Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose): Misconceptions in Orthodoxy

People come to Orthodoxy and the Lord along different roads. Someone is born into a sincerely believing family and from early childhood perceives Christian dogmas and canons. And other people go through a long journey of quest, filled with false ideals, sinful thoughts and actions, as well as disappointments.

But, having gone through suffering, they open their hearts to the Lord with childlike spontaneity and try to carry His Word to those around them. This was the road to God for Eugene Dennis Rose, known to Orthodox people under the name of Hieromonk Seraphim.

Eugene Rose grew up as an introverted child and focused on his studies.

Eugene Dennis Rose was born on August 12, 1934 in San Diego. These were the years of the Great Depression, so the family had no time to gain spiritual knowledge or simply show affection to each other. There was simply not enough food - what was there to do with anything else.

His older sister made a significant contribution to Eugene’s upbringing.

His mother was strict, and therefore his older sister made a significant contribution to Eugene’s upbringing.

He grew up uncomplaining, very obedient and withdrawn. Eugene’s relationships with his peers were not going well, but he was doing well in mastering school material.

Eugene’s hobbies include two:

1. Piano.
2. Scout activities.

In 1952, Eugene graduated from school. Its management noted the young man’s success, named him its first student and awarded him a serious scholarship.

Notes

1. [hristov.narod.ru/letopis5.html]
2. [www.shestodnev.ru/Seraphim/StSeraphim.htm Venerable Seraphim of Platinum (Rose).]
3. [karelin-r.ru/newstrs/118/1.html Website of Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin).]
4. [www.saint-fathers.org/serafim-rouz.html Hieromonk Seraphim Rose at saint-fathers.org.]
5. [shestodnev.ortox.ru/prepodobnyjj_serafim_platinskijj_%28rouz%29/view/id/1109795 Venerable Seraphim of Platinsky (Rose). Preparation of materials for canonization.]
6. [www.aolshanski.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=340:2012-03-23-15-10-25 Violetta Yufereva.
   “Procession from the Kursk province” (quoted by Seraphim Rose).]
7. [rousserafim.narod.ru/splatin.html International Christian Mission of St. Seraphim of Platinum.]
8. [old.eparhia-saratov.ru/txts/journal/articles/05ascent/2_1.html]

As soon as he left his home, Eugene lost interest in Christianity

While studying at school, Eugene did not bother to think about the future. He had enough of studying, piano and scouts. And now life required a decision - where to go, who to study next?

The choice fell on a private college in Pomona, as this institution was considered one of the most prestigious.

Father Seraphim (Rose)

As soon as he escaped from his mother's care, Eugene threw aside all his mother's Christian views. He wasn't interested. By his own statement, Eugene did not find the truth in Christianity. I wanted to look for it somewhere else.

In the priesthood

In the monastery they founded, Seraphim Rose continued to write religious works and, in addition, together with his spiritual brother, became involved in active missionary work. They did not stop the previously begun publication of the “Orthodox Messenger” brochures.

The next step on the path of spiritual growth was his ordination to the priesthood in 1977. From now on, Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) received the right to personally perform the sacrament of baptism over those whom he and his brother Herman managed to convert to Orthodoxy (photo above).

For some time, Eugene was impressed by the teacher of Chinese philosophy

The search for a new foundation for spiritual life drew Eugene’s attention to Chinese philosophy—more precisely, not even to it itself, but to the Chinese professor Zhi Min-shen. This man was well versed in the heritage of his culture, lived for some time in an eastern monastery, and quoted the classics by heart.

There was not a drop of arrogance, guile, or negativity in him. This is one of the most positive people who had a great influence on Eugene Rose.

There was nothing to reproach Zhi Ming-shen for, and his love for his culture, Eastern traditions and philosophy made a strong impression on Eugene. It seemed that a new path in life had been found, but Zhi Ming-shen suddenly disappeared.

Eugene always remembered the professor with warmth, but as soon as he disappeared, he realized that Chinese philosophy attracted him only in the presence of his mentor. Eugene was unlikely to be sincerely interested in her, because he immediately abandoned her.

Beginning of active work

In the early 60s, young people began publishing religious brochures, “Orthodox Messenger,” and then opened their own shop, where they sold Orthodox books and icons. Over time, it turned into one of the spiritual centers of America. At the same time, Rose studied at theological school and served as a reader in the city cathedral.

However, Rose and his friend Gleb did not stop there. Wanting to establish a spiritual brotherhood, they purchased a plot of land in a forested area in northern California and opened a monastery there, much like those created by Russian ascetics of Orthodoxy in past centuries. Having moved into it, the friends accepted monasticism in October 1970, and Eugene took the name of a saint he greatly revered - St. Seraphim of Sarov, and Gleb - Herman of Alaska. Thus, the Orthodox world found two new monks, Seraphim and Herman. A photograph of their cell concludes the article.

Esotericist and teacher Alan Watts had a strong bad influence on Eugene

Life confronted Eugene with a new mentor. His name was Alan Watts. He grew up in a Christian environment, but did not have much interest in it. Actually, Alan Watts was not interested in any particular religious or philosophical tradition.

He was one of those people who, as they say, “gallop across Europe.” Alan Watts grabbed at everything, but did not dig deep anywhere.

One day he set out to become a Buddhist priest, realized that this did not suit him, and then became an Anglican. But he didn’t stay here either - because of adultery, his wife divorced him, and Alan Watts was forced to quit serving and preaching in 1950.

Alan Watts was a bad example for Eugene Rose, called the hippie movement Buddhism and taught these ideas to his students

Alan Watts felt that he could become a teacher, and three years later he became the head of the Academy of Oriental Studies. Contemporaries reported the following about Watts' competence as a teacher:

“No one in this world could, like Watts, explain the essence of the mystical religions of the East, while at the same time introducing even more mystery.”

Watts was an influential man, and his ideas attracted Eugene, although he later spoke about the teacher in a far from positive way:

“His philosophy is “a justification of the natural joys of life... And for this he either adopts different religions or denies them (when it is convenient for him)... This is dishonest. If you are quoting from religious sources, be so kind as to present the thought in full, relying on the entire teaching as a whole. By arbitrarily excerpting quotes that are convenient for him, he only reveals disrespect for the sources: they are just fun for him, because he himself is the deity. In this he is at one with other false shepherds.”

Alan Watts did not find refuge in any one religion, but tried to invent his own worldview system. She borrowed everything convenient from the teachings superficially known to Watts and rejected everything that was not to his taste.

This approach brought Watts into the hippie movement. Actually, he himself made enough efforts to organize this new fashion.

Alan Watts chose hippie culture over spirituality.

Watts' spiritual practices included taking drugs, free love, drinking, and living the life of a useless, listless, worthless person. He did not hesitate to identify all this with Buddhism.

It’s scary to think what such a teacher “taught” his students when he spoke about the East. In 1973, Watts died of bad habits, leaving behind a significant literary legacy on semi-spiritual themes.

Cold formalism

Another mistake that occurs among Orthodox Christians, and is especially painful for those who have not yet come to faith, can be called “cold formalism”: all attention is paid to the external side of Orthodoxy, as if our faith lies in pompous ceremonies and official acts.

The high priests and Pharisees fell into the same mistake during the time of the Savior: if church life is organized and streamlined, if everything is done according to the official instructions of the hierarchy, if services are performed without errors and look impressive, then you can easily forget what the Gospel says and crucify Himself Christ without a twinge of conscience...

Often cold formalism is combined with complete indifference to practical work: why such effort? why help your neighbor? why worry about some common Orthodox cause? It is precisely under this guise that Orthodoxy often appears at ecumenical meetings, and it, of course, cannot attract seekers of truth. Recently I had to talk with one Protestant, an ardent believer, whose acquaintance with Orthodoxy for many years was limited to such an “official” side; you should have seen his joy when he became convinced that the essence of Orthodoxy is not this at all, that it is the burning of the heart and the preaching of the Gospel, following the example of all our great saints.

Eugene imitated Alan Watts and adopted his bad habits

Eugene largely followed the example of his second teacher. Having a thirst for knowledge, he absorbed everything that Alan Watts taught. Eugene also tried to copy the teacher’s manners and began to lead an idle lifestyle:

• Ate in restaurants;
• Smoked expensive cigarettes;
• Attended the opera;
• Went to the theater;
• I drank elite wines.

Eugene Rose in his youth
Education became not so much a goal as a means to become known as an intellectual.

Writer Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev died near Paris

Discussion: 3 comments

1. Vedilin Victor. Cossack.:
   09/04/2007 at 00:00

   I agree with the words of Fr. Seraphim about the possibility of restoring the Kingdom of Russia only through popular repentance. I'm sad that he's gone. My heart bleeds at the sight of how the Russian people, speaking about the desire of the Tsar in Russia, continue to participate in a democratic frenzy. It is impossible to accomplish a work pleasing to God (restoration of the Orthodox Monarchy) by satanic means (participation in political parties and elections). Think again, Orthodox Christians. A local council is what we must prepare for through fasting and prayer. Otherwise, we won’t even have a “good shop manager.” Let's repent - let's rise from our knees! For Faith, Tsar and Fatherland!

2. just a wanderer:

   02/03/2009 at 00:00

   Seraphim Rose is right when he speaks about the repentance of people, but first of all, the ability to turn away the wrath of God can only be gained through the repentance of the church. Jonah's prophecy - the sign is the very appearance of the word of God, with a call to repentance. And not the great miracles with which the Antichrist, called the Lawless One, will amaze the imagination of the world. Jonah did not speak for himself. but the word of God came to him.

   for some reason no one takes this sign into account.

   And as for the king of the future - this is really not so much a secular - historical event, as a historically spiritual one.

3. russkiyantisemit:

   09/06/2009 at 00:00

   “To the Wanderer”: Well, yes, well, yes, everyone prophesies what is said by the “bright angel”, they easily believe what is said themselves, and they easily assure us. It was not said to them: “The son of man command the people...”! But the phrase “Historically spiritual event” threw me completely (on my back). It doesn't happen like that! Yandex has never seen such phrases! Shall we consider it a typo? So I can’t believe that the monarchy will be restored in Russia! After all, no one except the “small herd” needs it! But the Jews “clung on to the death,” and there is no human strength to overcome the decline of spirit. The law is: “It is easier to fall,” and an effort of human free will is required to “rise from the mud.” Therefore, I think: “staring into the foggy future” is unconstructive, but living a “full life” according to the Gospel Laws is saving!

A friend brought Eugene to church, and he decided to become Orthodox.

Eugene Rose's search for spiritual refuge ended in Orthodoxy. One day, a fellow student took him to the Cathedral of All Who Sorrow in San Francisco. There Eugene saw the elderly, stooping Archbishop Tikhon. He impressed Eugene so much that he made him reconsider his views on Christianity.

Eugene knew almost nothing about Orthodoxy, which once again testifies to the level of competence of his teachers from the academy, where they were supposed to give an idea of ​​all the world's religions. And the parents could not tell their son anything about this:

1. Eugene’s father even thought that Orthodoxy was synonymous with Catholicism.
2. Mother believed that Orthodoxy was something like communism.

Eugene tried to get to know Orthodoxy better, and it fascinated him. Without thinking twice, he abandoned his scientific career, which promised a teaching position, and became a member of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad.

Eugene Rose with a cat named Alexander. San Francisco. Early 1960s

In search of a spiritual path

Within the walls of the academy, he studied in depth Buddhism, Sufism, Judaism, Hinduism and a number of other religions. It is interesting to note that Seraphim Rose studied each of them in its own language, which speaks of his extraordinary linguistic abilities. He also spoke most European languages.

Thanks to his in-depth knowledge of Latin and French, Rose became closely acquainted with the works of the prominent philosopher and metaphysician of the first half of the 20th century, Rene Guenon, who pushed him to search for an authentic, that is, the most complete and genuine religious tradition. In his quest, he tried to maximally expand the range of religious and philosophical views he studied.

Eugene converted to Orthodoxy, was interested in Russia, and managed to reach the rank of hieromonk before his death

Since 1962, Eugene has been an Orthodox Christian. He actively participates in the life of the Church:

1. Teaches Russian and Church Slavonic languages.
2. Gets acquainted with the Orthodox faith.
3. Publishes the educational bulletin “Orthodox Messenger”.
4. He opens a shop with church utensils, icons and books.
5. Studying theological courses.
6. Conducts missionary talks.
7. Writes articles on Orthodox topics.
8. Helps organize an Orthodox monastery.

Perhaps it can be argued that Orthodoxy is the only religion with which Rose became acquainted so deeply and which evoked such a response in his soul.

In 1969, Eugene settled in a monastery, and in 1970 he took monastic vows. From that moment on, he received such an unusual name - Seraphim Rose.

1977

this year Seraphim Rose became a priest and ended his career as a hieromonk

All his life he showed great interest in Russia, preached and wrote works on Orthodox topics.

On September 2, 1982, Father Seraphim died after a serious illness.

LiveInternetLiveInternet

The history of the Orthodox Church knows a host of remarkable devotees of piety, a galaxy of outstanding theologians and preachers of the Gospel of Christ.
But there is a special category of historical figures who themselves are signs, symbols of the spiritual search of their time. The attitude towards such people is a kind of indicator that allows us to reveal the essence of many phenomena. In the 20th century, one of the most prominent representatives of this category of characters in Christian history, in our opinion, is Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose). Possessing neither a prominent hierarchical position, nor a significant academic department, nor high academic degrees, nor special oratorical talent, he managed to become a guide to Christ for many hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the Atlantic. And all this thanks to several small books in which the spirit of true Christianity breathed. Origin

Eugene (Eugene) Dennis Rose was born on August 12, 1934 in California, in the resort town of San Diego into a simple American family. His ancestors included French and Danish. Eugene's father, Frank Rose, a kind but weak-willed man, was indifferent to religion. However, paradoxically, it was he who subsequently supported his son in his quest for Orthodoxy. Eugene's mother Esther Rose was an energetic Protestant who changed several denominations not for doctrinal reasons, but solely because of her quarrelsome nature. Wanting to see her son become an academic scientist, for a long time she could not come to terms with his departure from the world and adoption of monasticism.

Rare mental talent manifested itself in Eugene at an early age. His mother said about him: “He grew up serious and diligent from childhood. And smart beyond their years. He was the first among his peers (and sometimes among adults) to grasp the essence of what he heard or saw”[4]. Already in high school, Eugene’s exceptional abilities for languages ​​became evident. He immediately began studying Spanish, German and French, and by the end of school he was already composing poetry in German. He also had excellent math skills, so his math teacher recommended him for a college scholarship.[5]

After graduating high school as the first student in the fall of 1952, he entered college in Pomona, near Los Angeles. At that time, along with Stanford, Pomona was considered the best private college in California and one of the main centers of liberal arts education in the United States. The usual interests of youth - cars, dancing, American football[6] - did not interest Eugene. He completely immersed himself in the study of philosophy and languages. Of the philosophers, he was most attracted to Spinoza, Schopenhauer and especially Nietzsche. During this period, Eugene completely lost faith in Protestantism, became “the most implacable atheist”[7] of all his fellow students and wrote in his course work: “By “God” I mean “the universe,” this is a more accurate definition, because I want to show Him not in a personal aspect, but in a generalized aspect...”[8]

In addition to European languages, Rose seriously studied Chinese, especially since the Pomona library had a wonderful collection of Chinese books and manuscripts. He had the rare ability to write down hieroglyphs from ear: he claimed that graphically they exactly corresponded to what they meant. He corresponded with Chinese language teacher Shu Yichen for several years after graduating from college.

Spiritual quest

While studying at Pomona, Rose became seriously interested in classical music, which gradually awakened in him a deep religious feeling. For hours he could listen to Mozart, Beethoven, Puccini, Monteverdi, Schumann and Bach, but he loved George Handel more than others. Of the Russian composers, he singled out P.I. Tchaikovsky and M.P. Mussorgsky. He himself knew how to play the piano and classical guitar, and studied the history and theory of music. His soul was in search of truth, but the path to it turned out to be quite difficult, tortuous and painful[9]. In his second year of college, Eugene heard a lecture by the famous Alan Watts, a formerly very famous Anglican theologian and priest, and later an orientalist, preacher of Zen Buddhism and ideological leader of American youth. The world of Zen Buddhism fascinated Rose for a long time, perhaps too long[10], because it offered the depth of search, ascetic lifestyle, self-denial and the possibility of mystical insight that the young student subconsciously yearned for. In 1956, having graduated from college with honors, Eugene Rose entered the Academy of Oriental Studies in San Francisco, where Alan Watts taught and was for some time the rector. Here Eugene studied comparative analysis of religions, which gave him the opportunity to try himself in various spiritual traditions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Sufism, etc. He studied each religion in its native language. For example, he read Confucian texts in ancient Chinese, the study of which he continued under the guidance of the remarkable expert on Chinese culture and traditions, Zhi Min-shen. At the same time, he perfected his knowledge of new European languages ​​and Latin.

Rene Guenon in the life of Rose

During this period, Rose first became acquainted with the works of the outstanding French metaphysical philosopher, mystic and polyglot Rene Guenon (1886–1951) and, following him, embarked on the path of searching for an authentic spiritual tradition. In the biographies of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), which precede the publications of his books in Russian, this fact is mentioned, if at all, in passing. Perhaps because for some time now Guenon has become widely popular among us in esoteric circles[11], and among the Orthodox, accordingly, his reputation is becoming more and more dubious. Thus, publishers are likely to fear that mentioning Eugene Rose's passion for his work might tarnish the image of the Platinum devotee. In our opinion, these fears are groundless: Saint Gregory the Wonderworker studied with Origen, whose teachings were anathematized by the Church, Saint John Chrysostom studied with Livanius, who was a pagan rhetorician, and Saint John of Damascus in the “Philosophical Chapters” is entirely dependent on the pagan philosopher Aristotle. Silencing the sources of ideological influences can only make it more difficult to understand the views of a church writer and theologian. Meanwhile, the influence of the “Cairo hermit,” both positive[12] and negative[13], on Rose’s worldview was very great. How great it is can only be assessed by those who have carefully read Guenon himself: after all, it is absolutely clear that later, having become an Orthodox writer, Hieromonk Seraphim did not consider himself obliged to refer to the “great initiate” every time. Below we will have to touch on this in more detail, but for now we will only note that it is useful to remember about Guenon’s original concepts when clarifying the genesis of both traditionalism and eclecticism in the books of Fr. Seraphim[14].

Eugene Rose and Thomas Merton

Around this time, Eugene Rose became familiar with the work of Roman Catholic writer Thomas Merton (1915–1968). The book “The Seven Storey Mountain”, which is Merton’s spiritual autobiography[15], left a deep imprint on his soul, but the author’s subsequent research in the field of “new Christianity” and “inclusive spirituality”, which led him to a strong passion Buddhism, noticeably spoiled the first favorable impression. Rose wrote several long letters to Merton[16], in which he correctly and consistently set out his objections, and in the book “Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future” he gave him a laconic but expressive description: “Catholic Trappist, electrocuted in Bangkok on the way back from this (ecumenical – Archpriest D.P.) conference”[17]. Not long ago, an interesting attempt was made to historically compare the life paths and spiritual quests of Merton and Rose[18]. This attempt is all the more curious because Merton himself had a keen interest in Orthodoxy: he studied the works of St. Theophan the Recluse, corresponded with Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), and followed the activities of Eugene Rose. But still, it seems to us, Merton’s influence on Rose should not be exaggerated. In his relations with people, Rose was very consistent: to those to whom he considered himself indebted (Zhi Ming-shen, Rene Guenon, St. John (Maximovich)), he maintained emphatic respect until the end of his life, much less gave them offensive characteristics. Nevertheless, it is very likely that it was Merton (brother Louis in monasticism) who first instilled in the heart of Eugene Rose the belief in the real possibility of leaving this world, accepting monasticism and building his life entirely on the principles of the Gospel. It should be mentioned that Rose’s intense studies at the Academy and active spiritual quest were accompanied by sharp attacks of despondency, which sometimes led to serious moral breakdowns and rash actions. His biographer writes: “Eugene would not wish the hell he experienced on anyone. He later said that it was scary to even mention the many sins that he knew in this hell, because the word about sin, released into the wild, could again be embodied in sin.”[19]

Coming to Orthodoxy

The impetus for Rose's keen interest in Orthodoxy was his friendship with Jon Gregson, a fellow student at the Academy of Oriental Studies, who introduced him to the Philokalia and brought him to a service at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of All Who Sorrow Joy in San Francisco. The service, led by Archbishop Tikhon (Troitsky) (1883–1963), made an indelible impression on the young American: “... As soon as I crossed the threshold of the Russian church in San Francisco, something hitherto unknown to me happened to me, either in Buddhist or other eastern temples. My heart told me: this is your home. I finally found what I was looking for. I couldn’t explain anything to myself; I didn’t understand the service, nor the Russian language.”[20]

After the blessed insight he experienced in the temple, Eugene Rose understood the limitations of Buddhism, although, under the lasting impression of Guenon’s books, he continued to study Chinese calligraphy, poetry and philosophy. He began attending Orthodox services, learning Russian and Church Slavonic, reading Dostoevsky in the original[21], and studying spiritual literature[22]. It is very interesting that back in 1957, five years before the adoption of Orthodoxy, while studying at the Academy of Oriental Studies, Rose wrote an essay “Pseudo-religions and modernity”, at the end of which he indicated that modern trends in religious and philosophical thought will lead to the reign of the Antichrist: “Humanity will please into this trap, will believe in a super-intelligent and strong personality and, as always, in search of the “light of truth”, will follow the obedient herd after the one who offers “the only true path” [23]. From this important fact we can conclude that eschatologism was present in his worldview even then, before his serious acquaintance with Orthodox theology[24]. In the spring of 1957, Eugene Rose left the Academy of Oriental Studies and entered the University of California at Berkeley in the fall of that year. Here he became close friends with Professor Pyotr Alekseevich Budberg (1903–1974), who was a Russian Orthodox, albeit non-church man, and at the same time an excellent expert in Chinese philology. Under Budberg's guidance, Eugene wrote a paper on the ancient dialects of Chinese, for which he received a master's degree in Oriental Studies. There is reason to believe that Budberg saw his successor in the department in the talented student.

In 1961, Rose completed his bachelor's thesis. At the university, he was predicted to have a brilliant career, but, unexpectedly for everyone, especially for his parents, he left his studies for the time necessary to write the book “The Kingdom of Man and the Kingdom of God” - a study of the spiritual state of modern man. The planned work required complete dedication from him. Not wanting to waste his mental strength and creative inspiration, Rose refused to teach at the university. To earn money for food and housing, he took a job as a janitor, which was not prestigious and relatively low-paid, but did not interfere with thinking about future work[25]. Rose never finished the planned book[26], but he never returned to the university. Presumably, the main reason why Eugene rejected an academic career was the spirit of careerism, formalism and hypocrisy that permeated the life of the university corporation. Rose felt that on the way to professorship, immersed in the routine of worldly, university and family life, he would forever lose the desire for Truth. We would hardly be wrong if we assume that this was a key moment in his life. If Rose had been a professor at the University of California, we would probably never have read his wonderful missionary books.

In February 1962, Eugene Rose received Orthodox chrismation in San Francisco. His godparents were Russian emigrants Dimitri Andre de Langeron[27] and his mother Svetlana Romanovna. The ritual of joining Orthodoxy was performed by Archpriest Nikolai Dombrovsky. From the day he joined Orthodoxy until his death, Eugene Rose belonged to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), and until the death of St. John of Shanghai (1966) he was his spiritual child. In 1961, even before Eugene became a member of the Church of Christ, he met a descendant of Russian emigrants, a graduate of the Orthodox seminary in Jordanville, Gleb Podmoshensky. Using a mechanical printing press, not much different from Gutenberg's, they began publishing the Orthodox Bulletin bulletin, then opened the Orthodox Icons and Books shop near the cathedral - one of the first in the United States, which became a significant missionary center of Russian Orthodoxy in America. Eugene studied Russian and Church Slavonic well and, although he spoke Russian with a strong American accent, was a reader in church, and graduated from theological school in San Francisco[28].

Asceticism in Platinum

In the mid-1960s, Eugene and Gleb founded an Orthodox brotherhood in honor of St. Herman of Alaska. In 1967, in northern California, in a picturesque mountainous area overgrown with dense forest, not far from the town of Platina, they acquired a plot of land on which they built a monastery. In 1969, Eugene and Gleb moved to the monastery for permanent residence, and in 1970 they took monastic vows: Eugene under the name Seraphim (in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov), and Gleb under the name Herman (in honor of St. Herman of Alaska). In the monastery, with renewed vigor and an updated electric printing press, they continued to publish the Orthodox Messenger. In addition, they wrote a lot, translated and published works of spiritual, educational, liturgical and theological content, and were active in missionary and catechetical activities.

In 1977, Monk Seraphim (Rose) was ordained to the rank of hieromonk. As people who knew him personally during his lifetime noted, in the last years before his death he changed a lot. If earlier he was very reserved, even dry, an introvert immersed in his experiences, a thoughtful and unapproachable philosopher, then after taking holy orders and, accordingly, beginning his pastoral work, he became more warm and cordially, more simple and loving towards people. Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) died on September 2, 1982 at the age of 48 from an incurable intestinal disease, discovered back in 1961. Before his death, he experienced severe pain[29]. However, after the death of Fr. Seraphim’s face was so joyful and enlightened that, contrary to custom, they did not cover it. In addition, witnesses to his burial noted the complete absence of the smell of decomposition, despite the hot weather[30].

Currently, the Brotherhood of St. Herman of Alaska has prepared materials for the canonization of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose). His icons were painted, a service was compiled, numerous cases of his gracious help and evidence of his veneration in different countries of the world were collected[31]. The Monastery of St. Herman of Alaska in California, where his remains rest, is one of the main centers of Orthodox pilgrimage on the American continent.

A brief overview of the works of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) The main published works of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) are as follows:

"The Orthodox View of Evolution" (1974); "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" (1975); "Soul after Death" (1980); “The Future of Russia and the End of the World” (1981); “When God Reveals to the Heart” (1981); “Orthodox patristic interpretations of the book of Genesis” (1981); “Orthodox Worldview” (1982); "Holy Fathers: The True Path of Christianity" (1983); “The Taste of True Orthodoxy” (1983); "Blessed John the Wonderworker" (1987); “Orthodox monasticism in Gaul 5-6 centuries” (1988); “In the footsteps of St. Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland and St. Gregory of Tours” (1990); "Man Against God" (1994); “Genesis: the creation of the world and the first Old Testament people. Christian Orthodox Knowledge" (2009); “American educator of the Russian people” (2010).

“The Orthodox View of Evolution” (1974) is a response letter from Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) to the Greek autodidact theologian and physician by profession who belonged to the Old Calendar schism, Alexander Kalomiros (1931–1990). In March 1974, Fr. Seraphim, wrote the first letter to Kalomiros, in which he asked to present his view on the theory of evolution. Hieromonk Seraphim was very impressed by Kalomiros’s book “Against

false unity”[32], in which he harshly criticized ecumenism. Sending a message to the Greek author, Fr. Seraphim hoped that the rumors that had reached him about Kalomiros's sympathies for evolutionism would be dispelled. But from Kalomiros’s answer it became clear that he is a staunch supporter of the theory of evolution, for whom Adam is an “evolved beast” [33], brought out of an animal state by grace in paradise [34], and denying evolution for him is tantamount to denying the Holy Scriptures [35]. This unexpected discovery prompted Hieromonk Seraphim to write a treatise in the form of a response letter, where he outlined his understanding of the theory of evolution, trying to base each thesis on patristic texts that interpreted the biblical theme of the creation of the world. Having nothing against strict science, which in its genuine discoveries cannot contradict the truth, Fr. Seraphim holds the idea that the theory of evolution is not a scientific fact, not even a theory in the strict sense of the word, but only a philosophical teaching that science itself can neither prove nor disprove. This work is about. Seraphim (Rose) was published as a separate brochure in Russian[36] and at one time aroused great interest, since, in essence, it was the first focused attempt in Orthodox literature to defend creationism in the face of evolutionism.

In the book “Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future,” which, along with the book “The Soul after Death,” is the greatest of all the works of Fr. Seraphim (Rose), popular in the Orthodox world, for the first time in modern Orthodox literature a large-scale critical analysis from a Christian perspective of various religious and pseudo-religious, spiritual and pseudo-spiritual movements of our time is presented. How Fr. tries to show. Seraphim, they all converge in a single goal: to prepare the world to accept the “religion of the future”[37] - the syncretic religion of the Antichrist. Of particular interest is the detailed and reasoned interpretation of UFOs as demonic temptations, with the aim of seducing gullible seekers of “alien brothers in mind.” At the same time, the main attractive side of this book is its tendency towards an all-encompassing synthesis; at the same time, there is also its objective drawback. Eclecticism of constructions about. Seraphim reaches her climax in this book. In fact, what can be common between such heterogeneous and by no means parallel phenomena as the “charismatic revival”, Hinduism, UFOs, the philosophy of N.A. Berdyaev and globalization? The answer suggested by the author’s intention, as well as the title and structure of the book, that all this is the essence of demonic machinations aimed at bringing religion and the kingdom of the Antichrist closer, frankly speaking, does not satisfy the requirements of scientific objectivity. Moreover, he brings to mind the witty statement of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, who at another time and on another occasion remarked: “To compare a Christian with a follower of Confucius is the same as comparing a theist with an English squire, or the belief in the immortality of the soul with the American way of life.” [38].

The content of the book “The Soul after Death” is concentrated around the topic of the posthumous fate of the soul, and modern material from the field of resuscitation clinical medicine is actively involved. Building on Dr. Raymond Moody's books Life After Life (1975) and Reflections on Life After Life (1977), as well as Robert Crookell's Out of the Body (1970) and similar works by other authors[39], Hieromonk Seraphim, relying on the asceticism of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and extensive hagiographic material[40], reveals the Orthodox experience of sober perception of the spiritual world. At the same time, he convincingly explains how this strict and cautious perception differs from the groundless optimism of modern secular humanity. The diversity and amazing diversity of the material presented in this book (the Tibetan “Book of the Dead”, the writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg, descriptions of the occult experiences of Robert Monroe, etc.) can here also lead to Fr. Seraphim is a well-deserved reproach for eclecticism. True, the extremely well-designed outline of this work[41], coupled with the author’s undeniable literary charisma, to a certain extent smoothes out the bewilderment from the kaleidoscopic specificity of his research method. The publication of several chapters from this book, first carried out in the Soviet Union by the magazine “Science and Religion” (No. 5, 1991), caused a great public outcry and was a real revelation for many seekers of truth[42].

“The Future of Russia and the End of the World” (1981) is a lecture by Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), delivered by him at the Congress of Orthodox Youth in San Francisco in August 1981. Here are collected prophecies and predictions of clergy of very different levels of authority about the future destinies of the world in general and Russia in particular. O. Seraphim was convinced of the special spiritual destiny of Russia[43]. If for our domestic thinkers Russian messianism is a fairly common phenomenon, then for an American to voice such ideas at the height of the Cold War, it was not enough to be imbued with the artificially inflated eschatological forebodings of the ROCOR, he had to truly love Russia and its Church[44].

“When God Reveals to the Heart” (1981) is a lecture given at the University of California at Santa Cruz as part of the comparative history of religion course “Religions of the World in the United States.” Published in Russian for the first time in 2010[45]. The difference between Orthodoxy and other religions is illustrated here using vivid examples from the lives of St. Nikita the Recluse of Pechersk, St. John of San Francisco, A.I. Solzhenitsyn, dissident Yuri Mashkov. It must be assumed that such a missionary move was justified: the lecture made a great impression, which would hardly have happened if Fr. Seraphim to American students on the subtleties of Orthodox dogma.

glorious patristic interpretations of the book of Genesis" (1981) - a course of lectures given by Fr. Seraphim at the Platinum Monastery in California for Orthodox youth as part of an event with the loud name “New Valaam Theological Academy”[46]. The interpretation of the first chapters of the book of Genesis here is based on the patristic works, which, however, does not interfere with Fr. Seraphim also expresses his views, which are sometimes very controversial[47]. Although the tone of the narrative is generally calm and neutral, the polemical anti-evolutionary orientation of this work is quite obvious.

“Orthodox Worldview” (1982) - a lecture by Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), delivered shortly before his death, during the St. Germanic pilgrimage in August 1982 in the St. Germanic Hermitage in Platina. It was published in Russian as a separate brochure at the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra entitled “How to be Orthodox today.” In a sense, this lecture is the result of the worldview searches of Fr. Seraphim, containing words of remarkable power: “Orthodoxy is life. If we do not live in the Orthodox way, we are simply not Orthodox, regardless of what faith we formally belong to.”[48]

“Holy Fathers: The True Path of Christianity” (1983) – an article published in the magazine “The Orthodox Word”, also published as a separate brochure. In 1991 it was published in Russian in “Russian Pilgrim” (No. 3). It contains an inspired call to follow the teachings of the Holy Fathers (of which only St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) is quoted at length), and sharp attacks on “Orthodox” academic theology, the personification of which for some reason is the “false researcher of Russian holiness and the Holy Fathers” G. P. Fedotov[49]. Listing the problems and temptations of the 20th century, Fr. Seraphim remains true to himself and his jurisdiction (ROCOR), along with euthanasia and abortion, mentioning “the subtle apostasy of Sergianism, replacing the Body of Christ with a church organization.”

“The Taste of True Orthodoxy” (1983) - an article originally published in the magazine “The Orthodox Word” (N 79, 80. 1978), and then as a separate brochure. This is an apology for Blessed Augustine, whose authority in the Orthodox world of the 20th century noticeably declined in the wake of the struggle against Latin influence. Motivation o. Seraphim is clear in this endeavor: the “rehabilitation” and popularization of ancient Western saints was one of the priority areas of his activity. To this should be added a more personal circumstance: the spiritual mentor Fr. Seraphim, St. John (Maksimovich), to the blessed. He treated Augustine “very respectfully” - so much so that he “wrote a service in honor of this saint and performed it every year.”[50] About the critics of the blzh. Augustine O. Seraphim responds here rather caustically and unfriendly[51]. Since the defense of St. Augustine, even with reservations, is always a delicate and in some ways even risky enterprise, Fr. Seraphim must be given his due - he showed enough caution, tact and knowledge of dogmatic theology in this work so as not to incur any justified accusations of deviating from Orthodox doctrine.

“Blessed John the Wonderworker” (1987) is a preliminary collection of materials about Archbishop John, which appeared partially in the magazine “The Orthodox Word” since 1966. Over this work Fr. Seraphim worked together with Abbot German (Podmoshensky). In addition to a brief biography of Archbishop John, the book contains a number of chapters with more detailed stories from his life. The tasks that the authors faced were: to reflect the worldwide veneration of Bishop John, which has manifested itself in the years that have passed since the day of his death; describe his posthumous miracles and phenomena; prepare the ground for his canonization. “Orthodox monasticism in Gaul in the 5th – 6th centuries” – an extended preface by Fr. Seraphim to his translation from Latin into English of the book of St. Gregory of Tours “Vita Patrum”, published in Platina in 1988[52]. Includes chapters: “Orthodox monasticism in Gaul of the 5th – 6th centuries”, “The Teaching of St. John Cassian”, “St. Faustus of Lyrins”, “Singer of the Western Desert St. Eucherius of Lyons”, “Orthodox monasticism today in the light of Orthodox monastic Gaul”. As you can see, the special love of Fr. Seraphim felt for the venerable Jurassic fathers Roman and Lupikin, brothers, whose life he retells in some detail in the chapter about the venerable Eucherius[53].

“In the footsteps of St. Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland and St. Gregory of Tours” (published in 1990) - a lecture with the subtitle “Ways of Salvation in the Modern World” and is a simple in form, but very lively in content, full of interesting life observations. about this theme. Little-known in the East, the lives of the ancient saints of Western Europe, St. Patrick and St. Gregory of Tours, act here as a reason for reflection on the Christian mission in the modern world: “We all belong to one nationality - the Christian race. The life of St. Patrick should be a modern phenomenon for us, something that applies to us now. What inspires us in this phenomenon exists precisely for our inspiration and to benefit us”[54]. “Man Against God” (published in 1994) - in the original, this religious and philosophical work was called “Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age” [55] (“Nihilism: the source of the revolution of the modern era”). The original title fully reveals its meaning: the author finds in the consciousness and life of humanity of the modern period various manifestations of nihilism, which, despite all their differences, are united in that they express man’s rebellion against God.[56] "Man Against God" is the 7th chapter of the large unfinished work "The Kingdom of Man and the Kingdom of God", but this work can be considered an independent work.

“Genesis: the creation of the world and the first Old Testament people. Christian Orthodox Knowledge" (published in 2009) is a voluminous and meaningful, but somewhat chaotic collection, published for the first time in the USA in English in 2000, and in Russian translation in Moscow in 2009. Includes the work "Orthodox Patristic Interpretations on the book of Genesis,” a printout of a course of lectures criticizing the theory of evolution and a selection of letters on the same topic. In addition to these works by Fr. Seraphim, which demonstrate his good knowledge of the interpretation of the Six Days by the ancient holy fathers, as well as the author’s desire to follow their methods of interpretation, the book also contains articles against the evolution of the compiler and editor of the collection, Hieromonk Damascus (Christensen) and the famous American creationist lecturer Philip Johnson. There is a lot of interesting factual material here, especially with references to the books of the brilliant creationist apologist Henry Morris, but there are also a lot of repetitions and typos. “American Educator of the Russian People” (2010) is a posthumous collection of articles, letters and diary entries of Fr. translated into Russian for the first time. Seraphim (Rose). Of particular interest is the article “Man Inside Out.” Like Man Against God, it is part of the book The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Man, unfinished in his youth, in which Eugene Rose appears as a religious philosopher, and not just a Christian writer. The philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche as a whole is assessed critically here, but from some sympathetic reminiscences one can judge the powerful influence that the German philosopher had on the worldview of the future hieromonk Seraphim[57].

You can watch the film “Father Seraphim Rose” here

The book “Soul” after death by Seraphim Rose describes the experience of dying based on the works of the Holy Fathers

Seraphim Rose is the author of numerous works on Orthodox topics. But his most famous book is “The Soul after Death.” The purpose of writing it is to show the reader the Orthodox view of the afterlife.

It is no secret that Holy Scripture hardly touches on this topic. Seraphim Rose decided to use all the sources that he considered worthy of trust and form a picture of the afterlife of an Orthodox Christian.

“The Soul after Death” Buy the book on the ChitayGorod website

Cover of the book “The Soul after Death” by Seraphim Rose

He considered it an “answer” to numerous descriptions of post-mortem experiences that people talked about after clinical death.

The author himself succinctly speaks about the structure of the book:

“In the nine chapters of this book we have attempted to set out some of the basic aspects of the Orthodox Christian view of life after death, contrasting them with the widely held modern view, as well as with views emerging in the West which in some respects have departed from ancient Christian teaching.”

And the tenth, final chapter describes step by step the experience of dying from the point of view of Seraphim Rose, for example:

“The other world, although it will not be completely alien to us, will not turn out to be just a pleasant meeting with loved ones “at the resort” of happiness, but will be a spiritual clash that tests the disposition of our soul during life - whether it leaned more toward the Angels and saints through a virtuous life and obedience to the commandments of God, or, through negligence and unbelief, she made herself more suitable for the society of fallen spirits.”

In this case, Seraphim Rose refers mainly to the letters of Theophan the Recluse and the works of a number of other figures of the Church.

The book ends with discussions on prayer, bodily resurrection, and an appendix with prayers and responses to critics.

Monk Seraphim Rose

Quotes

Alas, Seraphim Rose was a biased and weak orientalist

It would be wrong and unfair to say only good things about the works of Seraphim Rose. His works should be treated with caution.

Due to the mediocre teachers at the Academy of Oriental Studies, Seraphim Rose was a very weak and biased religious scholar. He did not hesitate, not having clear ideas about other people's religions, to attack them with harsh and unfounded criticism. He was guided by speculation and rumors.

Seraphim Rose was poorly versed in Eastern traditions, but criticized them

Seraphim Rose especially forgot about religious tolerance when he talked about Hinduism and easily put “equal” between it and “black magic” (another area in which he was not oriented). For example, Seraphim Rose made the following mistakes:

1. In the phrase “Pranayama is breathing exercises combined with japa,” he demonstrates incompetence, because these are different techniques, and their combination has a different name - “Ajapa Japa.”
2. He roughly identified the Goddess Kali, who terrified evil demons and symbolized destructive time (if in Christian terms, the transition from the sinful world to the Heavenly Kingdom), with death and horror and criticized the iconography of the Hindu Goddess for the presence of bloody subjects.

It would be interesting to know what epithets Seraphim Rose might use to describe the veneration of relics or scenes like “The Beheading of John the Baptist” if he had grown up outside of Christian culture.

Therefore, Seraphim Rose's writings on other religions should not be overestimated. Unfortunately, they are not much more competent than the works of his teacher Alan Watts.

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Major works

• [lib.pravmir.ru/library/book/906 “Orthodoxy and the religion of the future”] (1975);
• [pravbeseda.ru/library/index.php?page=book&id=100 “The Taste of True Orthodoxy”] (1978);
• [lib.pravmir.ru/library/book/909 “Orthodox view of evolution”] (1978);
• [lib.pravmir.ru/library/book/394 “Signs of the Times”] (1980);
• [lib.pravmir.ru/library/book/393 “How to be Orthodox today”] (1980);
• [www.pravoslavie.ru/put/shagi/rose_sad.htm “The Soul after Death”] (1980);
• [lib.pravmir.ru/library/book/392 “Secrets of the Book of the Apocalypse”] (1980);
• [portal-credo.ru/site/print.php?act=lib&id=80 “The Future of Russia and the End of the World”] (1981);
• [shestodnev.narod.ru/rouz_genesis/index.html “Orthodox understanding of the book of Genesis”] (1981);
• [www.pravbeseda.ru/library/index.php?page=book&id=453 “When God reveals himself to the heart”] (1981);
• [www.pravbeseda.ru/library/index.php?page=book&id=455 “Holy Fathers: the right path of Christianity”] (1983);
• [www.pravmir.ru/sovet-sovremennikam/ “Advice to contemporaries”] (1984);
• [lib.pravmir.ru/library/book/904 “If I forget you, Jerusalem”];
• [pravbeseda.ru/library/index.php?page=book&id=941 “Orthodox monasticism in Gaul in the 5th-6th centuries”];
• [lib.pravmir.ru/library/book/1139 “Holy Fathers of Orthodoxy”];
• [books.google.ru/books?id=vOOhkgAACAAJ&hl=ru “God’s revelation to the human heart”] (audiobook). — Danilovsky evangelist, (2008). ([ablbooks.eu5.org/index.php?newsid=2713 MP3]);
• [books.google.ru/books?id=5otykgAACAAJ&hl=ru “The path to salvation in the modern world”] (electronic resource, translation). — Danilovsky evangelist, (2008). — ISBN 5891012596, ISBN 9785891012592;
• [books.google.ru/books?id=g899kgAACAAJ&hl=ru “Modern subhumanity: on the meaning of our existence”] (electronic resource, translation). — Danilovsky evangelist, (2008). — ISBN 5891012715, ISBN 9785891012714;
• [books.google.ru/books?id=Jeh9kgAACAAJ&hl=ru “Man against God”] (electronic resource, translation). — Danilovsky evangelist, (2009). — ISBN 5891013460, ISBN 9785891013469;
• [books.google.ru/books?id=a2qLkgAACAAJ&hl=ru “American educator of the Russian people: from the unpublished”] (collection of works). - Nikea, (2010). — ISBN 5917610207, ISBN 9785917610207;
• [www.ozon.ru/context/detail/id/7632845/ “The Offering of an Orthodox American”] (collection of works). — Russian pilgrim, (2011). — ISBN 978-5-98644-021-7;
• Hieromonk Damascene (Christensen).
  [sretenie.com/book/element.php?ID=35419 Father Seraphim (Rose). Life and works.] - Sretensky Monastery, (2009). — ISBN 978-5-7533-0345-5.