Research

Academic research at the Moscow Theological Academy is carried out by its subdivisions - the departments, their academic schools, the library and sub-departments.

Research results are presented at departmental workshops and conferences, as well as at traditional academic conferences - the student conference in May and the of the Academic Pokrovsky Conference in October of each year.

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The following academic research schools are currently operating in the MThA:

1. "The legacy of Apostle Paul in the exegesis of the Holy Fathers, the Russian pre-revolutionary and to modern Biblical Studies" - an academic research school of the Biblical Studies Department.

The academic research school of the Department of Biblical Studies at the MThA Department for the Study of the works of St. Paul has been in operation since 2010.

The main purpose of this is research school is the comprehensive study and actualization of the legacy of the "Apostle of the Gentiles."

The main objective of the school is to carry out research projects that address contemporary issues of isagogy, hermeneutics, exegetics and the theology St. Paul. The main practical problem that requires a solution from the research school was formulated as a lack of modern Russian research that summarizes and details the character of the epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul.

Research work is carried out in the following areas: first, archaeological research in places where Apostle Paul preached; second, participation in scientific conferences and seminars; and third, the development of topical issues in the study of the Apostle's legacy and the publication of the results of research in church and secular academic publications; fourth, providing the Departmental journal with relevant material for publication.

The theoretical result of the school's work was the formation and development of a new exegetic approach characterized by cholism, continuity, historicism, as well as special attention to the issues of chronology and context. The practical result of the school's activity is the filling the gap in Russian research on the Apostle Paul, which appeared after 1917.

Since it started to function, the research school of the Department of Biblical Studies of the MThA has implemented 3 research projects, supported by grants of the Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation (RHNF) and the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (RFBR):

RFBR research project No. 16-04-00407 "The concept of "two centuries" in the textual corpus the Apostle Paul. The Director of the project is Archpriest Alexander Timofeev, head of the MThA Department of Biblical Studies.
Research project of the RHNF No. 15-34-01304 "Plot-composition and thematic specificity of Apostle Paul's epistles to the Romans and the Galatians". The Director of the project is Associate Professor of the MThA Department of Biblical Studies M. V. Kovshov.
RHNF research project No. 10-04-00133 "The Apostle Paul and his epistles in light of modern biblical data". The Project Manager is Head of the MThA Department of Biblical Studies Archpriest Alexander Timofeev.

2.1. Научная школа кафедры Богословия «Апология христианства в современном мире».

Christian morality has always been the most important topic of Orthodox theology, because a righteous and pious life is necessary for the salvation of man. Moral theology attempts to explain the system of Christian ethics in the narrow sense of the word, a recognized specialist in which is professor Archimandrite Plato (Igumnov), the author of the textbook "Orthodox moral theology".

Данная дисциплина во взаимодействии с рядом других призвана дать ответ на ряд актуальных вопросов, исходя из традиционных духовных ценностей и с учетом современного научного инструментария. В первую очередь это вопросы отношения к окружающему миру и человеку. Современный человек обладает беспрецедентными возможностями влиять на окружающую природу, которые уже привели к экологическому кризису в глобальном масштабе, и одна из важнейших задач современной христианской нравственности – ответить на этот вызов. Кроме того, научно-технический прогресс в области биологии и медицины привел к обострению традиционных проблем медицинской этики и появлению совершенно новых, так что возникла новая этическая дисциплина – биоэтика.

Научное направление «Апология христианства в современном мире» кафедры Богословия МДА сосредотачивает свою деятельность, прежде всего, на вопросах биоэтики и экологии как имеющих особую актуальность для современного общества, хотя не оставляет без внимания и другие актуальные нравственные проблемы (в экономической сфере, в области цифровых коммуникаций и другие). Технологические достижения последних лет с новой остротой поставили вопрос о природе человека и границах его возможностей. Эта тема является одной из основных для философии и богословия, а также выступает предметом рефлексии для современных христианских интеллектуалов по всему миру. Информационные технологии внедряются практически во все сферы повседневной жизни и уже сегодня значительно меняют образ бытия человека и его коммуникации с другими людьми, что требует богословской оценки данных инноваций Такие передовые разработки, как создание различных вариантов искусственного интеллекта и антропоморфных роботов, делают крайне актуальной потребность осмысления природы этих новых феноменов.

Ответ на вопрос, как следует поступать человеку, во многом определяется ответом на вопрос, кто есть человек. Поэтому перспективным направлением в рамках научной школы в последние годы стала философская и богословская антропология: аспиранты и магистранты кафедры ведут исследования в области проблем сознания и личности.

Научная школа «Патрология и христианская литература: источники и исследования»

В Московской духовной академии с самого момента ее основания особое внимание уделялось изучению классических языков – древнегреческого и латинского (а также древнееврейского для более глубокого понимания Ветхого Завета) – которые позволяли изучать основные богословские дисциплины по первоисточникам. Само первоначальное название академии Славяно-греко-латинская указывало на отечественную духовную школу, пытавшуюся освоить лучшие богословские достижения Востока и Запада.

К богословским дисциплинам относится и патрология – наука, изучающая по преимуществу наследие святых отцов. В названии научной школы отражено стремление изучить святоотеческое наследие и тексты более широкого круга христианских авторов Востока и Запада, представленные самыми разными литературными жанрами (агиорафия, эгзегетика, аскетический жанр сотниц и пр.).

В задачи научной школы входит изучение памятников, которые писались святыми отцами или христианскими писателями, не достигшими святости, но так или иначе важные. При изучении памятников особое внимание обращается на переводы и издания новых не введенных в научный оборот текстов, вдумчивое изучение которых должно привести к формулировке актуальных тем патрологического исследования.

В деятельности школы принимают участие преподаватели профиля «Патрология и христианская литература», преподаватели патрологии и других дисциплин. При профиле выходит журнал «Метафраст», а также серия «Святоотческая и византийская библиотека» (Bibliotheca patristica et byzantina).

Cвятоотеческое наследие всегда актуально. Изучение патрологии по первоисточникам позволяет подготовить специалистов в разных областях богословской науки. Погружение в глубины святоотеческой мысли помогает актуализировать духовные уроки, полезные для современности. В научной школе делается особый акцент на синтезе античной и библейской традиции, благодаря которому святые отцы оказались на высоте как духовной, так и светской культуры.

Помимо патристической литературы на древнегреческом и латинском языках в школе уделяется особое внимание текстам на других языках христианского Востока, а именно на грузинском, армянском, коптском, эфиопском, сирийском и арабском языках.

3. An Academic Research School of the Department of Applied Church Disciplines and Archaeological and Church-Practical Disciplines "Church-archaeological, liturgical and canonical studies of the Balkan region during the medieval period."

The Christian heritage of the Balkan region is of crucial importance for the Russian Orthodox Church and other Slavic Churches, as it is here that the Byzantine tradition, which in many ways followed the national Slavic traditions, was formed and developed. Accordingly, a corpus of Slavic translations of the Holy Scripture, a series of Slavic translations of liturgical texts and Slavic translations of patristic texts were formed in the region.

The Moscow Theological Academy has always paid special attention to the study of the Christian tradition on the Balkan Peninsula. The names of Professor Archpriest Alexander Gorsky, professors G. A. Voskresensky, E. E. Golubinsky, and N. L. Tunitsky are found not only on the pages of the "Cyril and Methodius Bibliography" and other academic directories, but also in the bibliographic apparatus of modern research.

The objectives of the academic school of the Department of Applied Church Disciplines are:

Organizing and conducting interdisciplinary research on the Christian heritage of the Balkan region;
Organization and preparation of special educational programmes related to the study of Christian heritage in the Balkan region;
Ensuring the unity of research work within the Balkan subdivision of the Department with the educational process at the Moscow Theological Academy.

The main tasks of the academic school are:

1. Coordinating and conducting interdisciplinary research related to

- the study of Christian heritage in the Balkan region,
- the study of the heritage and traditions of Slavic enlighteners Saints Cyril and Methodius and their disciples,
- the study of church and state relations in the Balkan region in the Middle Ages.

2. Attracting students, undergraduates and doctoral students of the Moscow Theological Academy, as well as teachers for research work at the school.

3. Use of research findings in the educational process and increase of the instructors' qualifications.

4. An Academic Research School of the Department of Church History "History of the Russian Church seen through events and personalities (regional studies, archival studies, church-historical archeology)".

The reason that topics related to the 20th century history of the Russian Orthodox Church have been chosen as the main research focus, can be explained by desire to rethink this stage of Russia's historical past and develop new approaches of understanding the role of Orthodoxy in public life. Until recently, this page of the church's history had remained beyond the academic interest of historians. In connection with this a comprehensive study of the history of the Russian Church in the post-revolutionary period seems necessary. A true view of the history of the Church in this period is of particular importance at the current stage of the revival of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian statehood.

A return to the traditional spiritual and moral values of Orthodoxy can contribute to a more complete and correct understanding and resolution of socio-political, cultural and national issues in the region.

Looking at the historical paths of the Russian Church, one cannot help but stop at the period that is closest to us - the 20th century. At this point? what attracts the observer's attention is not so much the acquaintance with the realities of the time and the richness of actual material, but rather the desire to realize the tragedy that took place in our Fatherland in those difficult years.

The beginning of the XX century is a unique time when the foundations of the Russian Empire, based on ancient traditions, collapsed, when society experienced serious changes. The Russian Church had to react dynamically to the challenge of modernity, it corresponds to the realities of those difficult days. The controversy around that time has not subsided so far. It is obvious that the newest period in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church seems to be one of the most promising objects of research for the church historian.

Historian Igor Smolich described the historical circumstances of the time: "The Church is trying to enter the free and an independent path of development and conduct a top-down reform. But the domestic political coup d'état in Russia now puts it in jeopardy of the new state power. The church is theoretically separated from the state, but in practice the government interferes in the life of the Church. The Russian Church, or better the Eastern Orthodox Church in the USSR must now fight for its Christian existence. This struggle has an epochal meaning for this period."[1].

Sources on the history of the Russian Church during the Soviet period remain poorply analyzed: documents concentrated in state archives, including those of Special Services, often contain false information; memoirs of contemporaries, correspondence and even official church-legal documents cannot be accepted by researchers without regard to the conditions in which they were created. Critical understanding of the sources on the history of the Russian Church of the XX century is one of the pressing problems of modern Russian historical science.

Compiling extensive research on the latest period is a task for the future. As archimandrite Theodosius (Almazov) aptly put it, "History has not yet given birth to a new "Nestor" who, with an artistic hand and a understanding heart would describe the fall of the Empire and the Russian Church."[2].

This is why the Research School of the MThA Church History Department focuses its scientific activities primarily on the issues of study the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the events of the 20th century, on personalities, on the history of churches and monasteries, on the basis of church-archaeological research. This direction is headed by the head of the department Professor A. K. Svetozarsky. Some of the authors of a number of works in this field are Professor Archpriest Vladislav Tsypin, Professor V. M. Kirillin, instructors G. E. Kolyvanov, M. V. Pervushin. A separate research topic is the history of the Catholic Church and other "Western" trends and their relationship to Orthodoxy in the historical perspective. The important role of professor Archpriest Maximus Kozlov and his teacher, Father Anthony Borisov should be noted here .

Study of the History of the Russian Church on its historical frontiers provides a comprehensive view of cultural/historical uniqueness of Russia, her place in world and European civilization.

5. 1. An Academic Research School of the Department of Philology "Works of Ascetic Byzantine Literature (IV-XIV centuries): research, publications, translations".

The Academic Research School of the Department of Philology - "Works of Ascetic Byzantine Literature (IV-XIV centuries): research, publications, translations" - unites the efforts of teachers and students of the department in the study of the heritage of Byzantium, dedicated to the issues of Christian asceticism. Instructors publish new editions of ascetic literature, conduct their research of both published and newly published workds, translate original works into Russian from ancient Greek and other ancient languages. The members of the department who take part in the implementation of this project also seek to identify the impact of Byzantine ascetic literature on the literary work of the authors of Ancient Russia. The school also works on translations and research of various works of the ascetic Byzantine literature of the department's students.

5. 2. An Academic Research School of the Department of Philology "Reception of Christian Culture in Russian literature".

"Reception of Christian Culture in Russian literature" as a research topic of the Department of Philology reflects the academic interests of our instructors, whose research focus is on the study of the paradigm of perception of Christian tradition in Russian and Church Slavonic verbal culture and literary heritage. The direct subject of study is the Orthodox mentality, worldview, principles of life, reflected in both secular and ecclesiastical spheres of language use and literary creativity. Depending on the scientific objectives, theoretical preparedness, and methodological research base, the work of the staff of the department may be linguistic or literary criticism.

The indicated area of research correlates with the educational profile of the Master's degree "Russian spiritual literature", which is reflected not only in the content of the of the educational programme, but also in the subjects of students' work.

6. An Academic Research School of the Department of History and Theory of Church art "Problems of the study of Art from the Eastern Christian World: Balkans, Russia, Christian East".

Head researcher: Candidate of the Arts, Head of the MThA Department of History and Theory of Church Art N. V. Kvlividze.

Within the framework of the research school there is a seminar devoted to the problems of studying Eastern Christian art. The seminar is attended by MThA teachers, as well as specialists from other universities, research institutes and museums, whose sphere of academic interests includes Christian art of the period before the division of churches, the art of Orthodox countries, as well as Armenia, Syria, Palestine, Ethiopia, Egypt. The issues of architecture, painting and applied arts of the Eastern Christian world and their connection with Christian worship and theology are the subject of discussion.

[1] Smolich I. On the question of the periodisation of the history of the Russian Church (translated from German by archimandrite Macarius (Veretennikov) // Alpha and Omega. – 1998. — № 3. – P. 173.

[2] Theodosius (Almazov), Archimandrite. My memoires (Solovki prisoner's notes). Мoscow, 1997. P.10.