History Of Monastery Research Articles

Монастирі та чернецтво Київської єпархії синодального періоду: регламентація діяльності в системі російського церковного законодавства

The article aims to specify the status of Orthodox monasteries and monasticism in the Kyiv eparchy between the 19th and early 20th centuries within the framework of the then-existing Russian church legislation. Research methodology is grounded in the principles of historicism and scientific objectivity, using critical, systematic and comparative analysis of sources. These methods and principles have enabled a comprehensive study of various phenomena in their dynamics and totality, taking into account all conflicting factors. By employing these diverse methods, the study has traced the impact of Russian church legislation on events and processes regulating the activities of monasteries and monasticism in the Kyiv eparchy during the synodal period. Conclusions. The 18th-century reforms in the Russian Empire’s ecclesiastical sphere designated the Holy Governing Synod as the legislative authority over the Orthodox Church, fully subordinating it to the Russian imperial government. During this century, church legislation was established, which, with minor modifications and additions, remained in effect throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries and applied to Ukrainian Orthodox eparchies. The 18th century marked a period of profound and comprehensive transformations in the history of monasteries and monasticism, characterized by strict regulation of monastic life, daily routines and the rights of the inhabitants. The primary feature of church-state relations in the 19th and early 20th centuries was the state’s total control over the Church’s affairs. The Holy Synod controlled matters such as the establishment of new monasteries, granting them status, accepting individuals into monasticism and determining the number of monastics. The monasteries of the Kyiv eparchy during this period were managed by the eparchial bishop and were entitled to elect an abbot, who was then approved by the Holy Synod through its decree. Monasteries, both male and female, were classified into three categories, either communal or non-communal, with a clearly defined monastic staff determined by the Synod.

TSIVILSK TIKHVIN BOGORODITSKY MONASTERY DURING THE TRANSFORMATION PERIOD OF THE 1860s – 1870s

Studying the history of churches and monasteries in modern conditions is of scientific and practical interest. The purpose of the study is to examine the history of transformation of the Tsivilsk Tikhvin Monastery into a women’s monastery against the background of bourgeois modernization of the Russian society, intensification of the policy and practice of Orthodox missionary work, to show the contribution of spiritual and secular persons to the revival of monastic life in Tsivilsk monastery and to assess its religious and social significance in establishing Orthodoxy among the population of Chuvashia. Materials and methods. The article is based on the analysis of literary and documentary materials. The main sources of the work were archival documents, publications of periodicals, materials of the website of the Chuvash metropolis. Theoretical generalizations and conclusions are made using the chronological, institutional and cultural-anthropological approaches. Study results. Tsivilsk Bogoroditsky Tikhvin Monastery of the Chuvash Metropolis is one of the oldest in the Middle Volga region. It was founded by Tsivilsk inhabitants in memory of the town’s miraculous deliverance in 1671 by the God’s Mother’s intercession from the devastation by S.T. Razin’s detachments. Tsivilsk monastery has gone through different times: it was on the verge of closure more than once, and was abolished during the Soviet period. In this study, based on the study of special literature and a set of sources, the author examined one of the most difficult periods in the history of the monastery. At the end of the 1860s, the monastery’s economy turned out to be in a critical condition. Neither the monastery nor the municipal authorities had the financial means and material resources to restore it. The brethren were small in number, they did not see any prospects for the change for the better, so violations to the rules of monastic life took place among them. The diocesan leadership in the person of Archbishop Anthony of Kazan (Ya.G. Amphiteatrov), having visited the monastery in 1869, made a proposal to the consistory to close it. However, in the conditions of bourgeois reforms and intensification of missionary and educational activities, closure of the monastery in the uyezd, where predominantly the Chuvash population lived, could have negative consequences for Orthodoxy establishment. At the same time, the residents of Tsivilsk and many neighboring villages did not want to lose the monastery, which had not only religious, but also symbolic significance. These circumstances, in the author’s opinion, forced to look for other solutions to its fate. The idea of converting a male monastery into a female one turned out to be promising. The events of the monastery economy’s revival are described in detail, the role of the abbess Kheruvima, the main benefactor V.N. Nikitin is shown, the progress of construction and repair works is covered, the celebrations in honor of the renovated monastery consecration are described in detail, its characteristics at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries are given. Conclusions. One of the ancient centers of Orthodoxy in the territory of Chuvashia, Tsivilsk Bogoroditsky Tikhvin Monastery became a women’s monastery as a result of transformations in 1871–1872. Preservation of the historical monastery became possible thanks to the support of the diocesan leadership, the presence of benefactors, a positive attitude of Tsivilsk residents, as well as believers of Tsivilsk and neighboring uyezds. As a result of the renovation, Tsivilsk Tikhvin Convent turned into a center of missionary educational activities in the Chuvash Region. The modern restoration of the monastery became possible due to preservation of the monastery complex, built mainly in the historical period under consideration.

«Светильник цитат из классических трудов по истории буддизма» (тиб. chos ‘byung lung rigs sgron me) Кенсур Агван Нимы (1907-1990) как источник по изучению монастырей Монголии

The study aims to determine the peculiarity of how the information on Mongolian monasteries is presented in the writings on the history of religion - chos byung texts. The paper describes a part of the work on Mongolian monasteries of Khalkha Mongolia from the treatise written by Khensur Agvan Nyima. Scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that texts on the history of religion do not provide sufficient insight into the history of monasteries. As a result, the researcher has identified three ways according to which Mongolian monasteries are described in Khensur Agvan Nyima’s work.

History in High Places: Tatarna Monastery and the Pindus Mountains

Abstract Monasteries and the records they produced are a promising source base for writing a history of the mountains of the western Balkans. These mountains are, by and large, absent from accounts of the Ottoman presence in the Balkans and, as with mountainous areas more generally, are often considered to exist outside of the main historical narrative. Using the example of a monastery that was founded in the Pindus mountains in 1556, I argue that the monastery’s beginnings are best understood within the context of the Ottoman sixteenth century, even as due regard for Byzantine precedent must also be made. In addition, I pay close attention to the monastery’s location, for two reasons. First, this opens up a new set of questions for the history of monasteries during the Ottoman period; to date most studies have focused on taxation, land ownership and the relationship to the central state. Second, the monastery’s location offers a way into the environmental history of these mountains at the Empire’s western edge. This article aspires to extend the nascent field of Ottoman environmental history into mountainous terrain.

Introduction

This introduction provides a short description of the emergence of the Reformed Orders in the early twelfth century, the background of the publication, and a summary of the twelve articles included in the volume. A review of the historiography concerning both Orders points to a renewal of knowledge in the fields involved due to a reconsideration of sources and of progress in archaeology dating techniques. Attention is then drawn to the main themes discussed: borders or frontiers as spaces for religious foundations; filiation between hermitages and abbeys; episcopal acceptance vs rejection of the Reformed Orders; the ‘desert’ vs ‘central places’ as a choice for religious settlements; interregionalism vs regionalism. The collection sets out to open new perspectives through a decompartmentalization of monastic studies and the inclusion of border areas - Brittany, Scandinavia, and Wales in particular. Its aim is to encourage a questioning of prevalent myths concerning the history of monasteries and of religious orders in Western Europe in the Middle Ages.

The history of monasteries in Egypt as self-sustained settlements

Monasticism initiated in Egypt and has spread worldwide. It introduced a new self-sustained architectural innovation called “monasteries”. Monasteries can be considered as homogeneous self-sustained settlements through history. This paper aims to document the origins of monasticism, leading to the development of self-sustained monasteries: conceptually, economically, and architecturally. It relies on observations, maps, and historical references. The main challenges in collecting data for this paper were the lack of published references about origins of monasticism. Most of the resources are rare documents stored in the Coptic Clerical and Theological College of Cairo, and libraries of monasteries. Thus, the paper analysis present monasteries as self-sufficient, self-sustained settlements that survived through history since the fourth century to the current state through: (zoning, architectural elements, building materials, and buildingtechniques. The architectural analysis shows that the architectural solutions of monasteriesevolved in respect to the geographical location, and context. Monasteries architecture relies on trials and errors, until it reached an applicable architectural model.

MONASTIC HISTORY IN WORKS OF FR. ANATOLIJ KRALYCJKYJ OSBM

Стаття присвячена вивченню спадщини ігумена Мукачівського василіянського монастиря св. Миколая на Чернечій Горі о. Анатолія Кралицького, ЧСВВ (1835 – 1894) як історика чернецтва загалом та Василіянського Чину св. Йосафата зокрема. Автор подає характеристику діяльності о. Кралицького на полі пошуку, дослідження і видання низки архівних джерел XVIII – ХІХ століть з метою висвітлення історії монашества, написання численних розвідок про василіянські монастирі й чернечі біографії. Володимир Мороз обґрунтовує думку про те, що до видання джерел мукачівський ігумен прагнув підходити системно, публікуючи якомога точніші тексти давніх актів і взаємно верифікуючи повідомлення одних документів іншими. Особливу увагу присвячено програмному характеру досліджень о. Кралицьким історії монастирів Закарпаття. Автор опрацьовує його тексти про монастирі в селах і містах Біксад, Боронява, Букова Гірка, Грушево, Імстичево, Красний Брід, Малий Березний, Марія-Повч, Мукачево, а також ліквідовані монастирі Марамороша. У статті простежено те, як чернець поступово перейшов від видання джерел до їх аналізу в авторських розвідках про чернечі обителі. Численні статті мукачівського ігумена про василіянських протоігуменів, а також укладений ним список протоігуменів, розглянуті як вияв прагнення о. Кралицького дослідити і написами життєписи відомих йому керівників Василіянського Чину на Закарпатті. При цьому показано, що чернець-дослідник не обмежувався вивченням біографій виключно протоігуменів, адже написав тексти і про деяких василіян, які були відомими богословами і наставниками молодих ченців. Окремо автор статті наголошує, що о. Кралицький у своїх біографічних студіях не обмежувався виключно Закарпаттям, адже видав також тексти про життя св. Кирила і Методія, св. Антонія Печерського, Нестора Літописця, Феофана Прокоповича. У цих та інших випадках мукачівський ігумен виступив як яскравий представник української релігійної та інтелектуальної історії другої половини ХІХ ст., свідомий власної ідентичності.

Pokasacyjne losy i obecny stan zachowania archiwaliów klasztoru Benedyktynów z Sieciechowa

The history of the Benedictine monastery in Sieciechow is an interesting research problem that did not have too many scientific studies. One of the reasons is the poor knowledge of the current preservation state of the monastery archives. Until the dissolution of the abbey in 1819, Sieciechow had the valuable archive, whose collection for centuries documented the rich history of monastery, including the development of the material-spiritual culture of the Sieciechowski convent. Unfortunately, as a result of the dissolution, the monastery archives were separated and dispersed, and then were largely destroyed during World War II. The article discusses the main events related to the post-dissolution fate of Sieciechow archives, presents their current state of preservation and determines the research potential the preserved archives create in the context of further studies on the past of the monastery.

El hospital de Pena Godón, una ventana al pasado de un despoblado olvidado en el camino francés a Compostela

The key points to the historical evolution of Pena Godon are identical to those that mark the history of monasteries and of various religious and military authorities that settled in the area. They also reflect the relationship of these orders with the nobility, the role played as joint landholders in a system of agrarian exploitation and the impact of all this on the peasants’ way of life. These points also help explain the evolution of the landscape in this part of the French Way where the settlement was located, the history of its hospitals and the people and the institutions that founded and managed them.

Back to the Future - A Monastic Perspective on Corporate Governance

The financial crisis is a crisis of governance as well. In search of answers and solutions many scholars and practitioners recommend improved output control, i.e. better external incentives or even stricter regulations. Monasteries demonstrate that alternative models may be more suitable to enhance sustainable governance quality and to reduce agency problems. In the long history of monasteries, some abbots and monks were known to line their own pockets and some monasteries were undisciplined. Monasteries developed special systems to combat these excesses thus ensuring their survival over centuries. We study these features from an economic perspective. Derived from an analysis of the Benedictine monastery of Engelberg we offer three improvements of applied governance designed to reduce agency problems. First, monastic governance emphasizes clan control rather than output control. Second, monasteries demonstrate that organizations can prevent agency problems by complementing external discipline with internal behavioral incentives, such as value systems and voice. Third, organization members who make firm-specific investments are motivated by broad participation rights and co-determination.

The Corporate Governance of Benedictine Abbeys: What can Stock Corporations Learn from Monasteries?

The corporate governance structure of monasteries is analyzed to derive new insights into solving agency problems of modern corporations. In the long history of monasteries, some abbots and monks lined their own pockets and monasteries were undisciplined. Monasteries developed special systems to check these excesses and therefore were able to survive for centuries. These features are studied from an economic perspective. Benedictine monasteries in Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria and German speaking Switzerland have an average lifetime of almost 500 years and only a quarter of them broke up as a result of agency problems. We argue that this is due to an appropriate governance structure, relying strongly on the intrinsic motivation of the members and on internal control mechanisms.