MThA Students Discuss Family Happiness with Archpriest Feodor Borodin

On September 25, 2026, the Great Hall of the Moscow Theological Academy hosted another meeting in the Syntax lecture series organised by the Kinovia Cultural and Educational Centre.

The guest speaker was Archpriest Feodor Borodin, rector of the Moscow Church of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian on Maroseyka Street, a well-known preacher, writer, and journalist, and father of eight children.

The conversation was entitled “Secrets of Family Happiness.”

At the beginning, Father Feodor drew a distinction between “happiness” and “blessedness.” In his words, “blessedness is happiness that participates in God’s eternal being and that one need not be ashamed to show God.” To enter that state, a person must learn to love rightly. The rest of the discussion considered how to follow this path in family life.

Father Feodor stressed that “love” is often misunderstood. Christian love should be understood as a virtue of the will and a deliberate action rather than a feeling. The model is Christ’s love: attentive, listening, and self-emptying. A blessed person is therefore humble and serves others, above all those closest to them.

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another” (Romans 12:10).

At the end, Archpriest Feodor offered practical advice based on his pastoral and family experience and answered listeners’ questions:

• Should children be disciplined, or can it be avoided?
• What should one do if afraid of choosing the wrong spouse?
• How should one proceed without personal experience of a happy family life?

Kinovia’s guests, including many Academy students, showed keen interest, asked questions, and discussed the talk. Their engagement confirmed the relevance of the chosen topic.

Source: Kinovia