Biblical Theological Institute of St. Andrew the Apostle

The Biblical Theological Institute of St. Andrew the Apostle (BBИ) is a Russian non-state educational institution of additional professional education, based in Moscow. It traces its origins to the "Sunday Orthodox University" founded by Archpriest Alexander Men, who delivered its first lecture on Christianity on 8 September 1990 and was killed the following day. In 1991 the initiative was renamed the Open Orthodox University, and in late 1994–early 1995 the Biblical Theological Institute was established and registered as a new higher theological educational institution. It received a state license in theology in 1997 and state accreditation in December 2002, becoming one of the first theological higher education institutions in Moscow to issue state-recognized diplomas. From 1997 to 2012 it operated as a higher theological educational institution with a five-year full course; since 2013 it has functioned as an institution of additional professional education, offering advanced training and retraining in theology, biblical studies, church history, philosophy of religion, and Christian culture, in full-time, evening, and distance formats. The institute also runs a publishing house, a weekly research seminar "Theology, Culture, Education," and annual Andreev Readings. It organizes summer theological institutes, including the Moscow Summer Theological Institute (first held in August 2002), the Belarus Summer Theological Institute (first held in June 1999), and the Kiev Summer Theological Institute (first held in summer 2003). Its rector has been Alexei Bodrov, a candidate of physical and mathematical sciences and editor-in-chief of the BBИ publishing house and its journals. The institute is known for its broad ecumenical and academic network, with trustees and teachers including prominent Orthodox, Anglican, and Catholic theologians.

The Biblical Theological Institute of St. Andrew the Apostle (BBИ) traces its origins to the "Sunday Orthodox University" created by Archpriest Alexander Men. On 8 September 1990, Men delivered the first lecture, titled "Christianity." The next day, a Sunday, he was killed on his way to his church. In 1991 the initiative was renamed the Open Orthodox University, which functioned as an adult Orthodox lecture hall. According to Alexei Bodrov's recollections, "we had excellent lecturers, and after about five years we realized that we had already developed a full-fledged program for higher theological education. And in late 1994–early 1995 we founded the BBИ." In 1995, a new higher theological educational institution was registered under the name "Biblical Theological Institute of St. Andrew the Apostle." In 1997, the institute received a state license in the specialty "theology." In December 2002, it received state accreditation for educational activity, becoming one of the first theological higher education institutions in Moscow to issue state-recognized diplomas. From 1997 to 2012, BBИ operated as a higher theological educational institution with a full course of study lasting five years, training specialists in theology (teachers, researchers, translators from ancient languages, editors, journalists). The main areas of specialization were biblical studies, biblical languages, theology, Christian culture, church history, philosophy, and interconfessional and interreligious dialogue. Since 2013, BBИ changed its status to an institution of additional professional education, offering advanced training in theology and retraining in church history, modern biblical studies, academic theology, philosophy of religion, and Christian culture, in full-time, part-time (evening), and distance formats. The institute runs a weekly research and methodology seminar "Theology, Culture, Education" and annual Andreev Readings on contemporary theological issues. It also organizes summer theological institutes: the first Summer Theological Institute in Belarus was held in June 1999 with the blessing of Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, together with the Christian Educational Center of Saints Methodius and Cyril (Minsk); the first Moscow Summer Theological Institute took place in August 2002; and the first Kiev Summer Theological Institute was held in summer 2003 with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine. From 2005 to 2015, a Summer Institute on Theology and... was also held. The rector of BBИ has been Alexei Bodrov, a candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, a graduate of the Open Orthodox University named after A. Men, and editor-in-chief of the BBИ publishing house and the scholarly journals "Pages: Theology, Culture, Education" and "World of the Bible." He left the position of head of the organization on 7 September 2020. Over the years, BBИ has attracted a wide range of prominent instructors, including I. L. Bagration-Mukhraneli, A. A. Grib, G. B. Gutner, Archimandrite Iannuarius (Ivliev), Alexei Kozyrev, S. A. Konacheva, Priest Pyotr Kolomeitsev, O. V. Kuropatkina, E. L. Laevskaya, N. Ya. Merpert, A. V. Muravyov, N. L. Muskhelishvili, Archimandrite Avgustin (Nikitin), Igumen Veniamin (Novik), Igumen Innokenty (Pavlov), D. V. Pospelovsky, E. B. Smagina, O. V. Smolitskaya, N. L. Trauberg, S. V. Chebanov, I. K. Yazykova, and G. G. Yastrebov. Its trustees have included Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia, Bishop Basil (Osborne), Lord Richard Harries, Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, historian and archaeologist Valentin Yanin, theologians Hans Küng and Jürgen Moltmann, and Father John Binns. Past trustees include Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, Archbishop Mikhail (Mudyugin), Bishop Pierre Duprey, academician N. I. Tolstoy, philosopher and historian Olivier Clément, patrologist Jaroslav Pelikan, biblical scholar Bruce Metzger, Canon Michael Bourdeaux, and historian Dmitry Obolensky.

• Archpriest Alexander Men delivers the first lecture, "Christianity," at the Sunday Orthodox University.

• Alexander Men is killed on his way to church.

• The initiative is renamed the Open Orthodox University.

• The Biblical Theological Institute of St. Andrew the Apostle is registered as a new higher theological educational institution.

• BBИ receives a state license in the specialty "theology."

• The first Summer Theological Institute in Belarus is held in Minsk.

• The first Moscow Summer Theological Institute takes place.

• BBИ receives state accreditation, becoming one of the first theological higher education institutions in Moscow to issue state-recognized diplomas.

• The first Kiev Summer Theological Institute is held.

• BBИ changes its status to an institution of additional professional education.

• Rector Alexei Bodrov leaves the position of head of the organization.

One of the leading theological educational institutions in Russia, known for academic rigor, ecumenical dialogue, and publishing.

• Advanced training program in theology

  Offered since 2013 in full-time, evening, and distance formats.

• Five-year higher theological education program

  Offered from 1997 to 2012, training specialists in biblical studies, biblical languages, theology, Christian culture, church history, philosophy, and dialogue.

• BBИ Publishing House

  Publishes academic books, commentaries, and journals, including works by Archimandrite Iannuarius (Ivliev) and translations of Western theologians.

• Journal "Pages: Theology, Culture, Education"

  Scholarly journal edited by Alexei Bodrov.

• Journal "World of the Bible"

  Scholarly journal edited by Alexei Bodrov.

• Moscow Summer Theological Institute

  Annual program for teachers, graduates, and senior students of theological institutions from Russia, CIS, and Eastern Europe.

1. 1Библейско-богословский институт святого апостола Андрея (НОЧУ ДПО "ББИ")standrews.ru
2. 2Biblical Theological Institutewikidata.org
3. 3Библейско-богословский институт святого апостола Андреяru.wikipedia.org