By Michael Ruse—to be streamed on May 30
Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev recounts how the Russian patriarchate was lost and replaced by the synodal structure under the emperor Peter I who introduced many reforms into Russian culture and religion that had far-reaching effects into the titanic events of the 20th c. The relationship between church and state took on more of the style of competitors than collaborators.
On the one hand, the Russian Orthodox Church grew in numbers, education and schools were set up by the emperor for churches and monasteries, industry and technology developed, and successful missionary was conducted in Siberia, the Far East in China and Japan and the Alaskan territory of North America. The noetic tradition of prayer was revived, and many spiritual fathers rose up in leadership, when the Church needed it. Great, heroic saints such as Seraphim of Sarov, Innocent of Irkutsk, John of Kronstadt, Paisy Vleichkovsky, and Philaret of Moscow cannot be forgotten.
On the other hand, the great sainthood of Russia coincides with reforms that foreshadowed the country’s revolutionary chaos of 1917. Some Russian Christians termed this synodal period “the Babylonian Captivity.” Leaders chosen by Peter I ran the synod with motives not so religious or orthodox at times. The “intelligentsia” or educated elite forgot the faith and left in droves, and the western styled education created an unfortunate “clerical caste” in society, but more importantly clergy and people distanced themselves from genuine Orthodox tradition.
But the Orthodox Church never loses sight of what is ultimately important in the middle of political or cultural changes. Evidence of that is seen in the revitalization of Russian elderhood and noetic prayer. For example, in a story about St Seraphim of Sarov and Motovilov, on conversing in the Spirit, Seraphim says to Motovilov:
As good as prayer, fasting, vigils and all other Christian deeds are in themselves, the aim of our Christian life consists not only in doing them, although they are necessary means to attainting it. The true aim of our Christian life lies in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God.
This chapter has far-reaching significance for Christians everywhere who are under many different forms of government and cultural norms. But the aim of our lives is the same.