Orthodox Religion Research Articles

Potential of development of dark tourism in Bulgaria

PurposeThe paper is making a preliminary evaluation of dark tourism potential in Bulgaria. Dark tourism is underestimated research topic in Bulgaria – a country with long and rich cultural heritage, belonging to orthodox religion, with ambiguous impacts from the communist/socialist political regime and nowadays being a typical destination for mass and 3 “S” (sun, sand, sea) tourism. The research topic is approached by starting with an inventory and classification of the main tourist attractions/sites for dark tourism according to the most widely applicable theoretical typologies, inclusively their territorial density, cities location, authenticity and commercialization. The general counterpoint is the non-western approach and the hypothesis that dark places/attractions can be explored as potential tourist resources, diversifying the cities destination supply. The places related to death within the death-tourism framework are explored within the urban landscape. The research applies supply-demand approach and includes semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders from the supply side and a questionnaire accessing the tourist’s perspective and readiness from the demand side. Special attentions is given to the cities as concentrating the major part of the dark sites/attractions in the country, being at the same time integral part of the public areas and urban landscape, with special designation and/or combination of additional recreational functions. The data and results from the conducted research revealed that dark tourism in Bulgaria, in the narrowest sense is relatively unknown, unexplored type of tourism, difficult to distinguish and overlapping with other types of tourism mainly in the cities. The paper also raises the discussion about the necessity to extend the dark tourism research in the cities, taking into account the non-western approach and cultural sensitiveness. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology of the research, in its nature, is purely qualitative, widest and most applicable (Biran A., Hyde K., 2013), (Wight, 2006) (Light, 2017) and follows two main stages: inventory, classification and potential of the dark tourism sites/attractions in Bulgaria and supply-demand approach for pilot exploratory study of the reediness of the suppliers and main stakeholders from one side, and the tourist’s perceptions from other side.FindingsThe data and results from the conducted research revealed that dark tourism in the narrowest sense in Bulgaria is relatively unknown, unexplored type of tourism, difficult to distinguish and overlapping with other types of tourism mainly in the cities. The findings challenge the predominant understanding of dark tourism typology, spectrum, and type of places/attractions (Light, 2017). Within the tourism-death relationship framework in the non-western approach with narrow focus in Bulgaria as research area, the author can confirm that the concept of dark tourism research should be extended taking into account the religion (relationship to death), historical development and political regime. The results obtained clearly show that the main difference from the western approach lies in on completely different conceptual basis, which differs from the concept of dark tourism. Tourism is mostly linked with recreation, leisure, and entertainment, while the dark places/sites related to death and suffer are mostly linked to religion, historical or political heritage. Besides being different both create and conduct to a behavior and visit of such places with deserved respect, honor and part of national identity and culture.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s focus is narrow and limited at national level as part of “eastern” (non-western) context of tourism-death relationship framework. The findings resulted from pilot exploratory study provide theoretical and practical insights into understanding of dark tourism and its potential development in Bulgaria by considering the availability of dark sites/attractions, supply (readiness of main stakeholders) and demand side (tourist’s perspective). The paper limits the research in the post-modern context stressing on tourism/leisure and commercial use of death as attractions and places. Other limitations are pilot character of the exploratory study and the limited number of respondents.Practical implicationsThe paper delivers practical insights into understanding of dark tourism and its potential development in Bulgaria by considering the availability of dark sites/attractions, supply (readiness of main stakeholders) and demand side (tourist’s perspective).Originality/valueMost of the research in the field of dark tourism as expression of tourism-death relationship framework are concentrated on the “western way of thinking” (Light, 2017, p. 297) covering countries from West Europe, USA, Australia (Foote, 1997), (Bowman M., Pezzullo P., 2010, p. 188). The use of Western frameworks for understanding the tourism-death relationship in other parts of the world and particularly in Bulgaria as Eastern European and orthodox country may not be appropriate. For the specific research area – the case of Bulgaria, theoretically although incorrect, a parallel is possible between the western post-modern secularism and atheism as official communist policy between 1940 and 1990 (Metodiev, 2013). Darkness of sites/attraction identified within the tourism-death relationship and exploitation of the death is seen supporting and commemorating the sacrifice of the “heroes” of the time keeping them “eternally alive” and as symbols, incarnations of the “sacral” political power.

Les fonctions psychopathologiques de la conversion idéologique ou religieuse et leur rapport avec le terrorisme

ObjectifsThis paper aims to examine what the psychological motivations for converting to an orthodox religion and/or violent ideology could be. We do not assimilate every religious conversion as a criterion of dangerosity, but we will focus on the religious “varnish” applied on some discourse as a means to a violent ideology and use of violence. MethodsThe authors developed their hypothesis about the psychological functions underlying a rigorist religious conversion and/or adhesion to violent views. They elaborated that hypothesis using different sources from a literature review dealing with the topic of radicalization and from case studies of individuals who underwent a psychological assessment. ResultsSeven psychological functions of the orthodox religious conversion were isolated: one of identity, one of framework, one as a counterdepressive, a protective one, an anti-enigma, one of social bonds, and finally one of sensational experiences. The presence of suicidal and melancholic aspects is confirmed by analysis of case studies although their clinical display differs from the classic presentation usually met. ConclusionsA thorough analysis of the religious conversion history is important in order to contextualize ideological modifications which took place in the individual psyche. Those conversions have specific functions for every individual and deserve to be analyzed and evaluated during a risk threat assessment and/or for the therapeutic orientation.

The Boundaries of Russian Identity Analysis of the Concept of Russkiy Mir in Contemporary Russian Online Media

This article set out to present selected outcomes of my research on the concept of “russkiy mir” in contemporary ethnocentric online Russian media. Perspectives for further analysis were also presented. The analytical methodology involved a semantic and cultural analysis of a dataset from a cognitive and anthropological viewpoint including elements of critical discourseanalysis. The concept of “russkiy mir” in the ethnocentric discourse investigated in this article was based on an idea of forming a supranational Russian civilization. This community would unite all Russians, the Russian diaspora and all those learning Russia, and declaring the attachment to Russian culture. Proponents of this discourse assume that “russkiy mir” will have a geopolitical dimension, imperial pretenses and will transgress state borders, and claiming for itself a transcontinental realm. A nationality dimension is also supposed to be an important aspect according to the discourse participants. The main ethnos is to be that of the Russian nation, around which other ethnoses will congregate. The Orthodox religion is supposed to be an important co-constituent of “russkiy mir”.

Russia and the Greek Revolution

Russia and the Greek Revolution Yanni Kotsonis Lucien J. Frary, Russia and the Making of Modern Greek Identity, 1844–1844 304 New York: Oxford University Press, 2015. ISBN-13 978-0198733775. $100.00. We do not have an obvious need for studies of Russian involvement in Greece in the decades surrounding the Greek Revolution of 1821. What became the Kingdom of Greece in 1832 was a small territory on the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, while Russia had strategic interests spanning three continents. The existing works of Grigorii Arsh, Norman Saul, I. M. Smilianskaia, Olga Petrunina, and Avgusta Stanislavskaia are careful and good. Together they cover the geostrategic, cultural, and institutional-religious importance of the region in this period, roughly 1770 to the 1840s. Russia became a Black Sea naval power under Catherine II and acted intermittently to extend that power in the Mediterranean. Russian armed forces intervened in the Morea (Peloponnese), where they stimulated the Orlov Rebellion of 1770–71; in the Ionian Islands in 1799–1807, where they evicted the French Republic and established the Septinsular Republic; and in different parts of Italy from the 1790s on, where they sparred with revolutionary and imperial France.1 We need a reason for further engagement. [End Page 661] Things do become interesting when we consider that Greek speakers at the time were extremely active in multiple regions of the world, pertained to flows and loci sooner than states and nations, and had very little respect for borders. The examples are myriad, from the Italian states to which Greek speakers and Orthodox migrated to study, soldier, and trade to France after 1789, where they joined the army and commanded forces in the Caribbean, at Waterloo, in Algeria, and later still in the Franco-Prussian War. In the Ottoman Empire after Greek independence Greeks owned most of the merchant marine, and the Greek-speaking, Orthodox Phanariotes continued to manage major aspects of the state, its moneys, and its foreign relations. They manned the fleets and irregular forces that defended the Porte against foreign attack, rebellions, and revolutions, Greek ones included.2 Russia, too, was a powerful magnet and had been since the time of Ivan III. A generation of scholars trained by the estimable Theofanis Stavrou have been documenting these movements with an emphasis on the 18th and 19th centuries. Lucien Frary is one of those scholars, and his book goes far in tracing networks of Greeks in connection with Russia from the time of the Greek Revolution to the 1840s. Most of Russia's Mediterranean diplomatic missions were manned by Greeks. Greek merchants were based as often in Odessa and Azov as in Cephalonia, Syros, or Piraeus, and behind references to Russian shipping were often Greek captains (and their Albanian crews) from all around the eastern Mediterranean.3 The Russian navy and the corsairs sponsored by Russia were stacked with Greek commanders. Lambros Katsonis was the most famous of the corsairs, and the military leader of the Greek Revolution in the 1820s, Theodoros Kolokotronis, had a spell as a pirate under the Russian flag before 1810. The regular army also attracted hundreds of Greek soldiers and officers like the Ypsilantis brothers, who later organized the Greek uprising of 1821—to the chagrin of Nicholas I.4 Greek theologians populated Russian seminaries and went on regular missions to St. Petersburg. Presumably the Russian emperors valued their language skills and trusted their Orthodox religion, while for a time their oath to the tsar trumped fears of nationalist parochialism. [End Page 662] What to call these people was not at all obvious and the multiple labels invite query. In Russia the terminology still includes greki (the catchall), pontiitsy (from the Black Sea region), ellintsy (from the country, Greece), and in earlier centuries grechane, with further subcategories for certain spaces in today's Caucasus region and Ukraine. In the Ottoman Empire, they called themselves Romans (Romioi), as many Greeks do today, while Turkish-speakers called them Rum, all in reference to the Eastern Roman Empire and the Orthodox Church it spawned. It was the category under which the Ottomans organized the Orthodox millet, no matter what language they spoke. Greeks arriving in the Balkans...

La folie en Christ : entre rire et rejet de la hiérarchie. Le cas des fols-en-Christ en Russie

This paper proposes a brief historical analysis from a peculiar Christianity’s side which is called the «fool in Christ», in evoking the similarities and the differences between the Catholic and the Orthodox religions. Some leads for lessons in history classes are mentioned at the end of the paper.

Communism as the Unhappy Coming

We show that Eastern Orthodox believers are less happy compared to those of Catholic and Protestant faith using data covering more than 100 countries around the world. Consistent with the happiness results, we also find that relative to Catholics, Protestants and non-believers, those of Eastern Orthodox religion have less social capital and prefer old ideas and safe jobs. In addition, Orthodoxy is associated with left-leaning political preferences and stronger support for government involvement in the economy. Compared to non-believers and Orthodox adherents, Catholics and Protestants are less likely to agree that government ownership is a good thing, and Protestants are less likely to agree that getting rich can only happen at the expense of others. These differences in life satisfaction and other attitudes and values persisted despite the fact that communist elites sought to eradicate church-going in Eastern Europe, since communists maintained many aspects of Orthodox theology which were useful for the advancement of the communist doctrine. The findings are consistent with Berdyaev's (1933, 1937) hypothesis of communism as a successor of Orthodoxy.

10.18290/rkult.2018.9.4-3 Herezja jako czynnik rozwoju kultury. Rozważania na przykładzie działalności waldensów

At the beginning of the text, the author sets in order some terminological issues. He explains how heresy is conceived on the ground of Christianity and how it differs from schism. He also shows contemporary changes in meaning and evaluation of concepts of “heresy” and “orthodoxy”. For that purpose, he refers to Gilbert K. Chesterton’s books. Then he proposes and proves the thesis that heresies in strict sense are not constructive, i.e. they cannot contribute to the progress of culture within which they exist. The main argument is as follows: heresies do not develop culture because their authors reject its achievements (i.e. cultural heritage) and try to shape the culture anew according to completely different principles. Referring to activity of the Waldenses movement, the author shows that heresies can be constructive only indirectly—as inspiration to improve the orthodox religion. This improvement consists in making dogmas more precise and also in modification of functioning of religious communities and institutions. The Waldenses had an influence on these two areas. On the matter of doctrine their role was that they helped the Catholic Church to point at and criticize these elements of Catharism which were in disagreement with Christian dogmas. When it comes to practical and institutional issues, as “the movement of the poor”, they prepared a ground for the mendicant orders.

УКРАЇНСЬКА ГРЕКО-ПРАВОСЛАВНА ЦЕРКВА В КАНАДІ: ПРОБЛЕМИ БУДІВНИЦТВА (1918–1939 РР.)

In the article it is done historiographical and sources study analysis of the material concerning to the activity of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada (hereinafter referred to as UGOCC). The reasons influenced on its creation are shown. The main of them was the desire of the public activists to give possibility to the immigrants to attend their native church with Ukrainian divine service, deprived the influence of Rome and Moscow. The conditions in which Ukrainians consolidated on the basis of Orthodox religion were analyzed. Orthodox were mainly those who moved from Bukovina and Galicians, that past from Greek Catholic faith to Orthodox. The history of origin and further activity of UGOCC in the interwar period, according to valid norms of the Canadian legislation, is described in the research. The most important problems of the building of UGOCC, such as the lack of priests, searching for a bishop by Ukrainian origin, and the struggle for the recognition of the canonization by the Constantinople Patriarchate are defined. Specific peculiarities of functioning the UGOC on Canadian territory, its ties with the same church in Ukraine are characterized. So, UGOC of Canada gave great significance to the spiritual union with the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (hereinafter referred to as UAOC), on it repeatedly stressed in its councils. UGOCC recognized itself as a part of the UAOC, headed by the Metropolitan Vasyl Lypkivsky. Particular attention is paid to internal conflicts in the interior of the Orthodox church. During the interwar period the discussion question of the canonicity of UGOC of Canada is remained, which Ivan Teodorovych and most of the members of the church`s council aspired to, but a part of the public activists led by V. Svystun was against the connection with the Constantinople Patriarchate and resanctifying the Archbishop, because it would mean «treason» of UAOC in Ukraine and the Kyivan canons of 1921. Therefore, the article analyzes the main problems of the building of the Ukrainian Orthodox church in Canada in the interwar period as well as the ways to solve them.

Ostvarivanje i zaštita slobode veroispovesti u Bugarskoj, Rumuniji i Grčkoj

This paper analyzes legal regulation of exercising and protection of the freedom of religion in Bulgaria, Romania and Greece. These three countries have been selected, because in these countries there is the dominant influence of Orthodox religion and because they are members of the European Union at the same time. In this sense, they represent countries with similar legal traditions regarding the exercising and protection of the freedom of religion, as well as, to a certain extent, the legal position of churches and religious communities. It is precisely why in this area normative solutions and case-law in these countries are presented, while certain cases related to the protection of the freedom of religion are analyzed from the perspective of practice of the European court of human rights.

Wizerunki koni we wschodniej europejskiej tradycji malarstwa ikonowego

Artykuł poświęcony jest osobliwościom obrazu koni w ikonograficznych przedstawieniach. Autorka nakreśliła główne sposoby sklasyfikowania tych zwierząt we wschodniej europejskiej tradycji malarstwa ikonowego. Podział koni zależy od relacji i otoczenia (transcendentnego lub immanentnego), w jakich zostały na ikonach przedstawione. Przeprowadzono także szereg semantycznych paralel, które demonstrują odwzorowanie ukrytych połączeń (religia ortodoksyjna i percepcja narodowa) w ikonografii XII-XVIII w.

Neurophysiological Approach to Examining Knowledge/Belief in the Prayer of an Untrained Person: A Case Study.

An adult female (22years) of Christian orthodox religion was examined during the silent Lord's prayer, the most common, short prayer, with the aim of possible differentiation between belief and knowledge in her experience, analyzing the behavior of subgroups of theta and beta cerebral EEG rhythms, which occur through constant and occasional activation of cerebral regions. The participant was not trained in reading the prayer to herself or other people. EEG examination was performed by Nihon Kohden Corporation, EEG-1200-K Neurofax apparatus, in the monopolar longitudinal montage in the system of 10/20 electrodes aimed at determining the peak frequency value of each exploratory site. The method of result analysis was based on connecting cerebral regions into networks of 3 or more members according to identical peak frequency value, which was observed within subgroups of theta and beta frequencies and analyzed through a proximity index and continuity and discontinuity of activation during the observed period. Out of the definite observation sample of 3s from each subperiods (beginning, middle and end), a window of 2s was moving from the beginning till end of the period with 200-ms time lag. This resulted in six subsamples for each electrode and for each experimental situation (resting state, situation of prayer). Stable and unstable activity of the regions was assessed within subgroups via cartographic formulas equivalent to the states which subgroups of theta and beta imply in psychophysiological sense. The results indicated that through participant's inner dialogue-monologue there are elements of both knowledge and belief, and that this phenomenon is possible considering insufficiently specific circumstances of the experiment and the participant herself, such as her relatively young age and insufficient practice of praying. The paper discusses the types of connections between regions which imply knowledge and those related to belief according to our understanding and regarding findings in literature.

Политические цели ликвидации масонских организаций в СССР органами ОГПУ – НКВД 1920–1930-х годов

This research is dedicated to the political specificity of elimination of «masonic underground organization» by soviet special forces in USSR. The issue of relations between communist movements with political masonry was also considered in the article. It appears that in the beginning of 1920s «freemasons» planned prospects in cooperation with Bolsheviks, while having hidden goal to «cover» Soviet government with masonic ideas. Masons of 1920s were quite satisfied with Bolshevism as a weapon to eradicate Russian national self-awareness and its Orthodox religion. Liquidation process of masonic underground, which started in 1925, was conditioned by inner-party strife between «Stalinists», conducting anti-masonic and anti-Zionist campaigns, and «Trotskyists», who appeared to be a weapon of international masonic politics in Soviet Russia. Authors conclude that liquidation of occult-masonic underground in USSR had several political goals: covering communist party leaders' masonic past, elimination masons as potential western secret service agents, threatening conservative intelligentsia, exposure masonic people from the environment of Soviet officials and cultural elites, extermination masonic alternative of communistic ideology and preparation of «grand terror» against «Lenin's guard».

Health benefits and consequences of the Eastern Orthodox fasting in monks of Mount Athos: a cross-sectional study.

Greek Orthodox fasting (OF), which involves 180-200 days of fasting per year, is dictated by the Christian Orthodox religion. For the first time, this cross-sectional study examines the characteristics and the effects of OF on anthropometry, cardiometabolic markers and calcium homeostasis in Athonian monks (AMs). Daily intakes of energy, macro- and micronutrients of a day during a weekend of Nativity Fast, defined as non-restrictive day (NRD), and a weekday during Great Lent, labeled as restrictive day (RD) were recorded. The daily energy intake of 70 AM (age=38.8±9.7 years) was low during both RD and NRD (1265.9±84.5 vs 1660±81 kcal, respectively, P<0.001). Paired samples t-test showed statistically significant difference between daily intakes in RD and NRD: carbohydrates (159.6±21.8 vs 294.3±23.4 g, P<0.0001) and saturated fat (12.7±0.0 vs 16.4±0.0 g, P<0.0001) were lower, whereas protein (89.2±1.3 vs 72.35±1.3 g, P<0.001) was higher during RD. A subsample of 50 monks (age=38.7±10.6 years) formed a study cohort for cardiometabolic and calcium homeostasis assessment. Body weight (74.3±12.9 kg) and body mass index (BMI; 23.8±4.1 kg/m2) were independent of level of physical activity. Optimal profiles for lipid and glucose parameters (total cholesterol: 183.4±41.7 mg/dl, LDL: 120.6±37.6 mg/dl, triglycerides: 72.2±31.3 mg/dl, HDL: 48.5±14.2 mg/dl and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) 1.02±0.40) were found. Profound hypovitaminosis D (8.8±6.2 ng/ml), high parathyroid hormone (PTH): 115.5±48.0 pg/ml with normal serum calcium levels (8.9±3.2 mg/dl) was observed. Unaffected by variation in lifestyle factors, the results of this unique study offers clear evidence for the health benefits of the strict Athonian OF through optimal lipid and glucose homeostasis.

Becoming patriots in Russia: biopolitics, fashion, and nostalgia

The article seeks to explore the common ground between biopolitics, fashion, patriotism and nostalgia. Taking off from the Foucauldian notion of biopolitics as a control apparatus exerted over a population, I provide an insight into the modern construction of the Russian nation, where personal and collective sacrifice, traditional femininity and masculinity, orthodox religion, and the Great Patriotic War become the basis for patriotism. On carefully chosen case studies, I will show how the state directly and indirectly regulates people's lives by producing narratives, which are translated (in some cases designers act as mouthpieces for the state demographic or military politics) into fashionable discourses and, with a core of time, create specific gender norms – women are seen as fertile mothers giving birth to new soldiers, while men are shown as fighters and defenders of their nation. In the constructed discourses, conservative ideals become a ground for the creation of an idea of a nation as one biological body, where brothers and sisters are united together. In these fashionable narratives, people's bodies become a battlefield of domestic politics. Fashion produces a narrative of a healthy nation to ensure the healthy work- and military force.

“In the Beginning Was the Word”: Evangelical Christian Women, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Competing Definitions of Womanhood

“In the Beginning Was the Word”Evangelical Christian Women, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Competing Definitions of Womanhood Chelsea Griffis (bio) During the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ratification period from 1972 to 1982, evangelical Christian women’s organizations played an important role in the debate and discussion over the amendment. Though these organizations were all grouped under the same title of evangelical, they did not all argue for the same side of the ERA debate. Evangelical Christian female leaders and women’s organizations supported or rejected the Equal Rights Amendment based on how they defined womanhood. While they all used the Bible as the main source of evidence in their arguments about proper roles for women, and therefore whether to support the Equal Rights Amendment, they came to very different conclusions. Concerned Women for America and its leader Beverly LaHaye used what they perceived as a literal interpretation of the Bible to support their view that God made the two sexes different, and therefore inherently politically unequal, though not inferior or socially unequal. In their view men were made to rule, and subsequently the ERA had no place within the United States’ rule of law. The Evangelical Women’s Caucus argued that the Equal Rights Amendment was necessary as God wished for the sexes to be equal in all ways, including politically. In their view human fallibility led to biblical interpretation, deemed by some as literal, which supported female oppression and did not resonate with the word of God. In this way differing biblical interpretations led evangelical Christian women’s organizations to opposite definitions of womanhood, though all of them held that their biblical interpretations were literal. Their definitions of womanhood in turn informed their varying opinions on the Equal Rights Amendment and complicated the idea that all evangelical women held the same religious and political beliefs. Due to this historical context of discussion about proper gender roles for evangelical communities, the ERA ratification campaign fanned the flames of a growing separation among evangelical women, between those who supported [End Page 148] new liberalized definitions of womanhood and those who wanted to stick to old, traditional standards. Historical analysis of evangelical women’s roles throughout the twentieth century is riddled with attempts at psychological explanation, especially when it was connected to perceived fundamental or literal biblical interpretation. As American Studies scholar Axel R. Schafer has pointed out, “rather than being understood on its own terms, orthodox religion was defined as a reaction against, a deviation from, or an adjustment to the given modern setting.” Scholars continue to describe traditionally religious people, particularly evangelical Christians, in this light. Historian Randall Balmer claims fundamentalist Christians and those who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible “have felt beleaguered and besieged by forces beyond their control” during much of the twentieth century and sees their insistence on voicing their beliefs as “a desperate attempt to reclaim” a culture that has abandoned them. Religious scholar Karen McCarthy Brown emphasized this point and states that “fundamentalism, in my view, is the religion of the stressed and the disoriented, of those for whom the world is overwhelming.” Her belief is that they were not rational actors but, instead, psychologically disturbed and unwilling or unable to participate fully in the modern world. Evangelical Christian women receive the same treatment, sometimes even more harshly than that given to their male peers. Betty DeBerg, religious studies scholar, argues that “any hint of androgyny—a world without gender limits—seemed very frightening.” Linda Kintz supports this point by arguing that antifeminism offered a “solace to women who feel exhausted and desperate because they cannot keep up with the competitive world supposedly introduced by feminism, a world in which women who have felt humiliated by the more general historical contempt for women now feel even less secure because they are unable to keep up.”1 This essay seeks to add nuance to this historiography through discussion and analysis of evangelical Christian women’s theological and political ideologies, as well as their definitions of womanhood, and how these ideologies helped inform their stances on the ERA. Before this discussion can begin, though, it is important to define evangelical Christianity. As with...

Трансформация православия в западносибирской деревне XX века (на примере крестного хода во время засухи в деревнях Омского Прииртышья)

Gradually transition to type of Orthodoxy separated from church in exemplum of gorymdaith during drought was considered on the territory of Omskoye Priirtyshye. Basic trends of extension and accumulation Orthodox's religion practice were revealed on this territory.

Православная тематика в дневнике и творчестве А. В. Жигулина

For the first time the question of images and themes related to Orthodox religion and Orthodox culture in the diaries and literary works of the outstanding poet and writer, former prisoner of Stalinist camps, native of the Voronezh region Anatoly Vladimirovich Zhigulin (1930-2000) is raised. Object of research are the materials of the personal archive of the writer, received in 2011-2013 for permanent storage in the Voronezh literary Museum named after I. S. Nikitin. The diary entries of A. V. Zhigulin that open new, unknown pages of his life and creativity, make additional touches to the history of Russian journalism and literature are introduced into the scientific circulation,. Attempt is made to analyze the attitude of A. V. Zhigulin to matters of faith, religion, Orthodoxy at different stages of life and creative path of the writer. In the results of comparative analysis it is concluded that the basis of many poetic works and part of the text of the autobiographical novel “Black stones” on the theme of spirituality became diary entries by A. V. Zhigulin of different years. According to the author, archival materials and literary works by A. V. Zhigulin testify to his positive attitude to the Russian Orthodox Church, a high estimation of the role of Orthodoxy in the history of the state and the spiritual education of the people, the formation of personality, philosophy, moral development, and citizenship.

The Book of Psalms in the Church Slavonic, Greek, and Polish Languages from Simon Azarjin’s Library

This article is devoted to research on the Book of Psalms manuscript written in the first half of the 17th century from Simon Azarjin’s book collection. The Book of Psalms is written inter-linearly in three languages: Church Slavonic, Greek, and Polish. The availability of the text in Polish in the Orthodox psalms makes this memorable text unique. The research concentrates on the clarification of the aim that led to the creation of the Book of Psalms. The lack of a preface or any other evidence of its author, time, or place of its translation forces us to turn to indirect facts, namely, to research of the textological character and to an analysis of Church Slavonic and Polish texts. Textological research of the Church Slavonic edition of the Book of Psalms reveals its similarity with pre-Nikonian texts and the analyses of the text in Polish allows us to affirm that the author had used the Catholic Leopolita’s Bible in 1561, exposed it to a profound edition—both textological as well as linguistic. The analysis of the inserted changes into the text in Polish and the alternated language itself enables us to assume that the author of the manuscript might have been a native from West Russia, while the text itself had probably been created in the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius. The efforts aimed at adaptation of the Polish text into the text in Church Slavonic prove that the tri-lingual Book of Psalms might have been created for the inhabitants of the previous territories of Great Principality of Lithuania who converted from the Catholic Church or from the Greek Catholic into the Orthodox Church. The text in Polish had thus been needed especially for those believers practicing the Orthodox religion in order to understand the Church Slavonic language of worship.

Analysis of Ukrainian ethno-cultural and ethic processes in the first half of XVII century

This article is devoted to analysis of Ukrainian ethno-cultural development and ethnic processes in the first half of the XVII century. The author studied the dynamic changes of directly and indirectly related to then ethno-cultural development and its main elements: language, territory, traditional culture, Orthodox religion, identity, historical memory and so on

OCHRONA ORTODOKSYJNEJ WIARY W USTAWODAWSTWIE JUSTYNIANA

Protection of the Orthodox Religion in the Legislation of Justinian I Summary The protection of the Orthodox religion was one of the priorities in Justinian’s life and activities. However, his religious policy was not very different from that of previous Christian emperors. The aim of this article is to show that Justinian’s policy was more a result of tendencies in the legal protection of Orthodoxy which had already developed in the postConstantinian age, in other words Justinian only reinforced existing regulations; and likewise his legislation to eradicate heresy and apostasy was similar to earlier provisions. Justinian used legal measures for the protection of the True Faith in an immensely instrumental way. On the one hand he maintained and introduced numerous material sanctions against heretics and apostates; on the other hand he prescribed material advantages for the Orthodox Church and those in communion with her. There were also material incentives for those who returned to the Church. The article shows that Justinian’s measures followed the same line as the religious regulations introduced by previous Christian emperors, especially Theodosius II.