Teaching Pastoral Theology as a Pedagogically Oriented Discipline in the Educational Institutions of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine (Beginning of the 19th – End of the 60's of the 19th Century)

Abstract

The article focuses on the pedagogical component in the content of Pastoral Theology in the Ukrainian educational institutions of the Orthodox Church, which were included in the system of religious education of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the nineteenth century – at the end of the 1860's. Basing on the studied works “On Positions of Parish Presbyters” by the bishop of the Smolensk Parfenii and the Archbishop of Mogilev, Georgii (Konyskyi), “Letters on Positions of Sacred Rank” by Olexandr Sturdza, “Pastoral Theology” by Archimandrite Anthonii (Amfiteatrov), as well as programs, lecture notes and lecture reviews of lecturers of theological seminaries and the Kiev Theological Academy it has been established that much attention at classes on Pastoral Theology was paid to the preparation of future priests for the religious and moral upbringing of parishioners. The main forms and methods of teaching Pastoral Theology have been presented on the basis of the analysis of archival materials, historical, pedagogical literature. Attention is drawn to the widespread dissemination in the seminaries of rote learning and text dictating, despite the prohibition of such methods by the 1814 Statute. The quality of teaching and staffing of this subject in the secondary and higher Ukrainian educational institutions of the Orthodox Church in the period under research. It has been proved that Pastoral Theology in seminaries was on an equal footing with other branches of theology: teachers understood its great importance for future presbyters and paid much attention to the subject as distinct from the Kiev Theological Academy.