Rational Faith and Believing Reason. Orthodoxy and the Works by Ivan Ilyin

Abstract

This article considers Ivan Ilyin’s approach to the philosophy of religion, Orthodoxy and the Church from the viewpoint of his creative biography. The addition of new materials from the notionalist’s archive, such as memoirs and letters concerning religious issues and the use of the patristic tradition in the philosophical concept of the thinker, give this review an element of novelty. The novelty of the study is also strenghtened by the author’s focus on the question of how the philosopher understood the role and significance of Orthodoxy. The main milestones of the philosopher’s biography are considered from the viewpoint of his works revealing the evolution of his thought. This article highlights the reasons for Ilyin’s separation from the representatives of the new religious consciousness. Special attention is paid to the philosopher’s connection with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia as well as his participation in Christian circles and meetings. The emphasis is also laid on the connection between the social and political views of the notionalist regarding the future of Russia and Orthodoxy and its importance for the building a healthy statehood. The philosopher’s method and the role of the reason in the process of the knowledge of God are revealed on the example of the philosophy of religion. The Orthodox doctrine had asserted a significant influence on the philosopher’s thinking. Although it is widely accepted that Ivan Ilyin had not yet been a believer during the Moscow period of his creative activity, and instead approached the worldview issues exclusively from the standpoint of the pure reason, facts can be demonstrated that suggest the opposite. Inspired by German philosophy, Ivan Ilyin still refused to base his philosophical method on the Hegelian approach to a man and God, and, in his search, turned instead to the legacy of the Apostolic Fathers through reflections on Socrates. According to the notionalist, the way to renew the spiritual culture from the state of deep crisis was to construct a correct religious experience based on humility and integrity of the knowledge.