Can a good tree bear evil fruit, and a bad tree bear good fruit? (Matt. 7:18). With reference to these words from the Gospel of Matthew, we would like to begin the discussion about the current state of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (ROC MP)…
Section: The Church Across Time
Paths to Escape Theopolitical Traps
It is no coincidence that ecclesiology,
as a theological discipline, emerged
in modern times alongside the rise of
secularization. During this period, the
Church—once embracing the entire
world—suddenly found herself placed
within it and surrounded by it. This
world no longer regarded itself as part
of the Church and often rejected her
outright. Sometimes, the Church responded
to this rejection by rejecting
the world in turn. It was as if she were
standing in front of a mirror, mimicking
the gestures of the secular world,
with the difference that her right hand
in the mirror appeared as her left…
Beyond Estrangement: The Status of Orthodoxy in Ukraine
No church or religious community is impervious to events that introduce major societal changes. The Orthodox Church in Ukraine is no exception. Comprised of a complex community of people of diverse backgrounds, these people have been afflicted by a series of external events outside of their control spanning multiple generations. These events include the fall of the Russian empire and the revolution, the Holodomor of 1932–33, World War II, the decline and collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of an independent Ukrainian republic, the Euromaidan revolution, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…
What’s Next for ROCOR?
Since its inception as an independent
jurisdiction in 1920, ROCOR had at
least five key tasks: 1) pastoral care for
the refugees of the diaspora; 2) preservation
of church tradition; 3) giving
witness to human rights abuses; 4) political
resistance to communism; and
5) missionary outreach—this last task
an unexpected burden. A brief look at
each of these follows. This article concludes
by suggesting that the first and
last of these tasks may jointly offer a
path to the future for ROCOR.
Remaining Faithful to a Tradition: The Complicated Relationship of ROCOR and the Lesna Monastery
The closing decades of the 19th century were a period of dramatic transformation within the Russian Empire. Industrialization was rapidly changing the physical and social landscape, while the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 had set in motion new patterns of migration, urbanization, and aspiration. The Orthodox Church, long accustomed to a stable and hierarchical society, suddenly found itself addressing a population whose needs and expectations were in flux. Many clergy and laypeople alike felt both excitement and anxiety as Russia lurched toward modernity.
Conformism in the Name of Freedom: The Curious Case of the OCA
OCA’s claim to autocephaly as a unifying jurisdiction for the American Orthodox stems from the original mission and ethos of the Russian Metropolia, representing the missionary ethos of the Russian Church. Historically, the Russian Church has always had a very strong missionary mindset, conveniently coinciding but going down this particular rabbit hole, I would just remind us that the Orthodox Church in America recounts its history from the 1794 mission to Alaska and the ensuing Russian evangelization of the Alaskan natives…
Was Eastern Christianity Always Orthodox?
Why is the identity of eastern Christianity defined, in large part, by Orthodoxy? This is a little like asking: why am I who I am? The question seems rhetorical—and yet not easy to answer. This article offers clues to answering this question
An Eastern Church Amid the Struggles of Rome and Constantinople: The Patriarchate of Antioch During the Crusades
The Age of the Crusades is by far one of the most popular subjects in the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue (or rather, in the ongoing Orthodox-Catholic polemics), a time period which constantly arises in the field of historical as well as theological deliberation.
Byzantine Studies, Iconoclasm, and the Rise of Islam
While the history of the iconoclastic controversy has long occupied center stage in the currently flourishing discipline of Byzantine Studies—and has recently attracted the attention of some of the original and most seasoned scholars in the field—an authoritative survey of iconoclasm does not yet exist. Still, our knowledge of this reassessed landscape is much improved,[…..]
St. Elizabeth the New Martyr: The Quest to Restore the Order of Deaconesses
St. Elizabeth Fyodorovna (1864–1918) occupies a special place in Russian history.
Composition and Procedural Decision-Making at the Moscow Council of 1917–1918: Implementation of a Conciliar Ecclesiology
Initial reflection on the Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church that met last June in Crete has focused largely on its documents and very little on its procedural functioning. Local churches, however, raised numerous questions concerning the ordering of the council in order to justify their withdrawal or requests for postponement.
Ecclesiological Insights on the Moscow Council of 1917–1918
For the great majority of Orthodox Russians who found themselves in exile after the Bolshevik Revolution, but remained committed to the life of the church, the Moscow Council of 1917–18 appeared as a heavenly gift granted to the Church in Russia before a long time of tribulation. And so it surely was. But this council[…..]
The Theological Voice of Kassiani
In his book The Freedom of Morality, Christos Yannaras cites the Hymn of the Nun Kassiani in his discussion of the “unsearchable immensity” in the sin of the human person and the immeasurable mercy of a personal God for the truly repentant human person. Sung in the Orthodox Church at the Bridegroom Matins and the[…..]
Church and Nation in Eschatological Perspective
“Without eschatology,” Father John Meyendorff wrote, “traditionalism is turned only to the past: it is nothing but archeology, antiquarianism, conservatism, reaction, refusal of history, escapism.” The eschatological dimension is a fundamental—but nearly forgotten—dimension of Christianity. Christianity is inconceivable without its eschatological outlook.
All the Nations? Orthodox Theology in the Wake of Nostra Aetate
Any Orthodox reckoning with nationalism must include a reckoning with antisemitism. The term “nationalism” as defining a particular ideological and political phenomenon belongs to the newest history, as does the modern understanding of religion as a set of beliefs and customs.
Faith and Ideology: Review of Cyril Hovorun, Political Orthodoxies
What is Christianity? What is the fundamental message of the gospel? These simple questions invite clear and concise responses, but among the churches there is no shortage of complex expressions of Christian identity. One reason for this complexity is that the message of the gospel has often been fused with ideologies to advance worldly political[…..]