Deacon Andrei Psarev's lecture for Russian Church History 226 at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary, ... more Deacon Andrei Psarev's lecture for Russian Church History 226 at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary, Jordanville, NY. February 18, 2021.
This intense course has been offered in Sep. 2021 by St. Cyrill and Methodius Orthodox Insitute w... more This intense course has been offered in Sep. 2021 by St. Cyrill and Methodius Orthodox Insitute within the framework of Adelaide College of Divinity.
Historical Studies of the Russian Church Abroad (www.rocorstudies.org) has been the only website ... more Historical Studies of the Russian Church Abroad (www.rocorstudies.org) has been the only website that academically reflects on the past and present of this emigre church. I founded it in 2008 and has been the editor since then.
This is Unit Six, the final video from the class Pivotal Points on the History of the Russian Chu... more This is Unit Six, the final video from the class Pivotal Points on the History of the Russian Church Abroad offered at St. Cyrill and Methodius Orthodox Institute, a part of Adelaide College of Divinity in September 2021.
The Byzantine emperor while addressing the pressing issues - Normans and Seljuks' incursion creat... more The Byzantine emperor while addressing the pressing issues - Normans and Seljuks' incursion created the new ones - Crusaders and Venetians' presence in the empire. Deacon Andrei Psarev, March 25, 2021. Byzantine History-213. Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary.
Доклад на секции «Путь истории Русского церковного Зарубежья», в рамках международной конференции... more Доклад на секции «Путь истории Русского церковного Зарубежья», в рамках международной конференции Православного Свято-Тихоновского гумманитарного университета (ПСТГУ) "Русская эмиграция: церковная жизнь и богословско-философское наследие." 12-го марта, 2021 г.
Patreon provides an opportunity to support for as little as $5 a month my work in the ecclesial a... more Patreon provides an opportunity to support for as little as $5 a month my work in the ecclesial and academic world, to check my stuff, and to exchange ideas.
Deacon Andrei Psarev. Recording of the talk to Byzantine Student Union of the Catholic University... more Deacon Andrei Psarev. Recording of the talk to Byzantine Student Union of the Catholic University of America (Multiple references to Byzantine history). April 1, 2021.
The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA) is known today as one of the most conservative Orthodox... more The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA) is known today as one of the most conservative Orthodox Churches in the world, known for its rigid stance in opposition to ecumenism. To demonstrate how the ROCA came to such a position is the task of this investigation. This thesis evaluates the ROCA’s relations with non-Orthodox Christians and the ecumenical movement in light of the Orthodox canonical tradition and pastoral concern. The pre-revolutionary Russian ecclesiology of Evgenii Akvilonov and Aleksei Khomiakov are considered as sources of the ecclesiology of Metropolitan Antonii (Khrapovitskii) and his disciples. Representatives of the ROCA during the first twenty years of its existence consciously participated in ecumenical projects. After World War II the attitude toward the ecumenical movement begun to change due to the rigidly anti-Communist orientation of the ROCA and the problems of the Orthodox witness within the WCC. The conservative stance of the ROCA toward the non-Orthodox enabled it to preserve its flock within Orthodoxy against Roman Catholic proselytism, while not enabling it to recognize the problems of its own ecclesiology, e.g., sacramental oikonomia. The political position of the RCOA had its positive side: the uncovering of the persecution of the faith in the USSR. It also had a negative one: an under-evaluation of the evils of extreme-right nationalistic movements. The present work has assembled all available data concerning the relationship of the ROCA with the ecumenical movement and with non-Orthodox Christians during the primacy of Metropolitans Antonii (1920-1935) and Anastasii (1935-1964) and analyzed the character of these relations. The assembled data is divided by theme. The information within the chapters is presented in chronological order. The data is analyzed in the conclusion of each chapter according to categories contained in the overall conclusions, with an attempt to present an evaluation of the total picture drawn from all individual conclusions. The chapter from the thesis Relations between the ROCOR and the Roman Catholic Church, 1920-1964, can be read here: http://www.rocorstudies.org/articles/2010/02/28/andrei-psarev-relations-between-the-rocor-and-the-roman-catholic-church-1920-1964/
In this paper, I am placing the early ROCOR ecclesiology within the context of the wider Russian ... more In this paper, I am placing the early ROCOR ecclesiology within the context of the wider Russian ecclesiology. This paper was written in December 2001-January 2002 for Fr. John Erickson's class Church History 472: Orthodoxy and Ecumenism at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Статья об одном из старейших эмигрантских изданий, выходящем в свет с 1928 г. - вначале в Словак... more Статья об одном из старейших эмигрантских изданий, выходящем в свет с 1928 г. - вначале в Словакии и теперь в США. Журнал представляет основополагающий источник для изучения истории Русской Зарубежной Церкви.
The Cold War did not help to merge, but to divide. Although both "White" Russian refugee churches... more The Cold War did not help to merge, but to divide. Although both "White" Russian refugee churches could not subordinate to the Church in Moscow, their different interpretation of the status of the Patriarchate of Constantinople prevented them, as the main reason, to unite.
This is an entry about a prominent ROCOR ecclesiastical author from the ongoing Russin reference ... more This is an entry about a prominent ROCOR ecclesiastical author from the ongoing Russin reference Orthodox Encyclopedia, vol 57, Moscow, 2020. Publication Name
В 1959 г. архиереи главной Церкви русской эмиграции оказали доверие группе мирян. В результате по... more В 1959 г. архиереи главной Церкви русской эмиграции оказали доверие группе мирян. В результате появилась мощная, по массштабам эмиграции, организация, поддерживающая развитие и укрепление Русской Зарубежной Церкви
17-ая ежегодная богословская конференция Свято-Тихоновского Гуманитарного Университета, 2017
Автор выводит критерии для канонизации святых, основываясь на прославлениях русской эмигрантской ... more Автор выводит критерии для канонизации святых, основываясь на прославлениях русской эмигрантской церкви существующей с 1920 г.
Deacon Andrei Psarev's lecture for Russian Church History 226 at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary, ... more Deacon Andrei Psarev's lecture for Russian Church History 226 at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary, Jordanville, NY. February 18, 2021.
This intense course has been offered in Sep. 2021 by St. Cyrill and Methodius Orthodox Insitute w... more This intense course has been offered in Sep. 2021 by St. Cyrill and Methodius Orthodox Insitute within the framework of Adelaide College of Divinity.
Historical Studies of the Russian Church Abroad (www.rocorstudies.org) has been the only website ... more Historical Studies of the Russian Church Abroad (www.rocorstudies.org) has been the only website that academically reflects on the past and present of this emigre church. I founded it in 2008 and has been the editor since then.
This is Unit Six, the final video from the class Pivotal Points on the History of the Russian Chu... more This is Unit Six, the final video from the class Pivotal Points on the History of the Russian Church Abroad offered at St. Cyrill and Methodius Orthodox Institute, a part of Adelaide College of Divinity in September 2021.
The Byzantine emperor while addressing the pressing issues - Normans and Seljuks' incursion creat... more The Byzantine emperor while addressing the pressing issues - Normans and Seljuks' incursion created the new ones - Crusaders and Venetians' presence in the empire. Deacon Andrei Psarev, March 25, 2021. Byzantine History-213. Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary.
Доклад на секции «Путь истории Русского церковного Зарубежья», в рамках международной конференции... more Доклад на секции «Путь истории Русского церковного Зарубежья», в рамках международной конференции Православного Свято-Тихоновского гумманитарного университета (ПСТГУ) "Русская эмиграция: церковная жизнь и богословско-философское наследие." 12-го марта, 2021 г.
Patreon provides an opportunity to support for as little as $5 a month my work in the ecclesial a... more Patreon provides an opportunity to support for as little as $5 a month my work in the ecclesial and academic world, to check my stuff, and to exchange ideas.
Deacon Andrei Psarev. Recording of the talk to Byzantine Student Union of the Catholic University... more Deacon Andrei Psarev. Recording of the talk to Byzantine Student Union of the Catholic University of America (Multiple references to Byzantine history). April 1, 2021.
The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA) is known today as one of the most conservative Orthodox... more The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA) is known today as one of the most conservative Orthodox Churches in the world, known for its rigid stance in opposition to ecumenism. To demonstrate how the ROCA came to such a position is the task of this investigation. This thesis evaluates the ROCA’s relations with non-Orthodox Christians and the ecumenical movement in light of the Orthodox canonical tradition and pastoral concern. The pre-revolutionary Russian ecclesiology of Evgenii Akvilonov and Aleksei Khomiakov are considered as sources of the ecclesiology of Metropolitan Antonii (Khrapovitskii) and his disciples. Representatives of the ROCA during the first twenty years of its existence consciously participated in ecumenical projects. After World War II the attitude toward the ecumenical movement begun to change due to the rigidly anti-Communist orientation of the ROCA and the problems of the Orthodox witness within the WCC. The conservative stance of the ROCA toward the non-Orthodox enabled it to preserve its flock within Orthodoxy against Roman Catholic proselytism, while not enabling it to recognize the problems of its own ecclesiology, e.g., sacramental oikonomia. The political position of the RCOA had its positive side: the uncovering of the persecution of the faith in the USSR. It also had a negative one: an under-evaluation of the evils of extreme-right nationalistic movements. The present work has assembled all available data concerning the relationship of the ROCA with the ecumenical movement and with non-Orthodox Christians during the primacy of Metropolitans Antonii (1920-1935) and Anastasii (1935-1964) and analyzed the character of these relations. The assembled data is divided by theme. The information within the chapters is presented in chronological order. The data is analyzed in the conclusion of each chapter according to categories contained in the overall conclusions, with an attempt to present an evaluation of the total picture drawn from all individual conclusions. The chapter from the thesis Relations between the ROCOR and the Roman Catholic Church, 1920-1964, can be read here: http://www.rocorstudies.org/articles/2010/02/28/andrei-psarev-relations-between-the-rocor-and-the-roman-catholic-church-1920-1964/
In this paper, I am placing the early ROCOR ecclesiology within the context of the wider Russian ... more In this paper, I am placing the early ROCOR ecclesiology within the context of the wider Russian ecclesiology. This paper was written in December 2001-January 2002 for Fr. John Erickson's class Church History 472: Orthodoxy and Ecumenism at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Статья об одном из старейших эмигрантских изданий, выходящем в свет с 1928 г. - вначале в Словак... more Статья об одном из старейших эмигрантских изданий, выходящем в свет с 1928 г. - вначале в Словакии и теперь в США. Журнал представляет основополагающий источник для изучения истории Русской Зарубежной Церкви.
The Cold War did not help to merge, but to divide. Although both "White" Russian refugee churches... more The Cold War did not help to merge, but to divide. Although both "White" Russian refugee churches could not subordinate to the Church in Moscow, their different interpretation of the status of the Patriarchate of Constantinople prevented them, as the main reason, to unite.
This is an entry about a prominent ROCOR ecclesiastical author from the ongoing Russin reference ... more This is an entry about a prominent ROCOR ecclesiastical author from the ongoing Russin reference Orthodox Encyclopedia, vol 57, Moscow, 2020. Publication Name
В 1959 г. архиереи главной Церкви русской эмиграции оказали доверие группе мирян. В результате по... more В 1959 г. архиереи главной Церкви русской эмиграции оказали доверие группе мирян. В результате появилась мощная, по массштабам эмиграции, организация, поддерживающая развитие и укрепление Русской Зарубежной Церкви
17-ая ежегодная богословская конференция Свято-Тихоновского Гуманитарного Университета, 2017
Автор выводит критерии для канонизации святых, основываясь на прославлениях русской эмигрантской ... more Автор выводит критерии для канонизации святых, основываясь на прославлениях русской эмигрантской церкви существующей с 1920 г.
An encyclopedia entry for one of the most prolific writers and enthusiastic missionaries within t... more An encyclopedia entry for one of the most prolific writers and enthusiastic missionaries within the ROCOR episcopate. Archbishop Nathanael's life is a testimony to the traumatic experience of the first Russian emigre generation.
Discussion of new challenges for teaching canon law in Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary of the Russ... more Discussion of new challenges for teaching canon law in Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary of the Russian Church Abroad in Jordanville, NY. The Russian original of the article has been written for the student magazine Vstrecha of Moscow Theological Academy.
О новых аспектах преподавания церковного права в Свято-Троицкой Духовной Семинари Руской Зарубежн... more О новых аспектах преподавания церковного права в Свято-Троицкой Духовной Семинари Руской Зарубежной Церкви в Джорданвилле, Н.Й. Написано для студенческого журнала Встреча Московской Духовной Академии.
В докладе, в качестве репрезентативных, рассматриваются представители нескольких поколений священ... more В докладе, в качестве репрезентативных, рассматриваются представители нескольких поколений священнослужителей и мирян Русской Зарубежной Церкви (1920-1990). См. презентацию к докладу.
A talk given in Synod of Bishops in New York for the 90th anniversary of the ROCOR highlights sel... more A talk given in Synod of Bishops in New York for the 90th anniversary of the ROCOR highlights selective representatives of ROCOR's bishops, clergy and laity (1920-1990).
This article examines the correspondence between the future Patriarch Tikhon and Fr. Evgenii Smi... more This article examines the correspondence between the future Patriarch Tikhon and Fr. Evgenii Smirnov, an emigre clergyman serving in England. The correspondence is centered on the brief investigation into the possibility of uniting a group of Old Catholics with the Russian Orthodox Church. Through these letters we can see that some problems of external church relations are no different now than they were in the early twentieth century. Fr. Evgenii himself, in certain respects, bears a strong resemblance to emigre clergymen of the post-revolutionary period.
Paper delivered at the 21st Congress of the Society for the Study of Canon Law of the Eastern Chu... more Paper delivered at the 21st Congress of the Society for the Study of Canon Law of the Eastern Churches in University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari Itlay, Sep. 2013. Published in the yearbook of the society, Kanon 23 (Roman Kovar Verlag: Hennef, 2014)
Presented at St. Tikhon's annual conference in 2008. Published in Вестник ПСТГУ: история Русской ... more Presented at St. Tikhon's annual conference in 2008. Published in Вестник ПСТГУ: история Русской Православной Церкви St. Tikhon University for the Humanities, Moscow 29 (II-4, 2008) Metropolitan Antonii Khrapovitskii (d. 1936) was eminent hierarch of the Russian Church, and a “founding father” of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The author analyzes the character of his theological and social contacts with Anglicans, and defi nes Anglican participation in Russian Church aff airs both in the homeland and in the diaspora between the World Wars.
A biographical entry of the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Pravoslavnaia Entsiklope... more A biographical entry of the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Pravoslavnaia Entsiklopedia 22 (Moscow, 2009)
St. Job of Pochaev Brotherhoods and Their Role in the History of the Russian Church Abroad,” Trud... more St. Job of Pochaev Brotherhoods and Their Role in the History of the Russian Church Abroad,” Trudi Kiivs’koi Dukhovnoi Akademii 16 (2012)
The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Ecumencial Movement: 1920-1948,
Published in Tserkov i... more The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Ecumencial Movement: 1920-1948, Published in Tserkov i Vremia (1, 2003), Department for the External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Presented at conference on history on Russian Church in 20th century, Moscow, Nov. 2002
This is the presentation to the paper for the 25th Congress of the Society of Law of the Eastern ... more This is the presentation to the paper for the 25th Congress of the Society of Law of the Eastern Churches, delivered in Belgrade on September 29, 2022. I argue that the regulations of punishments for clergy defend them from abuses and continue in the steps of canons.
The world-leading experts will focus on the history of a Russian emigre church at the academic co... more The world-leading experts will focus on the history of a Russian emigre church at the academic conference in Belgrade (Nov. 23-24-25, 2021)
The origins of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) are linked with the events o... more The origins of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) are linked with the events of the Russian Civil War and the forced emigration of eminent members of Russian society, who became bishops, clergymen, and parishioners in the ROCOR. Owing to the totalitarian regime that existed in Russia at the time, a great number of them became political refugees. The completely new conditions of existence for the Russian Church both in Russia and abroad posed questions about how to apply the resolutions of the All-Russian Local Church Council in these novel circumstances: Should the Church maintain a centralized form of administration, or enact a decentralized form of autonomous administration for individual ecclesiastical districts? The polemics on what way of the structuring of church life in the diaspora was most Orthodox did not subside throughout the entire 20th century. One of the most productive forms this assumed was the debate among Protopresbyter Michael Polsky, Father Alexander Schmemann, Father George (Bishop Gregory) Grabbe, and others, about whether church life in the diaspora ought to be organized along territorial or national lines. Since Perestroika, interest in the ROCOR among Russian scholars has been increasing. From the early 21st century, thanks to the work of commissions on restoring canonical communion between the ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate as well as to conferences held in this connection, the work of professional historians has found recognition within the ROCOR. This constructive work is the prologue to the ROCOR Studies project, an Internet hub on historical issues concerning the Russian Church Abroad. The latter is to be developed further by the present conference, which will be held with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the ROCOR. On August 31, 1921, the Bishop Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church decided to host on its canonical territory the Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority Abroad. To mark this groundbreaking event the conference is being held in collaboration with the Archive of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Professional historians, and all those who are engaged in research on one of the conference topics that meet academic standards, are invited to participate. The aim of the conference is to make sense of processes connecting the past and present of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Working languages of the conference: English and Russian Speaking time: 40 minutes Full versions will be published on the ROCOR Studies Internet hub. Applications for participation (up to 200 words) should be sent to rocorstudies@gmail.com by May 2, 2021. Participants will be selected by the organizing committee. It is proposed that the conference will take place in person, in a hybrid (in-person/distance), or distance format (depending on the pandemic situation). Proposed dates: November 22–26, 2021
This is a significantly revised translation of the posted earlier an analytical note written in R... more This is a significantly revised translation of the posted earlier an analytical note written in Russian for the canon law commission of the Inter Council Assembly of the Russian Church. The author poses questions about different ecclesiological models and the extent to which canonical prohibition to pray with heterodox may apply to honest ecumenical dialogue.
Начало XX века было ознаменовано трагическими событиями для России, в целом, и Российской Правосл... more Начало XX века было ознаменовано трагическими событиями для России, в целом, и Российской Православной Церкви, в частности. Одним из испытаний, выпавшим на долю Русского Православия, стало разделение Церкви в Отечестве и Церкви Заграницей. Автор статьи предлагает подробную хронологию событий и анализирует изменение динамики отношений между РПЦЗ и Московским Патриархатом. Вступление История Православной Церкви учит нас, что церковные разделения наиболее трудно преодолеваются в случае, когда одна из сторон убеждена, что разделение имеет догматическое обоснование. Без того, чтобы углубляться в древнюю историю, достаточно вспомнить разделения, связанные со старообрядцами в XVII веке или греческими старостильниками в XX. Разделения, происшедшие изза так называемых политических причин, сравнительно легче исправить. Под «политическими причинами» я понимаю разделения, ставшие реакцией на внешние обстоятельства, такие как политические конфликты. Даже если в течении времени разделенные общности и пытаются наделить разделение догматическими различиями, подлинные политические причины этого разделения облегчают восстановление общения. Ярким тому примером служит восстановление общения в 1992 году между ветвями Сербской Православной Церкви в отечестве и рассеянии. Состоявшееся 17 мая 2007 года примирение между Московским Патриархатом и Русской Православной Церковью Заграницей (РПЦЗ) дает нам возможность исследовать наиболее близкую к нам по времени модель примирения двух церковных общин, разделенных политическими факторами. В настоящей статье[1] я исследую экклезиологию РПЦЗ в отношении Московского Патриархата чтобы понять, какие позиции затрудняли сближение и что может послужить будущему единой Русской Церкви. Чтобы объяснить недавнее восприятие Московского Патриархата в Русской Зарубежной Церкви, я кратко обозначу исторические этапы, влиявшие на воззрения РПЦЗ. Помимо этого я также рассмотрю соборные постановления РПЦЗ и другие представительные документы с 1923го до 2006 года. Экклезилогические направления РПЦЗ явились отражением конкретных политических процессов, происходивших на родине: теория децентрализации имела место в ответ на попытки советской власти установить контроль над Православной Церковью; тактика руководства Московского Патриархата, направленная на сохранение высшего церковного управления посредством компромисса с советскими властями, послужила причиной того, что РПЦЗ воспринимала его архиереев как «плененных»; представители всех церковных ветвей чаяли Всероссийского поместного собора, находящегося в преемстве с собором 191718 гг., должного подвести итог советском периоду истории Русской Церкви. Церковь в изгнании и Церковь на родине (1920–1959) В 1919 году ЮжноРусский церковный собор основал в Ставрополе Высшее Церковное управление на юге России (ВЦУЮР). Во время Гражданской войны председатель этого ВЦУ архиепископ Таврический Димитрий (преподобноисповедник, схиепископ Антоний Абашидзе, +1942) с большинством своих архиереев не последовал в эмиграцию, из Крыма в Стамбул. В Стамбуле эмигрировавшие члены ВЦУЮР были возглавлены старейшим среди беженцев архиереем — митрополитом Киевским и Галицким Антонием (Храповицким).
Перевод доклада "The Current Law of the Russian Church" посвященного законоположениям, законодате... more Перевод доклада "The Current Law of the Russian Church" посвященного законоположениям, законодательным и исполнительным органам РПЦ
Within the Byzantine Church, the serious step of rejecting the authority of the patriarch, denyin... more Within the Byzantine Church, the serious step of rejecting the authority of the patriarch, denying obedience owed to him and breaking communion with him, needs to be justified with reference to the canonical tradition. Canon 15 of the First and Second Council in Constantinople of 861 is the only canon in the corpus canonum of the Orthodox Church that bears on both the rejection of episcopal authority and also on the obedience due to a canonical superior. Canon 15 has a long and varied history within Orthodox tradition and continues to be regularly invoked.
This paper addresses the following three questions:
1) Why did the Fathers promulgate Canon 15? 2) Why did the Byzantines refer to this canon? 3) Why did Canon 15 become so influential?
In answering Question #1 I reconstruct the historical context of the council using both primary sources, including the ecclesiastical (so called anti-Photian collection), chroniclers (Genesios, Theophanes Continuatus) as well as secondary sources.
To answer Question #2, I review the three following case studies, also using both primary and secondary sources: a) the Tetragamy controversy surrounding the fourth marriage of Emperor Leo VI (X c.); b) the Arsenite crisis, following the usurpation of the throne by Michael VIII Paleologos (1258-1282); and c) the rejection of union between the Byzantine and Roman Catholic Churches at the Council of Lyon (1274) by some Byzantine clergy and faithful based on their understanding of Byzantine doctrinal Orthodoxy.
In answering Question #3, I document the chronology of the incorporation of Canon 15 into Byzantine canonical tradition, and I discuss how the canon was interpreted from the twelfth to fourteenth centuries by contemporary Byzantine legal professionals (Aristinos, Zonaras, Balsamon, Blastares and Chomatinos).
By way of conclusion, I explain the significance of Canon 15 in seeking to understand the ethos of the Byzantine Church. This fascinating canon undercuts a military-style hierarchical ecclesiastical discipline to give way to a rule of individual Christian conscience. To appreciate its unique significance, one need only imagine a statute in civil law that includes provision for civil disobedience.
This translation from Russian contains both my contribution (VRKhd no. 187) and the letters to Pr... more This translation from Russian contains both my contribution (VRKhd no. 187) and the letters to Prince Trubetskoy published earlier without commentaries. These letters allow us to understand with more depth Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky), who was Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia from 1936 to 1964. With rare insightfulness, they reveal an understanding of the processes, which had for many years determined the life of the Russian Church in and outside Russia. They were published in Vestnik RkhD (Le Messager), nos. 151 (1987) and 187 (2004) and translated by Priestmonk Alexis (Lisenko) with the kind permission of the editors. Both collections of the letters have been published on www.rocorstudies.org
Emperor Leo VI the Wise wanted the application of special consideration (oikonomia) for his statu... more Emperor Leo VI the Wise wanted the application of special consideration (oikonomia) for his status. He was a widower whose previous three marriages had not produced a male heir. A son was born as a result of his fourth marriage, but the marriage itself had yet to be recognized by the Church in order to secure the succession rights of Leo’s son, Constantine VII Porphyrogennitos. Since Byzantine canon law permits a maximum of three marriages, the ‘oikonomist’ attitude of first Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos (d. 925) and subsequently the Patriarch Euthymios (d. 917) elicted opposition from the two groups of ‘akribeists’, creating a new rupture of ecclesiastical communion between them and the patriarchate.
In order to justify breaking communion, each party had to prove that the other had ceased to conform to Orthodox opinions in matters of faith. Both parties employed the rationale of Canon 15, but without referring to it directly. Thus, this proves my hypothesis that this canon reflects a profound theological truth: in order to cease communion with a superior, one has to be pronounced a heretic.
This a draft of the third chapter of my Ph.D. thesis, The Limits of Communion in the Byzantine Ch... more This a draft of the third chapter of my Ph.D. thesis, The Limits of Communion in the Byzantine Church (861-1300): A Study of Canon 15 of the First and Second Council
This excerpt from my book on the history of conciliarity in modern timesRu shows patterns of simi... more This excerpt from my book on the history of conciliarity in modern timesRu shows patterns of similarities between processes in the Ukrainian Church life taking place one hundred years ago and now.
Although the activism of historians is admirable it should not reflect on the quality of their an... more Although the activism of historians is admirable it should not reflect on the quality of their analysis. Pre-Byzantine experience of the Church may be an adequate point of reference for Orthodox Christian than the imperial past. It seems that now Orthodox Churches in Ukraine and diaspora have swapped places.
I am collecting extra funds to cover my time and care for my family's needs.
Summer is the only ... more I am collecting extra funds to cover my time and care for my family's needs.
Summer is the only time when I do not teach at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary and, therefore, I can research and write. On June 10 I am leaving for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne to work with the archives of Paul B. Anderson who spent his 48-year career working with the YMCA’s International Committee. He lived in Russia during the overthrow of the Tsar and subsequent attempts to establish a democratic government. Paul Anderson also exchanged correspondence with the ROCOR’s leading figures of the 1920’s.
Then I would like to prepare a class on Russian Church history which will be offered through the St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology.
Later this June, I will begin teaching a ROCOR History and Identity class offered through the Pastoral School of Chicago and Mid-America Diocese of the Russian Church Abroad.
Also, I need to prepare materials from last year’s Belgrade Conference on the history of the ROCOR for publication in a thematic volume in English.
Additionally, I need to prepare a questionnaire, which the Fund for Assistance to the Russian Church Abroad will send to the ROCOR’s parishes.
I also would like to prepare a chapter on the Inter-Council Assembly of the Russian Church for a handbook on Conciliarity/Sobornost, edited by Dr. Irina Paert who is Senior Researcher at the School of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Tartu, Estonia.
I may also write a paper for a canon law congress in Belgrade this September.
This is a substantially updated version of my earlier presentation on turning points in the histo... more This is a substantially updated version of my earlier presentation on turning points in the history of the Russian emigree church, which came into being as a result of the defeat of the White Army during the Russian Civil War (1918-1922)
The slides for my presentation illustrate my talk on the major developments of this White Russian... more The slides for my presentation illustrate my talk on the major developments of this White Russian emigre church from 1920 to 2007
Dr. Troyanov shares insights on Russian political emigration and church life in Serbia and Switze... more Dr. Troyanov shares insights on Russian political emigration and church life in Serbia and Switzerland. He also reflects on Russian Empire and his second cousin Fr. Alexander Schmemann. The interview has been posted on the website www.rocorstudies.org
A conference commemorating the centenary of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s decision to take in Rus... more A conference commemorating the centenary of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s decision to take in Russian refugees (November 23–25, 2021).
In this chapter of my book on the history of conciliarity in 1917-2017, I equally and systematica... more In this chapter of my book on the history of conciliarity in 1917-2017, I equally and systematically examine the historical significance of events in the life of the Russian Church both in the homeland and in the diaspora.
Презентация для конференции к столетию РПЦЗ, организованной РДМ в Иерусалиме 28-го янв. 2020 г. Р... more Презентация для конференции к столетию РПЦЗ, организованной РДМ в Иерусалиме 28-го янв. 2020 г. Развивает текст статьи 2000 г. находящейся здесь же.
A chapter from a prospective book on the history of conciliarity in the Russian Church in the XX ... more A chapter from a prospective book on the history of conciliarity in the Russian Church in the XX and XXI centuries.
This is a slide presentation covering the major hits' of the Russian Church Abroad History. Artwo... more This is a slide presentation covering the major hits' of the Russian Church Abroad History. Artwork by Dmitry Tikhomirov.
This article was written in response to the transfer of ROCOR property in Hebron (1997) and Jeric... more This article was written in response to the transfer of ROCOR property in Hebron (1997) and Jericho (2000) to the Russian Orthodox Church (MP) by the Palestinian Authority. It was published in Pravoslavnaia Rus' [Orthodox Russia] No. 18 (September 15/28, 2000). Despite its apologetic thrust, inadequate citing of sources, "biased" vocabulary, and propagandistic character, one can derive value from the article as an attempt to get a feel for the pastoral aspect of what it means to exist canonically in the modern circumstances
When, in 1995, I began teaching Russian Church History at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville I... more When, in 1995, I began teaching Russian Church History at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville I found myself faced with the lack of a suitable textbook. Ivan Mikhailovich Andreev's work Kratkii obzor istorii russkoi tserkvi ot revoliutsii do nashikh dnei [A Brief History of the Russian Church from the Revolution to the Present Day] was indeed brief (at 180 pages) and was unable to account for the new historical information that had become available in the 1990s. Thus, in summer 1999, a new, bulky, 480-page-long “reader,” comparable with the learning materials used in colleges, was prepared for the students. The article below is a chapter from this book. This text is still readable 20 years later, which cannot be said of all of my articles published in Pravoslavnaia Rus’ [Orthodox Russia]. In addition, I would mention, in the section on Metropolitan Sergius' first term, the friendly letter he sent to the ROCOR hierarchs in 1926, which was indiscreetly published abroad. Metropolitan Sergius' circumstances during his second period of imprisonment have still not been clarified, and the materials from his case file from early 1927 up to his release in spring of the same year are still not available to researchers. The article is being published as is, without any edits; hence the insufficient citing of sources without page numbers and use of the indecorous turn of phrases like “servants of the Moscow Patriarchate”.
Analyzing the only specific disciplinary measure undertaken by His Holiness the Patriarch against... more Analyzing the only specific disciplinary measure undertaken by His Holiness the Patriarch against the Russian Church Abroad, the author argues that Patriarch Tikhon remained a defender of the Russian Church both in the homeland and diaspora.
Русский первод статьи The 19th Canonical Answer of Timothy of Alexandria: on the History of Sacr... more Русский первод статьи The 19th Canonical Answer of Timothy of Alexandria: on the History of Sacramental Oikonomia. Автор исследует происхождение и соответствие православному богословию учение о том, что пустые формы инославного таинства наполняются содержанием в чине принятия лица приходящего в церковь.
The author defines criteria analyzing canonizations undertook by a Russian emigre church, establi... more The author defines criteria analyzing canonizations undertook by a Russian emigre church, established in 1920 in Constantinople.
The Inter-Council Presence is a permanent consulting body, members of which have been appointed b... more The Inter-Council Presence is a permanent consulting body, members of which have been appointed by the Holy Synod of the Russian Church to draft and discuss position papers on diverse aspects of theology and praxis. Conventional wisdom has it that Orthodox Christians of the "First World" have little to learn about the organization of church life from the Orthodox in Russia. Explaining the history, structure, and significance of ICP, I challenge the triumphalistic myth of the superiority of the Orthodox in the west over their Russian counterparts. This paper was presented in September of 2017 at the 23rd Congress of the Society for Study the Law of Eastern Churches in Debrecen, Hungary.
My interview on the website of Moscow Sretenskii Monastery marked the 15th anniversary of the res... more My interview on the website of Moscow Sretenskii Monastery marked the 15th anniversary of the restoration of ecclesiastical communion between the Church in the homeland and diaspora.
1917-1918 гг. как критерий соборности в русской церковной эмиграции Основные центры Решения Всеро... more 1917-1918 гг. как критерий соборности в русской церковной эмиграции Основные центры Решения Всероссийского поместного собора, имевшие значение для зарубежья Св. патриарх, Св. Синод, Высший церковный совет (клирики и миряне) ПОМЕСТНЫЙ СОБОР 7 дек., 1917 Еп. Совет в составе еп. архиерея, клириков и мирян (муж. и жен. ЗДЕСЬ ПОМЕЩЕНА ВИДЕОЗАПИСЬ ВЫСТУПЛЕНИЯ. Худож. оформление Д.В.Тихомиров
В презентации прослеживается сохранение соборного наследия на территориях, контролируемых белыми ... more В презентации прослеживается сохранение соборного наследия на территориях, контролируемых белыми и за тем в эмиграции, главным образом на опыте РПЦЗ. Художественное оформление презентации: Д.В.Тихомиров. Презентация сопровождала доклады представленные на конференции Столетие русского исхода (МДА, 16 окт. 2020 г.) и Русская эмиграция: церковная жизнь и богословско-философское наследие (ПСТГУ, 12 марта 2021).
Презентация к докладу прочитанному к 90-летю Русской Зарубежной Церкви в Архиерейском Синоде РПЦЗ... more Презентация к докладу прочитанному к 90-летю Русской Зарубежной Церкви в Архиерейском Синоде РПЦЗ в Нью-Йорке. Дек. 2010 г. Текст диакона Андрея Псарев, художественное оформление Д.В. Тихомирова. См. на текст доклада на этом же сайте.
The Inter-Conciliar Assembly of the Russian Orthodox Church (ICA) was established in 2009. It is ... more The Inter-Conciliar Assembly of the Russian Orthodox Church (ICA) was established in 2009. It is a permanent think-tank, inspired by the pre-conciliar work of 1906-1912 and the all-Russian local council of 1917-18, and continues the work of its 22 commissions. Similarly, with it, the ICA is organized in commissions and drafts position papers that are subject to the Bishop Council’s approval. Besides bishops, the ICA includes clergy and both male and female laity. The graphic design of this paper by Dmitry Tikhomirov.
This presentation illustrates my chapter, available here, "Council that Had No Precedent." Artwor... more This presentation illustrates my chapter, available here, "Council that Had No Precedent." Artwork by Dmitry Tikhomirov including graphic design and hierarchs' sketches.
Слайды к моей презентации, подготовленные Дм.В. Тихомировым. Краткий курс был представлен в Латв... more Слайды к моей презентации, подготовленные Дм.В. Тихомировым. Краткий курс был представлен в Латвии, России, США.
The editors the senior continuing ecclesiastical periodical of the Russian diaspora interviewed f... more The editors the senior continuing ecclesiastical periodical of the Russian diaspora interviewed faculty from St. Serge (Paris), Holy Trinity (Jordanville), St. Vladimir's (Crestwood) and St. Philaret's (Moscow) regarding significance to them of the All-Russia Council of 1917-1918. Citation: Vestnik RKhD, 207 (2018): 110-116
A chapter from the volume offers an analysis of the attitudes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outs... more A chapter from the volume offers an analysis of the attitudes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church toward participation in the World Council of Churches in the years following WWII.
This is sixth presentation from a series of lectures on the history of the Russian Church offered... more This is sixth presentation from a series of lectures on the history of the Russian Church offered to the parish of the Presentation in the Temple Russian Orthodox Church in Stratford, CT.
This is the fifth presentation from a series of lectures on the history of the Russian Church off... more This is the fifth presentation from a series of lectures on the history of the Russian Church offered to the parish of the Presentation in the Temple Russian Orthodox Church in Stratford, CT.
This is the fourth presentation from a series of lectures on the history of the Russian Church of... more This is the fourth presentation from a series of lectures on the history of the Russian Church offered to the parish of the Presentation in the Temple Russian Orthodox Church in Stratford, CT.
This is 3rd presentation from a series of lectures on the history of the Russian Church offered t... more This is 3rd presentation from a series of lectures on the history of the Russian Church offered to the parish of the Presentation in the Temple Russian Orthodox Church in Stratford, CT.
This is the second part of the four-installment presentation on the entire history of the Russian... more This is the second part of the four-installment presentation on the entire history of the Russian Church.
This is my revised presentation for an intensive course on the history of the Russian Church Abro... more This is my revised presentation for an intensive course on the history of the Russian Church Abroad that is offered this September via St. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute in Australia, which is a part of Adelaide College of Divinity. Art design by Dmitry Tikhomirov.
This is my presentation for the four and fifth ectures of an intensive course on the history of t... more This is my presentation for the four and fifth ectures of an intensive course on the history of the Russian Church Abroad that is offered this September via St. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute in Australia, which is a part of Adelaide College of Divinity. Art design by Dmitry Tikhomirov.
This is my presentation for the third lecture of an intensive course on the history of the Russia... more This is my presentation for the third lecture of an intensive course on the history of the Russian Church Abroad that is offered this September via St. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute in Australia, which is a part of Adelaide College of Divinity. Art design by Dmitry Tikhomirov.
This is my presentation for the second lecture of an intensive course on the history of the Russi... more This is my presentation for the second lecture of an intensive course on the history of the Russian Church Abroad that is offered this September via St. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute in Australia, which is a part of Adelaide College of Divinity. Art design by Dmitry Tikhomirov.
This is my revised presentation for an intensive course on the history of the Russian Church Abro... more This is my revised presentation for an intensive course on the history of the Russian Church Abroad that is offered this September via St. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute in Australia, which is a part of Adelaide College of Divinity. Art design by Dmitry Tikhomirov.
Начав в 1995-ом году преподавать историю Русской Церкви в
Свято-Троицкой духовной семинарии, я ст... more Начав в 1995-ом году преподавать историю Русской Церкви в Свято-Троицкой духовной семинарии, я столкнулся с отсутствием адекватного учебника. Труд И.М. Андреева, Краткий обзор истории русской церкви от революции до наших дней, выпущенный в 1951 г. был действительно кратким (180 стр.) и не мог учитывать новые исторические данные, ставшие доступными в 1990-ые годы. Таким образом летом 1999-го года появился увесистый учебник, сопоставимый с пособиями для колледжей, объемом в 480 стр. Предлагаемая Вашему вниманию статья является главой из этого пособия. Двадцать лет спустя текст читается, чего нельзя сказать о всех моих статьях опубликованых в Православной Руси. Обстоятельства пребывания митрополита Сергия во второй период его заключения до сих пор не выяснены, а материалы следственного дела, относящиеся к началу 1927-го года и до его особождения весной того же года до сих не доступны для исследователя. Статья публикуется без какой либо редактуры - отсюда и неадекватное цитирование источников, без указания страниц и неприличное выражение "служители Московской Патриархии".
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Metropolitan Antonii Khrapovitskii (d. 1936) was eminent hierarch of the Russian Church, and a “founding father” of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The author analyzes the character of his theological and social contacts with Anglicans,
and defi nes Anglican participation in Russian Church aff airs both in the homeland and in the diaspora between the World Wars.
Published in Tserkov i Vremia (1, 2003), Department for the External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Presented at conference on history on Russian Church in 20th century, Moscow, Nov. 2002
Since Perestroika, interest in the ROCOR among Russian scholars has been increasing. From the early 21st century, thanks to the work of commissions on restoring canonical communion between the ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate as well as to conferences held in this connection, the work of professional historians has found recognition within the ROCOR. This constructive work is the prologue to the ROCOR Studies project, an Internet hub on historical issues concerning the Russian Church Abroad. The latter is to be developed further by the present conference, which will be held with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the ROCOR.
On August 31, 1921, the Bishop Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church decided to host on its canonical territory the Supreme Ecclesiastical Authority Abroad. To mark this groundbreaking event the conference is being held in collaboration with the Archive of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Professional historians, and all those who are engaged in research on one of the conference topics that meet academic standards, are invited to participate.
The aim of the conference is to make sense of processes connecting the past and present of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
Working languages of the conference: English and Russian
Speaking time: 40 minutes
Full versions will be published on the ROCOR Studies Internet hub.
Applications for participation (up to 200 words) should be sent to rocorstudies@gmail.com by May 2, 2021. Participants will be selected by the organizing committee.
It is proposed that the conference will take place in person, in a hybrid (in-person/distance), or distance format (depending on the pandemic situation).
Proposed dates: November 22–26, 2021
This paper addresses the following three questions:
1) Why did the Fathers promulgate Canon 15?
2) Why did the Byzantines refer to this canon?
3) Why did Canon 15 become so influential?
In answering Question #1 I reconstruct the historical context of the council using both primary sources, including the ecclesiastical (so called anti-Photian collection), chroniclers (Genesios, Theophanes Continuatus) as well as secondary sources.
To answer Question #2, I review the three following case studies, also using both primary and secondary sources:
a) the Tetragamy controversy surrounding the fourth marriage of Emperor Leo VI (X c.);
b) the Arsenite crisis, following the usurpation of the throne by Michael VIII Paleologos (1258-1282); and
c) the rejection of union between the Byzantine and Roman Catholic Churches at the Council of Lyon (1274) by some Byzantine clergy and faithful based on their understanding of Byzantine doctrinal Orthodoxy.
In answering Question #3, I document the chronology of the incorporation of Canon 15 into Byzantine canonical tradition, and I discuss how the canon was interpreted from the twelfth to fourteenth centuries by contemporary Byzantine legal professionals (Aristinos, Zonaras, Balsamon, Blastares and Chomatinos).
By way of conclusion, I explain the significance of Canon 15 in seeking to understand the ethos of the Byzantine Church. This fascinating canon undercuts a military-style hierarchical ecclesiastical discipline to give way to a rule of individual Christian conscience. To appreciate its unique significance, one need only imagine a statute in civil law that includes provision for civil disobedience.
In order to justify breaking communion, each party had to prove that the other had ceased to conform to Orthodox opinions in matters of faith. Both parties employed the rationale of Canon 15, but without referring to it directly. Thus, this proves my hypothesis that this canon reflects a profound theological truth: in order to cease communion with a superior, one has to be pronounced a heretic.
Summer is the only time when I do not teach at Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary and, therefore, I can research and write. On June 10 I am leaving for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne to work with the archives of Paul B. Anderson who spent his 48-year career working with the YMCA’s International Committee. He lived in Russia during the
overthrow of the Tsar and subsequent attempts to establish a democratic government. Paul Anderson also exchanged correspondence with the ROCOR’s leading figures of the 1920’s.
Then I would like to prepare a class on Russian Church history which will be offered through the St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology.
Later this June, I will begin teaching a ROCOR History and Identity class offered through the Pastoral School of Chicago and Mid-America Diocese of the Russian Church Abroad.
Also, I need to prepare materials from last year’s Belgrade Conference on the history of the ROCOR for publication in a thematic volume in English.
Additionally, I need to prepare a questionnaire, which the Fund for Assistance to the Russian Church Abroad will send to the ROCOR’s parishes.
I also would like to prepare a chapter on the Inter-Council Assembly of the Russian Church for a handbook on Conciliarity/Sobornost, edited by Dr. Irina Paert who is Senior Researcher at the School of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Tartu, Estonia.
I may also write a paper for a canon law congress in Belgrade this September.
And, of course, I shall be setting up my classes for the next teaching year.
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Citation: Vestnik RKhD, 207 (2018): 110-116
Свято-Троицкой духовной семинарии, я столкнулся с отсутствием
адекватного учебника. Труд И.М. Андреева, Краткий обзор истории
русской церкви от революции до наших дней, выпущенный в 1951 г. был действительно кратким (180 стр.) и не мог учитывать новые исторические данные, ставшие доступными в 1990-ые годы. Таким образом летом 1999-го года появился увесистый учебник, сопоставимый с пособиями для колледжей, объемом в 480 стр. Предлагаемая Вашему вниманию статья является главой из этого пособия. Двадцать лет спустя текст читается,
чего нельзя сказать о всех моих статьях опубликованых в Православной Руси. Обстоятельства пребывания митрополита Сергия во второй период его заключения до сих пор не выяснены, а материалы следственного дела, относящиеся к началу 1927-го года и до его особождения весной того же года до сих не доступны для исследователя. Статья публикуется без какой либо редактуры - отсюда и неадекватное цитирование источников, без указания страниц и неприличное выражение "служители Московской
Патриархии".