Introduction: Theological Refugees in Oxford During the Great War—Ecumenical Dimensions of Christian Solidarity

Abstract

This introductory chapter outlines the details of the escape of the students from St Sava’s Seminary and their eventual arrival in England after a lengthy journey across Europe. It discusses their stay at various institutions in and around Oxford including Cuddesdon Theological College. It introduces the principal sponsors in England as well as the contribution of the charismatic Serbian church leader Nikolaj Velimirović before discussing the further studies of some of the students at the University of Oxford. After briefly outlining some of the later history of the relationships between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Church of England after the First World War, this chapter goes on to outline the main arguments of the chapters that follow. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.