From Michael Ruse:
To be streamed on 5/23.
In this chapter, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev leads us through a whirling historical account of Orthodoxy’s growth in Russia. We learned before about the importance of the ancient cities of the lands of the Rus’ and Prince Vladimir’s Baptism of the Slavs with Kiev as an important political and spiritual center. The first section of the chapter outlines the political and spiritual background of the metropolia of Kiev. Metropolia means etymologically the mother city. So, there is a lot of information about how mother cities work and develop in Orthodoxy.
During the time of Kievan Orthodoxy, the usual state of affairs was such that Constantinople would enthrone a Greek instead of an ethnic Russian as the metropolitan. Over time, that changed. Also, Russia’s princes and patriarchs collaborated in overthrowing a long-time ruler – the Golden Horde of the Tatars and Mongols, who actually had a hand in making Moscow an important political sphere.
The second half of the chapter deals with the growing importance of Moscow and its convergence with Kiev as well as its own development from a mother city into a patriarchate. Incredibly, Russian Orthodoxy has survived the Tatar-Mongol yoke, Judaizing heretics, Old Believer schisms, insane bishops and princes, Polish, Lithuanian and German kings with Roman Catholic invasions to force conversions from the Pope of Rome, and Ivan the Terrible. Eastern Europe is on the border between Catholic and Orthodox lands. Just a glimpse of history shows us that Russia has defended itself from many varied and creative angles. What sometimes converges to rise to the challenge of the times is the ruler, the ecclesial, ascetic elements of the culture all operating from Orthodox Tradition. That seems to be the best scenario.
This chapter is relevant to us in the United States for several reasons. It shows us how in Orthodoxy political and spiritual problems are handled over time, how we deal with foreign political and spiritual powers that encroach on our personal lives and dogmas, and how Orthodoxy grows organically from small beginnings to the level of a patriarchate in Russia – 5th in rank in the patriarchal order. Come and discuss with us this Saturday at 4:00p.m. Please check the Happy Priest announcement email for details on how to join via Zoom.