The trustees and faculty of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY, have awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree to Anthony Gythiel, professor of history at Wichita State University.

An academic convocation for the presentation of the degree will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, at St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral, 7515 E 13th.

“Professor Gythiel has received this degree because of his translation work of historical theology by world-renowned scholars such as Bobrinskoy, Krivocheine, Lossky, Hausherr and Spidlik,” said William D. Bischoff, dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “He is most deserving of this recognition.”

Gythiel’s scholarly specialty is medieval and renaissance Europe. He has translated numerous books dealing with the theology of the early Christian East. Among his most recent translations are Le mystere de la Trinite, The Mystery of the Trinity: Trinitarian Experience and Vision in the Biblical and Patristic Tradition; and The Spirituality of the Christian East, vol. II: A translation of Tomas Spidlik, La spiritualite de l'Orient chretien.

Gythiel began teaching at WSU in 1971. His academic credentials include Ph.D., University of Detroit, 1971; MA, University of Detroit, 1966; MA, Université de Louvain Maison de Théologie, 1953; BPh, Maison de Philosophie-Brussels, 1953; Diplome d’Humanites, St. Stanisias Poperinge, 1950.

Fairmount College, the largest college on the WSU campus, houses the department of history. The college offers majors in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and programs of professional training.