Vladimír Volráb was born in the Czech Republic in 1980. He studied Hussite theology at Charles University in Prague. His final thesis was about the question of time and history in modern theology. Vladimír spent 6 months of study at the Institute for Evangelic Theology at Regensburg University in Germany and is currently working on a PhD. at the Department of Systematic Theology of the Hussite Faculty at Charles University. His field of study is spirituality of Christian meditation in the tradition followed by The World Community for Christian Meditation and its relation to systematic theology. Vladimír Volráb was ordained to the priesthood within the reform Czechoslovak Hussite Church in 2013 and soon after became a parish priest and the bishop’s vicar. Because of his interest in ecumenical and inter-faith dialogue, Vladimír was involved in WCC (World Council of Churches) as a delegate at the European ecumenical assembly in Sibiu, Romania and was a member of a CPCE (Community of Protestant Churches) in a European study group which worked 2009 – 2012 on the theology of church reform and renewal. It was adopted by the General Assembly in Florence in 2012.
He grew up in a non-religious family and started to be naturally attracted to spirituality when he was 16 years old. Later Vladimír became a Zen Buddhist student in the Korean tradition (Kwan Um School of Zen). He received the first 5 precepts in this tradition which denote a foundational commitment to Zen teaching. He was one of the founders of group for Zen meditation in his hometown and attended many retreats.
Vladimir found a place to belong within the religious life of his Christian culture. He received baptism and entered to church when he was 22 years old. At that time, he started to be more focussed on the intellectual aspect of spirituality but he was still missing the practice of silence. This changed in 2007 when he met Fr. Laurence Freeman in Prague. This was a beginning of his contemplative practice in John Main tradition. Since 2011 he has been the national coordinator of the WCCM in the Czech Republic and leads a meditation group in his home parish, and lectures and conducts courses and retreats across the country. His main interest is a dialog between contemplative tradition and a secularism. Since 2020 he is a member of the WCCM Guiding Board.
Since 2011 he has been the national coordinator of the WCCM in the Czech Republic and leads a meditation group in his home parish, and lectures and conducts courses and retreats across the country. His main interest is a dialog between contemplative tradition and a secularism. Since 2020 he is a member of the WCCM Guiding Board.
In this interview, Vladimír Volráb speaks to philosopher Charles Taylor on the role universal spirituality has had throughout the pandemic
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