Orthodox theologians have always devoted considerable time to research schisms - about the need for serious theological works written apologetic nature of the Holy Fathers of the first centuries of Christianity.One of these studies is the book of doctor of theology Archpriest Alexander Fedoseyev "Splits and modernity."But the serious theological work found opponents from the Ukrainian schismatics, called kriptoavtokefalistami.Book Archpriest Alexander clearly demonstrates the direction of action of splitting the most prominent activists kriptoavtokefalnogo split in Ukraine: Priest Alexy Slyusarenko and Alexander Slesareva.Raskolouchiteli wrote a number of negative reviews on the book of the distinguished doctor of theology in an attempt to discredit his work.
This state of affairs could not remain unnoticed by the Moscow theological schools.We propose to get acquainted with the book of Archpriest Alexander Fedoseyev "Splits and Modernity" famous theologian, professor AI Osipov MDA author of more than ten scientific publications, participant of international theological conferences and assemblies Alexei Ilyich Osipov testifies unconditional relevance and importance of the issues raised archpriestAlexander Fedoseyev in his book.Below is the full text of the comment:
«At the present time, when completely destroyed all ideological boundaries between Russia and the rest of the world, all the more urgent problem of penetration into our country and the Church of diverse ideas and views, is deeply alien to our national identity andOrthodox understanding of life.It is obvious that these new influences most devastating impact on human psychology, has just emerged from the rigid framework of the Soviet system.The results of such negative impacts are observed in all spheres of life.They cause particular concern in the sphere of religion and, of course, first of all, everything that directly affects the life and activity of the Russian Orthodox Church.
where one of the more pressing issues right now is the problem of the origins of the separatist sentiment and trends emerging in the church environment, and producing it is often tempting to direct.Deacon Andrei Kuraev even expresses this thought: "The most disturbing recent years, my observation is that now, at the beginning of 1 century, our Orthodox Church has to face the fact that not split, but much more serious things.I believe that our eyes begins Russian Reformation. "
These words lead Archpriest Alexander Fedoseyev in his book-thesis "Splits and Modernity" (Moscow 2010), which deals, as we have seen from the title, this urgent problem.
But if the beginning of the Reformation to speak Russian, in my opinion, yet there is no reason, then on a different background of strife occurring in some areas of the Orthodox world, the study of factors leading to splits in the church environment, of course, necessary.Therefore, this dissertation Father Alexander, of course, is attracting attention.
It affects a number of aspects of this great theme, but the central idea that permeates the entire contents of the book is the attempt to understand the phenomenon of disciplinary and psychological divisions.I want to just explain what is behind this concept in the interpretation of the author.
He writes: "Disciplinary and psychological divisions generally characterize the passions, demonic pride, reaching to the fanaticism that drives oppose itself to all the world, and consider themselves the last stand in the truth, schadenfreude against the opponents, in the limit - the hatred and malice,Ads dissidents graceless, suspicion, confidence is building on the opponents the most ridiculous, and incredible slanderous accusations;statements.that the non-canonical actions eventually needed for the good of the Church, the tendency to sectarianism "(p. 8).
This is a very correct assessment of what is due to the nature of the split.It drew attention not only to the external, canonical or disciplinary, side of the phenomenon, but most importantly, its spiritual roots.Although it should be noted that the very understanding of the spirituality of the author is rather a cultural character than ascetic.Moreover, in the following disclosure topics themselves, he sees the reason for the split after the Archpriest Basil Zaev exclusively in the political aspects of life (p. 38), not to mention the major - pride.
In what follows theme is illustrated in detail and expands the above brief description of the nature of the split.The author touches upon a number of serious problems in contemporary church life and shows how they are not being allowed time to gradually destroy the inner world of the soul of the believer, the psychology of a split form that easily can result in the disciplinary division, that is, lead to open anticanonical action.
The book speaks of the "leaders" and "savior" of Orthodoxy, the heads of the entire schismatic group, both open and hidden, cunningly hiding behind the external statements about his devotion to the Church, but the leading anti-church activities in their environment (p. 60).The author in this case draws attention to the use of those and other dissenters falsely interpreted by the concept of freedom with which they try to justify any action incompatible with membership in the Church (p. 81).
One of the pressing problems that detail, with the involvement of reputable sources considered in the work is duhovnichestvo.Giving the true definition of elders, his special ministry in the Church, the author writes about the many misconceptions in this regard, the appearance of lzheduhovnikov, junior elders, who are psychologically dominate believers acquire absolute power over them and create, so the real sectarian community, separate fromthe whole life of the Church.As a result, these communities lose the true doctrine, they are often infected with absurd superstitions, and at the direction of his "elders" at any time can go straight to step anticanonical split with the Church.
One manifestation of this spirit is spiritually destructive emphasizing these "elders" in the eschatological theme.The author very aptly calls this "eschatological charm."However, the criterion of truth in this matter, he does not see in the patristic heritage, and in the hierarchy (which?) The Church.He writes: "The Church in the person of its hierarchs reveal the original foundations of the Orthodox eschatology" (p.85).
author rightly draws our attention to the wrong, in principle, communication, which often arises in the minds of individual believers among religious and political side of life."Self-isolation of church communities, - he writes - the cathedral of life of the whole Church and the separatist activities of individual believers are often the result of an illegal politicization of such communities as" left "or" right "political orientation declared the only appropriate the Orthodox understanding of the world" (p.68).Such processes take place, as the author writes, because more and more intrusive nature considerable number of believers so-called secularism, in other words, the spirit of worldly living non-Christian moral principles, ideals and concepts.
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These notes on his doctoral dissertation prot.Alexander Fedoseyev "Splits and modernity" in no way had the task to review the academic about it.This would require a thorough analysis of the work and to determine how all the "knots and zadorinok" and its advantages.
Here are some impressions from a cursory reading of the individual fragments of the book and some of the issues raised in it.Of course, viewed some shortcomings, but, nevertheless, representing a very timely attempt to appeal to such an important subject, it is in this respect can be welcomed.
