Name: Orthodoxy (“correct service”, “correct teaching”)
Orthodoxy took shape in the first millennium AD under the leadership of the see of the bishop of Constantinople, the capital of the eastern Roman Empire. Currently, Orthodoxy is practiced by 225–300 million people worldwide. In addition to Russia, the Orthodox religion has become widespread in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
Orthodox believe in God the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is believed that all three divine hypostases exist in indissoluble unity. God is the creator of the world, which he created initially sinless. Evil and sin are understood as distortions of the world created by God. The original sin of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God was atoned for through the incarnation, earthly life and suffering on the cross of God the Son Jesus Christ.
In the understanding of the Orthodox, the Church is a single divine-human organism headed by the Lord Jesus Christ, uniting the society of people with the Holy Spirit, the Orthodox Faith, the Law of God, the hierarchy and the Sacraments.
The hierarchical structure of the Orthodox Church accepts certain democratic governance procedures, in particular, criticism of any clergy person is encouraged if he deviates from the Orthodox faith.
There are two ways to achieve salvation. The first is monastic, which consists of solitude and renunciation from the world. This is a path of special service to God, the Church and neighbors, associated with a person’s intense struggle with his sins. The second way of salvation is serving the world, especially the family. The family plays a huge role in Orthodoxy and is called a small church or home church.
The source of internal law of the Orthodox Church - the main document - is the Holy Tradition, which contains the Holy Scripture, the interpretation of the Holy Scripture compiled by the Holy Fathers, the theological writings of the Holy Fathers (their dogmatic works), dogmatic definitions and acts of the Holy Ecumenical and Local Councils of the Orthodox Church, liturgical texts , icon painting, spiritual continuity, expressed in the works of ascetic writers, their instructions on spiritual life.
The Orthodox sacraments include: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Priesthood, honest Marriage and Blessing of Anointing. The sacrament of the Eucharist or communion is the most important; it contributes to a person’s communion with God. The sacrament of baptism is a person’s entrance into the Church, deliverance from sin and the opportunity to begin new life. Confirmation (usually immediately following baptism) consists of imparting to the believer the blessings and gifts of the Holy Spirit, which strengthen the person in the spiritual life. During the Blessing of Anointing, a person’s body is anointed with consecrated oil, which allows one to get rid of bodily ailments and gives remission of sins. Unction is associated with the forgiveness of all sins committed by a person, a request for liberation from illnesses. Repentance is forgiveness of sin subject to sincere repentance. Confession provides grace-filled opportunity, strength and support for cleansing from sin.
The Orthodox Church believes that the history before the great schism (the separation of Orthodoxy and Orthodoxy) is the history of Orthodoxy. In general, relations between the two main branches of Christianity have always been quite complicated, sometimes reaching the point of outright confrontation. Moreover, even in the 21st century it is still too early to talk about complete reconciliation. Orthodoxy believes that salvation can only be found in Christianity: while non-Orthodox Christian communities are considered partially (but not completely) deprived God's grace. Unlike Catholics, the Orthodox do not recognize the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope and his supremacy over all Christians, the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, the doctrine of purgatory, the dogma of bodily ascension Mother of God. An important difference Orthodoxy from Catholicism, who provided serious influence on political history, is a thesis about the symphony of spiritual and secular powers. The Roman Church stands for complete ecclesiastical immunity and, in the person of its High Priest, has sovereign secular power.
The Orthodox Church is organizationally a community of local Churches, each of which enjoys complete autonomy and independence on its territory. Currently, there are 14 autocephalous Churches, for example, Constantinople, Russian, Greek, Bulgarian, etc.
Other directions:
Kabbalah Religion | Kabbalah teaching | What is Kabbalah Kabbalah is a mystical, philosophical teaching in Judaism. Translated, Kabbalah means “receiving”...
One of the three main directions of Christianity (along with Catholicism and Protestantism). It has become widespread mainly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Originally there was state religion Byzantine Empire. Since 988, i.e. For more than a thousand years, Orthodoxy has been a traditional religion in Russia. Orthodoxy shaped the character of the Russian people, cultural traditions and lifestyle, ethical standards (rules of behavior), aesthetic ideals (models of beauty). Orthodox, adj – something that has to do with Orthodoxy: Orthodox man, Orthodox book, Orthodox icon, etc.
Great definition
ORTHODOXY
one of the directions of Christianity, along with Catholicism and Protestantism. It began to take shape in the 4th century. as the official religion of the Byzantine Empire, completely independently from the moment of the division of the Christian Church in 1054. It did not have a single church center, subsequently several independent Orthodox churches took shape (currently there are 15 of them), each of which has its own specifics, but adheres to common system dogmas and rituals. The religious basis of P. is the Holy Scripture (Bible) and Holy Tradition (decisions of the first 7 Ecumenical Councils and the works of the Church Fathers of the 2nd-8th centuries). The basic principles of P. are set out in the 12 points of the creed adopted at the first two ecumenical councils in Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381). The most important postulates of the Orthodox faith are the dogmas: the trinity of God, the incarnation of God, the atonement, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Dogmas are not subject to change and clarification, not only in content, but also in form. The clergy is recognized as a grace-endowed mediator between God and people. P. is characterized by a complex, detailed cult. Divine services in P. are longer than in others Christian denominations. Important role dedicated to holidays, among which Easter takes first place. See also Russian Orthodox Church, Georgian Orthodox Church, Polish Orthodox Church, American Orthodox Church.
Unlike Catholicism, which deadened Christianity and turned it into a decorative screen for sin and vice, Orthodoxy, right up to our time, remains a living faith, open to every soul. Orthodoxy provides its members with a wide scope for scientific theology, but in its symbolic teaching it gives the theologian a fulcrum and a scale with which all religious reasoning must be conformed, in order to avoid contradiction with the “dogmas” or with the “faith of the Church.” Thus, Orthodoxy, unlike Catholicism, allows you to read the Bible in order to extract from it more detailed information about faith and the church; however, in contrast to Protestantism, it considers it necessary to be guided by the interpretative works of St. Fathers of the Church, by no means leaving the understanding of the word of God to the personal understanding of the Christian himself. Orthodoxy does not elevate human teachings that are not in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture and Holy Tradition, to the degree of revelation, as is done in Catholicism; Orthodoxy does not derive new dogmas from the previous teachings of the church through inference, does not share the Catholic teaching about the superior human dignity of the person of the Mother of God (Catholic teaching about Her “immaculate conception”), does not attribute superfluous merits to the saints, much less does not assimilate divine infallibility to man, even if he was the Roman high priest himself; The Church in its entirety is recognized as infallible, since it expresses its teaching through Ecumenical Councils. Orthodoxy does not recognize purgatory, teaching that satisfaction for the sins of people has already been brought to the truth of God once and for all through the suffering and death of the Son of God; By accepting the 7 Sacraments, Orthodoxy sees in them not only signs of grace, but grace itself; in the Sacrament of the Eucharist he sees the true Body and true Blood of Christ, into which bread and wine are transubstantiated. Orthodox Christians pray to deceased saints, believing in the power of their prayers before God; they venerate the incorruptible remains of saints and relics. Contrary to the reformers, according to the teachings of Orthodoxy, the grace of God does not act in a person irresistibly, but in accordance with his free will; our own deeds are credited to us as merit, although not in themselves, but by virtue of the assimilation of the Savior’s merits by the faithful. While not approving of the Catholic teaching on church authority, Orthodoxy recognizes, however, the church hierarchy with its grace-filled gifts and allows the laity to participate in the affairs of the church. The moral teaching of Orthodoxy does not give relief to sin and passions, like Catholicism (in indulgences); it rejects the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone, requiring every Christian to express faith in good deeds. In relation to the state, Orthodoxy does not want to either rule over it, like Catholicism, or submit to it in its internal affairs, like Protestantism: it strives to maintain complete freedom of activity, without interfering with the independence of the state in the sphere of its power.
Great definition
Incomplete definition ↓
Orthodoxy means - Rule and Glorify. Christians are NOT Orthodox, originally they were "Orthodox Church of the Greek Rite". In 1054 A.D. christian church divided into two - Western and Eastern; the western declared itself universal (that is, Catholic), and the eastern declared itself orthodox, i.e. true believer (standing on the foundations of the original Christian). It was Nikon in the 17th century who ordered the rewriting of liturgical books and changing the words in them “ orthodox faith christian" to " Orthodox faith”, so that all the victories of Orthodoxy can be attributed to Christianity. But they didn’t want this, because they said - we should not become like, i.e. Gentiles, those who kept their fathers.
And note, even in the Spiritual Regulations of Peter I of 1718 (1721) it is called "Christian Sovereign, orthodoxy and the guardian of every deanery in the Church of the Holy Ones". This was republished in 1898 under Nicholas II, and no one forwarded it to “Orthodoxy.”
The Russian Orthodox Church began to be called Orthodox only under Nicholas II and then with the postscript “Orthodox Christianity”, because there was a decree of Nicholas II “On those who were forcibly baptized into the Orthodox, everyone should be given the green light to return to the Faith of their Ancestors,” i.e. leaving Christianity and returning to the Ancestral roots.
Therefore, the Christian Church was not Orthodox.
The fact that the Moscow Patriarchate is now in Moscow has nothing to do with Christianity and Orthodoxy at all, it government structure, created by decree of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, and the first patriarch was Colonel General of State Security. Therefore it is a political organization. The Christian church that was in Russian Empire, all its devotees left overseas, and what do they call the Moscow Patriarchate? They call it a cooperative for extorting money from the poor.
But these are their inter-Christian affairs.
I explain - Rus' was Orthodox even before the birth of Christ, because all the people glorified, but they say “it’s right to glorify”... but do Catholics glorify Jesus incorrectly? Or are Protestants glorifying incorrectly? Or are the Arians wrong, and others? They have the same Bibles, the same prayers, what does it mean - these glorify correctly, and these praise incorrectly?
Substitution of concepts
You see, there have been substitutions, a distortion of the language. Let's say everyone has probably heard the saying: "Accidents will happen in the best regulated families"- what is this saying about? They say there is a degenerate in the family. Nothing like that, or do you think that there were degenerates in every family? This is an insult to our peoples. The first child in the family is called the firstborn, he is under the protection of the Family, which is why they said: “There is a black mark in the family,” i.e. Every family has a firstborn child. Therefore in Polish, Czech: uroda– this is beauty, i.e. most beautiful child. And what fell out of the Family (Rod rejected) was always “”. What the Christian Church did was to replace the concepts of “freak” and “fool”; the holy fools became good, and the freaks became bad, i.e. white became black, and black became white. But this is our language, why should we use a distorted interpretation? The same with Orthodoxy.
Another example: Christians call Old Believers sedition (sedition for them is a ban, something illegal, reprehensible). And in Slavic " sedition"means - to raise the word to RA (to pure light). A seditious person is a sun worshiper, a sun worshiper. What's bad about the Sun? The sun gives life, warms. Is it bad that a person gets up in the morning and greets the Sun with open arms and sings a hymn to him? According to Christian concepts, this is bad, but the right thing is to kneel during the all-night liturgy and bang your head on the floor.
History of Orthodoxy
Introduction
Main characteristics of the Orthodox Christian faith
History of the birth of Orthodoxy
The history of the emergence of Orthodoxy in Rus'
Conclusion
References
Introduction
Religion is a special set of views and actions based on belief in the real existence of the supernatural and the ability to interact with it. Religion is not possible without faith. For believers, it offers a certain meaning to their existence. All this is expressed in the presence of a believer’s specific perception of the world, that is, in the presence of a religious worldview. A religious worldview, despite its “aggressiveness,” does not negate the presence in an individual of other types of worldview that enter into conflict with each other and with the religious worldview. unbreakable ties and largely determining the specific personality of a particular individual. This intricacy of worldviews in us makes everyone unique, a unique person, and not just the individual.
Christianity is the most widespread and influential religion on earth, the number of its adherents is more than 2 billion people. Christianity leads in religious life Europe, America and Australia, occupies quite authoritative positions in Africa and Asia. It arose in the 1st century. n. e. in Palestine, which was then part of the Roman Empire. Church tradition classifies Christianity among the so-called “revealed” religions: the reason for its emergence was the activity of Jesus Christ, who is simultaneously recognized as both God and man. He gave people the true knowledge of God and founded the church, which received its name from him, and appeared as the Savior of all mankind.
As a result of the split of the Roman Empire, Christianity was divided into Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
The latter became the basis of the religious worldview of the eastern part of the empire, at the center of which stood the Byzantine Empire. With the decline of the Byzantine Empire, Rus' assumed the role of the “right holder” of the Orthodox Christian faith.
The purpose of this work is to trace the history of the birth of Orthodoxy and the path of development of this religious trend. To achieve this goal, an analysis of theoretical scientific and journalistic works was carried out, as a result of which the main provisions were formulated that allow us to talk about knowledge of the history of Orthodoxy. These provisions are distributed in this work as follows. The first part of the work outlines the main theoretical principles Orthodoxy - forms of worship, origins of belief, etc. The second part briefly outlines the history of the birth of Orthodoxy. The third part contains a chronological analysis of the emergence and development of Orthodoxy on the territory of Rus'.
This work used the works of Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow, Archpriest Alexander Schmemann, historian and philosopher R.A. Finka, encyclopedic articles " Great Encyclopedia Brockhaus”, sources from the Internet, etc.
I would especially like to highlight the work of Archpriest Alexander Schmemann, who succeeded in a fairly simple and accessible form outline the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, the work of Metropolitan Macarius, in which scanty material on the history of its origin is collected bit by bit Orthodox religion and systematically presents material on the history of Russian Orthodoxy.
1. Main characteristics of the Orthodox Christian faith
The name “Orthodoxy” (orjodoxia) is found for the first time among Christian writers of the 2nd century, when the first formulas of the teaching of the Christian Church appear (in Clement of Alexandria), and means the faith of the entire church, in contrast to the dissent of heretics. Later, the word “Orthodoxy” means the totality of dogmas and institutions of the church, and its criterion is the unchanging preservation of the teachings of St. Christ and the Apostles, as set out in Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition and in ancient symbols universal church.
Today, the Orthodox direction of Christianity is a collection of local (regional) religious organizations. There is an official list of heads of Orthodox Churches - the “diptych of honor”. According to this list, the Churches are located as follows:
Constantinople (Türkiye),
Alexandria (Egypt),
Antioch (Syria and Lebanon),
Jerusalem (Israel),
Georgian,
Serbian,
Romanian,
Bulgarian,
Cyprus,
Hellas (Greece),
Albanian,
Polish,
Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia,
Orthodox Church of America.
These are the so-called canonical and autocephalous Churches. The churches are headed by metropolitans, archbishops or patriarchs. The Ecumenical Patriarch is considered the Patriarch of Constantinople, but he does not have the right to interfere in the activities of other Orthodox Churches.
Religion is not only a religious worldview, it implements the basic ideological principles in religious activities. Thus, it includes their external manifestation, and, thanks to this, acts as social institution, is a cultural phenomenon with a clearly defined worldview. The religious attitude is practical.
A direct manifestation of this practice is cult. The cult includes practical religious activities, aids and is aimed at communicating with the supernatural. There are various types of religious practice: rites, rituals, sacrifices, sacraments, services, prayers, etc. But any ritual action becomes religious, realizing certain religious ideas, and this is only possible with the use of religious symbols.
The basis of Orthodox doctrine is the Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition. The Holy Scripture (Bible) is the cornerstone of the Holy Tradition, “contains the fullness of the revelation of God.” Sacred Tradition includes the decisions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils (i.e., those held before the division of churches), the works of the Fathers of the Church and ancient liturgical books. Orthodoxy, unlike Catholicism, considers subsequent additions to the Holy Tradition impossible and therefore considers the dogmas subsequently proclaimed by the Catholic Church (the dogma of the filioque, the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, etc.) as erroneous, contradicting both the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Tradition. Central to Orthodox doctrine is the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed:
Salvation through Confession ?giving faith “in one God” (1st member of the Symbol);
Consubstantial Persons of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, the Holy Spirit;
Confession of Jesus - Christ
Incarnation
Belief in the bodily resurrection, ascension and upcoming second coming of Jesus Christ and “the life of the future age” (5, 6, 7, 12th members of the Symbol);
Belief in the unity, universality and continuity of the Orthodox Church (9th member of the Symbol); belief in the holiness of the Church; The Head of the Church is Jesus Christ;
Faith in angels and the prayerful intercession of saints.
The commonality of the cult (rites, sacraments, liturgical practice) is generally inherent in all Orthodoxy, but there are also differences due to nationality Churches. This concerns, first of all, the cult of saints revered by a given church, and holidays in which, along with general Christian ones, local ones are also celebrated.
Basic canonical norms and institutions:
Hierarchical priesthood, which has 3 degrees: bishop, presbyter, deacon. A necessary condition for the legitimacy of the hierarchy is direct canonically legitimate apostolic succession through a series of ordinations. Each bishop (regardless of the title he holds) has full canonical authority within the limits of his jurisdiction (diocese).
Although the canons prohibit persons of the holy orders from “getting involved in popular government,” in the history of Orthodox countries there were individual episodes when bishops stood at the head of the state (the most famous is the President of Cyprus Macarius III) or had significant powers civil authority(Patriarchs of Constantinople in Ottoman Empire in the role of ethnarch of the Sultan's Orthodox subjects).
Institute of Monasticism. Includes the so-called black clergy, which has played a leading role in all spheres of the life of the Church since the 4th century.
Established calendar fasts: Great (pre-Easter 48-day), Petrov, Assumption, Nativity, together with holidays, make up the liturgical year.
The main content of cult religious activity lies in rituals and ceremonies. Rituals are repeated stereotypical actions that either imitate another reality or formalize a person’s attitude towards it. Ritual and rite - whole story, revealing specific motive religious picture of the world. At the same time, through the ritual, religious ideas are illustrated and embodied, and the ritual marks the most significant events in the practice of the believer. Ritual and rite are inseparable; rite is realized only through ritual action.
Historically established Orthodox worship includes 4 liturgical circles:
1. daily circle
2.seven-day circle;
.motionless annual circle;
.moving annual circle formed around the holiday of Easter.
The most important public service in Orthodoxy is the Divine Liturgy (in Russia also called “liturgy”), during which the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated - the most important sacrament of the Church after Baptism, which constitutes its essence and without which it is unthinkable.
All-night vigil
Clock (church service)
Liturgy
Compline
Midnight Office
The liturgical year begins with the Week of Easter, which occupies a very special and exclusive position among the holidays.
Twelfth holidays:
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple
Christmas
Baptism of the Lord
Presentation of the Lord
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem
Ascension of the Lord
Trinity Day
Transfiguration
Dormition of the Virgin Mary
Holy Spirit Day
The source of the internal law of the Church, along with Holy Scripture, - Sacred Tradition, which includes the canons of various origins, liturgical texts authorized by the Church, the works of the Fathers of the Church, Lives of the Saints, as well as the customs of the Church. Traditional understanding and interpretation of Scripture - in context and unity with Tradition.
The church is the most typical and stable form of association of believers. It consists of many religious communities that are concentrated around church temples - sanctuaries, mosques, cathedrals, etc. It is characterized by strict hierarchical structure, which is based on the division of followers into the clergy - the clergy who carry out religious practices, and the flock - lay people, parishioners, i.e. ordinary followers of the faith. The Church has a number of specific social functions, a set of rewards and punishments, it monopolizes the right to interpret doctrine and determine acceptable forms religious activities.
The Orthodox Church is composed of a community of local Churches - autocephalous and autonomous. Each autocephalous Church is completely independent and independent in matters of its canonical and administrative governance. Autonomous churches are canonically dependent on one or another autocephalous (kyriarchal) Church.
In Orthodoxy, there is no single point of view on whether to consider the “Latins” as heretics who distorted the Creed through an arbitrary later addition, or as schismatics who broke away from the One Catholic Apostolic Church.
The Orthodox unanimously reject the dogma of the pope's infallibility in matters of doctrine and his claim to supremacy over all Christians - at least in the interpretation that is accepted in the modern Roman Church.
The Orthodox Church does not accept other dogmas and teachings of the Catholic Church:
dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary.
the doctrine of purgatory, which (contrary to the opinion of some) is not an analogue of the concept of ordeals in Orthodoxy.
dogma about the bodily ascension of the Mother of God.
Orthodoxy traditionally, in principle, recognizes the rights ? secular authority in church (but not doctrinal) matters - the concept of a symphony of spiritual and secular authorities; The Roman Church since the time early Middle Ages stands for complete ecclesiastical immunity and, in the person of its High Priest, has sovereign secular power.
Since May 1980, meetings of the Mixed Theological Orthodox-Roman Catholic Commission on Dialogue between Local Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church have been held from time to time.
2. The history of the birth of Orthodoxy
The Roman state on the eve of the emergence of Christianity - a colossal power that included the entire Hellenistic world and was rapidly expanding its borders - was shaking internal contradictions. Firstly, there was a contradiction between Rome and the national outskirts, Roman citizens and residents of the provinces: national liberation movements and constant wars became the everyday reality of the Roman state. The second contradiction is between the poor and the rich. Land and wealth were concentrated in the hands of a narrow circle of people. The free poor, demanding “bread and circuses,” represented an explosive mass, the full force of discontent of which threatened to fall on the oligarchs. And finally, the main contradiction is between slaves and slave owners. Slaves, who were not considered human, moved from isolated actions against their masters to widespread uprisings directed against the slave system itself.
All these contradictions could explode the Roman state. But the Roman Empire existed in the form of a military monarchy, which relied on a mercenary army and severe repression, with which the imperial government responded to any protest movements. The strengthening of Rome gave rise to a mood of depression and hopelessness in the public consciousness. The inability to change their lives on their own forced people to turn to religion, the craving for which intensified. The old religions, which did not promise liberation from the world of evil, did not provide the consolation the masses needed. In such an environment, interest in magic, fortune telling, and mystical practices increased. eastern religions. Many people roamed the roads of the empire, declaring themselves prophets, saviors, and among them - one named Jesus, perceived by his followers as Christ. His preaching attracted people to him and met their expectations.
The books of the New Testament, supplementing Old Testament(a list from Hebrew - “Tanakh”), and together with it they make up the Bible (Greek - “books”). New Testament includes the four Gospels (Greek - “ good news"), Acts of the Apostles, Epistles of the Apostles and the Revelation of John the Theologian (Apocalypse). Church tradition considers the authors of the Gospels to be Matthew, John, Mark, and Luke. The Gospels contain detailed description the life of Jesus, the miracles he performed, his preaching, his terrible death on the cross and, finally, his Resurrection.
From the end of the 1st century. n. e. the process of spreading Christianity begins, which covers the period of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Christianity was turning into a powerful ideological movement that no force could stop.
Christianity gave consolation to everyone: the poor and dependent expected rewards after death for all earthly suffering, the rich and educated came to terms with this life, in which they depended on the arbitrariness of the imperial power. And everyone was attracted by the moral purity of Christianity. Ultimately, the rapid spread of Christianity was due to the fact that it developed principles that met the conditions for turning a religion into a world religion. Such conditions are abstractness, supranationality and the humanistic moral content of religion.
Orthodoxy arose with the division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern in 395: “The name “orjodoxuv”, “Orthodox”, remained with the Eastern Church from the time of separation from its Western Church, which adopted the name Catholic Church.”
Orthodoxy became widespread in Greece. A penchant for abstract thinking about objects of a higher order and the ability for subtle logical analysis were the innate properties of the Greek folk genius. Hence it is clear why the Greeks recognized the truth of Christianity more quickly and easily than other peoples and perceived it more holistically and deeply. Since the 2nd century. educated and scientific people are joining the church in ever-increasing numbers; from that time the church started school scientists, in which worldly sciences are taught on the model of pagan schools. Among the Greek Christians there are a mass of scientists for whom the dogmas of the Christian faith replaced philosophies ancient philosophy and became the subject of equally diligent study.
In the 4th century. In Byzantium, the whole society was interested in theology, and even the common people, who discussed dogmas in markets and squares, just as rhetoricians and sophists had previously argued in city squares. While dogmas were not yet formulated in symbols, there was a relatively large scope for personal judgment, which led to the emergence of new heresies. Then the ecumenical councils appear on the stage. They did not create new beliefs, but only clarified and expressed in brief and precise expressions the faith of the church, in the form in which it existed from the beginning: they protected the faith, which was preserved by the church society, the church in its entirety. The decisive vote at the councils belonged to the bishops or their authorized deputies, but both clergy and ordinary laymen had the right to an advisory vote, especially philosophers and theologians, who even took part in the council debates, proposed objections and helped the bishops with their instructions.
Around the time of the division of churches, new peoples - Slavic, including the Russian people - entered the Orthodox Church.
3. The history of the emergence of Orthodoxy in Rus'
Official story The Russian Orthodox Church begins in the 10th century. Needing an ideological justification for his power and new social orders, Prince Vladimir is looking for a teaching that would correspond to this goal. “The Tale of Bygone Years” tells about Vladimir’s “choice of faith.” Church tradition claims that Christianity in this region appeared as a result missionary activity Apostle Andrew the First-Called already in the 1st century. n. e., which created the preconditions for the subsequent adoption of Christianity by Prince Vladimir. However, the reasons for the adoption of Christianity lie in the fact that it most closely corresponded to the needs of the princely power.
In the summer of 988, by order of Prince Vladimir, Byzantine priests performed the rite of Orthodox baptism over the residents of Kyiv. The Christianization of Russian lands continued for several centuries, sometimes causing active rejection. Old things that persist in people's minds religious beliefs as a result of long coexistence with Orthodox Christianity, they gave birth to the so-called dual faith - a kind of fusion of Christianity and primordial Slavic beliefs.
The Orthodox Church in Rus' was subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople, its metropolitans were “supplied” by Byzantium. The metropolitan department, first located in Kyiv, at the end of the 13th century. was moved to Vladimir, and in 1325 Metropolitan Peter moved it to Moscow. In January 1559, Metropolitan Job became the first Patriarch of Moscow. Permission to create a Russian Orthodox autocephaly was literally wrested from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Council of Orthodox Patriarchs, convened in 1590, approved the creation of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The emergence of the autocephalous Russian Church had unexpected consequences: the division of the previously united Russian metropolitanate, as a result of which the independent Kiev metropolitanate arose. In 1696, Metropolitan Michael of Kyiv concluded an agreement (union) with the Pope. And the result of the union was the emergence of a new church that retained the liturgical features of Orthodoxy, but had Catholic subordination to the Pope.
V. - special in the history of Russian Orthodoxy. Since 1652, Metropolitan Nikon of Novgorod (Nikita Minov, 1605-1681) became the primate of the Church. His name is associated with the reform of the Church, which had tragic consequences: church schism and the conflict between the Church and state authorities. A favorite of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who was extremely attracted by the idea of “Moscow - the third Rome,” Nikon wanted to implement the “Ecumenical Orthodox Kingdom” through Moscow. For this, first of all, it was necessary to unify the worship service.
The main changes made by Nikon were the following: making the sign of the cross with three fingers instead of two, replacing bows to the ground with bows, replacing polyphony (when two or even three priests read different texts) with monophony, replacing walking around the temple during baptism and weddings according to the sun - bypassing against the movement of the Sun; the service itself was shortened, the name Jesus was changed to Jesus, the regularity of preaching was established, books and icons were copied according to modern Greek models. There were other changes, but they were all only liturgical. The reform did not concern either the dogmatic or canonical spheres of Orthodoxy. There were no changes in the essence of the doctrine. Nevertheless, these reforms caused protest and then a split.
Church reform, undertaken by Nikon, was combined in his activities with an attempt to establish such a relationship between church and secular power, in which secular power would be dependent on church power. However, Nikon's attempt to subjugate secular power failed. He was deposed by the decision of the council in 1667, expressing the royal will, and exiled to one of the northern monasteries.
The question of the relationship between church and secular authorities, resolved in favor of state power, was finally removed from the agenda under Peter I. After the death of Patriarch Adrian in 1700, Peter I “temporarily” prohibited the election of a patriarch. The locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, a supporter of Peter, Stefan Yavorsky, was installed at the head of the Church. In 1721 Peter approved “ Spiritual regulations", according to which the highest church body was created - Holy Synod, headed by the chief prosecutor - a secular official with the rights of a minister, appointed by the sovereign.
The synodal period of the Russian Orthodox Church lasted until 1917. The State Orthodox Church occupied a privileged position, all other religions were either simply persecuted or tolerated, but were in an unequal position. February Revolution 1917, the liquidation of the monarchy presented the Church with the problem of strengthening it. A Local Council was convened, at which it was decided main question- restoration of the patriarchate or preservation of synodal governance. The debate ended in favor of restoring patriarchal rule.
In January 1918, a decree “On the separation of church from state and school from church” was published. Viewing religion as an ideological enemy hindering the construction of a new society, the Soviet government sought to destroy the structures of the Church.
The destroyed Church still did not become a marginal organization, which became obvious during the Great Patriotic War. State policy towards the Church was changed: in September 1943, Stalin met in the Kremlin with three church hierarchs - the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Sergius, the exarch of Ukraine, Metropolitan Nikodim, and Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad and Novgorod. The Church received permission to open churches and monasteries, spiritual educational institutions, enterprises serving the liturgical needs of the Church, and, most importantly, for the restoration of the patriarchate.
At the end of 1958 N.S. Khrushchev put forward the task of “overcoming religion as a relic of capitalism in the minds of people.” This task was solved not so much in the form of an ideological struggle against a religious worldview, but in the form of persecution of the Church. The mass closure of Orthodox churches, monasteries, and religious educational institutions began again; the authorities began to regulate the number of episcopates, etc.
A trend towards liberalization of policy towards the Church appeared in the country in the late 70s. Subsequently, this trend intensified - in practice, this meant the return of the Church to its previous positions. Temples and religious educational institutions were reopened, monasteries were restored, and new dioceses were created.
Today, the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest and most influential religious organization throughout post-Soviet Russia and the largest Orthodox Church in the world.
However, the Russian Orthodox Church has lost its status as a state church; it lives in a secular state in which there is no state religious ideology. In government documents, Orthodoxy is classified among the four “traditional religions”, declared “respected”, but it has equal rights with all other faiths and denominations. The Church has to reckon with the constitutional right of freedom of conscience.
Conclusion
In this work, we were able to outline the main milestones in the history of Orthodoxy, conventionally divided into the time of Byzantine and Russian Orthodoxy.
The work reflects the main theoretical principles of the Orthodox worldview and the origins of its origins. In addition, the work covers quite extensively the history of the origin and development of Orthodoxy on the territory of Rus' and its successor - Russia.
Orthodoxy played a significant role in the formation Russian statehood. In different historical periods(invasion of the Mongols, Patriotic War 1812, the Great Patriotic War) Orthodoxy became the only stronghold of the unity of the Russian people. With the advent of Orthodoxy in Rus', the state took the path cultural development- the origins of the development of writing, architecture, and painting should be sought precisely in Orthodoxy.
The Orthodox religious worldview is characterized by humanism, tolerance of other faiths, and deep faith in miracles. All this is reflected in the modern worldview of Russians. Over time, human living conditions and attitudes toward religion change, but the foundations and dogmas of the Orthodox Church remain practically unshakable.
References
1. Introduction to philosophy: Proc. manual for universities / Author. coll.: Frolov I.T. and others - 3rd ed., revised. and additional - M.: Republic, 2009. - 623 p.
Ilyin V.V. Religious Studies / V.V. Ilyin, A.S. Karmin, N.V. Nosovich. - St. Petersburg, 2007.
History of religion. In 2 t. / under general ed.. I.N. Yablokov. - M., 2008.
Kislyuk K.V. Religious studies: a textbook for higher education. educational institutions / K.V. Kislyuk, O.N. Coachman. - Rostov n/d., 2008.
Metropolitan Macarius History of the Russian Church. - M.: Publishing house "Salvation", 2007. - 486 p.
Archpriest A. Schmeman The historical path of Orthodoxy. - M., 2008.
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