August 16, 7533
The question of the relationship between the spiritual and the secular has always been relevant in the Christian world, and to this day, debate continues about whether it is acceptable for a clergyman to engage in worldly concerns, to hold occupations outside of Church service, or to possess secular education and skills enabling work beyond…
What kind of effort is being referred to? And why must it be achieved through effort rather than an easy, pleasant, carefree life? When reading and interpreting this phrase, it is essential to remember that the Lord spoke these words while conversing with the people about John the Baptist. He first asked the Jews listening…
After completing the seven prostrations of the seven-bow beginning one should stand in a designated place, where it is proper to remain for the entire service. “Then,” instructs the book The Son of the Church, “make a bow at the waist to those standing near you, quietly saying: ‘Forgive me, fathers and brethren’” (Chapter 35)….
In the life of a believer, prayer occupies a central place. Prayer is a conscious turning of a person toward God and His holy saints. It is founded upon the certainty that God exists, that He hears those who call upon Him, and that He is able to respond to their prayers. Christian prayer is…
In ancient times, reading the Lives of the Saints was one of the favorite activities of all layers of the Russian people. The readers were interested not only in historical facts from the lives of Christian ascetics but also in the profound instructive and moral-ethical meaning. Today, the Lives of the Saints have taken a…
A nachotnik is a man well-versed in sacred texts. Every Christian ought to be a nachotnik— that is, one who knows his confession, is capable of defending his belief, and therefore must be well-read, first of all in the Holy Scriptures, and then in all other ecclesiastical writings.— Fyodor Yefimovich Melnikov “Sanctify the Lord God…
The literature of Ancient Rus’ is divided into translated and original works. Translated literature appeared in Kievan Rus’ with the adoption of Christianity and had Byzantine and South Slavic (Bulgarian) origins. First and foremost, this included the biblical books of the Old and New Testaments, apocrypha, lives of the saints (hagiographic literature), religiously infused historical…
For centuries, it remained a persecuted body of literature. On the one hand, this meant that its authors were not subject to state censorship and therefore enjoyed a high degree of creative freedom; on the other hand, it also meant they had to pay a very high price for the ability to write in accordance…
There is perhaps no more useful invention that holds within it one of the spiritual treasures of humanity—knowledge. A book must not be regarded as a mere vessel of information. A thoughtful book is far more to a person than the volume of information measured in printed sheets, number of pages, or physical thickness; a…
This article provides a brief overview of the writings of the main religious polemicists of Synodal theology regarding the form of the sign of the cross. Let us begin with the former Patriarch Nikon. Patriarch Nikon is one of the most controversial figures in the history of the Russian Church. The wide range of opinions,…