Buddhist Devotion to the Russian Tsar : The Bicultural Environment of the Don Kalmyk Sangha and Russian Orthodox Church in the 1830s

Inoue Takehiko’s paper analyses how the close and long-lasting relationship between Kalmyk Buddhists and Don Cossacks (in the Don Cossack province) developed during the nineteenth century. This relationship was mediated both by Kalmyk Buddhist monks and the requirements of military and religious services to the Tsar, leading to transformations in the identity of this Kalmyk group. He uses the example of the ceremony surrounding the opening of a Kalmyk Parish school in 1839 to demonstrate how both parties sought to combine their socio-religious cultures in furtherance of the alliance of their interests.

The role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict

The article analyses the influence of the religious factor on the internal processes of nation-state consolidation in Ukraine and on the causes and consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The division of the Ukrainian Orthodoxy into three branches (UAOC, UOC-KP and UOC-MP) did not allow the Church to become a consolidating factor in the formation of a nation-state in independent Ukraine and a generator of social transformation. The situation may change for the better after the creation of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine in 2018.

Лима документ: Крштење, Евхаристија и служба свештенства

One of the most important ecumenical documents — the Lima document (1982), has adopted as a result of a long-term effort of the Faith and Order Commission, and since then it holds the unquestionable primacy among numerous joint documents, both within the seventy- year history of the World Council of Churches, and within the bilateral dialogues of various Christian denominations. But while the Lima document within the “Western Christianity” — especially in the churches of the English and German- speaking areas — is the subject of permanent pastoral and academic discussions, somehow within the Orthodox East — thus, within the context of the Serbian Orthodox Church, too — its proper theological reception is missing. This may be surprising if we take into consideration that, according to the opinion of many contemporary theologians, the Orthodox made an irreplaceable contribution to the creation of the Lima document — the greatest liturgical document of the ecumenical importance so far. The intention of this document was to provide a concrete framework of a (possible) joint (ecumenical) Liturgy, using the Orthodox liturgical rite as a basis. The purpose of this paper is to reactivate the discussion on the Lima topic within the Serbian Orthodox circles, aiming to foster a proper academic reception of this document in Orthodox theology, as well as to contribute to the further development of its content and possible realization of its goals within the ecumenical movement in the future.

Посланица Цариградске Патријаршије Чесима из 1451. године

The study and translation of the Epistle of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to the Czechs from 1451 aims to present the relations between the Hussites and the Orthodox Church, more precisely the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the middle of the 15th century. The translation of the Epistle provides answers to some questions that arose from the perception of historical events of the 15th century in the Church History in Western Church.

LOCAL AND AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCHES: CANONICAL JUSTIFICATION AND TRADITION

The article considers the basic principles and mechanisms of functioning of the church-administrative system of government of the Ecumenical Church. It is established that two opposing ecclesiological traditions (Greek and Slavic) were gradually formed, which testify to the lack of Unity and Conciliarism. The formation of two approaches to understanding the structure of the system of universal Orthodoxy was the reason for only a partial presence at the Great All-Orthodox Council in 2016. The article argues that in the Orthodox tradition there is no generally accepted interpretation of the interdependence of the principle of locality and the autocephalous status of churches. It is proved that the autocephalous church is always local, but the modern ecclesiological interpretation of locality does not automatically lead to the acquisition of autocephalous status. It is proved that the apostles and their closest disciples did not know and did not foresee any other principle of the existence of the Ecumenical Church than autocephaly. It is emphasized that such a mechanism of church government was based on the territorial principle. It is pointed out that such a division underlies the concept of locality in the Ecumenical Church. It is established that the study of the problem of autocephaly today is a key task of world Orthodoxy. Since the founding of Christianity, autocephaly has been a basic principle of apostolic preaching, which took into account the national and ethnic characteristics of the population of the Roman Empire. Autocephaly is one of the oldest institutions of the Church, which is a defining feature of Orthodoxy today. For two thousand years, this phenomenon remained unchanged, but there were different, even radically opposite approaches to understanding it. Because the theory of autocephaly emerges with Christianity, it is not an imposed or borrowed institution, but the very essence of Orthodoxy, the way it exists. It is claimed that the Ecumenical Church, being united in essence, is divided into independent Local Churches on an administrative and national basis. On a universal scale, the Orthodox Church testifies to the unity of the churches through the Eucharist. Every Local Church is already self-sufficient, for it has the fullness of the grace of the Holy Spirit, but through the Eucharist and the Councils the unity of the Universal Scale is expressed. Key words: cathedral, church, autocephaly, ecclesiology, canon law, patriarch, parish, metropolitan.

Bishop Apollos (Belyaev) and Development of Vyatka Diocese in 1866—1885

Using mainly historical-comparative and historical-genetic methods, the issue of the development of the Vyatka and Slobodsk dioceses, which coincides within the borders with the Vyatka province, under Bishop Apollos (Belyaev), is considered in the article. The author pays special attention to the process of organizing religious, educational and missionary activities, and up to the appointment of Bishop Apollos, the results of this work were insignificant. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time it comprehensively examines the activities of the Vyatka Bishop Apollos in terms of the implementation of a nationwide religious course, which included active educational and missionary work of the local clergy. Under Bishop Apollos, to increase the influence of the clergy on the local population, including the Old Believers and non-Orthodox, important transformations were carried out: a separate vicariate was allocated in the diocese, the Vyatka Committee of the Orthodox Missionary Society and the Vyatka Brotherhood of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were opened, and the work of the local clergy was also generally reorganized. This gave the first positive results in strengthening the position of the Russian Orthodox Church among the local population of the Vyatka diocese.

The practice of holding people’s readings by Orthodox fraternities of the Volyn and Kyiv province (second half of the XIX century)

The purpose of the article is to analyze the specifics of the organization and conduct of religious and moral readings and talks by Orthodox church fraternities in the Volyn and Kyiv provinces. It was found that all the work on the organization of readings was governed by the «Rules for holding public readings in provincial cities». This document clearly set out the requirements that had to be met by individuals or companies that organized the reading. The Ministry of education has established a list of certain periodicals that could be used during these events. Public readings were allowed after obtaining permission from the trustee of the school district and by prior arrangement with the local governor. Separately, the article reveals the main aspects of the work of orthodox fraternities in the organization and conduct of out-of-service public readings. The example of individual church fraternities shows the peculiarities of their approach to the planning, organization and organization of religious talks, the results of the work are clarified. It was found that representatives of church fraternities formed a list of identified and agreed topics of public lectures, used visual aids and illustrative material to better remember what they heard. It was noted that the reports mainly covered the principles of orthodox doctrine: religious and moral readings were held for educational purposes, to raise the education of the local population, as well as to promote and promote the ideas of orthodoxy. It was determined that the agitation aspect was followed in the practice of holding public readings, as members of the fraternities sought to warn the local orthodox population against catholic influence. It was also planned to carry out explanatory work against the spread of certain protestant movements .

THE EPISTOLAR LEGACY OF HETMAN IVAN MAZEPA AS A SOURCE FOR THE STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AUTHORITIES AND THE ORTHODOX CLERGY

The purposes of this article are to highlight on the basis of the epistolary legacy of Hetman Ivan Mazepa his relationship with the Ukrainian Orthodox clergy, the main directions, ways and methods of helping the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to follow determine certain directions of Hetman I. Mazepa's activity in relation to the Orthodox Church in the Ukrainian lands, on the basis of his epistolary heritage, which was aimed at comprehensive assistance to the church; to establish the main directions of his help and the ways in which Hetman helped the Ukrainian Orthodox clergy. The article analyzes a certain part of the epistolary heritage of Hetman I. Mazepa. The set of letters used in the study makes it possible to trace the main trends in the relations of Hetman I. Mazepa with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church during his reign. It was found that most of the studied and analyzed letters of Hetman I. Mazepa to various representatives of the Orthodox clergy and some representatives of the Cossack officers speak of comprehensive support of the Orthodox Church in Ukrainian lands (benefits, material assistance, protection of Ukrainian Orthodox clergy at the political level, etc. e.). The letters also clearly show the tendency that Hetman I. Mazepa tried to make the Orthodox Church one of his main pillars for consolidating his power (it is clearly traced in the letters dated to the first years of his reign).