{"id":11818,"date":"2019-10-05T11:45:27","date_gmt":"2019-10-05T18:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/?p=11818"},"modified":"2025-07-18T13:18:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T20:18:22","slug":"blasphemy-and-open-rebellion-by-nik-jovcic-sas-the-orthodox-provocateur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/blasphemy-and-open-rebellion-by-nik-jovcic-sas-the-orthodox-provocateur\/","title":{"rendered":"Blasphemy and Open Rebellion by Nik Jovcic-Sas the \u201cOrthodox Provocateur\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Blasphemyby Jennifer Davis –
\nWhy would anyone invite Nik Jovcic-Sas to any academic conferences or ask for his opinion on any Orthodox Church issues? Have these clergy and academics lost their minds? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Nik Jovcic-Sas<\/a> (Nik Jov\u010di\u0107-Sas), describes himself as \u201cViolinist, LGBTQ+ Activist, Drag Queen, Eastern Orthodox Theologian & Vampire.\u201d Nik also calls himself the \u201cOrthodox Provocateur<\/strong><\/a>\u201d and runs a Facebook page by the same name where he regularly posts blasphemous, offensive, and scandalous material.<\/p>\n

None of that bothered the \u201cconsortium of scholars from the University of Exeter and the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University<\/a>\u201d who organized an Oxford Conference (Aug. 16-17) with the help of Deacon Brandon Gallaher<\/strong><\/a> and Gregory Tucker<\/strong><\/a> (man “married” to another man) where \u201ccontemporary issues of sex, gender, and sexuality were discussed in relation to the Orthodox Church.\u201d Nik Jovcic-Sas was one of the invited speakers (I assume in the \u201cLGBTQ+ activists\u201d category) who presented at the conference. You can view Nik’s presentation here: “Violence & Love” by Nik Jov\u010di\u0107-Sas – Bridging Voices Conference, University of Oxford 2019<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

At this \u201cBridging Voices<\/a>\u201d conference: \u201cSome fifty scholars gathered from across the globe. They brought a diversity of professional expertise and experience, and represented a range of academic disciplines including theology, philosophy, church history, and canon law, and fields within the natural and social sciences. Orthodox clergy from multiple jurisdictions, LGBTQ+ activists, and clinicians were in attendance. A small number of ecumenical observers from the Church of England and the Catholic Church also took part,\u201d as reported by Jivko Panev.<\/p>\n

Among the Orthodox academics and clergy who attended the conference are some familiar names in the Orthodox world: Deacon Brandon Gallaher (event organizer), Prof. George Demacopoulos, Prof. Aristotle Papanikolaou, Father John Behr, Dr Patricia Fann Bouteneff, Prof. Peter Bouteneff, Father Cyril Hovorun, Sister Vassa Larin, Presbytera Mari Iakovou Mars, Prof. Ashley Purpura, and Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia.<\/p>\n

The scandalous nature of this conference, attended by many Orthodox clergy and academics, prompted the creation of an online petition to ask the Orthodox bishops in America to take meaningful action to respond to this open rebellion. Titled \u201cRequest To All Orthodox Bishops In America To Take Action Against False Teachings<\/a><\/strong>\u201d the petition urges the bishops to act: \u201cWe beseech you to hearten us and to illumine your people, by doing everything within your power to publically correct those who are under your authority who reject or question Church teaching on these matters, and to encourage your brothers to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

I had never heard of Nik Jovcic-Sas or his Facebook page before. Prompted by the online petition and the concerns of so many Orthodox priests and laypeople, I went to view his public page. It\u2019s shocking and appalling. It\u2019s deeply disturbing. There\u2019s nothing \u201cOrthodox\u201d or scholarly about what he concerns himself with, just radical and indecent activism.<\/p>\n

On his Orthodox Provocateur<\/a>\u201d Facebook page Nick proudly displays who he is and what he stands for:<\/p>\n