Ipatievsky Vestnik № 4 (28), 2024

The article examines the most common arguments in favor of the statement that the Bible speaks about punishing children for the sins of their parents. This statement is considered by the author in the context of the fate of children born from a fornicatory relationship. For the convenience of presenting the material, the author uses the technical term "the curse of Nathan" in memory of the prophet Nathan's prediction of the death of King David's firstborn, born as a result of his illegal relationship with Bathsheba. The available material is systematized in the form of a table, which sets out the biblical passages in favor of the "curse of Nathan" and the existing counterarguments. In addition to the biblical aspect of this problem, the author presents an attempt at a pastoral approach to the issue under study. The article is based on the theses of the author's report "The Personal drama of the Builder King David: On the question of the biblical curse of children born in fornication", read at the All-R ussian Scientific Conference "Actual problems of Biblical Archaeology of the Holy Land" in the Vologda Theological Seminary

The eschatological views of Archpriest F. A. Golubinsky are set forth in the work "The Wisdom and Goodness of God in the destinies of the world and humanity (about the ultimate causes)." Here he considers in particular two concepts: 1) moral evil, i. e. sin, and 2) physical evil — suffering. The eschatological views of Father Theodore can be divided into three parts. 1) The ultimate fate of the world (inanimate nature). The flora also belongs to this block. This is due to the fact that the biblical narrative does not refer the term "living soul" to plants. With the end of the age, Feodor Alexandrovich connects not the appearance of an absolutely new world, but the "transformation" of an existing one, or the "renewal of nature." A distinctive feature of the new world is the complete destruction of physical evil in it. 2) The ultimate fate of living nature, in which there is a living soul. Theodore Golubinsky believes that animals will pass into eternity, and will be freed from suffering and the influence of physical evil. But due to the fact that animals are impersonal and dependent beings and there is no "breath of life" in them, and therefore there is no basis for infinite existence in them. Thus, animals, losing their separate existence, will return to the general life of nature as a part of it in a completely painless way. 3) The ultimate fate of man. The skills acquired in earthly life can be both positive and negative. And therefore, both a positive and a negative vector of moral development is possible beyond the grave. The question arises: will moral evil last forever? And Feodor Alexandrovich gives a positive answer. The bottom line is that man, as a free being, can choose both the path of "endless improvement in goodness" and "non-stop striving along the path of evil, … distance from God."

The article publishes the text of the previously unpublished and not described in literature akathist in honor of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, preserved only in manuscript and compiled between 1888 and 1891 by the ryasophoric novice of the Serafimo-P okrovsky women's community in Perm Evdokia Nikanorovna Rachinskaya — later Abbess Sophia, known as the compiler of akathists in honor of Brailovskaya Czestochowa and Brailovskaya Pochaevskaya, as well as the Lordly icons of the Most Holy Theotokos. The publication is preceded by information about Abbess Sofia (Rachinskaya), about her stay in the Perm women's community and in the Podolsk diocese.

This article examines the background of the theology of the Lenten Triodion in order to understand what mood it carries and what goals its authors pursued. Without understanding the goals and objectives of the Lenten Triodion, it is impossible to understand the meaning of the hymns that are found there, and most importantly, to realize the theological truths that the Triodion contains. And the main question is whether hymnographic texts can be used as a source for theological ideas.

The article concludes a series of publications devoted to the tradition of bringing the miraculous Feodorov icon of the Mother of God to the cities of Galich and Bui in the XIX – early XX century. Based on documents from the collections of the Russian State Historical Archive and the State Archive of the Kostroma Region, the stages of the formation of this custom, which have remained unexplored until now, are considered: 1) establishment of the time of departure of the icon from Kostroma in the Week of Myrrh-bearing Women (1904); 2) establishment of a procession with the icon in Kostroma to the New Cemetery (at the departure of the icon) and from the New Cemetery to the Cathedral upon its arrival from Galich (1909); 3) establishment of the time of departure of the icon from Kostroma in a week about Thomas (1916). The appendices to the article publish the schedule of the transfer of the miraculous image to 1916 and the general chronology of the formation of the tradition (1858–1916).

The article is intended to acquaint the reader with the pages of the Moscow Patriarchate's relations with the Armenian Catholicosate and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in the 1960s and early 1970s. The Department for External Church Relations headed by Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) made a great contribution to the development of inter-c hurch relations. The author conducts his research on the basis of official church documents stored in church and state archives, published on the pages of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, testimonies and assessments of contemporaries of those years, as well as using the works of church scholars of later times. The documents from the Archive of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate are published for the first time and, thus, are introduced into the scientific use. The author of the article makes a conclusion about the close relations of the Moscow Patriarchate with the Armenian Catholicosate and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, manifested in the cause of Christian unity and the struggle for peace, academic ties and mutual assistance. Inter-church contacts contributed a lot to the strengthening of ties between the nations. The study of archival church documents allows us to draw a conclusion about the rare but friendly contacts between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Syro- Jacobite Church.

The subject of the study is interpersonal relationships in the monasteries of the Russian Empire in the XIX century. The purpose of the work is to study the letters and resolutions of Metropolitan Filaret on this topic and introduce the material into research circulation. The paper uses the method of critical analysis of sources, which made it possible to identify the main conflicts and contradictions in monastic society. The causes of their occurrence were also considered and patristic advice was given on how to overcome them.

The article on the material of archival data considers one of the aspects of state- confessional relations on the eve of the First world war — showing the role of the clergy, in particular the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the political life of the Russian empire on the eve of the great change on its western outskirts. The article examines in detail the activities of Bishop John (Pommer) to consolidate the Orthodox multinational population, as well as the experience of organizing fraternities in the preparation of elections to the IV State Duma from the Minsk diocese in 1912. Based on archival data first introduced into research circulation, it is concluded that the church-p olitical activities of Bishop John (Pommera) in the Minsk diocese in 1912 ensured an important victory of Russian identity and the necessary consolidation of society on the eve of the First world war.

This publication is devoted to the activities of the Provisional Supreme Church Council (VVCC), which arose in the Russian Orthodox Church in the mid-20s of the last century and is widely known as the Gregorian schism. One of the active figures of the schism was Archbishop Evlogy of Voronezh (Homik), in respect of whom the article presents brief biographical data and materials of his investigative case of 1935. The published information, introduced into research circulation for the first time, allows us to characterize the activities of the Gregorian clergy, show the relationship of various church movements and assess the mechanism of anti-church repression.

The study focuses on the surname change of the Russian Orthodox clergy during the XVIII–XIX centuries. It examines the various periods during which changes in surnames took place, including the shift from using nicknames to inherited and permanent surnames. The author explains the social and cultural factors that led to this phenomenon and also explains how surnames were assigned in theological schools during this period. Furthermore, the study provides insights into how surnames evolved in the Kostroma cleric Pokrovsky family.

In the article, for the first time, the diploma of the candidate of theology of the Kyiv Spiritual Academy, the rector of the Military Ascension Cathedral in Novocherkassk (in 1906–1909) Archpriest Vasily Petrov, is published, and his brief biography is also given. The document from a private collection is provided with a detailed description and necessary comments. The document is the original diploma of the candidate of theology V.M. Petrova and contains not only information about the successful approval of the candidate of theology in the academic degree, but also original autographs of representatives of the administration of the Kyiv Theological Academy as of 1883 and brief information about each of them. In addition, the document itself is a unique sample of the diploma of the candidate of theology KSA, probably existing in a single copy, which makes it a genuine rarity. A photocopy of the Vasily Mikhailovich’s graduation certificate from Voronezh Theologiсal Seminary is also included in the appendix. The article continues the started series devoted to the publication of original documents about the graduation of religious schools in the Russian Empire by their outstanding graduates.

Based on archival documents and new data, the article tells about the pedagogical talent of Marshal of the USSR Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky, a graduate of the Kostroma Theological Seminary in 1915. The publication examines his administrative and pedagogical work at the Academy of the General Staff, as well as his relationship with Stalin, who can be called Alexander Mikhailovich's main student in the field of military strategy. The pedagogical milestones in the marshal's life are described in detail. In the summer of 1918, Vasilevsky worked as a general education instructor in the Kostroma province, teaching fellow countrymen military affairs. In the 1918/1919 academic year, he was a teacher at a rural school in Tula province (now the territory of Orel region). Then he was drafted into the ranks of the Red Army. The article reveals the respectful attitude of A. M. Vasilevsky to teaching work and shows the great importance that the marshal attached to the cause of education and upbringing of the younger generation. While working on the article, it was possible to establish the date of the change of the name of the future commander from Vasilyevsky to Vasilevsky. The author believes that this happened when Alexander Mikhailovich joined the Red Army at the end of April 1919. The author thanks the director of the State Archive of the Oryol Region, Aparina Yulia Valeryevna, and the archive staff for the unique materials provided.

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the communication of the Russian Orthodox Church and its main theological trajectories of the development of social teaching. The social context of Christian theology and its influence on the historical, cultural factors of the development of modern Russian society are revealed. Using an example of the development of the dialogue between Church and secular science in Russia, the article demonstrates the features of Christian theology as a complex and diverse phenomenon of spiritual culture and modern science and the main aspects of the social teaching of the Russian Orthodox Church are examined in the most accessible way. The article reveals the social ideas of Christian theology, differences and specificity of forms and methods of influence of the Christian religion on modern society, as well as the place and role of Orthodoxy in the system of social development. It is confirmed that the modern human world cannot be imagined without spiritual values and religious ideas. Considering the entry of Church institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church into the era of the information structure of the global world, it’s important to update Christian theology and accordingly the humanitarian paradigm of communication of Russian Orthodoxy. The article presents the results of the author’s conceptualization of Church communication as a significant theoretical and methodological aspect of the life of the Russian Orthodox Church. The article provides definitions of Christian communication as the transmission of the Christian faith (catechesis), worship, preaching, interaction with society, the state, the teaching of the Church on the issues of human life, politics, culture, history, economics and society. The study defines the main academic approaches towards understanding the content of the main concepts and categories of Church communication and also reveals the specific features and characteristics of the methodology of Christian theology and social teaching of the Russian Orthodox Church. The article estimates the state of scientific development of the issue of Church communication in modern academic discourse.