Sretensky Word. Sretensky Theological Academy

Magisterium on War in the context of the socio-political doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church in the time of Benedict XV

2025-06-02T23:46:35+03:00

The article is devoted to the analysis of certain aspects of anti-war activities of Pope Benedict XV (1914–1922) and his personal contribution to the formation of the highest teaching of the Catholic Church on war. The work touches upon a wide range of problems related to the liturgical side of the issue we are interested in and the specifics of pastoral care for military personnel in combat conditions. Besides, the consequences of the forced mobilization of clergy and monks, as well as the measures of the Holy See to counter the sacralization of the war and the politicization of prayerful appeals for victory were analyzed. In this aspect, the problems touched upon in the article have been raised in Russian science only fragmentarily. In addition to papal documents of the period we are interested in, modern foreign studies of the pontificate of Benedict XV were used. Their introduction into Russian scientific circulation makes it possible to take a more objective approach to achieving the aims set in this work and fill in the gaps in Russian historiography, which is little familiar with the figure of this Pope and his contribution to the formation of the socio-political concept of the Roman Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council. In the context of the identified parallels between the era of Benedict XV and the current state of the world community, which feels a real threat to world peace, the issues covered in the article may be of scientific interest.

Messages from Metropolitan John (Wendland) of Yaroslavl and Rostov and the clergy of the Yaroslavl Diocese following the results of the Fifth General Assembly of the WCC in Nairobi (1975)

2025-06-02T23:51:57+03:00

The article is devoted to the description of the messages of Metropolitan John (Wendland) of Yaroslavl and Rostov and a number of clergy of the Yaroslavl diocese, sent in 1976 to the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches, Dr. Philip Potter. The correspondence earned special attention from the Cabinet of the Authorized Council for Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR for the Yaroslavl region and was preserved in one of the funds of the State Archive of the Yaroslavl Region. The reason for writing the letters was the feedback from the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church about its participation in the Fifth General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Nairobi (1975). The change in the vector of the WCC’s work, expressed in the Assembly’s focus on socio-political problems of Christians instead of ecclesiological ones, caused a resonance among Orthodox clergy and believers. The reaction to the results of the WCC’s activities was reflected in the official report of the Moscow Patriarchate, as well as in letters from Soviet archbishops and clerics. This article aims to conduct a historical and theological analysis of these epistles, as well as to determine whether the reason for their writing was determined by the sincere impulse of the Yaroslavl clergy or by the order of the Soviet authorities.

Patrons in the history of Christianity in the Holy Land in the 4th–5th centuries in the works of Blessed Jerome and his contemporaries

2025-06-02T23:55:58+03:00

The article examines the role of patronage in the development of Christianity in the Holy Land in the 4th–5th centuries. The study touches upon key aspects of the charitable activities of the imperial family, the Roman aristocracy, and monastic communities aimed at building churches, monasteries, and developing pilgrimages. Particular attention is paid to the activities of such patrons as Empress Helena, Melania the Elder, Paula of Rome, Melania the Younger, and Empress Eudocia. Based on the analysis of historical and theological sources, including the writings of Blessed Jerome, the motives and consequences of patronage of Christian shrines are revealed. The article shows how charity contributed to strengthening the Christian identity of the region, its spiritual and social development. The obtained results can be used in further study of the history of Christianity and the interaction of the Church with the state in Late Antiquity.

Episcopal ministry in Russian literature of the 20th century: using the example of short story “The Bishop” by A. P. Chekhov and the story of the same name by hieromonk Tikhon (Barsukov)

2025-06-02T23:59:57+03:00

The article analyzes the images of bishops in the works by A. P. Chekhov and Hieromonk Tikhon (Barsukov). In Chekhov’s short story, the bishop is both the successor of the apostles and the image of Christ. The four-part structure of the story is determined by the four Gospels, and the last days of the hero’s life fall on Holy Week and are consonant with the last days of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Chekhov endows his hero with such key characteristics as fortitude, love for his mother and native land, multigenerational connection with the Church, and humility. At the same time, despite sympathy for the bishop himself, for the author, looking at the bishop’s ministry “from outside” the Church, its severity exceeds its beauty. The view “from within” is presented in the story by Hieromonk Tikhon (Barsukov). The author’s vision of the bishop in it is determined by the patristic tradition and can be described by the formula “Where the bishop is, there is the Church, and there is no Church without the bishop”. He is characterized by a beautiful appearance, the royalty of service is combined in him with monastic humility. The bishop’s ministry in the author’s view is threefold: the bishop combines the functions of a father, a teacher, and a doctor. Despite the difference in approaches and views, both authors present a collective image of a bishop – the successor of the apostles, distinguished by wisdom and humility.

On the Contradictions in the Policy of Deunization: The Greek Catholic Architectural Heritage of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russian Church Architecture of the Synodal Period

2025-06-03T00:05:41+03:00

Modernist empires seem to be a complex research phenomenon. Its study can be carried out from various methodological perspectives, some of which focus on the mechanisms of implementation of imperial political practices proper. These approaches imply a thorough reconstruction of the social, economic, and spiritual spheres of the center and suburbs, necessary for subsequent imagological analysis. In this article, it is proposed to address the Western Russian region in the era of deunization. The liquidation of Greek Catholicism, the return of the clergy and flock to the bosom of the Greek-Russian Church and the renaissance of Orthodoxy in the former lands of Old Rus’ were accompanied by a large number of difficulties, largely due to the ethnic factor. Moreover, certain aspects of Russian culture, which had undergone strong Westernization in the 18th century, continued to be based on European values by the 1830s, which had previously been transmitted largely through the Catholic and Uniate environment of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. On the pages of the study, this contradiction is analyzed using the example of the church architecture of St. Petersburg and Moscow during the Synodal period and the state of the Greek Catholic Church on the eve of the Polotsk convocation is updated.

Psychotherapeutic techniques of Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy in relation to the patristic theory and practice of pastoral care

2025-06-03T00:11:14+03:00

Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy is known as a psychological approach to the treatment of personality disorders related to the loss of meaning in life. However logotherapy also includes special techniques — paradoxical intentions and dereflection — that pretend to be useful in the treatment of psychogenic disorders which may manifest in cases of phobic and obsessive-compulsive conditions. The article analyses these logotherapy techniques on particular cases from the position of patristic (Orthodox) theory and practice of pastoral care. The result of the study reveals areas of contact between logotherapy and pastoral care, which show the proximity of logotherapy in some aspects to the Christian worldview. These facts can be used as a potential basis for constructive dialogue between Orthodox theologians and secular psychologists. At the same time, the theological analysis reveals points of divergence between the patristic pastoral and Frankl’s models of spiritual treatment, which may contribute to a balanced decision when choosing logotherapy or some of its techniques for pastoral care, as well as Christian psychological counselling. The article also demonstrates the instrumentality of Orthodox anthropology in considering the probable causes of the above-mentioned psychogenic disorders, as well as its potential for providing a practical support to people suffering from them.

Foundations of A. F. Losev’s religious-philosophical system

2025-06-02T23:31:56+03:00

The article analyses the key provisions of the religious-philosophical system of the outstanding Russian philosopher of the twentieth century — A. F. Losev. Its conceptual ideas were formulated by the thinker already in the early period of his work, including in the context of the Imiaslavie’s disputes. The dialectical-phenomenological method, which he developed and which determined the specifics of his early works, was at the heart of Losev’s constructions. The research focus is on the analysis of two key works of this period: The Philosophy of the Name (1927) and The Dialectics of Myth (1930). The former was Losev’s attempt to build the foundations for a future comprehensive system. It is characterised by a comprehensive consideration of the nature of the Name — pre-subject and subject. The analysis of the second work clarifies Losev’s doctrine of Myth, also set out in the ‘Supplements’ to the ‘Dialectics of Myth’.

О связи Воплощения и Искупления в богословии священномученика Илариона (Троицкого) и преподобного Максима Исповедника

2025-06-02T23:37:38+03:00

In the early 20th century, discussions began in Russian academic theology regarding the scholastic doctrine of redemption. During these discussions, critical remarks were made about this doctrine, leading to its gradual reinterpretation and the proposal of new approaches to the presentation of the doctrine of salvation. This article examines the approach put forth by Saint Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), in which the central focus is on the incarnation of God the Word. It shows that both Saint Hilarion’s critique of the scholastic doctrine of redemption and the new approach he proposed should be considered in the light of the author’s general views on the nature of theology, which, for him, was inseparable from piety, with the main idea being deification. Also, through a comparative analysis of the views of Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky) and St. Maximus the Confessor, the article illustrates, on the one hand, the continuity of the two saints’ perspectives on the matter of our salvation, while on the other hand, it highlights the differences between them. The comparison made is a contribution to the understanding of the patristic sources of the theological work of Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky) and the peculiarities of his interpretation of the legacy of St. Maximus.

“The Path of Open Love”: the Thoughts of St. Ambrose of Optina on the Salvation of the laity and monastics

2025-06-02T23:40:44+03:00

The flourishing of the phenomenon of Optina eldership, which manifested itself most eloquently during the service of Elder Ambrose (Grenkov), was characterized, among other things, by the synthesis of contradictions between the ecclesiastical and secular, worldly and monastic in a society divided into classes. At the same time, the situation of synthesis itself arose as a result of the penetration of the tasks of spiritual guidance of monastics, assigned to the figure of the elder for a long period in the history of the Russian spiritual tradition, into the “toolkit” of spiritual guidance of the laity. In some cases, this practice led to the equality of methods of spiritual guidance for both monastics and laity. It is the elder’s service of St. Ambrose that most vividly demonstrates this dynamic. Using his spiritual heritage as an example, the article will show that the elder’s openness was directed equally to representatives of different social strata of the Russian people, and in questions about the path to salvation it was predominantly universal in nature. Elder Ambrose paid special attention in spiritual life to the experience of bearing external sorrows of both monastics and laymen as an essential stage preceding “inner Christianity”. At the same time, the outcome of the path of salvation is determined, according to the elder, not by achievements at the “external” and “internal” levels of spiritual life, but by the mercy of God.