Augustine – RCS

Review on the monograph by V. I. Guerrier «Blessed Augustine»

Nikita Dmitrievich Lakhtinen Bachelor of History, bachelor of Theology, Theological Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria (der. Kolbino, 25a, Leningrad region, Vsevolozhsk district, Russia, 188680)
niko.lahtinen18@gmail.com

Lakhtinen N. S. Review on the monograph by V. I. Guerrier «Blessed Augustine», Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2022, vol. 11, pp. 288–303.

doi: 10.24412/2308-0698-2022-11-288-303

Language: Russian

The review deals with the monograph by V. I. Guerrier «Blessed Augustine», which is devoted to the study of his personality, works and activities. The life path, worldview and ideas of Augustine as a fighter against heresies, an advocate for the offended, an opponent of the arbitrariness of the authorities and a spiritual mentor are described. Guerrier highlights the struggle of Augustine with pagans and Donatists, his works concerning world history, the teachings of Christ and the position of the Church, as well as his ideas, which not only largely determined the activities of the Church for centuries to come, but also had significance for the entire European Christian culture. The main idea is the doctrine of the «City of God».

Key words: St. Augustine, paganism, donatism, heresy, state, church, philosophy of history, City of God

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/en/en-lahtinen-2022/

Donatists and African revolts of the 2nd half of the 6th century

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Andrei Leonidovich Mamontov PhD-student, teacher of History, gymnasium No 49 of Primorsky district of St. Petersburg (Bogatirsky avenue, 55/3, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, 197372)
andrey-2006@mail.ru

Mamontov A. L. Donatists and African revolts of the 2nd half of the 6th century, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2022, vol. 10, pp. 222–237.

doi: 10.24412/2308-0698-2022-10-222-237

Language: Russian

Was the Early Christian church involved in political rivalries of the Later Roman Empire? The answer is positive, and this involvement of Christians is an interesting aspect of the vast issue of Church-State relations. Two early examples are provided by the history of the Donatist schism in North Africa. According to our sources, Donatists supported (and were supported by) two regional rebels of the last third of the 6th century: Firmus and Gildo. Under the later their influence was especially great: his administration turned a blind eye on their violent actions, headed by bishop Optatus of Thamugadi and aimed at their opponents. Those cases are usually treated among the researchers as a mark of a specific tendence, which is formation of a natural rebel alliance of mutinous generals and schismatic priests. The following paper provides another interpretation of that natural alliance, understood as a coalition of provincial elites with the dominant religious institution of the region.

Key words: Donatists, Firmus, Gildo, Optate, Augustine, Late Antiquity, Roman Empire, North Africa

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/en/mamontov-2022-en/

Luther on infant Baptism: «On Rebaptism» (1528) and «Large Catechism» (1529)

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Charles Lloyd CortrightPhD in Theology, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod (St. Louis, MO 63166-6861, P.O. Box 66861)
charles.cortright@lcms.org

Cortright Ch. L. Luther on infant Baptism: «On Rebaptism» (1528) and «Large Catechism» (1529), Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2018, vol. 7, pp. 68–90.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2018-00004

Language: English

Martin Luther’s two primary writings concerning the baptism of infants — «On Rebaptism» (1528) and the Excursus on Infant Baptism contained in «Large Catechism» (1529) — are presented and reviewed in this article. In the 1528 tractate written in response to a letter asking for assistance in answering the Anabaptist rejection of infant baptism, Luther lays out the evangelical defense of «one baptism» for all — young, old, male, female, etc. — from Scripture and history. Luther’s defense remains a primary answer to the same questions today. Likewise, the Excursus in «Large Catechism» is developed by Luther in this same time period and is a confessional statement for the Lutheran Church concerning the sacrament of Holy Baptism and its blessings for all the baptized.

Key words: sacraments, Augustine, faith, John Chrysostom, Anabaptists

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/cortright-2018-en/

Abelard between St. Augustine and St. Jerome

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Vladimir Vladimirovich Andersen, PhD-student, Faculty of Philology Saint-Petersburg State University (Universitetskaya nabereghnaya, dom 11, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 199034)

vlad.andersen@gmail.com

Andersen V. V. Abelard between St. Augustine and St. Jerome, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2015, vol. 4, pp. 322–333.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2015-00017

Language: Russian

The “Historia calamitatum”, Peter Abelard’s famous autobiography, is often compared to the most famous example of autobiography in Late Antiquity, St. Augustine’s “Confessiones”. However, Abelard doesn’t cite Augustine’s personal work even once in “Historia” (which is not surprising at all, considering its only moderate popularity at the time), there is no similarity whatsoever in terms of language or structure. Another literary model has to be looked for. Abelard’s affinity for the Letters of St. Jerome is evident in the text of his autobiography, there are also personal connections. Abelard agrees with Jerome in the key points of his scientific method (Hebraica veritas), feels personally for him being persecuted, lauds Jerome’s work of constructing an ascetic ideal. Abelard’s literary persona is equally influenced by Jerome’s writings in Historia calamitatum and his letters to Heloise.

Key words: Peter Abelard, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, autobiography, Historia calamitatum, Confessiones

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/andersen-2015-en/

Jean Grondin. To the composition of «Truth and Method»: Introductory article and Russian translation

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Tatian Valer’evna Litvin, PhD in Philosophy, assistant professor, Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy (naberezhnaya reki Fontanki, 15, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 191011)

littatiana@gmail.com

Litvin T. V. Jean Grondin. To the composition of «Truth and Method»: introductory article and Russian translation, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2016, vol. 5, pp. 42–68.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2016-00004

Language: Russian

The translation of the paper «To the composition of “Truth and Method”» by Jean Grondin (1994) is dedicated to history and context of emergence of H.-G. Gadamer’s «Truth and Method». Grondin calls his approach a «pure philological» and pays attention to the text’s structure and sequence of the chapters. This view is opposite to «philosophical» approach, which focuses on theory. However, both of them are very important for understanding of the book. «Truth and Method» is a key work of Gagamer and due to his systematic thought and the universal concept of hermeneutics is still influential. According to the H.-G. Gadamer’s intention, the whole history of philosophy contains methods of interpretation, which need to be synthesized. Hermeneutics is entitled to claim a fundamental role for the whole human knowledge and to be ground of Humanities. This idea is reflected in «Truth and Method» and was formed as a result of numerous controversies with modern philosophers. So, H.-G. Gadamer rethinks the methodological discussions of the 20^th century, criticizes the Kantian theory of aesthetical judgments, reconstructs the Augustinian tradition of «inner word» and the whole Christian reception of this idea and provides the reactualization of the Platonic tradition. J. Grondin examines the philological features of the concept of universal hermeneutics and its formation with specific attention put to the terminology and system categories of the work.

Key words: hermeneutics, Gadamer, Augustine, the methodology of Humanities, Schleiermacher, Kant, inner word, Heidegger, Bultmann

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/litvin-t-v-2016-en/