On July 4, 2022, the second issue of the Theological Bulletin of the Smolensk Orthodox Theological Seminary was released this year (No. 2 (15) 2022).
The new issue of Theological Bulletin of the Smolensk Orthodox Theological Seminary continues the tradition of cooperation with leading experts in the field of theological and church history disciplines based on partnership with spiritual and secular higher educational institutions. Thus, a high level of scientific research is ensured.
Recall that the journal «Theological Bulletin of the Smolensk Orthodox Theological Seminary» is a scientific publication of the Smolensk Seminary, one of the oldest theological educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church. The journal was created with the blessing of Metropolitan Isidor of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh with the participation of the faculty of the theological school. The journal is included in the scientific database «Russian Science Citation Index» and in the All-Church list of journals in which it is recommended to publish the results of research by applicants for academic degrees in theology and church history.
The new issue of The Theological Bulletin of the Smolensk Orthodox Theological Seminary focuses on several relevant thematic areas: theological, historical, humanitarian research, modern digital technologies.
The section «Theological Studies» opens with an article by Metropolitan Isidor of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh «Interpretation of church-state relations in Russian thought in the middle of the 19th century. on the example of the journalistic works of Bishop John (Sokolov). In his article, metropolitan Isidore continues to study the life and scientific path of His Grace John (Sokolov). This time the thematic direction is connected with the actual problem of the interpretation of church-state relations by His Grace John.
The article focuses on the study of the church-public reflection of the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church in the middle of the 19th century. on the example of the journalistic works of the Right Reverend John (Sokolov). His Grace John, in his ecclesiastical and social articles, largely laid the general direction and ideological foundations of the conservative journalism of the con. XIX — early. XX centuries for the authorship of Orthodox hierarchs and theologians. Vladyka John, in his reflections on the topic of church-state relations, relied on the classical concept of «symphony», seeing the solution to the problem in a strict delimitation of the powers of secular and ecclesiastical authorities.
Associate Professor of the Department of Theological and Church-Historical Disciplines, Abbot Tarasy (Lange) in the article «Research on Religiosity and Religious Experience in the Framework of Modern Scientific Psychology» touched upon the most serious topic of the dialogue between Christian anthropology and modern scientific psychology. To what extent is this dialogue and cooperation possible? Or is modern civilization moving in the direction of an intensifying confrontation between religious and scientific knowledge? Moreover, the article analyzes the problems associated with religious experience as the basis of religiosity, and substantiates the importance of following a religious tradition for the correct realization of a person’s religious needs.
Priest Maxim Tkachenko in his work “Five pillars of Islam through the eyes of a Christian. An Orthodox View of Muslim Religious Practice” reflects the currently topical topic of interreligious dialogue between Orthodox Christianity and Islamic tradition. This article presents a comparative analysis of the main provisions of the religious practice of Muslims, known as the five pillars of Islam, and similar phenomena in the Christian tradition in order to identify the difference between these two religions.
Of course, no scientific journal of a higher spiritual institution can do without the theological research of its graduates. The section «Theological Studies» is closed by an article in the field of patrology «The Patristic Doctrine on the Methods of Education of External Feelings» by V.P. Markov. This article analyzes the patristic methodology of dealing with passions emanating from «external feelings», developed by Christian asceticism. Christian ascetic practice has applied to the external senses the so-called. «restrictive strategy», based on the ethical hierarchy of the subordination of external feelings to internal ones.This strategy of Christian asceticism is connected with the theological concept of original sin. The author tries not only to synthesize the experience of theologians and holy fathers, but also to outline a number of practical methods that contribute to the education of the senses.
The section «Historical Research» opens with the article «On the question of staffing the modern clergy: an analysis of some problems on the basis of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church» authored by Associate Professor of the Department of National History of the Faculty of History of Tver State University Dmitry Aleksandrovich Begovatov.
The article analyzes the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church in order to identify provisions that contribute to the aggravation of the personnel problem among the clergy. The restrictions that are imposed on clerics in determining and changing the place of service, in relation to spatial mobility, in the choice of the sphere of pastoral activity, the duration of service and the sphere of private life are considered in detail. Problems in the field of special and professional training of clergy, in the field of material support and in judicial practice are emphasized.
The direction of «historical research» continues with the article «Mikhail Aleksandrovich Lisitsyn, archpriest, composer, theologian» by Tatyana Mikhailovna Kuryatnikova. This article contains a description of the biography of Mikhail Aleksandrovich Lisitsyn, a spiritual writer, music critic, church composer, restored from archival data. It also contains a complete list of his spiritual and musical works, in order to eliminate all inaccuracies and distortions common on the Internet and in the media.
The “Historical Research” section closes with an article by SPDS graduate Egor Sergeevich Parulin “The Union of the Altar and the Throne. The papacy is in the hands of the Germans. This article is devoted to an overview of one of the controversial political events of the second half of the 10th century. Given the intensification of interfaith dialogue in recent years, articles devoted to the study of the traditions and histories of Western Christian denominations are highly relevant.
The section «Humanitarian Studies» opens with a work in the field of Christian pedagogy «Towards a discussion on the use of modern «entertaining» and» exciting «forms and methods of Orthodox education of children in parish activities» authored by the candidate of pedagogical sciences L. N. Urbanovich. The article deals with the situation of «rebooting» the Sunday school in connection with the identified difficulties and problems at the present stage. The author draws attention to the existing risks and the controversial experience of using gaming and creative tasks and offers criteria for selecting methodological tools when working with material of sacred content. Specific examples of playing techniques are given and analyzed with intermediate conclusions about their applicability in relation to the Orthodox spiritual tradition.
The article «Criticism of Contemporary Art in the Philosophical Concept of Jean Baudrillard» by SPDS Rector’s Assistant for Research Priest Maxim Mishchenko is devoted to the study of the philosophical concept of the famous French thinker. The author tries to reveal the conceptual provisions of the philosophical system of J. Baudrillard, reflecting the semiotic strategies of contemporary art. The critical theory of contemporary art by J. Baudrillard opens up a new interdisciplinary area at the intersection of anthropology and philosophy of culture.The presented approach leads to important conclusions regarding the semiotics of art, and also allows us to understand the place of the current religious art within the framework of the modern semiotic system.
The final article of the journal «Theological Bulletin of the Smolensk Orthodox Theological Seminary» was a work devoted to the description of modern communication technologies. Priest Anthony Rusakevich in the article «The Specifics of Missionary Work in Social Networks» tries to articulate the principles and methodological recommendations for diocesan and parish missionaries carrying out Christian missions in social networks.The author of the article tries to identify the characteristic features of the mission in social networks. In general, the issue of criteria and principles of mission effectiveness in the space of social networks is raised. The article considers the possibility of involving the laity at the level of dioceses and parishes within the framework of complex activities in social networks. One important detail should be noted: Father Anthony is a successful missionary blogger on the web (pozitivniy_batushka), and this allows us to conclude that his theoretical recommendations are not the fruit of armchair reflections, but the result of practical activities in social networks.
Link to the new issue of the Theological Bulletin of the Smolensk Orthodox Theological Seminary: http://theologyjournal.ru/2022-n2/
Responsible secretary of the magazine «Theological Bulletin of the Smolensk Orthodox Theological Seminary» priest Maxim Mishchenko.
