The XX Theophanov Readings were held at the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 21, 2026. This year, an international scientific and theological conference was held under the title "The Living Soul and the Thinking Machine: the Anthropology of the Holy Fathers in the Digital Age." The forum was organized in a face-to-face and remote format under the chairmanship of the head of the Publishing Council, Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk.
Before the beginning of the plenary session, a prayer service was held in the house church of the Publishing Council in honor of St. Joseph of Volotsk to St. Theophan the Recluse. The conference was opened by Metropolitan Clement, and the event was hosted by his first deputy, Bishop Seraphim of Istra.
The main vector of the discussion was the understanding of modern technologies through the prism of the patristic teaching about man. The participants' reports covered a wide range of current church, social and theological issues:
• Digitalization and spiritual security: Participants discussed the risks of algorithmic attention management, the challenges of parenting in the digital age, and ways to transition from computer-generated "daydreaming" to inner concentration.
• Challenges of artificial intelligence (AI): Experts analyzed AI as a civilizational breakthrough and at the same time a spiritual threat, comparing patristic anthropology with a technocentric worldview.
• Theology and legacy of St. Theophan: Special attention was paid to the translation work of St. Theophan the Recluse, his ascetic teaching and practice of spiritual exercises.
• Innovations in science: Presentations were made on the prospects of using generative neural networks when working with patristic texts in ancient languages (in particular, the works of St. Isaac the Syrian).
The readings were attended by leading church and secular scientists, rectors and teachers of theological seminaries, governors of monasteries, graduate students, students and historians-archivists.
Summing up the results of the jubilee forum, Metropolitan Clement addressed the students. The Archpastor emphasized that the years of study are only the beginning of the path, and a person must constantly develop God—given abilities. Vladyka reminded that a Christian should strive for deep knowledge and study of authoritative book sources, and not shift intellectual labor to technology, which is designed to remain only a human assistant.