Archbishop of Chernigov Filaret (Gumilevsky) as a historian of the Russian Church

On Wikipedia there are articles about other people with the name Filaret and the surname Gumilevsky.

For the term "Konobeevsky" see also other meanings.

Biography

Born into the family of priest Grigory Konobeevsky. The surname Gumilevsky was given to him in the seminary due to his small stature and humble disposition (from the Latin humilis

- low, humble). There is evidence that in his youth Dmitry visited the Sarov hermitage, where Seraphim of Sarov said about him: “This youth will be a great lamp of the Church and will become famous throughout Rus' as a learned man”[4].

He graduated from the Shatsk Theological School, Tambov Theological Seminary, and the Moscow Theological Academy (with a master's degree, second in graduation), after which he was left with it to prepare for teaching. Doctor of Divinity (1860).

On August 19, 1829 he was tonsured a monk. During his tonsure, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna Philaret (Drozdov) gave him his name - an unprecedented case in the history of the academy.

From February 3, 1830 - hierodeacon. From June 29, 1830 - hieromonk.

From June 6, 1831 - Bachelor in the Department of Church History of the Moscow Theological Academy, member of the Council of Hieromonks of the Moscow Donskoy Monastery, censor.

Since 1832 - professor in the department of Holy Scripture.

From May 1, 1833 - inspector of the Moscow Theological Academy, professor in the department of moral and pastoral theology.

From January 27, 1835 - archimandrite.

From December 14, 1835 - rector of the Moscow Theological Academy. He founded the academic journal “Works of the Holy Fathers in Russian translation with additions of spiritual content.”

From March 9, 1837, at the same time, he was the rector of the Moscow Epiphany Monastery.

Bishop of Riga

From December 21, 1841 - Bishop of Riga, vicar of the Pskov diocese.

During his administration of the Riga Vicariate, 63 parishes were opened, 20 permanent and 43 temporary churches were built. He was a supporter of the spread of Orthodoxy among the Latvian and Estonian peasants, which caused active opposition from the Baltic aristocracy and the Lutheran clergy (according to Metropolitan Manuel (Lemeshevsky), “they tried to paralyze the activities of the archpastor, they did not disdain the dirtiest denunciations”). In 1844 he added members of the Protestant Herrnhuter community to Orthodoxy at their request, and Emperor Nicholas I allowed them to perform services in the Latvian language. In April - December 1845, 9870 Estonians and 4564 Latvians converted to Orthodoxy, in seven months 1846 - 6285 Estonians and 6313 Latvians. In total, in 1845-1848, in the Estonian part of the Livonia province alone, 63,858 peasants joined Orthodoxy. According to Professor of the University of Dorpat M.A. Rozberg (Lutheran by religion),

without any incitement, without hope for any earthly benefits, crowds of good-natured and peaceful peasants, having completed their field work, go to Russian priests to accept the Russian faith. This spectacle not only elevates and touches, but also represents the triumph of Orthodox spirituality, for these are not violators, not half-wild pagans, not Uniates, who are closer to the Russian Church, but Protestants, who for three centuries were influenced by the eloquence of educated Lutheran priests.

At the same time, in his activities, Bishop Filaret proceeded from the instructions of Nicholas I of 1845 on the procedure for the transition of Estonians and Latvians to Orthodoxy, which prohibited coercion in this matter and the promise of material benefits in the event of a change of religion. The bishop paid much attention to the training of priests for the vicariate; in 1847 a theological school was opened in Riga. Two Estonians who joined Orthodoxy were ordained priests. The activities of Bishop Philaret prepared the transformation of the vicariate into an independent Riga diocese in 1850.

Activities in Kharkov and Chernigov

From November 6, 1848 - Bishop of Kharkov and Akhtyrsky.

On April 7, 1857, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.

From May 2, 1859 - Archbishop of Chernigov and Nizhyn.

As the ruling bishop of the Kharkov and Chernigov dioceses, Bishop Filaret took care of providing for the clergy, organized parochial schools, a printing house, founded monasteries and supervised church construction. Founded the periodical “Chernigov Diocesan News”. He prepared teaching programs for religious educational institutions, for the maintenance of which he allocated income from the publication of his works. He spent a lot of money on charity, and therefore was forced to constantly reduce his expenses. He became famous for his sermons in the Kharkov diocese during Lent, published under the title “Conversations about the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and the publication of “Historical and statistical description of the Kharkov diocese.”

During the cholera epidemic of 1866, Bishop Philaret undertook a tour of the Chernigov diocese to encourage discouraged parishioners. On the way, he fell ill with cholera and died in Konotop. According to Metropolitan Manuel (Lemeshevsky),

From Konotop to Chernigov, over a distance of 180 versts, people replacing one another accompanied the coffin of their beloved archpastor in the amount of 10-12 thousand people. However, there was not a single case of cholera. Everyone forgot about this terrible scourge. Cholera did not reach Chernigov and stopped.

He was buried in the crypt of the Trinity Cathedral in Chernigov.

Error

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Technical information

SAXException while parsing JSPEngine output at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/application.xmap:165:42 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/application.xmap: 164:44 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/application.xmap:163:91 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/application.xmap:162: 45 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/application.xmap:161:69

cause: java.lang.NumberFormatException

full exception chain stacktrace[show]

org.apache.cocoon.ProcessingException: SAXException while parsing JSPEngine output at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/application.xmap:165:42 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage. ru/default/application.xmap:164:44 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/application.xmap:163:91 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/ default/application.xmap:162:45 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/application.xmap:161:69 at org.apache.cocoon.generation.JSPGenerator.generate(JSPGenerator.java: 98) at org.apache.cocoon.components.pipeline.AbstractProcessingPipeline.processXMLPipeline(AbstractProcessingPipeline.java:578) at org.apache.cocoon.components.pipeline.impl.AbstractCachingProcessingPipeline.processXMLPipeline(AbstractCachingProcessingPipeline.java:279) at org.apache .cocoon.components.pipeline.AbstractProcessingPipeline.process(AbstractProcessingPipeline.java:480) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.SerializeNode.invoke(SerializeNode.java:155) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor .AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:69) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.SwitchSelectNode.invoke(SwitchSelectNode.java:104) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParent ProcessingNode .java:47) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.MatchNode.invoke(MatchNode.java:108) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:47) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.MatchNode.invoke(MatchNode.java:108) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:69) at org.apache.cocoon. components.treeprocessor.sitemap.PipelineNode.invoke(PipelineNode.java:143) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:69) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap. PipelinesNode.invoke(PipelinesNode.java:93) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.ConcreteTreeProcessor.process(ConcreteTreeProcessor.java:235) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.ConcreteTreeProcessor.process(ConcreteTreeProcessor.java: 177) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.TreeProcessor.process(TreeProcessor.java:253) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.MountNode.invoke(MountNode.java:118) at org.apache .cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:47) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.MatchNode.invoke(MatchNode.java:108) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor .AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:69) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.PipelineNode.invoke(PipelineNode.java:143) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcess ingNode .java:69) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.PipelinesNode.invoke(PipelinesNode.java:93) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.ConcreteTreeProcessor.process(ConcreteTreeProcessor.java:235) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.ConcreteTreeProcessor.process(ConcreteTreeProcessor.java:177) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.TreeProcessor.process(TreeProcessor.java:253) at org.apache.cocoon.Cocoon. process(Cocoon.java:699) at org.apache.cocoon.servlet.CocoonServlet.service(CocoonServlet.java:1164) at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:723) at org.apache.catalina .core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233 ) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191) at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:615) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve. invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127) at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:103) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109) at org.apache .catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:293) at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProcessor.process(Http11NioProcessor.java:891) at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProtocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http 11NioProtocol .java:760) at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(NioEndpoint.java:2290) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:895) at java. util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:918) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662) Caused by: org.apache.cocoon.ProcessingException: Exception in ServerPagesGenerator.generate() at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/ras/block.xmap:63:29 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/ras/block.xmap:62: 45 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/ras/block.xmap:61:41 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/ras/block.xmap: 58:54 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/ras/block.xmap:57:67 at org.apache.cocoon.transformation.XIncludeTransformer$XIncludePipe.startElement(XIncludeTransformer.java:268) at org.apache.cocoon.xml.AbstractXMLPipe.startElement(AbstractXMLPipe.java:95) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.startElement(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractXMLDocumentParser.emptyElement(Unknown Source ) at org.apache.xerces.impl.dtd.XMLDTDValidator.emptyElement(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLNSDocumentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDispatcher.dispatch( Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source ) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XMLParser.parse(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(Unknown Source ) at org.apache.excalibur.xml.impl.JaxpParser.parse(JaxpParser.java:319) at org.apache.excalibur.xml.impl.JaxpParser.parse(JaxpParser.java:338) at org.apache.cocoon. generation.JSPGenerator.generate(JSPGenerator.java:94) … 45 more Caused by: org.apache.cocoon.ProcessingException: Exception in ServerPagesGenerator.generate() at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/ ras/block.xmap:63:29 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/ras/block.xmap:62:45 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/ default/ras/block.xmap:61:41 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage.ru/default/ras/block.xmap:58:54 at - file:/umeta/apps/e-heritage. ru/default/ras/block.xmap:57:67 at org.apache.cocoon.generation.ServerPagesGenerator.generate(ServerPagesGenerator.java:240) at org.apache.cocoon.components.pipeline.AbstractProcessingPipeline.processXMLPipeline(AbstractProcessingPipeline.java :578) at org.apache.cocoon.components.pipeline.impl.AbstractCachingProcessingPipeline.processXMLPipeline(AbstractCachingProcessingPipeline.java:279) at org.apache.cocoon.components.pipeline.AbstractProcessingPipeline.process(AbstractProcessingPipeline.java:779) at org. apache.cocoon.components.source.impl.SitemapSource.toSAX(SitemapSource.java:413) at org.apache.cocoon.components.source.SourceUtil.toSAX(SourceUtil.java:101) at org.apache.cocoon.components. source.SourceUtil.toSAX(SourceUtil.java:181) at org.apache.cocoon.components.source.SourceUtil.toSAX(SourceUtil.java:140) at org.apache.cocoon.transformation.XIncludeTransformer$XIncludePipe.processXIncludeElement(XIncludeTransformer. java:496) at org.apache.cocoon.transformation.XIncludeTransformer$XIncludePipe.startElement(XIncludeTransformer.java:265) … 60 more Caused by: java.lang.NumberFormatException at java.math.BigDecimal.(BigDecimal.java:459) at java.math.BigDecimal.(BigDecimal.java:728) at ru.umeta.www.ras.pages.view.person.history_xsp.generate(ru.umeta.www.ras.pages.view.person.history_xsp:255 ) at org.apache.cocoon.generation.ServerPagesGenerator.generate(ServerPagesGenerator.java:228) … 69 more

stacktrace[show]

java.lang.NumberFormatException at java.math.BigDecimal.(BigDecimal.java:459) at java.math.BigDecimal.(BigDecimal.java:728) at ru.umeta.www.ras.pages.view.person.history_xsp. generate(ru.umeta.www.ras.pages.view.person.history_xsp:255) at org.apache.cocoon.generation.ServerPagesGenerator.generate(ServerPagesGenerator.java:228) at org.apache.cocoon.components.pipeline. AbstractProcessingPipeline.processXMLPipeline(AbstractProcessingPipeline.java:578) at org.apache.cocoon.components.pipeline.impl.AbstractCachingProcessingPipeline.processXMLPipeline(AbstractCachingProcessingPipeline.java:279) at org.apache.cocoon.components.pipeline.AbstractProcessingPipeline.process(A bstractProcessingPipeline. java:779) at org.apache.cocoon.components.source.impl.SitemapSource.toSAX(SitemapSource.java:413) at org.apache.cocoon.components.source.SourceUtil.toSAX(SourceUtil.java:101) at org .apache.cocoon.components.source.SourceUtil.toSAX(SourceUtil.java:181) at org.apache.cocoon.components.source.SourceUtil.toSAX(SourceUtil.java:140) at org.apache.cocoon.transformation.XIncludeTransformer $XIncludePipe.processXIncludeElement(XIncludeTransformer.java:496) at org.apache.cocoon.transformation.XIncludeTransformer$XIncludePipe.startElement(XIncludeTransformer.java:265) at org.apache.cocoon.xml.AbstractXMLPipe.startElement(AbstractXMLPipe.java:95 ) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.startElement(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractXMLDocumentParser.emptyElement(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.impl.dtd.XMLDTDValidator.emptyElement(Unknown Source ) at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLNSDocumentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDispatcher.dispatch(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(Un known Source ) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XMLParser.parse(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(Unknown Source) at org.apache.xerces.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(Unknown Source) at org.apache.excalibur.xml.impl.JaxpParser.parse(JaxpParser. java:319) at org.apache.excalibur.xml.impl.JaxpParser.parse(JaxpParser.java:338) at org.apache.cocoon.generation.JSPGenerator.generate(JSPGenerator.java:94) at org.apache.cocoon A bstractProcessingPipeline .process(AbstractProcessingPipeline.java:480) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.SerializeNode.invoke(SerializeNode.java:155) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java :69) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.SwitchSelectNode.invoke(SwitchSelectNode.java:104) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:47) at org. apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.MatchNode.invoke(MatchNode.java:108) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:47) at org.apache.cocoon.components. treeprocessor.sitemap.MatchNode.invoke(MatchNode.java:108) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:69) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.PipelineNode. invoke(PipelineNode.java:143) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:69) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.PipelinesNode.invoke(PipelinesNode.java: 93) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.ConcreteTreeProcessor.process(ConcreteTreeProcessor.java:235) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.ConcreteTreeProcessor.process(ConcreteTreeProcessor.java:177) at org.apache.cocoon .components.treeprocessor.TreeProcessor.process(TreeProcessor.java:253) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.MountNode.invoke(MountNode.java:118) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode .invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:47) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.MatchNode.invoke(MatchNode.java:108) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java :69) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.PipelineNode.invoke(PipelineNode.java:143) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.AbstractParentProcessingNode.invokeNodes(AbstractParentProcessingNode.java:69) at org. apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.sitemap.PipelinesNode.invoke(PipelinesNode.java:93) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.ConcreteTreeProcessor.process(ConcreteTreeProcessor.java:235) at org.apache.cocoon.components. treeprocessor.ConcreteTreeProcessor.process(ConcreteTreeProcessor.java:177) at org.apache.cocoon.components.treeprocessor.TreeProcessor.process(TreeProcessor.java:253) at org.apache.cocoon.Cocoon.process(Cocoon.java:699) at org.apache.cocoon.servlet.CocoonServlet.service(CocoonServlet.java:1164) at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:723) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain .java:290) at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233) at org.apache.catalina. core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191) at org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve.invoke(AccessLogValve.java:615) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127) at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:103) at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109) at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service (CoyoteAdapter.java:293) at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProcessor.process(Http11NioProcessor.java:891) at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11NioProtocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11NioProtocol.java:760) at org. apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(NioEndpoint.java:2290) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.runTask(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:895) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker. run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:918) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662)

Historian and theologian

Bishop Filaret became famous for his scientific works. He was a member of the Society of Russian History and Antiquities (1847); full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (1852); honorary member of the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society (1856), the Copenhagen Society of Antiquities, Moscow and Kharkov Universities, Kyiv and Moscow Theological Academies, and the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Professor of the Kazan Theological Academy Grigory Eliseev believed that

he was, one might say, the only truly learned theologian in Russia, who, as a dogmatic theologian, as a theologian-historian, as a theologian-archaeologist, stood, if not higher, then in no way lower than famous foreign theologians, an unusually talented person, completely devoted to science.

According to Metropolitan Manuel (Lemeshevsky),

Filaret’s works are striking in the mass of critical articles and notes. This was a feature of his talent - to be inquisitive about every subject, to check everything with the eye of a critic. He read a lot. His whole life was devoted to reading and work. He gave himself to society and the public only when absolutely necessary. People who knew him closely said that he worked and rested, always ate and drank with a book in his hands, and immediately made the notes and extracts he needed... He always had a desire to take on everything, to be, if not a pioneer, then to do more than others, to leave a good memory of yourself in everything.

History of the Russian Church

His main work, “The History of the Russian Church” (brought to 1826), was published in five editions in Riga and Moscow in 1847-1848 and went through many reprints. The author proposed a fundamentally new periodization of Russian church history, dividing it into five periods: from the beginning of Christianity in Russia to the Mongol invasion (988-1237); from the Mongol invasion to the division of the Russian metropolis (1237-1410); from the division of the metropolis to the establishment of the patriarchate (1410-1588); period of the Patriarchate (1589-1720); synodal administration (1721-1826). It was first published in abridged form in 1859 and then, as a textbook, went through many reprints.

According to Archpriest Georgy Florovsky (who considered Bishop Philaret a man of “exceptional talents, with a restless thought and an anxious heart”), in this work “for the first time the entire Russian church history was told and shown as a living whole, told clearly and thoughtfully.” Professor Anton Kartashev believed that “we have had a real scientific history of the Russian Church since the publication of Archbishop Philaret’s “History of the Russian Church.”

In the Brockhaus and Efron encyclopedia, the historical work of Bishop Philaret was compared with Nikolai Karamzin’s “History of the Russian State” and was assessed as follows:

The author stands entirely on the theological point of view; He examines the phenomena of Russian church history from their, so to speak, official side: he sets out, first of all, the exploits of holy men and hierarchs for the benefit of the Russian Church, and then he examines heresies and schisms as deviations from the correct understanding of Orthodox teaching. He has no indications of the internal process of perception by the Russian people of the truths of Christianity, as well as the reasons for deviation from church teaching.

Theological and historical works

Bishop Philaret’s significant theological work in the field of patrolology is “Historical Teaching about the Fathers of the Church,” published in three volumes in 1859. According to Archpriest Alexander Men,

he strove to reveal all the living versatility of the patristic teaching, and not to turn it into a frozen scheme. According to him, the holy fathers, following the main Church Tradition, had different opinions on many issues. They “thought about the word of God, about the objects of faith, about the rules of life, they argued, orated, philosophized and were philologists, and at the same time they even made mistakes.” This approach seemed too bold, and the book could only be published in new church and social conditions.

(That is, after the death of Nicholas I, under the reformer Tsar Alexander II).
He was also the author of a detailed “Review of Russian Spiritual Literature” (1859-1861), a major work “Orthodox Dogmatic Theology” (1864), lives of saints, many historical monographs, articles and sermons.

Proceedings

• [dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003561588#?page=1 History of the Russian Church: Periods 1-5.] M., Riga, 1847-1848. In 5 parts (reissue - M., 2001).
• Words and conversations of Philaret, Bishop of Kharkov and Akhtyrsky, spoken in Riga. M., 1850.
• [elib.shpl.ru/ru/nodes/23274-filaret-gumilevskiy-dg-chernomorskaya-nikolaevskaya-pustyn-pri-lebyazhiem-limane-harkov-1856#page/1/mode/grid/zoom/1 Black Sea Nikolaevskaya pustyn at Lebyazhye Estuary. - Kharkov, 1856 - 35 p.]
• Conversations about the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ, spoken by Philaret, Bishop of Kharkov and Akhtyrsky: In 2 hours M., 1857 (2nd edition - 1859, 3rd edition - 1884).
• [dalizovut.narod.ru/filaret/filar_s.htm Historical and statistical description of the Kharkov diocese. M., 1852-1859.]
• Gumilevsky D. G. [zslls.esrae.ru/pdf/2015/4/4.pdf Zmievsky district (districts I, II, III) in the “Historical and statistical description of the Kharkov diocese”] // Zmievsky local history. - 2015. - No. 4. - P. 22-55.
• [dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003543576#?page=1 Research about the death of Tsarevich Dimitri. Moscow: Univ. typ., 1858.]
• Words and conversations of Filaret, Archbishop of Kharkov and Akhtyrsky. 1858-1859. In 3 parts.
• Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church. St. Petersburg, 1859. In 3 volumes (second edition - 1882).
• [dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003564039#?page=1 Review of Russian spiritual literature, 862-1720. St. Petersburg: type. Imp. Academician Sciences, 1857]; Kharkov, 1859-1861 (2nd edition - 1863, 3rd edition - 1884).
• [dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003574591#?page=1 Historical overview of hymns and chants of the Greek Church, with notes and photographs of ancient musical notations. Chernigov: type. Eliinsky Monastery, 1864 St. Petersburg,] (Reprint - 1902, reprint edition - Sergiev Posad, 1995).
• Cathedral Chernigov monasteries: Ilyinsky, Eletsky and Borisoglebsky. Chernigov, 1861.
• Russian saints, revered by the entire Church or locally: An experience in describing their lives. Chernigov, 1861-1864 (2nd edition - 1863-1865, 3rd edition - 1882), in three sections (books). [dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003837268#?page=7 Department one. January february march april]; Second department. May June July August; [dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003837267#?page=4 Section three. September October November December.]
• Words, conversations and speeches of Philaret, Archbishop of Chernigov and Nizhyn. 2nd edition. Chernigov, 1863. In 4 parts (3rd edition - 1883).
• Orthodox dogmatic theology. Chernigov, 1864 (2nd edition - 1865 (On Wikimedia Commons: volume 1; volume 2), 3rd edition - 1882).
• [tvereparhia.ru/biblioteka-2/f/768-filaret-gumilevskij/16110-filaret-gumilevskij-svyatye-yuzhnykh-slavyan-opisanie-zhizni-ikh Saints of the South Slavs: Experience in describing their lives.] Chernigov, 1865. In 2 -x volumes (2nd edition - 1882, 2nd edition - 1883, 4th edition - 1894).
• An abbreviated history of the Russian Church. St. Petersburg, 1869.
• Lives of the holy ascetics of the Eastern Church. 2nd edition St. Petersburg, 1885, 3rd edition - 1898 (reprint - M., 1994). The title of the 1st edition is “Holy Ascetics of the Eastern Church” (St. Petersburg, 1871).
• Lives of saints revered by the Orthodox Church, with information about the feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God and about the miraculous icons revealed. St. Petersburg, 1885 (2nd edition - 1892, 3rd edition - 1900).
• Historical and statistical description of the Chernigov diocese. Chernigov, 1873.
• [dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003586590#?page=1 Description of the Novgorod-Seversky Spasopreobrazhensky first-class monastery Chernigov: Gub. typ., 1873]
• [dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01003561583#?page=1 Divine service of the Russian Church before Mongol times Moscow: Society of History and Antiquities of Russia, 1847 Moscow: Society of History and Antiquities of Russia, 1847]
• [dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01002894637#?page=1 Life of the holy righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye: borrowed. from the book: “Russian Saints” by Philaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky Moscow: Publishing house. bookseller I. A. Morozov, 1885]

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, p. 325.

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Notes

1. now Shatsky district of the Ryazan region
2. [www.pravoslavie.ru/smi/37864.htm Archbishop Filaret (Gumilevsky). Towards the canonization of a newly glorified saint / Media monitoring / Orthodoxy. Ru]
3. [orthodox.org.ua/ru/article/zasedanie-svyashchennogo-sinoda-upts-14-aprelya-2009-goda Archbishop Filaret (Gumilevsky) canonized]
4. [www.pravoslavie.ru/archiv/archiereology04.htm Filaret (Gumilevsky), Archbishop of Chernigov and Nizhyn]
5. [orthodox.org.ua/uk/node/4829 Journals of the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church dated April 14, 2009] (Ukrainian)
6. [www.pravoslavie.ru/news/32433.htm Archbishop Philaret (Gumilevsky) canonized as a locally revered saint of the Chernigov diocese] // Pravoslavie.Ru

Prayers

Troparion, tone 4

God-wise lamp of the Orthodox faith, / to our holy father Philaret, / glory and adornment of the land of Chernigov, / to any wise teacher, / you are a worthy imitation of St. John Chrysostom You forged:/ You diligently watered your flock with pure words and grace-filled teachings/ and taught them to the true path of salvation You,/ and even now you always stand before the Light of Reason, Christ our God,/ praying to protect our fatherland from harmful teachings/ and to serve God faithfully,// and to have mercy on our souls.

Kontakion, tone 3

A wise worker of Orthodoxy,/ a teacher of piety,/ a seeker of soul-helping and enlightened knowledge,/ you also converted many to the Church of Christ,/ and taught the true way of salvation thou art, / Now, to the holy hierarch Father Philaret, / always standing before the throne of the King of Glory, / praying about the people of our country:/ to establish the Orthodox faith,// and to save our souls.

Links

• 	Kharkov and Akhtyrsky (1836 - 1945)	Meletiy (Leontovich) • Smaragd (Kryzhanovsky) • Innokenty (Borisov) • Elpidifor (Benediktov) • Filaret (Gumilevsky) • Makariy (Bulgakov) • Nektary (Nadezhdin) • Savva (Tikhomirov) • Justin (Okhotin) • Ambrosy (Klyucharyov) • Flavian (Gorodetsky) • Arseny (Bryantsev) • Anthony (Khrapovitsky) • Nathanael (Troitsky) • Konstantin (Dyakov) • Sergius (Grishin) • Innokenty (Letyaev) • Innokenty (Tikhonov) • Alexander (Petrovsky)
  	Kharkovsky and Bogodukhovsky (1945 - present)	Stefan (Protsenko) • Nestor (Tugay) • Leonid (Lobachev) • Leonty (Gudimov) • Nikodim (Rusnak) • Iriney (Middle) • Nikodim (Rusnak) • Onuphry (Easy)

An excerpt characterizing Filaret (Gumilevsky)

At 10 o'clock in the evening, Weyrother with his plans moved to Kutuzov's apartment, where a military council was appointed. All the commanders of the columns were requested to see the commander-in-chief, and, with the exception of Prince Bagration, who refused to come, everyone appeared at the appointed hour. Weyrother, who was the overall manager of the proposed battle, presented with his liveliness and haste a sharp contrast with the dissatisfied and sleepy Kutuzov, who reluctantly played the role of chairman and leader of the military council. Weyrother obviously felt himself at the head of a movement that had become unstoppable. He was like a harnessed horse running away downhill with its cart. Whether he was driving or being driven, he did not know; but he rushed as fast as possible, no longer having time to discuss what this movement would lead to. Weyrother that evening was twice for personal inspection in the enemy’s chain and twice with the sovereigns, Russian and Austrian, for a report and explanations, and in his office, where he dictated the German disposition. He, exhausted, now came to Kutuzov. He, apparently, was so busy that he forgot to even be respectful to the commander-in-chief: he interrupted him, spoke quickly, unclearly, without looking into the face of his interlocutor, without answering the questions asked of him, was stained with dirt and looked pitiful, exhausted, confused and at the same time arrogant and proud. Kutuzov occupied a small noble castle near Ostralitsy. In the large living room, which became the office of the commander-in-chief, gathered: Kutuzov himself, Weyrother and members of the military council. They were drinking tea. They were only waiting for Prince Bagration to begin the military council. At 8 o'clock Bagration's orderly arrived with the news that the prince could not be there. Prince Andrei came to report this to the commander-in-chief and, taking advantage of the permission previously given to him by Kutuzov to be present at the council, remained in the room. “Since Prince Bagration will not be there, we can begin,” said Weyrother, hastily getting up from his place and approaching the table on which a huge map of the surrounding area of ​​Brünn was laid out. Kutuzov, in an unbuttoned uniform, from which, as if freed, his fat neck floated out onto the collar, sat in a Voltaire chair, placing his plump old hands symmetrically on the armrests, and was almost asleep. At the sound of Weyrother's voice, he forced his only eye open. “Yes, yes, please, otherwise it’s too late,” he said and, nodding his head, lowered it and closed his eyes again. If at first the members of the council thought that Kutuzov was pretending to be asleep, then the sounds that he made with his nose during the subsequent reading proved that at that moment for the commander-in-chief it was about much more important than the desire to show his contempt for the disposition or for anything else. be that as it may: for him it was about the irrepressible satisfaction of a human need - sleep. He was really asleep. Weyrother, with the movement of a man too busy to waste even one minute of time, looked at Kutuzov and, making sure that he was sleeping, took the paper and in a loud, monotonous tone began to read the disposition of the future battle under the title, which he also read: “Disposition for attack of the enemy position behind Kobelnitsa and Sokolnitsa, November 20, 1805." The disposition was very complex and difficult. The original disposition included: DA Der Feind Mit Seinerien Linken Fluegel An Die Mit Wald Bedecten Berge Lehnt Sich Mit Seinerien Fluegs Kobeinitz Und Sokolienitz Hinter Die Dort BEFIND IChen Teiche Zieht, Wir IM Geegentheil Mit Unserem Linken Fluegel Seineen Rechten Sehr DeboDiren, So Ist es vortheilhaft letzteren Fluegel des Feindes zu attakiren, besondere wenn wir die Doerfer Sokolienitz und Kobelienitz im Besitze haben, wodurch wir dem Feind zugleich in die Flanke fallen und ihn auf der Flaeche zwischen Schlapanitz und dem Thuerassa Walde verfolgen koennen, indem wir dem De filen von Schlapanitz und Bellowitz ausweichen, welche die feindliche Front decken. Zu dieserien Endzwecke ist es noethig... Die erste Kolonne Marieschirt... die zweite Kolonne Marieschirt... die dritte Kolonne Marieschirt... [Since the enemy rests his left wing on the forest-covered mountains, and with his right wing he stretches along Kobelnitsa and Sokolnitsa behind the ponds located there, and we On the contrary, if our left wing surpasses his right wing, then it is advantageous for us to attack this last enemy wing, especially if we occupy the villages of Sokolnits and Kobelnits, being given the opportunity to attack the enemy’s flank and pursue him in the plain between Shlapanits and the Tyuras forest, avoiding with those defiles between Shlapanitz and Belowitz, which covered the enemy front. For this purpose it is necessary... The first column marches... the second column marches... the third column marches...], etc., Weyrother read. The generals seemed reluctant to listen to the difficult disposition. The blond, tall General Buxhoeveden stood with his back against the wall, and, fixing his eyes on the burning candle, it seemed that he was not listening and did not even want to be thought that he was listening. Directly opposite Weyrother, fixing his shining open eyes on him, in a militant pose, resting his hands with his elbows outstretched on his knees, sat the ruddy Miloradovich with his mustache and shoulders raised. He remained stubbornly silent, looking into Weyrother’s face, and only took his eyes off him when the Austrian chief of staff fell silent. At this time, Miloradovich looked significantly back at the other generals. But from the meaning of this significant glance it was impossible to understand whether he agreed or disagreed, was pleased or dissatisfied with the disposition. Count Langeron sat closest to Weyrother and, with a subtle smile of a southern French face that did not leave him throughout the reading, looked at his thin fingers, quickly turning the corners of a golden snuffbox with a portrait. In the middle of one of the longest periods, he stopped the rotating movement of the snuffbox, raised his head and, with an unpleasant politeness at the very ends of his thin lips, interrupted Weyrother and wanted to say something; but the Austrian general, without interrupting his reading, frowned angrily and waved his elbows, as if saying: later, then you will tell me your thoughts, now if you please look at the map and listen. Langeron raised his eyes upward with an expression of bewilderment, looked back at Miloradovich, as if looking for an explanation, but, meeting Miloradovich’s significant, meaningless gaze, he sadly lowered his eyes and again began to twirl the snuffbox. “Une lecon de geographie, [A lesson from geography,"] he said as if to himself, but loud enough to be heard. Przhebyshevsky, with respectful but dignified courtesy, bent his ear to Weyrother, looking like a man absorbed in attention. Small in stature Dokhturov sat directly opposite Weyrother with a diligent and modest look and, bending over the laid out map, conscientiously studied the dispositions and the terrain unknown to him. Several times he asked Weyrother to repeat the words he had heard poorly and the difficult names of the villages. Weyrother fulfilled his wish, and Dokhturov wrote it down. When the reading, which lasted more than an hour, was over, Langeron, again stopping his snuff-box and without looking at Weyrother or anyone in particular, began to talk about how difficult it was to carry out such a disposition, where the position of the enemy is supposed to be known, whereas this position could be we do not know, since the enemy is on the move. Langeron's objections were well-founded, but it was obvious that the purpose of these objections was primarily the desire to make General Weyrother feel, as self-confidently as schoolchildren reading his disposition, that he was dealing not only with fools, but with people who could learn in military affairs. When the monotonous sound of Weyrother’s voice fell silent, Kutuzov opened the chapter, like a miller who wakes up during a break in the soporific sound of the mill wheels, listened to what Langeron was saying, and, as if saying: “And you’re still talking about this nonsense!” hastily closed his eyes and lowered his head even lower. Trying to insult Weyrother in his author's military pride as sarcastically as possible, Langeron argued that Bonaparte could easily attack, instead of being attacked, and as a result make this whole disposition completely useless. Weyrother responded to all objections with a firm, contemptuous smile, obviously prepared in advance for any objection, no matter what they said to him. “If he could attack us, he would do it today,” he said. “You therefore think that he is powerless,” said Langeron. “A lot, if he has 40 thousand troops,” Weyrother answered with the smile of a doctor to whom a doctor wants to indicate a cure. “In this case, he is going to his death, waiting for our attack,” Langeron said with a thin ironic smile, looking back at the nearest Miloradovich for confirmation. But Miloradovich, obviously, at that moment was thinking least of all about what the generals were arguing about. “Ma foi, [By God,” he said, “tomorrow we will see everything on the battlefield.” Weyrother grinned again with that smile that said that it was funny and strange for him to meet objections from the Russian generals and to prove what not only he himself was too sure of, but what the emperors were sure of. “The enemy has put out the fires, and a continuous noise is heard in his camp,” he said. - What does it mean? “Either he moves away, which is the only thing we should be afraid of, or he changes his position (he grinned). But even if he took a position in Tyuras, he only saves us from a lot of trouble, and all the orders, down to the smallest detail, remain the same. “How then?” said Prince Andrei, who had been waiting for a long time for an opportunity to express his doubts. Kutuzov woke up, cleared his throat heavily and looked around at the generals. “Gentlemen, the disposition for tomorrow, even today (because it’s already the first hour), cannot be changed,” he said. “You heard her, and we will all do our duty.” And before a battle, there is nothing more important... (he paused) than getting a good night's sleep. He pretended to stand up. The generals took their leave and left. It was already past midnight. Prince Andrei left. The military council, at which Prince Andrei was not able to express his opinion, as he had hoped, left a vague and alarming impression on him. He did not know who was right: Dolgorukov and Weyrother or Kutuzov and Langeron and others who did not approve of the attack plan. “But was it really impossible for Kutuzov to directly express his thoughts to the sovereign? Can't this really be done differently? Is it really necessary to risk tens of thousands and my, my life for the sake of court and personal considerations?” he thought. “Yes, it’s very possible they’ll kill you tomorrow,” he thought. And suddenly, at this thought of death, a whole series of memories, the most distant and most intimate, arose in his imagination; he remembered the last farewell to his father and wife; he remembered the first times of his love for her! He remembered her pregnancy, and he felt sorry for both her and himself, and in a nervously softened and excited state he left the hut in which he had stood with Nesvitsky and began to walk in front of the house. The night was foggy, and moonlight mysteriously broke through the fog. “Yes, tomorrow, tomorrow! - he thought. “Tomorrow, perhaps, everything will be over for me, all these memories will no longer exist, all these memories will no longer have any meaning for me.” Tomorrow, maybe, even probably, tomorrow, I foresee it, for the first time I will finally have to show everything that I can do.” And he imagined the battle, its loss, the concentration of the battle on one point and the confusion of all the commanders. And now that happy moment, that Toulon, which he had been waiting for so long, finally appears to him. He firmly and clearly speaks his opinion to Kutuzov, Weyrother, and the emperors. Everyone is amazed at the correctness of his idea, but no one undertakes to carry it out, and so he takes a regiment, a division, pronounces a condition so that no one will interfere with his orders, and leads his division to the decisive point and alone wins. What about death and suffering? says another voice. But Prince Andrei does not answer this voice and continues his successes. The disposition of the next battle is made by him alone. He holds the rank of army duty officer under Kutuzov, but he does everything alone. The next battle was won by him alone. Kutuzov is replaced, he is appointed... Well, and then? another voice speaks again, and then, if you are not wounded, killed or deceived ten times before; Well, then what? “Well, then,” Prince Andrei answers himself, “I don’t know what will happen next, I don’t want and can’t know: but if I want this, I want fame, I want to be known to people, I want to be loved by them, then It’s not my fault that I want this, that this alone is what I want, this alone is what I live for. Yes, for this alone! I'll never tell anyone this, but oh my God! What should I do if I love nothing but glory, human love? Death, wounds, loss of family, nothing scares me. And no matter how dear and dear many people are to me - my father, sister, wife - the most dear people to me - but, no matter how scary and unnatural it seems, I will give them all now for a moment of glory, triumph over people, for love for to myself people whom I do not know and will not know, for the love of these people,” he thought, listening to the conversation in Kutuzov’s yard. In Kutuzov's yard the voices of the orderlies were heard; one voice, probably the coachman, teasing the old Kutuzovsky cook, whom Prince Andrei knew, and whose name was Titus, said: “Titus, what about Titus?” “Well,” answered the old man. “Titus, go thresh,” said the joker. “Ugh, to hell with it,” a voice rang out, covered by the laughter of the orderlies and servants. “And yet I love and treasure only the triumph over all of them, I treasure this mysterious power and glory that floats above me here in this fog!” That night Rostov was with a platoon in the flanker chain, ahead of Bagration’s detachment. His hussars were scattered in chains in pairs; he himself rode on horseback along this line of chain, trying to overcome the sleep that was irresistibly pushing him over. Behind him he could see a huge expanse of our army’s fires burning dimly in the fog; ahead of him was foggy darkness. No matter how much Rostov peered into this foggy distance, he saw nothing: sometimes it turned gray, sometimes something seemed black; then lights seemed to flash where the enemy should be; then he thought that it was only shining in his eyes. His eyes closed, and in his imagination he imagined first the sovereign, then Denisov, then Moscow memories, and again he hastily opened his eyes and close in front of him he saw the head and ears of the horse on which he was sitting, sometimes the black figures of the hussars when he was six steps away I ran into them, and in the distance there was still the same foggy darkness. "From what? It’s very possible,” Rostov thought, “that the sovereign, having met me, will give an order, like any officer: he will say: “Go, find out what’s there.” Many people told how, quite by accident, he recognized some officer and brought him closer to him. What if he brought me closer to him! Oh, how I would protect him, how I would tell him the whole truth, how I would expose his deceivers,” and Rostov, in order to vividly imagine his love and devotion to the sovereign, imagined an enemy or deceiver of the German whom he enjoyed not only killed, but hit him on the cheeks in the eyes of the sovereign. Suddenly a distant cry woke up Rostov. He shuddered and opened his eyes. "Where I am? Yes, in a chain: slogan and password – drawbar, Olmütz. What a shame that our squadron will be in reserves tomorrow... - he thought. - I’ll ask you to get involved. This may be the only opportunity to see the sovereign. Yes, it won't be long until the shift. I’ll go around again and when I return, I’ll go to the general and ask him.” He adjusted himself in the saddle and moved his horse to once again ride around his hussars. It seemed to him that it was brighter. On the left side one could see a gentle illuminated slope and the opposite, black hillock, which seemed steep, like a wall. On this hillock there was a white spot that Rostov could not understand: was it a clearing in the forest, illuminated by the moon, or the remaining snow, or white houses? It even seemed to him that something was moving along this white spot. “The snow must be a spot; spot – une tache,” thought Rostov. “That’s not good for you...” “Natasha, sister, black eyes. On... tashka (She will be surprised when I tell her how I saw the sovereign!) Natashka... take tashka...” “Straighten that, your honor, otherwise there are bushes,” said the voice of a hussar, past whom Rostov was passing, falling asleep. Rostov raised his head, which had already dropped to the horse’s mane, and stopped next to the hussar. A young child's dream irresistibly beckoned him. “Yeah, I mean, what was I thinking? - not forget. How will I speak to the sovereign? No, that’s not it – it’s tomorrow. Yes Yes! On the car, step on... stupid us - who? Gusarov. And the hussars with mustaches... This hussar with a mustache was riding along Tverskaya, I also thought about him, opposite Guryev’s house... Old man Guryev... Eh, glorious little Denisov! Yes, all this is nonsense. The main thing now is that the sovereign is here. The way he looked at me, and I wanted to say something to him, but he didn’t dare... No, I didn’t dare. Yes, this is nothing, but the main thing is not to forget that I thought the right thing, yes. On - the car, we are - stupid, yes, yes, yes. This is good". - And he again fell with his head on the horse’s neck. Suddenly it seemed to him that they were shooting at him. "What? What? What!... Ruby! What?...” Rostov spoke, waking up. The moment he opened his eyes, Rostov heard in front of him, where the enemy was, the drawn-out cries of a thousand voices. His horses and the hussar standing next to him pricked their ears to these screams. At the place from which the screams were heard, one light came on and went out, then another, and along the entire line of French troops on the mountain, lights were lit, and the screams became more and more intensified. Rostov heard the sounds of French words, but could not make out them. There were too many voices buzzing. All you could hear was: ahhh! and rrrrr!

About patrolology

The truth in Christ is given all at once. But over the centuries, people have found the most precise words in order to most accurately express the spiritual reality that was revealed to them in Orthodoxy. For example, all Orthodox Christians have always believed in the Trinity in the same way. But the best words about the Trinity and Its existence were brought to Orthodoxy by the Cappadocian saints. Or did everyone always believe as Saint Gregory Palamas spoke about the essence and energies of God? But before Saint Gregory there were no such precise words to express this spiritual reality, which all Orthodox Christians feel equally. Because all Orthodox Christians are filled with one Holy Spirit. Although, of course, everyone to their own measure.

One day, one of the residents, a mentally ill person, came to the chapel of the Staromikhailovsky psychoneurological boarding school. He could neither read nor write, he could hardly speak, but he knew how to pray to God. Arriving at the chapel, he unexpectedly began to expound in his own words the teachings of St. Gregory Palamas. “I want to be with God. But it’s not easy to believe, but I want to unite with Him, so that He can be in me,” this patient said. No one had ever told him anything like this. How did he know this? From God Himself.

It is known that even saints and righteous patrollers listened to the opinions of others in order to avoid mistakes. Saint Justin of Serbia asked his readers that if they sensed something contrary to the Spirit in his texts, they would immediately tell him about it. He prayed a lot so that the Lord would help him avoid mistakes. The great elder Sophrony Sakharov, even when many laudatory reviews came to his book “Seeing God as He Is,” said: “Let’s see what the Holy Mountain says.” And only when the Athonites recognized the expression of their experience in the book, he calmed down and agreed that he had done well.

Patristic insight into the teachings of the Holy Fathers can be correctly accomplished only in the Holy Spirit and by the Holy Spirit, without Whom the word of the patrolologist will have no power. Only she alone can awaken the soul and lead it along the path of service and transformation.

Why, for example, did Saint Theophan the Recluse say that “theological scientificity is cold”? Because he lived during the years of Western captivity of Orthodox theological thought. And it was impossible to say otherwise about scholasticism, which was taught at that time as theology. And, of course, he would not say that about the theology of collivads or anything like that.

The patrolologist is undoubtedly an ascetic, otherwise it would be better for him not to be a patrolologist, so as not to harm other souls with his mistakes.

The task of the patrolologist is similar to the task of the elder: how to apply the great Orthodox tradition to a specific situation and a specific issue of a specific person or group of people living here and now; how to introduce the heritage of the past into the experience of a modern person living now.

Outside of grace, it is impossible to correctly and wisely present the teachings of the fathers for a specific person, and such attempts will look pathetic - either as a story about what the patrolologist does not know, or as an abstract philosophy, which will be based on empty knowledge that he has not experienced.

Of the entire heritage of the fathers, the patrolologist can only speak and write about what he experienced.

Patrology deals with the analysis of the texts of fathers and ascetics, bringing the views of a holy father or ascetic into a system or completing the work of understanding a certain aspect of the tradition begun by the father. Reading should correspond to spiritual growth. Saint Isaac the Syrian even advised, while a person is very sick with passions, to read only ascetic literature. We can say that you need to read as you grow spiritually. What should a person who is still very sick with passions do? Ask experienced mentors for advice on what you read.

It is important not only to read the texts, but to become imbued with the spirit of the fathers, to become a participant in their experience at least to some extent.

Patrology is an experimental science. Its knowledge serves the correct communication of man with God. Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlahos) characterizes it this way: “Theology is the knowledge of God. A theologian is one who knows God and speaks about God.”

Who can talk about God? Saint Gregory the Theologian explains that not only those who have cleansed their hearts of passions can speak about God, but also those who are still in a state of purification. That is, not only a saint, but also one moving towards holiness.

It is only important that a person talks about what is the property of his experience.

I know one girl for whom the greatest torment is hearing about God in churches. She is upset that many speak from books, and not from experience. This pushed the girl away from the Church for a long time, until she became acquainted with the legacy of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. It was he who showed her that genuine Orthodox thought is always alive and comes from the heart.

A theological view of a problem is always unexpected, like a brilliant verse. We know from the Gospel that Christ, answering people’s questions, each time brought them to a fundamentally new level of understanding, to a new depth of being.

This is what a blessed ascetic, patrolologist, and preacher does.

Let me give you an example. One day Hierotheus (Vlahos) came to Elder Sophrony Sakharov and said: “Elder, there are a lot of passions in my heart, angry passions.” He looked at him, smiled and replied: “It’s normal, it’s all normal.” Hierotheus asked: “Why is this normal, elder?” And the elder said: “Because in order to know that there are many passions in your heart, you need the light of God to visit you and enlighten you, and you realize that you are a passionate person. Just like how a ray of light enters a dark room and we see everything in this room, even flying dust, the same thing happens in the heart when it is illuminated by the light of Christ.”

Orthodox theology is a theology of encounters. Three meetings. Man and God. A person who loves another person. And a person with himself, what he becomes when he is cleansed of passions.

Therefore, theology is always closely connected with mentoring, with the struggle for purification of the mind and correct thought. An example will be the words of Christ - they contain theology, moral teaching, and asceticism, but in their integrity they represent man’s path to God. “I am the way and the truth and the life,” says Christ.

These are the texts of the patrolologist. Looking at them in this way, we can say that the speeches of a gracious mentor in relation to the mentor are also theology.

A. Schmemann writes: “The beginning of false religion is the inability to rejoice.”

Any incorrect understanding of the faith of the holy fathers reveals itself with despondency on the face of its bearer.

If we look at the faces of some Orthodox people, they often seem irreversibly despondent. Why is that? Because people harbor sad thoughts within themselves and are in no hurry to confess them or reveal them to experienced mentors who could show them the way to joy.

A person can be oppressed all his life by false thoughts like “the time of the righteous has passed,” “everything is bad in the Church,” or “I will never get married.” And over the years of oppression by these thoughts, a person does not even realize that getting rid of them is in revealing them to a joyful mentor who knows how to heal the lost.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh says: “Sometimes one word spoken at the right time, even said accidentally, can change a person’s life. Moreover, it is not necessarily the Divine word - just a word that comes from the depths of something that we ourselves have learned.”

So, one of my friends said that all her life she remembers the words I said to her, that I keep every conversation, every minute spent with my mother in my heart as a treasure. I didn't pay attention to these words. It seemed to me that over the years of our conversations about lofty things, I told her a lot that was much more important than my impression of the heart. But it was precisely this, this impression, that became for her a strengthening in finding time every day for her daughter, in order to see that her need to communicate with her mother was not a whim, but a necessity more important than even eating or drinking.

And so every word spoken from experience deeply touches the heart of the listener, even if we do not notice it.