The spiritual condition of modern Russian society, living in the postmodern era, is characterized as secularized. Our present time is marked by the fact that the overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens do not connect their lives with any religious norms, customs, or traditions. Despite the church revival of the late 20th and early 21st…

Unfortunately, what was once considered natural for believers is today met with profound misunderstanding. Before the Church schism of the 17th century, all Orthodox men in Rus’ did not shave their beards—such an idea, I think, never even occurred to them. Wearing a beard was a common religious and ethical norm. The same was true…

Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov) I began to speak about how one may attain salvation while living in the world. According to the teaching of the Church, the family is itself a little Church… a school of Christian life and Christian love. From this alone it follows that life within the family is in itself a broad…

A man is the head of the woman. How should a man conduct himself so that a woman does not feel demeaned? How can one avoid extremes such as “You’re nothing, and your place is in the kitchen”? This question touches on two critical spiritual truths: the creation of the world and the Fall. St….

Why is a man prohibited from shaving his beard? Why should we so strictly follow the Old Testament today? The strict prohibition against shaving the beard is indeed found only in the Old Testament: “Neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.”(Leviticus 19:27) However, the New Testament does not explicitly address many things, including…