Confession and the Sacrament of Penance after Communism

Author(s):  
Nadieszda Kizenko

As regards the sacrament of penance in Russia there are both quasi-fundamentalist tendencies and those offering the potential to move away from fundamentalism. On the one hand, one sees strict literalism, an emphasis on purity, and the desire to return to a previous ideal from which advocates believe members have strayed (e.g., confession before communion, confession to a spiritual elder). On the other hand, it is important to note that the post-communist Russian attempts to return to or to revive authentic confession were mediated by the very context in which the “recovery” occurred. Russian “fundamentalism” as regards confession and communion was the reconfiguration of the original meaning of the Russian practice of confession. Additionally, diversity of opinion has not been altogether rejected, and other confessional practices, in particular written confession, signal that new forms altogether might arise. In short, although the Russian Orthodox Church after the fall of communism approached confession in a way that might seem to be fundamentalist, the presence of diverse opinions and practices suggests that the potential for moving away from fundamentalism is there as well.

2020 ◽  
pp. 113-125
Author(s):  
Даниил (Василенко)

Литургия свт. Василия Великого согласно ныне принятому Уставу в Русской Православной Церкви совершается десять раз в году. Два из них приходятся на навечерия двух схожих по уставу праздников - Рождества Христова и Богоявления. Однако, в случае совпадения навечерия с субботой или воскресеньем, Литургия свт. Василия Великого совершается в самый день праздника. Прямого ответа на вопрос, почему так происходит, в литургической литературе нет. В статье даётся ответ на этот вопрос с позиции логики богослужебного устава. При этом рассматривается уставной статус богослужебных чинов, образующих затруднительный казус. То есть, сравниваются богослужебные чины навечерий Рождества Христова и Богоявления с чинами субботнего и воскресного дней. В результате этого сравнения делается вывод о том, что причиной переноса является, с одной сто роны, логика устава, не позволяющая отменить богослужебные чинопоследования субботы и воскресенья в пользу более низких по уставному статусу навечерий праздников. А с другой стороны, совершенно отменить богослужебные особенности предпразднств Рождества Христова и Богоявления не позволяет уважение к древности этих особенностей. The liturgy of St. Basil the Great, according to the currently adopted Charter, is per formed ten times a year in the Russian Orthodox Church. Two of them fall on the eve of two similar Holidays holidays - the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany. However, in the case of coincidence of the reunion with Saturday or Sunday, the liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated on the very day of the Feast. There is no direct answer to the question of why this happens in liturgical literature.The article gives an answer to this question from the standpoint of the logic of the liturgical char ter. At the same time, the statutory status of liturgical ranks forming a difficult incident is considered. That is, the liturgical ranks of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany are compared with the ranks of the Sabbath and Sunday. As a result of this comparison, it is concluded that, on the one hand, the reason for the transfer is the logic of the charter, which does not allow canceling the liturgical ranks of Saturdays and Sundays in favor of the holidays with lower statutes. And on the other hand, to completely abolish the liturgical features of the precelebrations of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany does not allow respect for the antiquity of these features.


Bioethics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16
Author(s):  
I. V. Siluyanova ◽  
◽  
L. E. Pishchikova ◽  

Bioethics is defined by the authors as a form of knowledge about the permissible limits of manipulating human life in the range from birth to dying. A comparative analysis of the materials of the Conference in Jerusalem (2018) and the «Handbook on Bioethics for Judges» (2016) prepared by the UNESCO Department of Bioethics in Haifa, on the one hand, and Statements of the Church and Social Council on Biomedical Ethics of the Russian Orthodox Church, on the other, was conducted. It proves that bioethics as a type of modern medical ethics exists and will exist in the near future in conservative and liberal forms. Disclosure of their content contributes to solving the problem of finding compromises in specific situations of medical practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Avanesová

This text, conceived as an interpretative case study, deals with the role that the Belarusian Orthodox Church plays in the contemporary Belarusian regime. In light of the fact that the Belarusian Orthodox Church is an exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, the author will also look at whether the Belarusian Orthodox Church can actually be considered an instrument of Russian in Belarus. Within the research, the author will show that on the one hand, there are favorable conditions for the development of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. But on the other hand, although the state declares the de facto independence of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, any opposition activity on its part is seen as a threat to the state, which allows the state to interfere with its policy. This leads church organizations in such systems to become significantly weakened within this “cooperation with the state”, even though they have an influence on society and thus a legitimizing potential. As a result, the church is strongly dependent on the state and limited as an actor in civil society within the Belarusian regime. In addition, the author will also conclude in the study that it is difficult to consider the Belarusian Orthodox Church to be a tool of the Kremlin’s influence.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-422
Author(s):  
Ciprian Iulian Toroczkai
Keyword(s):  

Abstract Homosexuality, from an Orthodox perspective, falls in the category of sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance. The condemnation root of this sin has its basis into certain scriptural texts. However, the theological and the pastoral approach of homosexuality within the Orthodox Church is a taboo subject. On the one hand, the works and the studies which clarify how to relate to homosexuals within a parish are missing; on the other hand, the homosexuals’ testimonies and the problems that they are face with, as members of the Orthodox Church, are also missing. The current study reviews certain more important Orthodox contributions on the theme of homosexuality, namely the challenges and the possible responses which it raises.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Sławomir Kursa

Protection of the Orthodox Religion in the Legislation of Justinian I Summary The protection of the Orthodox religion was one of the priorities in Justinian’s life and activities. However, his religious policy was not very different from that of previous Christian emperors. The aim of this article is to show that Justinian’s policy was more a result of tendencies in the legal protection of Orthodoxy which had already developed in the postConstantinian age, in other words Justinian only reinforced existing regulations; and likewise his legislation to eradicate heresy and apostasy was similar to earlier provisions. Justinian used legal measures for the protection of the True Faith in an immensely instrumental way. On the one hand he maintained and introduced numerous material sanctions against heretics and apostates; on the other hand he prescribed material advantages for the Orthodox Church and those in communion with her. There were also material incentives for those who returned to the Church. The article shows that Justinian’s measures followed the same line as the religious regulations introduced by previous Christian emperors, especially Theodosius II.


CLEaR ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46
Author(s):  
Diana Židová

Abstract Vasil Stefan Koban (1918-2007) was an American writer of Slovak origin. His cultural identity is, however, somewhere between Rusyn and Slovak, but all his writings were published in Slovak journals such as Slovakia, or Almanac run by National Slovak Society. The Slovak translation of his only novel, The Sorrows of Marienka, was published in 2006 with the subtitle Púť Slovákov za lepším životom do Ameriky. The book is about the life of his mother Marienka who after marriage to Ivan Kinda emigrates from Jarabina to Conemaugh, an American coal mine town. Excerpt from Michal: Biography of a Galician Coal Miner, 1906-1933 is a revised version of the story in which Michal, Koban’s father and Marienka’s second husband, loses his leg in an accident and he must stay in a hospital for a year. In both stories Koban uses lots of Slovak words, but on the other hand, he mentions that Michal helped to build the Russian Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist in Conemaugh with other Galicians, his natives, since he was born in Habowa. Although he considered himself to be of Slovak origin, Koban is enlisted under Carpatho-Rusyn Literature in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature. The article focuses on manifestations of Slovak and Rusyn identity in Koban’s two most notable literary works.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katya Tolstaya

The Pussy Riot performance and the ensuing case posed a challenge not only to power structures in Russia, but also to scholars studying post-traumatic post-Soviet Russia. The case exposed the complex of ideology, image- and myth-forming on all societal levels, not least regarding the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and church-state relations. This essay proposes a kaleidoscopic approach in order to ask how to get to the real persons beyond the images. At the same time it discusses epistemological limits of scholarly engagement with the ‘other’ by scrutinising the question of objectivity and normativity in the humanities and the deficit of approaches like the insider/outsider dichotomy and the linguistic and narrative turns. Given the heterogeneity of present-day Orthodoxy, there is no identifiable Orthodox ‘other’ or ‘insider’; and this leads to the question how to define ‘Orthodoxy’ itself. The essay thus identifies a paradox which is yet to be solved.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-34
Author(s):  
Hasanema Wau

A sermon today (here) is built from a text written thousands of years ago and addressed to a specific person or community. Serious efforts are needed to bridge the cultural gap between today's readers and first readers. Two temptations to watch out for: first, focus on exploring and describing various historical arguments. The sermon focuses on patterns of interpretation of the biblical texts relating to the past in the area of ​​Israel and beyond. Second, the focus is to be relevant, so that it ignores what the author intends, what is understood by the recipient of the letter. The Scriptures are not a letter that is only able to be solved by an expert in a line of academic degrees. On the one hand it must find out the meaning of the text (for writers and readers), on the other hand it must find principles that can be applied now and here. Balance is a demand! The Word of God speaks to all generations, so it is not enough to rediscover the original meaning of a passage without describing the significance of the passage for today. Abstrak Indonesia Sebuah khotbah hari ini (di sini) dibangun dari teks yang ditulis ribuan tahun yang lalu dan ditujukan kepada orang atau komunitas tertentu. Upaya serius diperlukan untuk menjembatani kesenjangan budaya antara pembaca saat ini dan pembaca pertama. Dua godaan yang harus diwaspadai: pertama, fokus mengeksplorasi dan mendeskripsikan berbagai argumen sejarah. Khotbah berfokus pada pola penafsiran teks-teks alkitabiah yang berkaitan dengan masa lalu di wilayah Israel dan sekitarnya. Kedua, fokusnya harus relevan, sehingga mengabaikan maksud penulis, apa yang dipahami penerima surat. Kitab Suci bukanlah surat yang hanya bisa diselesaikan oleh seorang ahli di bidang akademis. Di satu sisi harus mencari tahu makna teks (bagi penulis dan pembaca), di sisi lain harus menemukan prinsip-prinsip yang bisa diterapkan sekarang dan di sini. Keseimbangan adalah permintaan Firman Tuhan berbicara kepada semua generasi, jadi tidaklah cukup untuk menemukan kembali arti asli dari suatu bagian tanpa menjelaskan pentingnya bagian tersebut untuk hari ini.  


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
John Tofik Karam

Este trabalho indaga sobre a aparente “mistura” de massihiyin (cristãos em árabe), tanto da igreja ortodoxa do patriarcado antioquina quanto dos ritos maronita e melquita (ou oriental) que pertencem à igreja católica romana. Argumenta-se que a “mistura” significa não a diluição mas a contenção e a conversibilidade da diferença. Por um lado, os maronitas, os melquitas e os ortodoxos de origem árabe adotaram o catolicismo de rito latino, protestantismo e em menor grau, espiritismo, umbanda e candomblé. Por outro lado, os brasileiros sem nenhuma ascendência árabe se converteram às denominações maronita, melquita e ortodoxa. A diferença cristã árabe é construída e contida no que o antropólogo Richard Wilk chamou de “estrutura da diferença comum”. O conteúdo cultural assume uma forma “mutuamente inteligível,” se variável, na chamada “mistura”. Em vez de ser um benefício ou direito outorgado do Estado laico, a construção minoritária desses e outros sujeitos revela a própria contradição ainda não-resolvida do laicismo. This work explores  the apparent “mixture” of massihiyin (Christians in Arabic), both from the Orthodox Church of the Antiochian Patriarchate and from the Maronite and Melkite (or Eastern) rites that belong to the Roman Catholic Church. It is argued that “mixing” means not dilution but containment and convertibility of difference. On the one hand, Maronites, Melchites and Orthodox of Arab origin adopted the Catholicism of Latin rite, Protestantism and to a lesser extent, Spiritism, Umbanda and Candomblé. On the other hand, Brazilians with no Arab ancestry converted to the Maronite, Melkite and Orthodox denominations.  Arab Christian difference is constructed and contained in what anthropologist Richard Wilk called "the structure of common difference". Cultural content takes on a “mutually intelligible” form, if variable, in the so-called “mixture”. Instead of being a benefit or right granted by the secular state, the minority construction of these and other subjects reveals the  unresolved contradiction of secularism and the secular state.Este trabajo indaga sobre la aparente "mezcla" de massihiyin (cristianos en árabe), tanto de la Iglesia Ortodoxa del Patriarcado Antioqueño como de los ritos maronitas y melkitas (u orientales) que pertenecen a la Iglesia Católica Romana. Se argumenta que "mezclar" significa no dilución sino contención y convertibilidad de la diferencia. Por un lado, los maronitas, melquitas y ortodoxos de origen árabe adoptaron el catolicismo de rito latino, el protestantismo y, en menor medida, el espiritismo, el umbanda y el candomblé. Por otro lado, los brasileños sin ascendencia árabe se convirtieron a las denominaciones maronita, melquita y ortodoxa. La diferencia cristiana árabe está construida y contenida en lo que el antropólogo Richard Wilk llamó "la estructura de la diferencia común". El contenido cultural adquiere una forma "mutuamente inteligible", si es variable, en la llamada "mezcla". En lugar de ser un beneficio o un derecho otorgado al estado secular, la construcción minoritaria de estos y otros temas revela la contradicción muy no resuelta del secularismo.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.E. Levchenko ◽  
A.V. Merenkov

The modernization of a society leads to changes in the society’s attitude towards funeral practices. This article is devoted to the study of socio-cultural, historical, religious and political-legal aspects of the exhumation phenomenon. Thanatosociological, historical, biographical, religious studies, legal and political approaches form the methodological basis of the study, which made it possible to identify features of exhumation in the past and present. The study has fixed that modern experts criticize the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) for the fact that the return to church life of already known relics and the inclusion of new shrines in it do not always meet the canonical requirements. As a result, gaining and ‘traffic’ of the last decades relics “with their historical unreliability, political background and clerical ambitions” causes direct damage to the spiritual life of a society. It has been established that exhumation, on the one hand, ‘compensates’ for losses in family relationships, gives impetus to the development of religious life, and solves specific problems of scientific research and investigative actions. On the other hand, sometimes exhumation is carried out for opportunistic, political, mercenary or criminal purposes thus, the problem of ensuring the peace of the buried remains very relevant. Keywords: funereal, cemetery, exhumation, reburial, relics


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