Martin Illert

Dr. Martin Illert serves as an Adjunct Professor (Apl. Prof.) at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg's Faculty of Theology, specifically within the Seminar for Eastern Church Studies. His academic journey includes a Doctorate (1997) and Habilitation (2015) in Eastern Church Studies, focusing on theological dialogues between the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and Orthodox Patriarchates since 1959. He has held teaching positions since 2014 and became a Privatdozent in 2016. Additionally, he was appointed an Adjunct Professor at the Lviv Theological Academy in 2016.

• Current roles include Programme Executive for the Faith and Order Commission at the World Council of Churches (Geneva) and teaching at the Ecumenical Institute Bossey since August 2024.
• Prior roles include leadership at the EKD's Department for Orthodoxy and Ecumenism (2012–2019) and editorial work for the Ecumenical Review (2014–2019).

Research interests encompass Eastern Christian theology, ecumenical dialogues, patristics, and church history with a focus on Balkan and Slavic religious contexts. Major works include studies on John Chrysostom, Bogomilism, and bilateral Orthodox-Protestant dialogues.

His awards include the Priest’s Cross from the Ethiopian and Serbian Orthodox Churches (2016), the Gold Medal from Yerevan State University (2017), and the Ehrenplakette from Arad University (2023). He has contributed to academic projects like the "Bogomilism in History and the Present" initiative funded by Bulgaria's Ministry of Education.

Publications span monographs, edited volumes, and over 100 articles in journals like ThLZ, Eastern Church Studies, and Revista Teologia. Key projects include co-editing the Eastern Church Identities series and serving on editorial boards for theological journals.