed.), The First Christian Theologians. An Introduction to Theology in the Early Church (2004), Archæus VIII (2004) 1-4, 391-393; Henry Chadwick, The Church in Ancient Society: From Galilee to Gregory the Great (2003), Archæus VIII (2004) 1-4, 415-417; A. de Vogüé, Regards sur le monachisme des premiers siècles(Rome, 2000), Archæus VII (2003) 3-4, 404-405; B. Lang (ed.), International Review of Biblical Studies vol. 47 (2001-2002) & vol. 48 (2000-2001) (Leiden), ArchæusVII (2003) 3-4, 412-413; T. Špidlík, Questions monastiques en Orient (Rome: 1999), Archæus VII (2003) 3-4, 416-417; S. Lanzi, Theos Anaitios. Storia della teodicea da Omero ad Agostino (2000), Archæus VIII (2004) 1-4, 430-432; S. Bulgakov, The Bride of the Lamb (2002), Heythrop Journal 46 (2005): 242-243; P. Koslowski (ed.), The Origin and the Overcoming of Evil and Suffering in the World Religions (2001), Heythrop Journal 46 (2005): 384-385; P. Koslowski (ed.), The Concept of God, the Origin of the World, and the Image of the Human in the World Religions (2001), Heythrop Journal 46 (2005): 383-384; A. Popescu, Petre Ţuţea: Between Suicide and Sacrifice (2004), Heythrop Journal 47 (2006): 516-517; Sf. Roman Melodul, Imne (2007), Dilemateca (iun. 2008); etc.

More than thirty scholarly book reviews. Syndicated Columnist for „Cotidianul”, a major national daily in Romania – (April 2007 to March 2009): over a hundred short weekly contributions on national and international religious and cultural affairs.

AWARDS AND HONORS

2008: National Award by Cuvântul Magazine for the best 2007 Romanian book (‘The Grammar of Orthodoxy’) written in the field of history of ideas

2005: Colin Gunton Prize for Essay in Systematic Theology, King’s College London

1996: First Prize in the National Contest for Philosophy, Romanian Ministry of Education

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

2008: Organiser of the International Colloquium on ‘Christian Faith and Metaphysical Reason,’ New Europe College (with the support of Andrew Mellon Foundation), Bucharest, 7-8 March.

2007: Organiser (in collaboration) of the International Colloquium and Summer Course on ‘Religious Metaphors and Philosophical Concepts,’ Sibiu/Sâmbata de Sus (România), 29 August-5 September

2006: Coordinator (together with Andrew Louth and Dragos Mîrsanu) of the Panel on ‘Christianity and Neighbouring Religions in Late Antiquity,’ The 6th EASR/IAHR Special Conference, Bucharest.

2006: Organiser (in collaboration) of the 6th European Association for the Study of Religions-International Association for the History of Religions Conference on ‘Religions in Europe and Asia,’ Bucharest, 20-23 September.

2005-2006: Internet Officer of the Romanian Association for the History of Religions.

INVITED PAPERS

2009 (10 June): ‘Dissident Culture and Public Intellectuals under Communist Religion’, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington DC.

2009 (28 March): ‘Eusebius’ Theologico-Political Paradigm and the Dangers of Idolatry,’ at ‘Eastern Christianity in Post-Imperial Societies’, Central European University, Religious Studies Program.

2009 (11 February): ‘Intellectual Resistance in Communist Romania’ at Lord Acton Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

2007 (20-21 October), ‘Eastern Orthodoxy and the New Europe,’ at ‘What can Cultural Europe do for Political Europe?’ Conference, Charlemagne Trust, Sarum College, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.

2007 (11 May): ‘Political Tolerance and Religious Peace,’ at ‘Religions for Peace and Development,’United Nations Meetings, New York, US.

2006 (3 December): ‘Religious Studies in the Secular University,’ Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, Under the High-Patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, Amman, Jordan

2006 (19-20 June): ‘Eastern Orthodoxy and the European Integration,’ Conference on ‘Religion in the New European Construction, Goethe Institut/New Europe College, Bucharest, Romania.

2006 (5 June): ‘Imperial Culture and Christian Monasticism,’ Department for Comparative Religion, Erfurt University, Germany.

2006 (9 May): ‘Pauline Eschatology: Heidegger versus Lacoste,’ Romanian Society for Phenomenology, Bucharest, Romania.

2006 (March): ‘Theology and Nationalism in Interwar Romania,’ Paper at the Workshop on ‘Christianity and Languages of “National” Identity in South-Eastern, Central and Eastern Europe,’ CEU Budapest, Hungary.

2005 (October): ‘The Liturgical Fabric of Eschatology,’ Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge, UK.

2004 (December): ‘The Romanian Orthodox Church, between Nationalism and Universalism,’ Metropolitan University of Manchester, UK.

CONTRIBUTED PAPERS (selections)

2008 (7 November): ‘The Exchange of Gifts within the Christian Family,’ Colloquium on Family, Notre Dame University, Center for Ethics & Culture, Indiana, US.

2007 (29 August): ‘Beyond Heidegger: A Reading of the Pauline Eschatology,’ The International Conference on ‘Philosophical Concepts and Religious Metaphors’, Sibiu, Romania.

2006 (22 September): ‘From Hegel back to the Desert Fathers,’ 6^th EASR/IAHR Special Conference, Bucharest, Romania.

2005 (1-2 September): ‘Chronotropes of Deification,’ Phenomenology and Transcendence, Faculty of Theology, Nottingham, UK.

WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS (selections)

2009 (21-22 March): ‘Urban Cosmologies’ Course and Seminar, Ion Mincu University of Architecture, Bucharest.

2008 (8 November): ‘Cosmic Christianity in the Theology of Rev Dumitru Stăniloae‘, New Europe College.

2007 (6 December), ‘Institutional Reforms in the Study of Religion,’ New Europe College, Bucharest.

2007 (1 September): ‘Sacred Time and the Monastic Liturgy,’ Summer Course, Simbata de Sus, Romania.

2007 (18 January), ‘Eastern Orthodox Christianity and European Integration Workshop,’ Institute of Eastern Christian Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.

2006 (6 September), ‘Orthodoxy and its the Secular Concept of Knowledge,’ Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Mogoşoaia Palace, Bucharest, Romania.

2006 (9-10 June): ‘The Crisis of Christian Democracy in Romania,’ Colloquium on Churches and Politics in the 20th Century Romania, Institute for Political Research, University of Bucharest, Romania.

2005 (November-December): ‘Mircea Eliade Focus Group,’ New Europe College, Bucharest, Romania.

MEMBERSHIP

2007-present: American Academy of Religion.
2000-present: Romanian Society for Phenomenology.
2001-2008: Romanian Association for History of Religions.

EDITORIAL ACTIVITY

2006-2008: Member Advisory Board ‘Conflicts and Trends: Studies in Values and Policies,’ M&M Scrivener Press.
2002-2006: Review Editor of Archæus. Journal of History of Religions.
1999: Manuscript reviewer for Echinox Review, Cluj-Napoca.

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

• From 2005 to 2008, regular invited guest for BBC Romanian Section (London and Bucharest), Radio France International (Bucharest), Romanian National Radio (Bucharest), etc.
• Guest speaker and roundtable participant at Romanian National Television, TVR Culture, Romanian International Television, B1TV, Trinitas TV, Antena 2, and Realitatea TV (Bucharest). Profiled expertise given to newspapers such as ‘Foreign-Policy-Romania,’ ‘Le Figaro’ (Paris), ‘Libération’ (Paris), Associated Press, ‘Adevarul,’ ‘Cotidianul,’ etc.

• Occasional manuscript reviewer for ‘Idei în dialog’ (Bucharest), 2007-2008 and for 'Zeitgeist' book series at Humanitas Press (2009).

• Consultant for ‘Aproape‘ Association, ‘Stavropoleos’ Foundation (2005-2007), ‘Life for Life’ Foundation (2007), ‘Calea Victoriei’ Foundation (2007/2008), Cadi/Eleutheria’ Foundation (2008) and ‘Aldea-Tudorache’ Foundation (2008).