Moscow region, Sergiev Posad, Lavra, Academy

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New issue of the scientific journal «Theological Bulletin»

In 2021 the MThA publishing house has released the second issue of the scientific and theological journal «Theological Bulletin».

The issue consists of seventeen articles dedicated to Biblical Studies, Theology, Natural science Apologetics, Comparative Theology, Patrology and Eastern Christian literature, History of the Russian Orthodox Church, Greek Christian writing, Hagiography, Religious Studies, Church Art and Archeology, as well as two reviews.

Theological Bulletin No. 2 (41) 2021 is available on shop.mpda.ru

The following there are some selected articles.

Priest Andrei Vydrin in «Genealogical introduction of the Chronicles (1 Chronicles 1-9): the Chronicler’s plan» examines an issue of authenticity, purpose and Theology of an extensive genealogical introduction of the Chronicles. He analyzes the composition of this genealogical section from the positions of chiasm showing how a saint author sought to convey a key theological idea of the Divine Plan for humanity, which must be realized through the holiness of the people of God. 

Monk Neil (Lazarenko) «Theological and exegetical foundations of some translation decisions» Byzantinischer Text Deutsch — die Evangelien «(BTD) (based on 1-12 chapters of the Gospel of Luke). Part III compares BTD’s translation solutions and other translated variants in Russian and European languages. It also offers a new translation of a number of Gospel passages, taking into account the semantic nuances of the original text. 

Mikhail Stepanovich Ivanov, Doctor in Theology, in his article «Features of St. Theophan’s the Recluse spiritual leadership» provides a historical basis for the dialectical opposition between the world and the monastery, which is resolved into one of the blessed forms of Christian life. An author draws attention to the true relationship for a person taking monastic vows creates. It is an integral, organic, spiritual and grace-filled unity with God, which allows him to establish a true relationship with all inhabitants of the created world based on love. It is a fundamental principle of monastic life that St. Theophan the Recluse proposes to build an archpastoral leadership on. 

Hieromonk Damian (Voronov) in «Prehistory of the “neuroreductionism” concept: the sorrowful path of the soul» indicates that modern neuroscience describes a person as a biological machine, in which faith, love, hope, fears, memories, dreams and freedom arouse as a convincing illusion. Advanced neuroimaging techniques allow scientists to look inside the brain and measure its activity corresponding to the sensations of pain, color and sound. Reductionism and neurocentrism shrink the sphere of a human spirit to an expression “I am my brain”. 

Hierodeacon Yaroslav (Ochkanov) in «Relations between the Russian Orthodox and Anglican Churches in the first decade of the 20th century» highlights the most productive period in the history of these two churches. The article analyzes the results of efforts taken by both of them to resolve the existing contradictions during the first decade of the XX century until the 1917 revolution in Russia.

Hegumen Adrian (Pashin) sets out the current state of research into Monk Anastasios’s of Sinai legacy. An authorship of such important works ascribed to Monk Anastasios as «The Interpretation of the Six Days» and «The Teaching of the Fathers on the Incarnation of the Word», as well as his other ascetic writings are still of a great interest for researchers. 

Vladimir Alexandrovich Baranov in «The Teaching about Angels in the “Exact Statement of the Orthodox Faith” by the St. John of Damascus» indicates that the St. John Damascene gives a quite  different point of view to St. Dionysius the Areopagite.

Alexey Dmitrievich Makarov in the second part of “Distribution of the First Meeting of St. Isaac the Syrian outside the Eastern Church. Part II: Interpolation of Names” examines the first collection of a famous ascetic Orthodox writer the Bishop of Nineveh Isaac. In the course of the research, a hitherto unknown church-confessional affiliation of several manuscripts was established. For the first time, it was possible to clarify a number of textual discrepancies in the East Syrian lists, which were interpolated by Syro-Orthodox readers.

Alexey Andreevich Rudchenko in «Features of rewarding with liturgical hierarchical distinctions of employees of theological educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church: the experience of the 19th century» talks about the practice of awarding hierarchical distinctions to clergymen who worked in theological institutions in the 19th century. The study of biographies and service records showed that teachers of educational institutions in the priesthood represented a very special category of clergy, and their rewards mostly depended not on the length of their service, but on their contribution to church science.

Hegumen Gerasim (Dyachkov) in «Economics of the Moscow Theological Academy, Hieromonk Iriney (Dobrolyubov)» acquaints the reader with a biography of Hieromonk Iriney (Dobrolyubova), who is one of the most remarkable employees of the Moscow Theological Academy of the mid-19th century. Information obtained from archaeological excavations at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius’s Lavra and archival documents at the library of the Moscow Theological Academy made it possible to shed light on the stages of establishing the Intercession Academic Church, an academic library; reconstruction and redecoration of the Royal Palaces, classrooms and hospital buildings. 

Varvara Viktorovna Kashirina in «Newly Found Letters of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) to the Monk of the Optina Desert Yuvenaly (Polovtsov)» analyzes St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)’s letters to a monk of the Optina Hermitage Juvenaly (Polovtsov) dated July 9 and August 7, 1856. The letters illustrate the correspondence between St. Ignatius and the Bishop of Kaluga and Borovsk Gregory (Mitkevich) regarding his possible transfer to the Optina Hermitage. 

Tatyana Sergeevna Samarina in «Joachim Wach and the Phenomenological Tradition in Religious Studies» compares Wach’s legacy with the classics of German religious phenomenology R. Otto, F. Heiler. 

Sergei Romanovich Zagorulko in «Aspects of the Chinese sect “Falun Gong” in Russian religious studies » provides an analytical review of the literature on Russian religious studies about the Falun Gong sect. 

Anna Leonidovna Krasnova “The Burning Bush” Engraving and View of the St. Catherine Monastery on Sinai” as a unique example from the collection of the Moscow Theological Academy Museum”. The author describes not only the originality of the woodcut engraving, but reveals its history, pictorial and technical features of manufacturing, attribution and its history. A detailed iconographic analysis of woodcuts done using a range of related works. 

CONTENTS

List of abbreviations

RESEARCHES AND ARTICLES

Biblical studies

Priest Andrei Vydrin

Genealogical introduction to Chronicles (1 Chronicles 1-9): the Chronicler’s plan

Monk Nil (Lazarenko)

Theological and exegetical foundations of some translation decisions «Byzantinischer Text Deutsch — BTD die Evangelien» (See chapter 1-12 of Luke). Part III

Theology

Mikhail Stepanovich Ivanov

Features of St. Theophan’s the Recluse spiritual leadership 

Natural-scientific Apologetics

Hieromonk Damian (Voronov)

Prehistory of the concept of «neuroreductionism»: the mournful path of the soul

Comparative Theology

Hierodeacon Yaroslav (Ochkanov)

The relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Anglican Church in the first XX century.

Patrology and Eastern Christian Literature

Hegumen Adrian (Pashin)

The Problem of Attribution of St. Anastasius’s of Sinai Works

Vladimir Alexandrovich Baranov

The Teaching of Angels in the «Exact Statement of the Orthodox Faith» by St. John Damascene

Alexei Dmitrievich Makarov

Distribution of the First Meeting of St. Isaac the Syrian outside the Church of the East. Part II: Interpolation of Names

History of the Russian Orthodox Church

Aleksey Andreevich Rudchenko

Peculiarities of awarding religious-hierarchical distinctions to employees of theological educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church: an experience of the nineteenth century.

Hegumen Gerasim (Diachkov)

Economy of the Moscow Theological Academy monk Irenaeus (Dob)

Valentin Viktorovich Serpeninov

Holy Spirit monastery Pochaev Lavra under the Archbishop og Ternopil Palladiy (Kaminsky)

Greek Christian literature

Archpriest Boris Timofeev

Concept άναγωγή in Greek exegetical literature 

Hagiography

Alexander Terentiev

Features of early editions to St. Sergius’s of Radonezh hagiographies (based on invitations to metropolitan)

Barbara V. Kashirina

Newly discovered letters of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) to a monk of the Optina Desert Yuvenaly (Polovtsov)

Religious

Tatiana S. Samarin

Joachim Wach and a phenomenological religious tradition

Sergey Romanovich Zagorulko

Aspects of the Chinese sect “Falun Gong” in Russian Religious Studies

Church art and archeology

Anna Leonidovna Krasnova

Engraving «The Burning Bush, a view of St. Catherine monastery, Sinai» as a unique example in the collection of the Moscow Theological Academy Museum 

REVIEWS

Hieromonk Dometian (Kurlanov)

Review of the publication: Edwards M. Aristotle and Early Christian Thought. London: RoutLedge, 2019 (Studies in Philosophy and Theology in Late Antiquity; 6). 226 p. ISBN 978-11-38-69799-7

Archpriest Dmitry Kiryanov

Review of the edition: Knight Ch. C. Science and the Christian Faith: A Guide for the Perplexed. New York: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press Yonkers, 2020. (Foundation Series). 232 p. ISBN 978-088141-671-8

MThA Press Office