After the end of World War II and the restoration of the Czech Orthodox Church it was necessary to organize studies of theology to prepare candidates for pastoral work in the Orthodox Church. First there were courses taking place in Olomouc. In 1948 in Karlovy Vary a high school of Orthodox cleric seminary was established. Its first rector was the minister general of the Temple of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary, protoiereus Alexij Vitvickij.

This seminary was active in Karlovy Vary for only one year and then it operated in Prague for another year. In 1950 a university workplace, the Orthodox Theological faculty, was established based on a governmental decision. Shortly after its establishment this faulty relocated to Prešov in Eastern Slovakia and education commenced in October 1950. The first dean of the faculty was prof. ThDr. Josef Hradil, after him it was prof. prot. JUDr. Josef Kulheim.

In 1990 with the consent of the rector of Charles University and Metropolitan Bishop Dorotej’s blessing, the collegium of the rector of Charles University decided to establish the Orthodox Theology field of study. In December of the same year lectures of distant study programs at the Hussite theological Faculty commenced. Gradually a single major study program of Orthodox Theology was established and in 2004 the Department of Orthodox Theology was established at the Hussite Theological Faculty which was in 2006 reshaped into the Institute of Eastern Christianity lead by Gorazd Josef Vopatrný.

The Institute of Eastern Christianity provides pedagogical and scientific activity in the spheres of Orthodox Dogmatic Theology and Liturgics, Patrologia, Orthodox Spirituality, Pastoral Psychology, Canonical Law, Byzantine Theology and Philosophy, History of local Orthodox Churches as well as Celtic Christendom.