Konstantin Grigorievich Grigoriev — the last professor of fundamental theology at the Kazan Theological Academy

Abstract

The article is devoted to studying the theological heritage of the professor, the last teacher of fundamental theology at the Kazan Theological Academy, Konstantin Grigorievich Grigoriev (1875–1933). The work uses previously unpublished archival materials. The program of K. G. Grigoriev’s lecture course on fundamental theology, preserved in the State Archives of the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as some of his journal publications on the same topic, are analyzed, with special attention paid to his methodology of teaching fundamental theology and the basic section of the discipline — proofs of the main religious truths (existence of God and immortality of soul). It is revealed that in teaching fundamental theology, K. G. Grigoriev largely adhered to the method and subject structure developed by bishop Mikhail (Gribanovsky). It is demonstrated that this method had also been previously supported and developed by the Kazan Theological Academy professors V. A. Snegirev and V. I. Nesmelov. The results obtained in the course of the study allow us to speak of K. G. Grigoriev’s rather high scientific and apologetic potential, which, at the same time, did not remain fully realized. The Kazan professor’s main merit is that he managed to accumulate the best achievements of his predecessors in the field of fundamental theology. K. G. Grigoriev, contrary to the liberal trends in contemporary theological science, managed to maintain the teaching of fundamental theology not only at a high scientific level, but also in accordance with the Orthodox worldview.