Orthodox Christianity

In Dostoevsky’s 1869 novel, The Idiot, two characters mention an intriguing theory, which they both attribute to the eponymous spiritual hero, the Prince: the idea that “beauty will save the world.”  Since then, a long line of writers and thinkers have picked up on this grand and inspiring motto.  After all, who wouldn’t want to believe that beauty will save the world?  Yet few people have tried to work out exactly what that might entail.

One of the most important figures to have taken up this challenge is Sergeii Bulgakov—philosopher, economist, politician, theologian, and priest.  Bulgakov quotes this phrase in at least four different works spanning the major phases of his mature intellectual career: Philosophy of Economy (1912), The Unfading Light (1917), the essay “Beauty and Art” (1934), and The Comforter (1936).  For Bulgakov, this declaration represents the crystallization of an all-encompassing vision for society, a cosmic process of material and metaphysical redemption analogous to individual salvation.  Through it, Bulgakov underlines the continuity between political aims and theological means, with beauty as the pivot. 

In this paper, I consider the role of the aesthetic principle of beauty in Bulgakov’s political theology.  I focus on two dogmatic works of the 1930s: a treatise, The Comforter, and an essay, “Religion and Art,” drawing on a sermon from the same period, entitled “Social Teaching in Modern Russian Orthodox Theology” to clarify key points in his political theology.  I discuss how Bulgakov’s aesthetic notion of Christian humanism enables him to petition for the transfiguration of society and reform of its unjust structures while steering a political theological course between Marxist positivism and Christian apathy.  Furthermore, I argue that the beauty at the core of his conceptual framework enables him to hold together history and eschatology, human freedom and divine sovereignty, in a theologically coherent theandric whole that nevertheless resists collapse into essentially atheistic “progress” or a pantheistic cosmology.  I conclude by posing a question about the possible role of beauty as a functional substitute for Sophia for theologians adapting Bulgakov’s brand of Christian humanism.

Charles Malik’s Christ and Crisis is an invaluable guide for Christians who seek to engage our world and come to terms with the challenges unique to the era they find themselves in. Each life, each unique historical situation presents its own crisis or set of crises. Today, we read of financial crises, the environmental crisis, the crisis of radical Islam, cultural crises, political crises, crises of identity, and many more. What Malik would tell us is that these are all spiritual crises, first and foremost. Thus, in this uniquely accessible and ecumenically sensitive book, Malik puts all of these concerns before the most profound crisis of all: the state of our own hearts before the cross of Jesus Christ, offering readers a helpful way of truly understanding the crises of our world today.

Taft R. F. The Great Entrance. A History of the Transfer of Gifts and other Preanaphoral Rites of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. [A History of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, vol. II]. Roma, 1975. (Orientalia Christiana Analecta; 200).

Careful attention to the biblical text and to St Maximus inspire human beings to revalue creation, their home and not long for its destruction but for its redemption alongside the redemption of the children of God. It is only through the contemplation of the Logos that humans can discern the creation as a sacramental means through which humans can encounter the power of the resurrection that leads them deeper and deeper into the divine nature.

This essay was published in The Bible and Early Trinitarian Theology, edited by Christopher A. Beeley and Mark E. Weedman, for the CUAP Studies in Early Christianity (Washington DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2018); this is the uncorrected proofs. Exploring the humanity and divinity of Jesus, the Son's relation to the Father, and the agency of the Holy Spirit, it is one of five essays suggesting Johannine contributions to trinitarian discussions in the early church.

Juin 1940. Demain je serai enfin soldat. J’aurai ma place modeste, mais définie, précise, nette, dans l’ensemble de ceux qui doivent résister. J’aurai mon matricule sans nom, « soldat inconnu » parmi tant d’autres. Je ne serai plus en marge de l’œuvre commune, je ne serai plus un intellectual à l’écart de la grande route nationale – instrument fragile et sensible, qui revient sans cesse sur lui-même pour méditer, être dans lequel la vie s’arrête pour donner lieu à la pensée. / Июнь 1940. Завтра наконец-то мне суждено стать солдатом. У меня появится свое непритязательное, зато определенное место, строго установленный уклад жизни, я встану в один строй вместе с теми, кто уже присягнул, чтобы сопротивляться врагу. Мне дадут безымянный порядковый номер – «неизвестный солдат», среди множества других. Я не буду больше выброшен за пределы общего дела, мне уже не быть больше интеллектуалом вне событий грандиозной всенародной борьбы, находящимся на обочине великого национального пути – хрупким и чувствительным орудием познания, вечно рефлексирующим, постоянно осознающим себя существом, останавливающим ход жизни, с целью уступить место мысли.

It is frequently acknowledged that, despite Jung's disclaimers concerning the mutually exclusive boundaries between empirical science and metaphysics, analytical psychology does have important theological ramifications. Christian theology has been a historical antecedent to modern psychology, and can continue to be of relevance in this field through the scholarly exploration of its anthropological teachings in a contemporary academic and pastoral context. The primary purpose of this study is to outline a metatheoretical approach to discuss the interface between analytical psychology and Christian theology. As a secondary theme, it attempts to formulate, investigate and explore a theoretical rationale for adopting a depth-psychological approach to working with countertransference dynamics in both psychotherapy and spiritual direction, by including and valuing the spiritual dimension of experience. The concept of ‘creative suffering’ is utilized as a way of describing the process through which personal suffering, when experienced creatively, becomes more than the isolated pathological source of the therapist’s private emotional wounds, being transformed to provide the main psychological background through which deep healing of the client's own trauma may occur on a personal and transpersonal level. It is, therefore, argued that creative use of the countertransference implies ongoing, active reflection by the therapist on the meaning and purpose of personal suffering, as occurs in some spiritual disciplines. This practice is adumbrated through a framework of conceptualisation derived from Orthodox Christian spirituality, employing the Jungian archetype of the ‘Wounded Healer’ in parallel to theological claims concerning the suffering of Jesus Christ, and the broader significance of suffering and evil in Christian theology. Parallels, similarities and differences between religious and psychological imagery and concepts are suggested throughout, which may prompt further exploration of areas of convergence and divergence between analytical psychology and Christian theology in particular, and between psychology and religion in general.

У овом раду полазим од две методолошке претпоставке: 1) Култура се може очитати из језика; 2) Култура је целина, те се може објективно испитати само огледањем с другом целином. Полазећи од лексике, примењујем широку филолошку методологију да бих упоредио православну и модерну језичку слику света, предвиђајући да ће се православна догма показати релевантним и ревелаторним поредбеним еквивалентом савременог дискурса. Нагласак стављам на учење о апокалипси и на појам прелести. Утврђујем да је тај негативни појам у више језика претрпео нормализацију кроз губљење наслеђених речи осуде (прелест) те њихову дискредитацију (лаж), семантичку рестрикцију (превара) и неутрализацију (мнење); кроз афирмативно превредновање (машта) и еуфемистичко преименовање (пи-ар); најзад противосуду (теорија завере) која инкорпорира критичке неологизме (дезинформација). Појам истовремено бележи ширење које обухвата савремене праксе манипулације и кључне речи цивилизације (информисање, ИТ, јавно мнење). Прелест је тиме увећана а њена критика онемогућена променом лексичке и семантичке структуре. Ова промена демонстрира на који начин језик обликује и изражава постистински поглед на свет. Очигледна, битна и епохална, она представља знак времена, који по православној догми јесте апокалиптичан.

In this paper, I proceed from two methodological assumptions: 1) Culture can be read from language; 2) Culture is a whole, and it can be objectively examined only in comparison with another whole. Starting from the lexicon, I apply a broad philological methodology to compare the Orthodox and the modern linguistic picture of the world, predicting that Orthodox dogma will prove to be a relevant and revelatory comparative equivalent of contemporary discourse. The emphasis is on the teaching of the apocalypse and the notion of deception. I find that in several languages this negative notion has undergone normalization through: the disappearance of the inherited words of condemnation (srp. prelest), their disrepute (lie), semantic restriction (fraud) and neutralization (seduction); affirmative revaluation (dream) and euphemistic renaming (PR); finally counter-condemnation (conspiracy theory), which incorporates critical neologisms (disinformation). At the same time, the notion is experiencing an extension which includes modern practices of manipulation and key words of civilization (information, IT, public opinion). The deception is thus increased and its critique prevented by the change of lexical and semantic structure. This change demonstrates how language shapes and expresses a post-truth world view. Obvious, essential and epochal, the change represents a sign of the times, one which according to Orthodox dogma is apocalyptic.

Inscriptions on altar tables from Strandzha
Summary

The paper examines the restoration of the church network in the Strandzha Mountains region around the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, tracing the interaction between builders and icon painters from the vicinity of Gabrovo and Tryavna within the context of this process. The study is based on fieldwork and archival research under the project entitled Comprehensive and Innovative Methods for Identification and Study of the Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Central and Eastern Strandzha against the Backdrop of Migration and Demographic Decline, funded by the National Science Fund of Bulgaria. Here, published for the first time, are the inscriptions on the altar tables of the churches in that area. The historical records available testify to a large-scale, targeted policy aimed at reviving and fostering local church/religious life in the decades following the Russo-Turkish Liberation War of 1877-1878 in the territory of the Municipality of Sredets (as opposed to the Municipality of Malko Turnovo, which remained within the borders of the Ottoman Empire up until 1912). Under the authority and supervision of Seraphim, Metropolitan of Sliven, and his Vicar Bishop and successor Gervasius of Leuke, the local church municipalities attracted builder teams from the vicinity of Gabrovo, which over time renovated the war-damaged temples in the town of Sredets and the village of Svetlina and built new churches in the villages of Gorno and Dolno Yabalkovo, Bistrets, Momina Tsarkva and, most probably also the churches in the villages of Fakia, Valchanovo and Varovnik. Active participants in this process were Dimitar Minev and Georgi Dimitrov, master icon painters from the town of Tryavna who painted icons for most of the abovementioned churches.

The five “Theological Orations” of Gregory of Nazianzus represent at once Gregory's public response to his theological opponents as well as the most sustained and systematic presentation of his own Trinitarianism. They begin with an explicit address to the "Eunomians," the Neo-Arian followers of Eunomius of Cyzicus. Composed on the eve of the Nicenes' return to power in Constantinople after forty years in the ecclesiastical wilderness, the Theological Orations are presented as a vade mecum for a community still under persecution.
This paper demonstrates how the set of Theological Orations constitute a response to another handbook compiled for a different theological community under persecution: the Syntagmation of Aetius. This short text begins with an address by Aetius to his persecuted "Anomoean" followers and takes the form of a list of questions and answers for use in theological disputes. Gregory's orations should be read in conjunction with the Syntagmation, as Gregory responds point-for-point to the concerns raised by Aetius and positions himself against the followers of Eunomius, the disciple and successor of Aetius himself.

Рад представља попис свих спомена (памети) и успомена (васпоминанија) светаца и непокретних празника по реду црквене године од 1.септембра до 31. августа, који се налазе у календарима венецијанских издања Божидара Вуковића. У основи је постављен најпотпунији месецослов у Псалтиру са посљедованијем из 1520. године, упоређен са подацима из следећих издања: Служабник 1519, Молитвеник 1521. и готово исти с њим Молитвеник из 1536, Mинеј 1538. и Требник 1538-40. Називи и имена су нормализовани према Православном Светачнику Хризостома (Столића) и ковинскоме Месецослову Јерусалимскога типика у издању В. Савића. У првом делу наводимо спомене дан по дан, у другом делу дајемо азбучни именик светих и празника. Рад је замишљен као почетна база за реконструкцију српскословенског црквеног календара и репертоара календарских богослужбених текстова у штампаним књигама XVI столећа. Следећа етапа истраживања укључиће податке унутар текстова (служби, тропара, кондака, молитава) који су у тај списак ушли у незнатном броју, а осим тога и спомене светих ван непокретног календара.
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The paper presents a list of immovable feasts and all memories of saints which were enumerated in the Božidar Vuković’s Venetian editions of calendars. Basically, the complete list with at least one saint for each day of the year we can find in Psaltir saposledovanjem i časlovcem (Psalter with horologion, 1520). In this paper, Psaltir is compared with the data from the following editions: Služabnik (Priest’s Service Book, 1519), Molitvenik (Prayer Book, 1521) and an almost identical to it Molitvenik (Prayer Book, 1536), as also with Minej praznični (Festal Menaion, 1538) and Trebnik (Book of Needs, 1538-40). All names and titles are normalized according to the Pravoslavni Svetačnik of Chrysostom (Stolić) and to the Mesecoslov Jerusalimskoga Tipika in the edition of V. Savić.
The paper consists of two parts: the first is a list of saints and holidays presented in the order of the church year (from September 1st to August 31st). In the second list, all names and holidays are in alphabetical order. This work is thought as a basis for the future reconstruction of the Serbian church calendar and the repertoire of calendar liturgical texts in printed books in XVI century. The next step of the research will include materials from the inside texts (services, troparia, kontakia, prayers) which mention other names of saints, when their memories don’t make part of the calendar rubrics.

The article examines material situation of orthodox parish clergy of the Ekate-rinburg district on the eve of carrying out church reforms by the government of Alex-ander II. The author compares a situation on city, rural and factory parishes (both state, and private plants are considered). The article is based on materials the clergy registers of the Ekaterinburg district of the Perm province. Clergy registers have high information potential, allow to reveal the main official sources of the income of parish clergy. The article examines the extent to ensure the parish clergy allotments (arable land and hayfields), housing, which could compensate for the lack of salary and natural payments. Besides, the assessment of clergy of their material position on the eve of reforms and after their carrying out is compared (at the end of the seventies– the beginning of eighties of the nineteenth century).

The primary purpose of this article is to analyze the government-debt crisis in Greece between 2008 and 2015 from a historical and psychological perspective, utilizing Jungian theory of archetypes. Thus, the proposed archetypes, responsible for the internal and external culture clashes, are the Intellectual, the Merchant, and the Patriarch. The secondary purpose of this article is to draw an analogy between the happenings of the Greek government-debt crisis and the current chaos of coronavirus era and offer several lessons that may help to change the course of the history, or at least individual perception of it.

This article analyzes the speeches prepared by John Paul II for the annual visits of Bulgarian delegations on the occasion of celebrations of the Saints Cyril and Methodius (around May 24 th). The fourteen texts prepared for these visits together with his speeches during the Pope's Apostolic Journey to Bulgaria in 2002 and during the presentations of letters of credence for Bulgarian Ambassadors to the Holy See present a very interesting and understudied material for a better analysis of the Pope's Slavic, ecumenical and European ideas. The Pope sees this tradition as a continuation of politics of John XXIII and Paul VI.

The Problem: Christianity-or rather Christendom itself-is failing. It isn't reaching young people at sustainable rates. Christians (by birth) are denying God, or the Resurrection, citing atheist or other arguments based in semi-scientific facts, but mostly anti-scientific paradigms (such as the Dark Universe/Big Bang, etc.) and cosmologies which deny the evidence in the rock and histories of mankind. The schism of mind, body, spirit, and soul is not merely Descartian, or Aristotlian, it is downright anti-Renaissance, and even denies the uniqueness of mankind (and other sentience), claiming coincidence and other fallacies. The resultant is a decay of marriage, family, Western Civilization, honor, justice, education, medicine (away from the barbaric), morality and the noble purpose of Science. This is because Science inherently is not designed to have a moral center, it is presumed a wise scientist of good birth will bring this with him. But increasingly science is commanded by non-Christian centers, and in fact may now be centered in what could be termed nearly purely Asiatic centers, where the stream of consciousness of the Great Enlightenment and its great Christian thinkers has no sway. Christendom begins to leak, like a ship with many holes in its vessel. Preachers embezzle, deacons have affairs, bishops cover up for pedophilia, and the entire ship begins to sink. People get off, and abandon Christ, though He has never abandoned them.

“My heart, my child, is a garden,” was a word that Elder Iakovos of Evia often gave to his spiritual children. He did not merely love nature and living things for their own sake, but for what they revealed to him about God and His Saints. For the elder, the prayers of the Church and the natural world were the two schoolmasters leading him to Christ. Like the apostles of old, he was an “unschooled, ordinary man” under extremely poor conditions who nevertheless attained extraordinary spiritual heights. Though poorly educated and growing up as a refugee from foreign oppressors, he was granted the grace to, “become all things to all men” and counsel people from all walks of life. His simple and unquestioning obedience won him a profound humility and the ability to command demons and saints alike as if they were his servants. Finally, he was able to turn weaknesses into strengths and overcome a tendency to fear and panic by constant prayer and extreme asceticism.

This collection of studies by social anthropologists describes the complex and often controversial processes of religious change occurring in the postsocialist world. By critically examining the influx of missionaries, the adoption of ‘new’ faiths, and the reactions to these unanticipated shifts in religious landscape, the authors offer valuable insight into the fate of state supported secularism as well as providing fresh critiques of anthropological studies of conversion.

The article is based on the memoirs and interviews, and attempts to address the pastoral practice of the well known Orthodox priest, archpriest Alexander Men (1935-1990). The author examines his attitude towards reading of the Holy Scripture, to the common prayer of the priest together with the lay people, to the way he thought the new Christians should participate in the Liturgy. The author also discusses the reading practices of the congregation of father Alexander and the characteristics of his spiritual guidance. The author comes to the conclusion that the pastoral practices of the father Alexander were traditional for the Orthodox Church, but to a certain extent, he has adapted them to the needs of his parishioners. The author notes that further study of the pastoral care of father Alexander Men must contain the comparison with the pastoral practices of his contemporaries and predecessors (for example, priests Nikolay Golubtsov and Dimitry Dudko).

В статье на основе мемуарных свидетельств и интервью делается попытка рассмотреть пастырские практики известного православного священника протоиерея Александра Меня (1935–1990). Автор рассматривает его отношение к чтению Священного Писания, к совместной молитве со священником, к тому, как новоначальные христиане должны участвовать в литургии. Также автор останавливается на круге чтения прихожан отца Александра и на особенностях его духовного руководства. Автор приходит к выводу, что пастырские практики отца Александра были традиционны для Православной церкви, но при этом в определенной степени адаптировались им к потребностям его прихожан. Автор отмечает, что дальнейшее исследование пастырства отца Александра Меня должно идти в сопоставлении с пастырскими практиками его современников и предшественников (например, священников Николая Голубцова и Димитрия Дудко).

Orthodox Christianity has, unfortunately, a tumultuous relationship with natural theology. Some theologians, such as Vladamir Lossky and John Zizoulas, have appraised the philosophical projects of Medieval Scholasticism and its progeny with hesitant skepticism at best, and outright condemnation at worst. Others, like Richard Swinburne and David Bradshaw, not only have a positive view of natural theology, they have incorporated its methodology into their own philosophical and theological writings. In this paper, I will argue that natural theology plays an integral role in the development of orthodox spirituality by inspiring within persons a feeling of natural wonder. This feeling, over time, renders the individual more open to the full content of the Orthodox faith. First, I will define Natural Theology and explain why some are resistant to its methodology and conclusions and make a case for its historical existence within Orthodoxy. Next, I will offer an account of "natural wonder" and explain how natural theology generates this emotion in persons. Finally, I will explain how natural theology can assist in the development of Orthodox Spirituality through the use of natural wonder.

THE earliest known Orthodox scholar and apologist writing in Arabic, Bishop Theodore Abu Qurrah (ca. 755-829), left an invaluable legacy of Arabic Christian literature revealing to us the world of his time. He fought for the unity of Christians by seeking to clarify, using reason and the Holy Scriptures, the doctrines of the Church to others. Although he believed faith to be superior to reason, Abu Qurrah never hesitated to use reason to establish the truth of Christian doctrine, which is itself not illogical. Abu Qurrah, like the Apostle Paul, saw himself as a soldier of Christ (cf. Ephesians 6:10-17); and, as a true successor of the Apostle, he happily took upon himself the responsibility of disseminating the word of truth. Abu Qurrah’s writings speak volumes to us today, more than a millennium after his death.
This first English translation of Abu Qurrah’s On the Confirmation of the Law of Moses, the Gospel and Orthodoxy exemplifies his efforts to defend the Orthodox Faith with all the dialectical means at his disposal in the new intellectual milieu created (and dominated) by Islam. Because of his unshakable faith, Abu Qurrah refuses to give ground to those hostile to Orthodoxy, ably using the secular wisdom of the day against his opponents. In his Confirmation, Abu Qurrah brilliantly overthrows the arguments of Jewish controversialists (and, by extension, those of Muslim apologists), and then proceeds to expose the fallacies of the heretical Christians of his time, who (like heretics today) defied the Church’s Ecumenical Councils.

The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church took place on Crete 19-26 June 2016, and the main sessions took place in a small Cretan village of Kolymbari. This remote destination concluded century-long journey of preparations and efforts, challenges and obstacles on the way towards the Council, which became an extraordinary event, although the Councils shall constitute natural order of the church’s decision-making process and serve as an expression of its unity.

Mультимедийная лекция, посвященная 1000-летию памяти Владимира Святого – Крестителя Руси († 1015),  в Международном мультимедийном пресс-центре МИА «Россия сегодня» (Президентский зал) 4 Марта 2015 г. (17:00) в рамках нового мультимедийного проекта «Sputnik. Чтения»: http://1000vladimir.ru/2015/03/15/v-moskve-proshla-multimedijnaya-lekciya-istorika-professora-o-g-ulyanova-kreshhenie-vladimira-svyatogo-i-nachalo-rusi/

Рассматриваются имена, которыми в календарном обрядовом фольклоре обозначается Масленица, воспринимаемая антропоморфно. Оба основных имени – Авдотья (Дуня) и Прасковея – восходят к календарным олицетворениям христианских святых: св. Евдокии и св. Параскевы-Пятницы. В простонародном восприятии Евдокия, Параскева-Пятница, Масленица имеют много общего.

Cyril lived in a Day when everyone was flocking to join the church. But he insisted that God required commitment and sincerity! By quoting many scriptures on the Old and New Testament, he insured that Baptism had the reverence and respect that it deserves. This is the 17th in 18 lectures that Baptismal Candidates (or catechumens) were required to attend during the 40 days preceding the great feast of Pasca (Easter) The Baptism of Water and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Anointing with holy oil) took place simultaneously, always on the eve of Easter Sunday: a tradition that continues today in the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Проблемот на екологијата нè загрижува сите, па и мисијата на Црквата го согледува овој проблем низ призмата на теологијата.
Тука исцрпно се согледуваат поимите, причините и последиците за појава на кризата, па се бара решение за надминување на истата.
Православната мисија дава решенија само преку литургискиот живот и аскезата на секој човек и доближување кон Бог.

Dit artikel onderzoekt de relatie van de tegenwoordige orthodoxe, oosters-christe-lijke theologie tot de mensenrechten. Tegenwoordige controverses worden in een grotere historische context geplaatst, waarbij de achtergronden van de verschil-lende posities van het oosters christendom worden toegelicht, bijvoorbeeld ten aan-zien van actuele onderwerpen zoals kerk en staat, universalisme van mensenrech-ten of theologische antropologie. De stelling is dat er nog veel schatten te vinden zijn in deze theologische traditie, die echter ten bate van allen nog moeten worden opgedolven. In maart 2016 hield patriarch Kirill van de Russisch-Orthodoxe Kerk een preek in zijn 'huiskerk', de Christus-Verlosser-Kathedraal te Moskou, waarin hij opriep om het christelijk geloof te verdedigen tegen wat hij 'een globale heresie [ketterij] van de mensenverering' noemde. Aan de mens en zijn egoïsme en zijn grillen worden volgens de patriarch tegenwoordig alle rechten toegekend, terwijl God geleidelijk uit de samenleving wordt verdreven. 1 Ook al zei hij het niet expliciet, toch is deze preek vaker in de Russische pers samengevat als een aanval op de mensenrechten. In het Westen heeft men hier weinig aandacht aan besteed. De alleen in het Rus-sisch gehouden en niet gepubliceerde toespraak is grotendeels aan de aandacht van westerse getuigen ontsnapt. Het lijkt immers alsof het anders genoeg aanlei-ding had geleverd voor een schandaal-nog eens een voorbeeld van de naar het schijnt al bekende achterstand en het autoritarisme van de orthodoxe kerken. Dat is minstens het stereotiepe beeld. Naar het schijnt hebben de kerken in over-wegend orthodoxe landen zoals Rusland, Griekenland, Roemenië en Bulgarije 2 dit stereotype bij veel gelegenheden bevestigd. Hierbij valt te denken aan protesten van orthodoxe clerici tegen popconcerten in Athene, de draconische straffen die voor de punkband Pussy Riot werden geëist, de anti-homowetgeving in Rusland en vele andere voorbeelden, waarover in de westerse pers regelmatig irritant ver-slag wordt gegeven gedurende de laatste jaren. Het was volgens sceptische inschattingen al snel na het einde van het communisme dat de orthodoxe kerken moeite hadden met individuele vrijheden en met een seculiere staat; ze zijn dank-zij hun theologische traditie dichter bij conservatieve, of zelfs autoritaire en theo-1 'Patriarch Kirill prizval k zasjtsjite very ot "global"noi eresi tsjelovekopoklonstva', Interfax 20 maart 2016, geraadpleegd via www. interfax. ru/ russia/ 499346. 2 Dit artikel neemt vooral de Oost-Europese orthodoxe kerken van de Byzantijnse traditie in ogen-schouw. Hiernaast is er ook een rijke theologische traditie bij de christenen in het Midden-Oos-ten: in Turkije, Libanon, Syrië, Irak enz. Deze kerken hebben een lange geschiedenis als religieuze minderheden en van co-existentie met de islam. Hierop kan hier echter niet verder worden inge-gaan.

From a secular perspective, certain religious techniques of self-transformation, such as the complete subordination of an individual to a spiritual leader, appear to violate fundamental human rights and are hence unacceptable. Conversely, religious traditions offer a different view of the subject and their welfare and the means by which this welfare can be achieved. Nowadays, however, the secular environment in which they operate affects religious groups. As a result, some techniques of self-transformation reflect a mixture of secular and religious worldviews. This article examines techniques of self-transformation in contemporary Russian Orthodox convents. It explores how the notion of spiritual growth is influenced by a paradox in the Russian Orthodox concept of sainthood involving a proportional relationship between the profound perception of one’s sinfulness and the increase of one’s virtues. The secular understanding of time that prevails in contemporary monasteries highlights this contradiction and calls into question the possibility for spiritual growth. By focusing on the diachronic dimension of self-transformation techniques, this article challenges current understandings of secular and non-secular agency.