the Orthodox Church

Prophecies of «youth Vyacheslav» as an eschatological discourse about disasters

Vladimir Yur’evich Lebedev,
Aleksandr Michaylovich Prilutskiy
Doctor of Philosophy, professor, Tver’ State University (ulitsa Zhjelyabova, 33, Tver’, Russia, 170023)
semion.religare@yandex.ru
Doctor of Philosophy, professor, The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia (Moika Embankment, dom 48, korpus 20a, St. Petersburg, Russia, 191186)
alpril@mail.ru

Lebedev V. Y., Prilutskiy A. M. Prophecies of «youth Vyacheslav» as an eschatological discourse about disasters, 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. 80–93.

doi: 10.24412/2308-0698-2022-11-80-93

Language: Russian

The article discusses the religious veneration of the «Youth Vyacheslav», a teenager who died in the city of Chebarkul in 1993. Despite the fact that at present the cult of Vyacheslav is distributed mainly within the Orthodox ritual sphere, in terms of its content it can be assessed as pseudo-Orthodox and para-Orthodox. This article analyzes the specifics of the eschatological narratives about catastrophes attributed to Vyacheslav. The authors substantiate the thesis that the sociopsychological reasons for the demand for apocalyptic narratives about catastrophes in popular religiosity are due to the formation of lumpenized strata in society, who see eschatological catastrophes as an instrument of punishment for their more successful and wealthy fellow citizens. The content analysis of the body of texts allows us to conclude that the discourse on eschatological catastrophes presented in the prophecies of the «Chebarkul lad» contains five interrelated themes: «Hunger», «Death of cities», «Diseases», «Cryptozoological and cosmoeschatological plots», «Social catastrophes». The specificity of this phenomenon is the combination of banal narrative material and the construction of the narrative itself with a somewhat unusual situational frame.

Key words: Orthodox Church, Estonia, World War II, Baltic Exarchate, Pavel Kalinkin

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/en/en-lebedev-prilutskiy-2022/

Official opponent on the PhD thesis “Competitive religious discourses in the social and historical evolution of the Russian Orthodox Church” (2013) by A. K. Pogasiy

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Igor’ Yakovlevich Kanterov, PhD in philosophy, professor, Moscow State University (Leninskie gory, d. 1, Moscow, Russia, 119991)
email

Kanterov I. J. Official opponent on the PhD thesis “Competitive religious discourses in the social and historical evolution of the Russian Orthodox Church” (2013) by A. K. Pogasiy, 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, 2013, vol. 2, pp.. 304–308.

DOI: 10.24411/2308-0698-2013-00002

Language: Russian

The review on the official opponent doctoral dissertation by A. K. Pogasy defendent 17 April 2013 is partly published. The key themes studied by the scholar and peculiarities of the approach are described. The author also makes some critical comments.

Key words: competitive discourses, schism, heresy, sect, the Orthodox Church

Permanent link: //rcs-almanac.ru/kanterov-2013-en/

Monasticism as social and cultural phenomenon

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Irina Valerievna Aster, PhD in philosophy, assosiate professor, The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia (Moika Embankment, dom 48, korpus 20a, St. Petersburg, Russia, 191186)
iaster@inbox.ru

Aster I. V. Monasticism as social and cultural phenomenon, 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, 2012, vol. 1, pp.50–60

DOI: 10.24411/2308-0698-2012-00010

Language: Russian

The article observes the purpose of monastic service and various aspects of singleness (chastity, continence, celibacy). Y. Lotman in his papers clarifies the differences between the perspectives of «Ego-Id» (with «Id» implying the outer world) and «Ego-Ego». The author notes taken as an ideal model monastic service is efficient for deeper world perception and creative activities on account of less need of interpersonal relationships and social stereotypes susceptibility.

The article focuses on monastic functions performed for centuries: worldview, ecology, integration, ethics, communication, information and education, economics, social work, art and aesthetics, spiritual healing. The author maintains monasticism is of cultural character, since all the above functions are commonly attributed to human culture as such.

In the matter of education, the author points to a highly successful model «mentor-disciple». Personal example was of primary importance in such kind of relationships; the modern educational system adopts it to a degree, wherefore it is necessary to avoid didactic approach and «bring along a likeness» instead, that is personal dignity of everyone. Social work of the Russian Orthodox Church should be determined by the proper intentions; some of its forms are mentioned in the article.

Key words: monk, monasticism, Y. Lotman, Eastern Orthodoxy, Russian Orthodox Church, Catholicism, Buddhism

Permanent link: //rcs-almanac.ru/aster-i-v-2012-en/

Dissertation «Doctrine of matter from sacramental and anthropological aspect in writings of theologians of the Alexandrian school, Great Cappadocians and Maximus the Confessor» by Kirill Zinkovskii

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Aleksandr Michaylovich Prilutskiy PhD in philosophy, professor, The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia (Moika Embankment, dom 48, korpus 20a, St. Petersburg, Russia, 191186)

alpril@mail.ru

Prilutskiy A. M. Dissertation “Doctrine of matter from sacramental and anthropological in writings of theologians of the Alexandrian school, Great Cappadocians and Maximus the Confessor” by Kirill Zinkovskii, 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. 337–340.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2015-00020

Language: Russian

May 12, 2015 at the dissertation council of Church-wide post-graduate school hieromonk Methodius defended his doctoral dissertation, titled “Sacramental and anthropological aspects of substance in the writings of theologians of the Alexandrian school, Great Cappadocians and Maximus the Confessor”. This review is based upon the opponent report during the defense of this dissertation. The author analyzes structure and content of the research. The concepts of the Church Fathers of the substance ontological status seem to be especially relevant today, as they allow to interpret questions of modern natural science on philosophical and theological level. The reviewer gives a high assessment of the thesis, though expressing some remarks about certain terms and their usage.

Key words: substance, fathers of the Church, theology, Orthodox Church

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/prilutskiy-2015-en/

La Vie de saint Etienne de Perm d’Epiphane le Sage et la version qu’en donne G. S. Lytkin

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Yves Avril General secretary, L’Association des amis de Jeanne d’Arc et de Charles Péguy (boulevard Raspail, 15, Avignon, France, 84000), yvesavril @ wanadoo.fr

Avril Y. La Vie de saint Etienne de Perm d’Epiphane le Sage et la version qu’en donne G. S. Lytkin, 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. 282–297.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2016-00014

Language: French

The article «The Life of St. Stephen of Perm by Epiphanius the Wise and the version given by G. S. Lytkin» is devoted to the activities of a historian and educator of Komi people, George Stepanovich Lytkin (1835–1907). In 1889 he published a book devoted to the history of Zyrjank region in the late Middle Ages in the context of the spread of Christianity and activities of the bishop Stephen of Perm as well as creation of the first alphabet for the Komi language. The author examines, how the image of Bishop Stephen transformed in version of his biography written in the Komi language (in comparison with the Epiphanius the Wise hagiografical text that sourc G. S. Lytkin used as a source to supplement information, gleaned from the hagiographic writings) and what rhetorical techniques the compiler applied. Yves Avril indicates that the life and work of G. S. Lytkin was concerned with education and enlightening activities that not only created an affinity between him and Stephen of Perm, but also led to a peculiar style of his works.

Key words: history of the Komi people, history of the Middle Ages, Christianity, Orthodoxy, hagiographic literature, Stephen of Perm

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/avril-y-2016-en/