Khristianstvo na blizhnem Vostoke

75-90

Authors: Mikhail S. Shapovalov

The article first introduces a new source, “List from the Report of the Consul General in Jerusalem to Collegiate Counselor Yakovlev G. to the Imperial Ambassador in Constantinople of November 2, 1898, No. 995”, stored in the Politarhiv Foundation’s Travel of Emperor Wilhelm to Palestine Archive of the foreign policy of the Russian Empire. The journey of the German Emperor Wilhelm II to Palestine is one of the key international events. Wilhelm’s journey went beyond the ordinary trips of augusts both in goals and in scope. The article focuses on the religious component of the Kaiser's trip to the Holy Land. The author concludes that the trip of Wilhelm II obviously for the first time in modern history has outlined the issue of “secularization of Palestine” (the consideration of rivalry for holy places solely as an occasion in the struggle for territory). Wilhelm II turned the Holy Land into an important strategic point of his colonial, or rather colonization, policy in the Middle East and Asia Minor.

102-133

Authors: Stanislav L. Bulanov

This article explores the concept of apocatastasis or Universal salvation in Christian theology. A study of the relevance of this problem is being conducted. It is concluded that it has not lost its relevance at the present days, since the concept of universal salvation is shared by many theologians and Christian groups. The author analyzes the scientific development of this problem and offers a list of references. The development of apocatastasis in such theologians as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, and Maximus the Confessor is studied. It is concluded that all of them belong to the Alexandrian school of theology. It is also suggested that the influence of Neoplatonism as the reason for the emergence of the concept of apokatastasis. The article examines the criticism of apokatastasis and its rejection at the V Ecumenical Council. The historical background of these events is shown.

155-165

Authors: Bishop Vladimir (Vladimir V. Agibalov)

On the basis of numerous works on the history of the Russian Church and the history of the state, the article analyzes the dynamics of historiographic reflection regarding the role of Metropolitan Alexy as one of the key figures in church and Russian history. The historiography of the topic according to the problem-chronological principle is divided into pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern periods. A distinctive feature of historiography of the XIX century. is the priority of church history. In one of the first scientific and critical studies — "Brief Russian History" of Metropolitan Plato (Levshin) — a conclusion is made about the connection between the status of the church region and the secular state unit, about the territorial superiority of the power of the metropolitans over the power of the Grand Duke. In the "History of the Russian State" N.M. Karamzin noted the significant political role of Metropolitan Alexy. A.N. Muravyov first examined in detail the state role of the metropolitans in strengthening the power of the Moscow prince. The “History of the Russian Church” by St. Filaret (Gumilevsky) became the most important stage in the conceptual development, where the author drew not only Russian chronicles, but also the works of Polish historians, and traced the foreign policy activities of Metropolitan Alexy. Metropolitan Makarii (Bulgakov) in his History of the Russian Church for the first time analyzed from the point of view of legal norms the relationship between the Russian metropolitan and the Patriarchate of Constantinople and summed up a peculiar result of a special stage in the development of Russian historiography — the period of theological providentialism. Following the cleric historians, researchers needed other methodological principles, and other ideas about church history were proposed, and new evaluative characteristics were given. The question of the role of Metropolitan Alexy in the elevation of the Principality of Moscow for more than two hundred years remains in the problem field of successive church views, ideological and political positions. This confirms that the scale and influence of the personality of the metropolitan, was reflected in more than one era, and extended far beyond the church-state practice of his time.

181-213

Authors: Hierodeacon Maxim (Mark V. Sudakov)

For the first time, a Russian translation of one of the chapters of the «Book of Perfection» is published. This is the main surviving work written by MartyriusSahdona, bishop of the Church of the East and a well-known spiritual guide of monks, who lived in the 7th century (died circa 650). His works have came down to the present day thanks to Orthodox monks, who copied them and even translated them into other languages. Although this writer joined the Orthodox Church, he did not stay in it. Returning several times to the Church of the East and then coming back to Orthodoxy, he never accepted the truth of the Orthodox doctrine in its entirety: judging by the confession of faith preserved among his works, he was inclined to a two-subject Christology. We do not have reliable information, in communion with which Church he died. Despite the doubtfull judgments of this author in dogmatics, his moral teachings organically fit into the context of the Orthodox ascetic tradition. They are confirmed by many references to the Holy Scriptures and almost always have parallels with the utterances of the Holy Fathers, whom he sometimes names. The preface to the translation outlines the main ideas of the published text related to contemplation and deification. The patristic sources used by Martirius are indicated. Following the translation, a dictionary of the most important concepts is given.

226-233

Authors: Dmitrii V. Safonov

This publication is published under the heading "Debt Unpaid". In memory of Nikolai Nikolaevich Lisovoy of the journal "Christianity in the Middle East", dedicated to the memory of N.N. Lisovoy. The publication presents the preface by the editor of the rubric of the priest Dimitry Safonov to the speech of N.N. Lisovoy at the church-public Forum “By Unity and Love, We Save” (October 4, 2005, Moscow). This performance was timed to coincide with the 625th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo, but is already published for the 640th anniversary of this historic event. In the speech of N.N. Lisovoy comprehends the significance of the Kulikovo victory in the development of Orthodox statehood and culture in Rus.