ERICKSON, JOHN H

ERICKSON, JOHN H., canonist, church historian, theologian, educator, musician (4 October 1943– ). One of a few American lay canonists, Erickson earned a B.A. from Harvard (1966), a M.Phil. from Yale (1970), a M.Th. from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (q.v.) (1984), and has been a fellow at both Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies and the University of California School of Law in Berkeley. Actively involved in ecumenical and church affairs, he is a member of the North American Orthodox/Roman Catholic Bilateral Consultation, the North American Anglican/Orthodox Consultation, several commissions of the Orthodox Church in America (q.v.) and various professional organizations.

Professor Erickson has taught church history and Canon Law at St. Vladimir’s Seminary since 1973 and currently holds the rank of associate professor. He additionally serves as associate dean of academic affairs, registrar, and faculty secretary. Besides articles and reviews in scholarly journals, he has edited several books, including Orthodox America, 1794–1976 (1975) and the five-volume series The Orthodox Church in History, and has authored The Challenge of Our Past: Essays in Orthodox Canon Law and Church History (1991). During the 1980s he also cooperated in the arrangement and publication of five volumes of liturgical music. His current projects include a popular survey concerning “The Orthodox Church Yesterday and Today,” and books on the Orthodox/Roman Catholic dialogue and on the Eastern canonical tradition of oikonomia. Erickson has distinguished himself as a sober theologian, and is well respected by his colleagues for his hard work and balanced presentations.