Podcasts about Russian Orthodoxy

An examination of Russian Orthodoxy in modern Russia, and of what that implies for the future of Russia. The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/12/03/holy-rus-the-rebirth-of-orthodoxy-in-the-new-russia-john-p-burgess/) We strongly encourage, in these days of censorship and deplatforming, all readers to bookmark our main site (https://www.theworthyhouse.com). You can also subscribe for email notifications. The Worthy House does not solicit donations or other support, or have ads. Other than at the main site, you can follow Charles here: https://twitter.com/TheWorthyHouse

Artist Michael Galovic had been painting mysterious and mystical icons for decades before he truly understood the theology behind what he was doing — expertly and purposefully distorting reality to create a window into a heavenly and otherworldly realm

In this special guest episode we are taken into the unusual pilgrimage of Joanna Dobson who was inspired by the ancient Rock Art of an ancient indigenous people in Siberia and journeyed to Russian Orthodoxy. We explore how symbols in art that we experience and also echo in our own work can become powerful invitations into the depths. She is an artist, interpreter and writing coach focussing on pilgrimage. www.altaipilgrim.com THE BARDCAST airs live and can be listened to on www.RadioMariaEngland.uk or digital radio in London, Bristol, South Birmingham and Cambridge at 3:15pm after the Divine Mercy Chaplet on Sundays and 8pm on Fridays. Each week Sarah de Nordwall reflects on poems that have been sent in, shares a poem of her own, leaves us with a theme and a writing prompt and sends us off to write something ourselves.  Please send your submissions to sarah@sarahdenordwall.com and the rest of the podcasts can be found on Radio Maria Englan's website.

Today's HeadlinesLebanon's constant turmoil takes a toll on Gospel workersA message from persecuted believers to the WestOne young girl's faith changes three generations of her family

Today's HeadlinesNepal flooding affects A3 trainingFear or faith? Believers in southern Russia show the wayThe Lighthouse confronts tech addictions with Scripture

Today's HeadlinesMourning in southern Russia after attacksGaza war impacts Jordanian ChristiansFARMS International helps Cambodian believers plan for future growth

Today's HeadlinesMourning in southern Russia after attacksGaza war impacts Jordanian ChristiansFARMS International helps Cambodian believers plan for future growth

Once upon a time. The words are an invitation into a world where virtue sparkles and vice is grotesque, and children love to inhabit such a place. But for the mom reading her first set of Grimm's fairy tales, it's a different story. They're dark. There's magic. Things get a little wild. If you've ever found yourself rewriting an old fairy tale on the fly because you weren't sure it should be read aloud, you're in good company. But when you've been told these are classical must-reads for young children, you have to ask: Why are fairy tales important?I'm joined today by Dcn. Nicholas Kotar to discuss the tradition of and need for fairytales. If our hope, in classical education, is to conform our children's souls to Reality, we need to teach them to see as things really are.Footnotes for this episode“Russian Orthodoxy, Fairy Tales, and Good Story Telling with Dcn. Nicholas Kotar” | Pints with AquinasNicholas Kotar | WebsiteNicholas Kotar | PatreonIn a Certain Kingdom: Fairy Tales of Old RussiaIn a Certain Kingdom: Epic Heroes of Old RussiaFull book listIn a Certain Kingdom | PodcastSt. Basil's Writers' WorkshopTending the Heart of Virtue, Vigen Guroian__________You can find the full episode notes here (including my footnotes for this episode). You can leave the podcast a rating and review here. (I thank you!)---------Join the 800+ mother-teachers in Common House (It's like a Patreon, but better.) where we think deeply and learn together through full courses, bonus minisodes, monthly Q+A video calls, resources, and more!Right now, you can join a number of self-paced courses like Charlotte Mason Habits 101, and Virtues and Vices!

Two recent events (depending on how you interpret the news cycle) help point out the relevance of Culture as a potential attack vector. In the interview by Tucker Carlson, Putin accused Ukraine of breaching the separation of church and state by banning the practice of orthodox Christianity. To us in the west, the nuance of this decision can easily be lost, considering that we are close to what we call Protestantism and Catholicism, by proximity, but not Orthodoxy. At the same time there is a group who claim to be the Church of Satan in America. If we condemn the acceptance of the Church of Satan, then may we also accept the Ukrainian Government's condemnation of Russian Orthodoxy? If we accept that people have a Right to practice religion including the so called Church of Satan, are we required, then to condemn the Ukrainian Government?This is how we start to understand Culture as an Attack Vector for war making between governments. Support the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Episode 29: Join me as I chat with Rita Ispayeva, an Astrologer based in Brooklyn, who I connected with via @sighwoon's Discord community. Rita brings a fascinating family background rooted in centuries of Russian history, richly intertwined with Russian arts, culture, and politics.Topics include: Russian poetry, gulags, Romani culture, fortune telling, witchery, generational legacies, immigration, Brooklyn mafia, studying astrology, Russian Orthodoxy, performance art, rebellion, Joseph Brodsky, and much more. Listen to full episodes at patreon.com/ineedgod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Romans 6:1-11United in Death and LifeRev. Erik Veerman6/11/2023United in Death and LifeAs some of you are aware, in between our main sermon series, we have been coming back to the book of Romans.In fact, when we launched our church, we started in Romans chapter 8. That was because the pandemic had just started and we needed a Romans 8 kind of encouragement - God's sovereign assurance.After Romans 8, we took over a year to go through the book of Acts. That was a great book for us as a new church, because Acts is the history of the church as it was being established. Acts ends with Paul arriving in Rome. So, next, we studied Romans chapter 15 and 16. That was a nice postscript to Acts because those chapters highlighted the church in Rome.Next, we went to the Old Testament book of Zechariah. Visions of flaming walls, a candelabra, flying objects as well as prophecies. All of it looking forward to the life and ministry of Jesus, the consummate priest and king.Well, after Zechariah, we were again back in Romans. That was last fall. We went through chapter 12. It was about not conforming to the world, but instead being transformed by the Gospel. It also included the unity that we have with one another in Christ and the marks of a true Christian.As you know, we then went through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, which we just finished last month.And now, we're back in Romans. This time, chapters 6 and 7. That will be our focus this summer. These two chapters relate because they are about the implications of God's grace and law for the Christian.Anyway, I wanted to give you a little reminder of where we've been and what you can expect over these next two months.This morning, we'll focus on the first 11 verses of Romans 6. You can find that on page 1120 in the pew Bible. As you are turning there, let me note one important phrase in chapter 5. The apostle Paul concludes chapter 5 by saying, “where sin increased, grace abounded even more.” In other words, the more sin, the more grace of Christ. That's important to note because chapter 6 opens with a question about that.Stand. Reading of Romans 6:1-11.PrayerCatherine the Great, as she was known, reigned as Russia's monarch from 1762 to 1796. Many describe her as the most influential Russian leader in their entire history. She enacted several cultural reforms, including expanding cities, establishing new school and universities, and reforming Russia's legal system. Literature and arts flourished due to her support of learning and enlightenment ideals. Catherine's reign also included several aggressive military campaigns. Under her control, Russia's army seized control of Crimea (sound familiar?) and parts of Poland. Russia dominated Eastern Europe and had a growing political influence in the world. In fact, Catherine's aggression started back when she staged a coup against her own husband, Peter III. He had been emperor of Russia for only 6 months until Catherine forced him to abdicate his throne. To this day, his death is a mystery.Throughout her time as empress, several of her adversaries received the death penalty after being convicted of crimes against the state. Despite that, Catherine the Great considered herself a Christian. She'd been raised in a protestant church. She converted to Russian Orthodoxy when she ascended to power and she participated in orthodox practices and worship services.The question is, how did Catherine reconcile her Christian beliefs with her actions? Which, as you can tell, often betrayed her beliefs. Well, she gave this answer: “I shall be an autocrat: that's my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that's his.”I guess she never read Romans 6.“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”I think it's a natural question. If God has forgiven and will forgive us when we sin, and if Romans 5 says that the more we sin, the more grace God gives us, then it seems to follow that if we want more grace, we should sin boldly.That in essence is what Catherine the Great believed. “I am the dictator of a great nation. That requires at times cruel acts for the sake of my country, which, by the way, God has given me. Since God is a gracious God, he will forgive me, and the more he does, the more grace I receive.”You see, the apostle Paul had anticipated this line of thinking. He had just laid out in chapter 5 the sinfulness of our estate as descendants of Adam. Next, he revealed the free gift of life and righteousness through Christ. In him we abound in grace.From that point, the apostle Paul could have jumped right to chapter 8! “There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” I mean, it logically flows, doesn't it? Sin and death through Adam, life and grace through Christ. “Therefore, there's no condemnation for those in Christ!”But before going there, the apostle Paul knew that he had to address the question of sin in the life of the believer. He had to first answer the question, “should we continue to sin?” and as part of that, he had to give the reasons for the answer. How do grace, sin, and God's law relate in the life of a believer?In short, that's what Romans 6 and 7 answer for us. And I think you'll find it's so helpful. Not just because these chapters explain how sin and grace and God's law relate, but because they reveal the most profound truths about your relationship to Christ. Truths that will change you.Ok, let's go back to the apostle's opening question:“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”What is the answer at the beginning of verse 2? If you have the ESV, let's read the three word answer together. “By no means!”Here are some of the other English translations of that phrase:• God forbid!• Certainly not!• Absolutely not!• Heaven forbid!• Far be the thought.• May it never be!• Of course not!• That's unthinkable!• Or my favorite: “What a ghastly thought!”What is Paul saying here? He's saying that grace does not give us license to sin. Grace is not a free pass to do whatever you want. Sin, by the way, is breaking God's commands in what we do or don't do... or say or think.So, in verse 2, he answers the yes/no question. The simple answer is an emphatic “no!” But what's really important is to know why and then to apply that to our lives. Again, that's what these two chapters do. They work out the answer. Just glance down to verse 15. Notice it is a very similar question with a very similar short answer. It shows that Paul is working out the answer.The reason we're just starting with the first 11 verses is that they give us the foundation to the answer. Paul is explaining what actually happens to someone who comes to know and believe Christ. There is a profound change in his or her life – your life, my life. And it's more than just what our hearts and minds believe. Something changes in us.The apostle wants us to know and grasp what that change is.In fact, that word “know” is used three times in these 11 verses. Look at verse 3. “Do you not know” and it goes on to explain something about baptism. Look next at verse 6. It starts out “we know” and talks about death. Verse 8 also starts out “we know” but it talks about life. And look at verse 11. It says, “so you must also consider yourself…” That word “consider” means understand. So, in other words, these first 11 verses emphasis knowing what happens in us when we come to Christ. And that knowledge has a profound impact on how we live.Given that, let's look at this in three points. Those three points line up with the three uses of the word “know.” By the way, those three points are on the back of your bulletin, if it helps.1. Know that you are united with Christ. (verses 3-5)2. Know that your old self died with Christ (verses 6-8)3. Know that your new self is alive with Christ (verses 9-10)1. Know that you are united with Christ.So first, know that you are united with Christ. When you come to faith in Christ, something amazingly mysterious happens in your life. And these verses describe it for us. We can't fully understand it, but we can know it to the extent that God describes it here for us.These verses describe that mystery in terms of our baptism. You see that right there in verses 3 and 4. We've been baptized into his death, and by implication, raised with him to new life.I want you to see something. Notice that there's a parallel here between the word “baptism” and the phrase “united with him.” Verse 3 says “baptized into his death” and verse 5 says “united with him in a death like his.” Similarly, part of this baptism includes being raised from the dead. Verse 5 includes the phrase “united with him in a resurrection like his.”So, to put these elements together, this baptism is about being united with Christ.By the way, that word baptism has been interpreted in two different ways in these verses. The first interpretation is that it refers to your baptism with water. You know, that sacrament when the minister baptized you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The sign of water is used to signify the cleansing of Christ. That's one interpretation. The second interpretation is that the word baptism here refers to your spiritual baptism – what's happening on the inside. Meaning when you came to Christ and received the Holy Spirit. That word baptism can also mean that. In other words, it can mean that time when God opened your heart to believe and you professed faith in Christ. That's when God cleansed you – you were justified in his sight through Christ. So, spiritual baptism in that internal sense.I definitely lean toward that second understanding. Baptism in these verses is about those who have the blessings and benefits of Christ in his death and resurrection. That's emphasized in the parallel between baptism and this idea of being united to Christ. But here's the million dollar question: what is this union with Christ? Because it's the thing that ties all of this together. All of these verses. Really the whole chapter. United in his death. United in his resurrection. And the implications of that for us.That word “united” in the Greek includes the idea of being grown together or grafted together. The best way to understand this union is that we have been ingrafted into Christ. Jesus spoke about it in these terms. He said that he is the vine, and we are the branches.Think of a how a branch is grafted into another tree. It's a very cool thing. All kinds of fruit trees can be grafted into a different root system. Apple trees as well as citrus, peach, pear, olive, cherry, and others. If you cut off a branch of one of those trees, and you slice it in just the right way, and then pair it to the root system of another tree, at the precise angle and cut, then the fibers of the trees will fuse together. That branch becomes part of a different tree. The thing is, when you cut off a branch from a fruit tree, it's dead. It may look alive, it may still have leaves on it. But there's no more nutrients feeding it. It can't sustain itself. Even if you stick it in the ground, it's not going to grow new roots.But when that branch is grafted into that new root system, it has new life. The nutrients from the roots feed that branch. Remember from your biology class days. The xylem and phloem flow back and forth between the roots and the leaves and fruit. The branch becomes one with the tree.That's how our union with Christ is described. The Holy Spirit unites us to Christ. We've been grafted into him. Jesus said that apart from him, a branch will wither and not bear fruit… It will die and be thrown into the fire. But in him, the branch will have new life.We were dead but now we're connected to a vibrant tree with the nutrients flowing through us that give us life. Christ is in us, and us in him – united together. And that union comes with all the blessings and benefits of salvation in him.And think about this question, how do we actually receive the benefits of Christ's death for us? And how do we actually receive the benefits of Christ's resurrection? Well, we receive those benefits through our union with Christ. It's through that union, that my sin, your sin, is transferred to Christ, and his righteousness transferred to you. That's the benefit of being united in Jesus' death. And it's through that same union in his resurrection that we have and we will be resurrected to new life in him, forever.If you know and believe in Christ, you have been grafted into him in a mysterious way that only God knows. But he's assured us of it! And isn't it amazing to think about? He is in you, united to you and you to him. The blessings of his death and his resurrection are yours.Think about it this way: Salvation was accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ. Your union with Christ is how God applies that salvation to you, believer in Christ. It's an amazing mystery for us to behold and wonder and embrace.Know that you are united with Christ. Ok, that's the first “know.”2. Know that your old self died with Christ (verses 6-8)And that union has significant implications for us. Those implications revolve around two things. Jesus' death and his resurrection.That brings us to the second and third “know.” #2 - Know that your old self died with Christ - your old self died with Christ. The whole point of the cross is that Christ bore your sin. He took on your sin and all its consequences for you. Your old self, before your union with Christ, was imprisoned by your sin. You needed to be freed from the chains of your sin.That's what verse 5 is talking about. “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin [meaning your sin and its consequenes] might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”Through the death of Christ, our sin died with him. Therefore, we are freed from our sin. It no longer identifies us. We're not bound by it. Christ has paid the penalty for sin, and because of our union with him, we're no longer slaves to sin, we've been set free.It's like that great line in the hymn, And Can it Be. “My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.”If the whole point of the cross is to deal with our sin, to put to death its consequences, to free us from its bondage, then why would we think that in this new found freedom, we should sin even more? That goes back up to the second half of verse 2. “How could he who died to sin, still live in it?” Do you see that incongruity? Do you see the disconnect with the idea to sin more so that grace abounds more? Heaven forbid! We've been united to Christ, we've died with him to our sin.Now, there's an underlying assumption here. Sin is still present in the Christian life. The Christian can still sin. And, actually, that goes along with what we studied in 1 John. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” The difference between our old self and our new self is that our new self is not bound to sin. We have the ability in Christ to pursue righteousness.Ok, let me summarize point #2 this way: Because our old self and our sin died with Christ, we should die to our old self and seek to put to death our sin.So that's one implication of our union with Christ… letting our sin die with our old self, which has died in Christ.3. Know that your new self is alive with Christ (verses 9-10)The other implication is like the flip side of the coin. It relates to the new life we have. In that mysterious union, we have all the blessings and benefits of Jesus' resurrection. We live because he lives.Point number 3 is this: Know that your new self is alive with Christ.You see, in our union with Christ, we are one with the risen Lord. One in the sense that just as he will never die, so we have eternal life in him. That means, not only should we turn away from the temptation of sin, but we should embrace that we are alive in Christ. We'll experience the death of our bodies, but we will live forever. What a great joy and hope!And I want you to think of the phrase that's in verse 10. “The life he lives, he lives to God.” Because we are united to God in Christ, our life should be about him. Do you follow me? It should no longer be about sin and death, but rather our life should be about living for the purpose of God, living in the grace of God, and living to glorify him with our words, our intentions, our actions, and our desires. Because of our union with Christ and the eternal life we have in him, our whole being should be one of worship to God in Christ.That is our new self. IN other words, if we are united with Christ, our life should be about him. We are alive in him.Do you see the two sides of this mysterious union? Our old self in all of our sin, dead in and through Christ. Our new self, alive in him, living for him and through him. And that's why verse 11 compels us to reflect on our union with Christ. “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”It doesn't matter whether you are a monarch of a powerful country, or whether you live a retired quiet life at home, or whether you are a student, a teacher, a professional, a pastor or whether you're a parent or a child. It doesn't matter whether you are 9 or 99. The call is the same, “consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”ConclusionAs we come to a close, you may have noticed, there's one thing that is overwhelming in these verses. And when I say overwhelming, almost every single verse focuses on it. It's the emphasis on death and life. The death and crucifixion of Christ, our death, the death of sin…. and life! The resurrection and life of Christ and our life in him. • Dead, death, and die are referenced 14 times in these 11 verses. Add “crucified” to that and it's in every single verse starting in verse 2.• The reference to “life” is similar. If we include “raised” and “resurrection” and “alive,” there's 10 references in these 11 verses.And every single one of these is directly or indirectly connected to the death and resurrection of Christ. The death of sin was accomplished through the death of Christ. The new life we live was achieved through the resurrection of Christ.There's nothing more central to our faith and to our union with Christ than Jesus' death and resurrection. You take away either and there is no death of sin, no life, no hope for eternity. These verses are clear, they are referring to Jesus' actual physical death and resurrection. His death and resurrection are the key in our union with Christ which drives us away from sin and to God in Christ to live in him.So, may we know of the great union that we have with Christ. And through that union, may we put to death our old self and our sin. And may we turn our lives to Christ and live in and for him, all because of his death and resurrection for us. Amen?

On this episode of Theology for the People, we dive into the topic of Russian Orthodox Christianity.  My guest is Shane Angland. Shane is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, and he was also a missionary in Eastern Ukraine.  The Raskol of 1666 was a schism that took place in the Russian Orthodox Church, which highlights some of the distinctive features of Orthodox theology, and Russian Orthodoxy theology uniquely. Furthermore, we talk about how Russian Orthodox theology plays a role in the current war in Ukraine. Visit the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theologyforthepeople/support

How is religious conversion transforming American democracy? In one corner of Appalachia, a group of American citizens has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church and through it Putin's New Russia. Historically a minority immigrant faith in the United States, Russian Orthodoxy is attracting Americans who look to Russian religion and politics for answers to Western secularism and the loss of traditional family values in the face of accelerating progressivism.  Sarah Riccardi-Swartz's Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia (Fordham UP, 2022) highlights an intentional community of converts who are exemplary of much broader networks of Russian Orthodox converts in the United States. These converts sought and found a conservatism more authentic than Christian American Republicanism and a nationalism unburdened by the broken promises of American exceptionalism. Ultimately, both converts and the Church that welcomes them deploy the subversive act of adopting the ideals and faith of a foreign power for larger, transnational political ends. Offering insights into this rarely considered religious world, including its far-right political roots that nourish the embrace of Putin's Russia, this ethnography shows how religious conversion is tied to larger issues of social politics, allegiance, (anti)democracy, and citizenship. These conversions offer us a window onto both global politics and foreign affairs, while also allowing us to see how particular U.S. communities are grappling with social transformations in the twenty-first century. With broad implications for our understanding of both conservative Christianity and right-wing politics, as well as contemporary Russian–American relations, this book provides insight in the growing constellations of far-right conservatism. While Russian Orthodox converts are more likely to form the moral minority rather than the moral majority, they are an important gauge for understanding the powerful philosophical shifts occurring in the current political climate in the United States and what they might mean for the future of American values, ideals, and democracy. Kendall Dinniene is an English PhD candidate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Their research examines how contemporary American authors respond to anti-fatness in their work, revealing the contours of citizenship and paths toward liberation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

How is religious conversion transforming American democracy? In one corner of Appalachia, a group of American citizens has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church and through it Putin's New Russia. Historically a minority immigrant faith in the United States, Russian Orthodoxy is attracting Americans who look to Russian religion and politics for answers to Western secularism and the loss of traditional family values in the face of accelerating progressivism.  Sarah Riccardi-Swartz's Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia (Fordham UP, 2022) highlights an intentional community of converts who are exemplary of much broader networks of Russian Orthodox converts in the United States. These converts sought and found a conservatism more authentic than Christian American Republicanism and a nationalism unburdened by the broken promises of American exceptionalism. Ultimately, both converts and the Church that welcomes them deploy the subversive act of adopting the ideals and faith of a foreign power for larger, transnational political ends. Offering insights into this rarely considered religious world, including its far-right political roots that nourish the embrace of Putin's Russia, this ethnography shows how religious conversion is tied to larger issues of social politics, allegiance, (anti)democracy, and citizenship. These conversions offer us a window onto both global politics and foreign affairs, while also allowing us to see how particular U.S. communities are grappling with social transformations in the twenty-first century. With broad implications for our understanding of both conservative Christianity and right-wing politics, as well as contemporary Russian–American relations, this book provides insight in the growing constellations of far-right conservatism. While Russian Orthodox converts are more likely to form the moral minority rather than the moral majority, they are an important gauge for understanding the powerful philosophical shifts occurring in the current political climate in the United States and what they might mean for the future of American values, ideals, and democracy. Kendall Dinniene is an English PhD candidate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Their research examines how contemporary American authors respond to anti-fatness in their work, revealing the contours of citizenship and paths toward liberation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

How is religious conversion transforming American democracy? In one corner of Appalachia, a group of American citizens has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church and through it Putin's New Russia. Historically a minority immigrant faith in the United States, Russian Orthodoxy is attracting Americans who look to Russian religion and politics for answers to Western secularism and the loss of traditional family values in the face of accelerating progressivism.  Sarah Riccardi-Swartz's Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia (Fordham UP, 2022) highlights an intentional community of converts who are exemplary of much broader networks of Russian Orthodox converts in the United States. These converts sought and found a conservatism more authentic than Christian American Republicanism and a nationalism unburdened by the broken promises of American exceptionalism. Ultimately, both converts and the Church that welcomes them deploy the subversive act of adopting the ideals and faith of a foreign power for larger, transnational political ends. Offering insights into this rarely considered religious world, including its far-right political roots that nourish the embrace of Putin's Russia, this ethnography shows how religious conversion is tied to larger issues of social politics, allegiance, (anti)democracy, and citizenship. These conversions offer us a window onto both global politics and foreign affairs, while also allowing us to see how particular U.S. communities are grappling with social transformations in the twenty-first century. With broad implications for our understanding of both conservative Christianity and right-wing politics, as well as contemporary Russian–American relations, this book provides insight in the growing constellations of far-right conservatism. While Russian Orthodox converts are more likely to form the moral minority rather than the moral majority, they are an important gauge for understanding the powerful philosophical shifts occurring in the current political climate in the United States and what they might mean for the future of American values, ideals, and democracy. Kendall Dinniene is an English PhD candidate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Their research examines how contemporary American authors respond to anti-fatness in their work, revealing the contours of citizenship and paths toward liberation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

How is religious conversion transforming American democracy? In one corner of Appalachia, a group of American citizens has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church and through it Putin's New Russia. Historically a minority immigrant faith in the United States, Russian Orthodoxy is attracting Americans who look to Russian religion and politics for answers to Western secularism and the loss of traditional family values in the face of accelerating progressivism.  Sarah Riccardi-Swartz's Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia (Fordham UP, 2022) highlights an intentional community of converts who are exemplary of much broader networks of Russian Orthodox converts in the United States. These converts sought and found a conservatism more authentic than Christian American Republicanism and a nationalism unburdened by the broken promises of American exceptionalism. Ultimately, both converts and the Church that welcomes them deploy the subversive act of adopting the ideals and faith of a foreign power for larger, transnational political ends. Offering insights into this rarely considered religious world, including its far-right political roots that nourish the embrace of Putin's Russia, this ethnography shows how religious conversion is tied to larger issues of social politics, allegiance, (anti)democracy, and citizenship. These conversions offer us a window onto both global politics and foreign affairs, while also allowing us to see how particular U.S. communities are grappling with social transformations in the twenty-first century. With broad implications for our understanding of both conservative Christianity and right-wing politics, as well as contemporary Russian–American relations, this book provides insight in the growing constellations of far-right conservatism. While Russian Orthodox converts are more likely to form the moral minority rather than the moral majority, they are an important gauge for understanding the powerful philosophical shifts occurring in the current political climate in the United States and what they might mean for the future of American values, ideals, and democracy. Kendall Dinniene is an English PhD candidate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Their research examines how contemporary American authors respond to anti-fatness in their work, revealing the contours of citizenship and paths toward liberation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

How is religious conversion transforming American democracy? In one corner of Appalachia, a group of American citizens has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church and through it Putin's New Russia. Historically a minority immigrant faith in the United States, Russian Orthodoxy is attracting Americans who look to Russian religion and politics for answers to Western secularism and the loss of traditional family values in the face of accelerating progressivism.  Sarah Riccardi-Swartz's Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia (Fordham UP, 2022) highlights an intentional community of converts who are exemplary of much broader networks of Russian Orthodox converts in the United States. These converts sought and found a conservatism more authentic than Christian American Republicanism and a nationalism unburdened by the broken promises of American exceptionalism. Ultimately, both converts and the Church that welcomes them deploy the subversive act of adopting the ideals and faith of a foreign power for larger, transnational political ends. Offering insights into this rarely considered religious world, including its far-right political roots that nourish the embrace of Putin's Russia, this ethnography shows how religious conversion is tied to larger issues of social politics, allegiance, (anti)democracy, and citizenship. These conversions offer us a window onto both global politics and foreign affairs, while also allowing us to see how particular U.S. communities are grappling with social transformations in the twenty-first century. With broad implications for our understanding of both conservative Christianity and right-wing politics, as well as contemporary Russian–American relations, this book provides insight in the growing constellations of far-right conservatism. While Russian Orthodox converts are more likely to form the moral minority rather than the moral majority, they are an important gauge for understanding the powerful philosophical shifts occurring in the current political climate in the United States and what they might mean for the future of American values, ideals, and democracy. Kendall Dinniene is an English PhD candidate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Their research examines how contemporary American authors respond to anti-fatness in their work, revealing the contours of citizenship and paths toward liberation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

How is religious conversion transforming American democracy? In one corner of Appalachia, a group of American citizens has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church and through it Putin's New Russia. Historically a minority immigrant faith in the United States, Russian Orthodoxy is attracting Americans who look to Russian religion and politics for answers to Western secularism and the loss of traditional family values in the face of accelerating progressivism.  Sarah Riccardi-Swartz's Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia (Fordham UP, 2022) highlights an intentional community of converts who are exemplary of much broader networks of Russian Orthodox converts in the United States. These converts sought and found a conservatism more authentic than Christian American Republicanism and a nationalism unburdened by the broken promises of American exceptionalism. Ultimately, both converts and the Church that welcomes them deploy the subversive act of adopting the ideals and faith of a foreign power for larger, transnational political ends. Offering insights into this rarely considered religious world, including its far-right political roots that nourish the embrace of Putin's Russia, this ethnography shows how religious conversion is tied to larger issues of social politics, allegiance, (anti)democracy, and citizenship. These conversions offer us a window onto both global politics and foreign affairs, while also allowing us to see how particular U.S. communities are grappling with social transformations in the twenty-first century. With broad implications for our understanding of both conservative Christianity and right-wing politics, as well as contemporary Russian–American relations, this book provides insight in the growing constellations of far-right conservatism. While Russian Orthodox converts are more likely to form the moral minority rather than the moral majority, they are an important gauge for understanding the powerful philosophical shifts occurring in the current political climate in the United States and what they might mean for the future of American values, ideals, and democracy. Kendall Dinniene is an English PhD candidate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Their research examines how contemporary American authors respond to anti-fatness in their work, revealing the contours of citizenship and paths toward liberation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-south

How is religious conversion transforming American democracy? In one corner of Appalachia, a group of American citizens has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church and through it Putin's New Russia. Historically a minority immigrant faith in the United States, Russian Orthodoxy is attracting Americans who look to Russian religion and politics for answers to Western secularism and the loss of traditional family values in the face of accelerating progressivism.  Sarah Riccardi-Swartz's Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia (Fordham UP, 2022) highlights an intentional community of converts who are exemplary of much broader networks of Russian Orthodox converts in the United States. These converts sought and found a conservatism more authentic than Christian American Republicanism and a nationalism unburdened by the broken promises of American exceptionalism. Ultimately, both converts and the Church that welcomes them deploy the subversive act of adopting the ideals and faith of a foreign power for larger, transnational political ends. Offering insights into this rarely considered religious world, including its far-right political roots that nourish the embrace of Putin's Russia, this ethnography shows how religious conversion is tied to larger issues of social politics, allegiance, (anti)democracy, and citizenship. These conversions offer us a window onto both global politics and foreign affairs, while also allowing us to see how particular U.S. communities are grappling with social transformations in the twenty-first century. With broad implications for our understanding of both conservative Christianity and right-wing politics, as well as contemporary Russian–American relations, this book provides insight in the growing constellations of far-right conservatism. While Russian Orthodox converts are more likely to form the moral minority rather than the moral majority, they are an important gauge for understanding the powerful philosophical shifts occurring in the current political climate in the United States and what they might mean for the future of American values, ideals, and democracy. Kendall Dinniene is an English PhD candidate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Their research examines how contemporary American authors respond to anti-fatness in their work, revealing the contours of citizenship and paths toward liberation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Writer Nicholas Kotar joins the show. Watch on Rumble: https://rumble.com/v2g80ls-nicholas-kotar.html Dcn. Nicholas Books: https://nicholaskotar.com/books-by-nicholas-kotar/ https://www.amazon.com/Certain-Kingdom-Fairy-Tales-Russia/dp/1951536185 Podcast: https://nicholaskotar.com/2020/09/17/introducing-in-a-certain-kingdom/

Jonathan is joined by sociologist Kristina Stoeckl for a deep dive on the Russian Orthodox Church, tracing its complex journey from repression under Soviet communism to support for Vladimir Putin and source of an orthodox nationalist state ideology. Kristina Stoeckl is Professor of Sociology at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. Her main areas of research are sociology of religion, political sociology and social and political theory. She is a leading specialist on Russian Orthodoxy and religion-state relations in Russia. Her most recent book, co-authored with Drmitry Uzlaner, is The Moralist International: Russia in the Global Culture Wars. The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority and Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality. You can follow the show on Twitter and Instagram.

On today's episode John welcomes Cyprian, aka Vin Armani, back to the show and they discussed the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and his proposed ban on the practice of Russian Orthodoxy. Several topics of vital importance discussed: The jurisdictions in the Eastern Orthodox Church The significance of the Russian Orthodox Church and Kyiv to Russian identity The importance of areas within Ukraine to the early Christian church Why the actions taken by Zelensky to ban the Russian Orthodox Church should matter to all Christians. Check out Cyrpian's previous appearance on Finding Freedom! This episode is sponsored by Blood of Tyrants wine. Discover the taste of freedom! Order today and save 10% with the code LIONS. Get our new merch AND get 15% off an annual subscription, which includes all of our bonus content on Patreon until the end of the year! Join us on Patreon to take advantage of the annual savings OR support us on Locals! Subscribe to The Marc Clair Show! Check out the Lions of Liberty Store, including our hot-off-the-press Die Hard Christmas 3D Printed Gun merch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode John welcomes Cyprian, aka Vin Armani, back to the show and they discussed the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and his proposed ban on the practice of Russian Orthodoxy. Several topics of vital importance discussed: The jurisdictions in the Eastern Orthodox Church The significance of the Russian Orthodox Church and Kyiv to Russian identity The importance of areas within Ukraine to the early Christian church Why the actions taken by Zelensky to ban the Russian Orthodox Church should matter to all Christians. Check out Cyrpian's previous appearance on Finding Freedom! This episode is sponsored by Blood of Tyrants wine. Discover the taste of freedom! Order today and save 10% with the code LIONS. Get our new merch AND get 15% off an annual subscription, which includes all of our bonus content on Patreon until the end of the year! Join us on Patreon to take advantage of the annual savings OR support us on Locals! Subscribe to The Marc Clair Show! Check out the Lions of Liberty Store, including our hot-off-the-press Die Hard Christmas 3D Printed Gun merch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode John welcomes Cyprian, aka Vin Armani, back to the show and they discussed the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and his proposed ban on the practice of Russian Orthodoxy. Several topics of vital importance discussed: The jurisdictions in the Eastern Orthodox Church The significance of the Russian Orthodox Church and Kyiv to Russian identity The importance of areas within Ukraine to the early Christian church Why the actions taken by Zelensky to ban the Russian Orthodox Church should matter to all Christians. Check out Cyrpian's previous appearance on Finding Freedom! This episode is sponsored by Blood of Tyrants wine. Discover the taste of freedom! Order today and save 10% with the code LIONS. Get our new merch AND get 15% off an annual subscription, which includes all of our bonus content on Patreon until the end of the year! Join us on Patreon to take advantage of the annual savings OR support us on Locals! Subscribe to The Marc Clair Show! Check out the Lions of Liberty Store, including our hot-off-the-press Die Hard Christmas 3D Printed Gun merch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 118:This week we're continuing Russia in Revolution An Empire in Crisis 1890 - 1928 by S. A. Smith[Part 1]Introduction[Part 2-5]1. Roots of Revolution, 1880s–1905[Part 6-8]2. From Reform to War, 1906-1917[Part 9-12]3. From February to October 1917[Part 13 - 17]4. Civil War and Bolshevik Power[Part 18 - 22]5. War Communism[Part 23 - 26]6. The New Economic Policy: Politics and the Economy[Part 27 - 29]7. The New Economic Policy: Society and CultureSocial Order RestoredDesigning a Welfare StateThe Arts and UtopiaFamily and Gender RelationsYouth a Wavering VanguardPropaganda and Popular Culture[Part 30 - This Week]7. The New Economic Policy: Society and CultureCultural Revolution - 0:38The Attack on Religion - 24:51Epilogue - The “Great Break” 1928 - 1931 - 42:38[Part 31 - 32?]ConclusionFigure 7.6 - 6:45Kazakh peasants learn to read.Figure 7.7 - 30:25The seizure of church valuables, 1922.Footnotes:96) 0:54Zenovia A. Sochor, Revolution and Culture: The Bogdanov–Lenin Controversy (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1988).97) 2:39Oktiabr'skaia revoliutsiia i fabzavkomy (The October Revolution and the Factory Committees), (2 vols), vol. 2, ed. S. A. Smith (Millwood, NY: Kraus International Publications, 1983), 89.98) 4:58Michael David-Fox, ‘What is Cultural Revolution?', Russian Review, 58 (Apr. 1999), 181–201.99) 5:46Ella Winter, Red Virtue: Human Relationships in the New Russia (London: Gollancz, 1933), 35.100) 6:48Charles E. Clark, Uprooting Otherness: The Literacy Campaign in NEP-Era Russia (Selinsgrove, PA: Susquehanna University Press, 2000).101) 7:50Charles E. Clark, ‘Uprooting Otherness: Bolshevik Attempts to Refashion Rural Russia via the Reading Rooms of the 1920s', Canadian Slavonic Papers, 38:3–4 (1996), 305–29 (320).102) 8:51N. Rosnitskii, Litso derevni. Po materialam obsledovaniia 28 volostei i 32,730 krest'ianskikh khoziaistv Penzenskoi gubernii (Leningrad: Gos. Izd-vo, 1926), 103.103) 10:00Régine Robin, ‘Popular Literature of the 1920s: Russian Peasants as Readers', in Fitzpatrick, Rabinowitch, and Stites (eds), Russia in the Era of NEP, 253–67, (256).104) 10:39Robin, ‘Popular Literature', 261.105) 11:26Gorsuch, Youth in Revolutionary Russia, 19.106) 11:50Antireligioznik, 10 (1926), 53.107) 12:28N. B. Lebina, Povsednevnaia zhizn' sovetskogo goroda: normy i anomalii: 1920–1930 gody (St Petersburg: Neva, 1999), ch. 2, part 3.108) 13:24Andy Willimott, Living the Revolution: Urban Communes & Soviet Socialism, 1917–1932 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016).109) 13:56Hugh D. Hudson, Blueprints and Blood: The Stalinization of Soviet Architecture, 1917–37 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994).110) 14:15Anatole Kopp, Town and Revolution: Soviet Architecture and City Planning, 1917–1935 (London: Thames and Hudson, 1970).111) 15:21Eric Aunoble, Le Communisme tout de suite! Le mouvement des communes en Ukraine soviétique (1919–20) (Paris: Les Nuits rouges, 2008).112) 16:25S. A. Smith, ‘The Social Meanings of Swearing: Workers and Bad Language in Late-Imperial and Early-Soviet Russia', Past and Present, 160 (1998), 167–202.113) 17:58This and the statistics on baptisms and funerals are taken from N. S. Burmistrov, ‘Religioznye obriady pri rozhdeniiakh, smertiakh, brakakh po statistichekim dannym administrativnykh otdelov Mossoveta', Antireligioznik, 6 (1929), 89–94.114) 20:03Golos naroda, 170–2.115) 20:44Catherine Merridale, Night of Stone: Death and Memory in Russia (London: Granta, 2000).116) 22:53N. N. Kozlova, Gorizonty povsednevnosti sovetskoi epokhi. Golosa iz khora (Moscow: RAN, 1996), 128; Litvak, ‘Zhizn' krest'ianina', 194.117) 25:14V. P. Buldakov, Krasnaia smuta: Priroda I posledstviia revoliutsionnogo nasiliia (Moscow: ROSSPEN, 1997).118) 25:42Koenker and Bachman (eds), Revelations from the Russian Archives, 456–8.119) 27:26State Archive of the Russian Federation: ГАРФ, ф.Р-5407, оп.2, д.177, л.22.120) 28:56.121) 31:25N. A. Krivova, ‘The Events in Shuia: A Turning Point in the Assault on the Church', Russian Studies in History, 46:2 (2007), 8–38.122) 31:44Edward E. Roslof, Red Priests: Renovationism, Russian Orthodoxy, and Revolution, 1905–1946 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002).123) 32:41Gregory Freeze, ‘Counter-Reformation in Russian Orthodoxy: Popular Response to Religious Innovation, 1922–1925', Slavic Review, 54:2 (1995), 305–39.124) 34:10A. Iu. Minakov, ‘Sektanty i revoliutsiia', < http://dl.biblion.realin.ru/text/14_Disk_EPDS_-_vse_seminarskie_konspekty/Uchebnye_materialy_1/sekt_novosibirsk/Documents/sekt_revol.html>.125) 35:41Mustafa Tuna, Imperial Russia's Muslims: Islam, Empire, and European Modernity, 1788–1914 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015), 237.126) 36:55Daniel Peris, Storming the Heavens: The Soviet League of the Militant Godless (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1998).127) 39:08Nina Tumarkin, Lenin Lives! The Lenin Cult in Soviet Russia (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1983).128) 40:49N. Valentinov, Novaia ekonomicheskaia politika i krizis partii posle smerti Lenina (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1971), 91.129) 49:49Sheila Fitzpatrick, Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 224–5.130) 50:05Stephen Kotkin, Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997), 198–237.131) 50:29Robert C. Tucker, Stalin in Power: The Revolution from Above, 1928–1941 (New York: W. W. Norton, 1990).

According to Ian Lovett in The Wall Street Journal, “Dozens of priests from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the country's largest denomination, have been kidnapped or killed since the (Russian) invasion began.”   Some have been tortured, accused of stirring up anti-Russian sentiment. Those allowed to return to their congregations bear scars and missing teeth. Some never return at all.  The Ukrainian Orthodox Church's split from Russian Orthodoxy in 2019 provides the political motivation for Russia to target its members. The Russian church, under Patriarch Kirill, has supported the war, arguing that it has “metaphysical significance.”   He may be right, though not in the way he believes. By targeting Ukrainian believers, Russia adds to the ranks of those who suffer, not just for Ukraine, but for Christ.   Father Ioann Burdin, a Russian Orthodox priest who has publicly opposed the invasion, wrote in February, “Russian soldiers are killing their brothers and sisters in Christ…. We can't shamefully cover our eyes and call… evil good.”  

Welcome to the fourth part of our reading series on Roland Boer's Red Theology: On the Christian Communist Tradition. We are joined by our Comrades in Christ, Mir and Ben, for a set of chapters dealing with Althusser's Christianity, Farnham Maynard, and the God-building Project of Anatoly Lunacharsky.We are missing Jason on this podcast, but hopefully, he will be back in a month or two. Until then we will wrap up this series without him.  Boer, Roland. Red Theology: On the Christian Communist Tradition. Studies in Critical Research on Religion . Haymarket Books, 2020.Music: Choir of the Brethren at Valaam Monastary- Agni Parthene  Support the show

Before we get into the show today, this episode was recorded on December 2nd, 2021, 54 days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. When the invasion occurred Rachael and I made sure that we wanted to make this and the following points clear. We stand with Ukraine and that we made this with the intention of discussing the film's historical and cultural significance and to contextualize it for our time. On today's episode of Cinemallennials I talked to Rachael Crawley, making it 3 out of three K Cut hosts and we talked about Sergei Eisenstein's medieval epic, Alexander Nevsky. Mostly known for his Soviet supported and majorly influential films like Battleship Potempkin, and October: Ten Days that Shook the World, Sergei Eisenstein is not only considered one of the first film theorists, but is often considered as one of the greatest artists the screen has ever known. While Nevsky isn't the first propaganda film, it's visionary director, paved the way we see historical epics and how they are created. From his use of undercranking the camera, shot composition, and use of powerful score, Eisenstein began a seemingly never ending thread of how moving images can influence an audience into believing that they too can emulate the characters and situations on screen. Alexander Nevsky follows the story of The Battle on the Ice, a pivotal conflict in Russian history in which Russian Prince Alexander Nevksy, fought The Germanic Teutonic Order fought to save Russian Orthodoxy. After the knights of the Teutonic Order sack the city of Pskov Alexander rallies his the peasantry to form a small army in order to repel the almighty power of the papally backed Teutonic Knights. Alexander Nevsky and its impact today exhibits just how powerfully long lasting the silver screen can be. SO sit back relax and let there be no more war. Click here to support Ukrainian Refugees You can check out Alexander Nevsky on The Criterion Channel Cinemallennials is a podcast where myself and another millennial are introduced to a classic film for the very first time ranging from the birth of cinema to the 1960s. Myself and my guest will open your eyes to the vast landscape of classic film as we discuss the films' performers, their performances, those behind the camera, and how they and their films still influence our world today. Website: https://dlewmoviereview.com/ Social Media: Facebook: facebook.com/dlewmoviereviews/ Twitter: twitter.com/dlewmoviereview Instagram: @cinemallennials

Symphonia or caesaropapism? Featuring Henry Hopwood-Phillips. His article: https://thecritic.co.uk/russian-orthodoxy-on-trial

The blogcast serves as a transcript for this episode at https://pamalogy.com/2021/12/25/salvation/ (https://pamalogy.com/2021/12/25/salvation/). The entire Season 1 Pamalogy Society blogcast may be previewed at https://pamalogy.com/season-1-blogcast/ (https://pamalogy.com/season-1-blogcast/). Those who complete and pass the Pamalogy 101 course are entitled to a Pamalogist top hat. Symbols included depend on levels of expertise and type of participation. The Pamalogy Society is a nonprofit philosophical organization dedicated to the maximization of awesomeness both in word and deed. Our mission is not just to teach, but to fund and offer volunteer support to worthy high impact concept stage projects synergistically and strategically for maximum positive impact, beginning with the CounterChecker. In this episode, James Carvin highlights the differences in views of salvation between atheistic philosophy, Evangelicalism, Calvinism, Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Special attention is paid to Russian Orthodoxy in light of the Ukrainian crisis. Please support us on Patreon ! https://www.patreon.com/pamalogysociety (https://www.patreon.com/pamalogysociety) Pamalogy Society https://pamalogy-society.captivate.fm (Pamalogy Society website) 7

Episode 90:This week we're continuing Russia in Revolution An Empire in Crisis 1890 - 1928 by S. A. Smith[Part 1]Introduction[Part 2 - This Week]1. Roots of Revolution, 1880s–1905 - 00:38Autocracy and Orthodoxy - 21:23Popular Religion - 33:17[Part 3 - 4?]1. Roots of Revolution, 1880s–1905[Part 5 - 7?]2. From Reform to War, 1906–1917[Part 8 - 10?]3. From February to October 1917[Part 11 - 14?]4. Civil War and Bolshevik Power[Part 15 - 17?]5. War Communism[Part 18 - 20?]6. The New Economic Policy: Politics and the Economy[Part 21 - 24?]7. The New Economic Policy: Society and Culture[Part 25?]ConclusionFigures:1) Nicholas II, Alexandra, and their family. - 21:31Footnotes:1) 00:58Orlando Figes, A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891–1924 (London: Jonathan Cape, 1996).2) 05:08V. O. Kliuchevsky, A History of Russia, vol. 1 (London: J. M. Dent, 1911), 2.3) 07:13D. C. B. Lieven, Towards the Flame: Empire, War and the End of Tsarist Russia (London: Allen Lane, 2015), 9.4) 08:05Cited in Paul Kennedy, Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (New York: Random House, 1987), 177.5) 13:02Lieven, Towards the Flame, 85.6) 14:07http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus_lan_97.php7) 14:38Jane Burbank and Mark von Hagen (eds), Russian Empire: Space, People, Power, 1700–1930 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007); John W. Slocum, ‘Who, and When, Were the Inorodtsy? The Evolution of the Category of “Aliens” in Imperial Russia', Russian Review, 57:2 (1998), 173–90.8) 15:05Theodore Weeks, Nation and State in Late Imperial Russia: Nationalism and Russification on the Western Frontier, 1863–1914 (DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 1996); Alexei Miller, ‘The Empire and Nation in the Imagination of Russian Nationalism', in A. Miller and A. J. Rieber (eds), Imperial Rule (Budapest: Central European University Press, 2004), 9–22.9) 15:37Robert D. Crews, For Prophet and Tsar: Islam and Empire in Russia and Central Asia (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2006).10) 17:26Paul Werth, At the Margins of Orthodoxy: Mission, Governance, and Confessional Politics in Russia's Volga-Kama Region, 1827–1905 (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2002).11) 18:11Alexander Morrison, Russian Rule in Samarkand, 1868–1910: A Comparison with British India (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008).12) 18:38Robert Geraci, Window on the East: National and Imperial Identities in Late-Imperial Russia (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2001).13) 19:13Charles Steinwedel, ‘To Make a Difference: The Category of Ethnicity in Late Imperial Russian Politics, 1861–1917', in D. L. Hoffmann and Yanni Kotsonis (eds), Russian Modernity: Politics, Knowledge, Practices (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2000), 67–86.14) 19:49Andreas Kappeler, The Russian Empire: A Multiethnic History (Harlow: Pearson, 2001); Willard Sunderland, ‘The Ministry of Asiatic Russia: The Colonial Office That Never Was But Might Have Been', Slavic Review, 60:1 (2010), 120–50.15) 20:04Geoffrey Hosking, Russia: People and Empire (London: Fontana, 1998).16) 21:19Miller, ‘The Empire and Nation', 9–22.17) 21:48Dominic Lieven, Nicholas II: Emperor of All the Russias (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1989).18) 22:25http://www.angelfire.com/pa/ImperialRussian/royalty/russia/rfl.html19) 25:04Abraham Ascher, The Revolution of 1905, vol. 2: Authority Restored (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1992), 222.20) 25:09Richard Pipes, Russia under the Old Regime (New York: Penguin, 1977).21) 26:36Peter Waldron, ‘States of Emergency: Autocracy and Extraordinary Legislation, 1881–1917', Revolutionary Russia, 8:1 (1995), 1–25.22) 26:56Waldron, ‘States of Emergency', 24.23) 27:26Neil Weissman, ‘Regular Police in Tsarist Russia, 1900–1914', Russian Review, 44:1 (1985), 45–68 ( 49).24) 27:47Jonathan W. Daly, The Watchful State: Security Police and Opposition in Russia, 1906–1917 (DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2004), 5–6. Daly, incidentally, gives a higher figure—100,000—than Weissman for the number of police of all kinds in 1900.25) 28:14Figes, People's Tragedy, 46.26) 28:50T. Emmons and W. S. Vucinich (eds), The Zemstvo in Russia: An Experiment in Local Self-Government (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982), 215.27) 30:25Hans Rogger, Russia in the Age of Modernisation and Revolution, 1881–1917 (London: Longman, 1983), 72.28) 31:18J. S. Curtiss, The Russian Church and the Soviet State (Boston: Little, Brown, 1953), 10.29) 32:09Gregory L. Freeze, ‘Handmaiden of the State? The Orthodox Church in Imperial Russia Reconsidered', Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 36 (1985), 82–102.30) 32:46Simon Dixon, ‘The Orthodox Church and the Workers of St Petersburg, 1880–1914', in Hugh McLeod, European Religion in the Age of Great Cities, 1830–1930 (London: Routledge, 1995), 119–41.31) 33:49Vera Shevzov, Russian Orthodoxy on the Eve of Revolution (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).32) 35:23A. K. Baiburin, ‘Poliarnosti v rituale (tverdoe i miagkoe)', Poliarnost' v kul'ture: Almanakh ‘Kanun' 2 (1996), 157–65.33) 36:28Vera Shevzov, ‘Chapels and the Ecclesial World of Pre-revolutionary Peasants', Slavic Review, 55:3 (1996), 585–613.34) 37:00Chris J. Chulos, Converging Worlds: Religion and Community in Peasant Russia, 1861–1917 (DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2003), 159.35) 37:59J. S. Curtiss, Church and State in Russia: the Last Years of the Empire, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1965), 118.36) 38:46David G. Rowley, ‘ “Redeemer Empire”: Russian Millenarianism', American Historical Review, 104 (1999), 1582–602.37) 39:18James H. Billington, The Icon and the Axe: An Interpretive History of Russian Culture (New York: Vintage Books, 1970), 514.38) 40:18Nadieszda Kizenko, A Prodigal Saint: Father John Kronstadt and the Russian People (University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000), 271.39) 40:34Sergei Fomin (comp.), Rossiia pered vtorym prishestviem: prorochestva russkikh sviatykh (Moscow: Sviato-Troitskaia Sergieva Lavra, 1993). This is a compendium of prophecies of doom about the fate of Russia by saints, monks, nuns, priests, theologians, and a sprinking of lay writers, including Dostoevsky, V. V. Rozanov, and Lev Tikhomirov.

Open calls, questions, and discussion with Matt Slick LIVE in the studio. Topics include---1- Matt discusses the upcoming supreme court decision.--2- What was the strange fire that Aaron's sons offered---3- As a believer, is my heart still in the state of Jeremiah 17-9---4- How do you deal with people who say that God can't exist because of the age of the earth---5- Are there any Jews in heaven---6- Where should a new believer start reading in the Bible---7- Do you think any of the popes are in heaven---8- Do you know anything about Russian Orthodoxy---9- Can you lose your salvation-

The daily radio broadcast of CARM.org. Open calls, questions, and discussion with Guest host Matt Slick LIVE in the studio. Topics include: Matt discusses the upcoming supreme court decision. What was the strange fire that Aaron's sons offered? As a believer, is my heart still in the state of Jeremiah 17:9? How do you deal with people who say that God can't exist because of the age of the earth? Are there any Jews in heaven? What part of the Bible should a new believer start reading? Do you think any of the popes are in heaven? Do you know anything about Russian Orthodoxy? Can you lose your salvation?   ==> Subscribe to the CARM Odysee Channel: https://odysee.com/@CARM:8 ==> Watch Matt Slick LIVE on Odysee: https://odysee.com/@CARM:8/MattSlickLive:b ==> Subscribe to the CARM YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/carmvideos ==> Subscribe to the Matt Slick YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/mattslick ==> Like CARM on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Carm.org ==> Visit the CARM Website: https://carm.org ==> Donate to CARM: https://carm.org/about/partner-with-carm/

Chances are that you've heard about the political forces and players involved in the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.  But what may be less familiar is the complex, centuries-long religious and historical backdrop against which the war is unfolding.Joining us to help unpackage these dimensions of the conflict is Dr. Anatolii Babynskyi.  Dr. Babynskyi is a research fellow at the Institute of Church History at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine.  He is also the Ukrainian correspondent for the American online Catholic news service, The Pillar.Our conversation touches on numerous topics: the rich tapestry of ecclesiological and liturgical traditions that underpin the Christian character of Ukraine; the historical relationships and tensions between those traditions and Russian Orthodoxy; whether Ukrainian national identity is actually a thing; the leadership of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; and the outlook for Ukraine's future amidst the fog of war.Documents/Websites referenced Dr. Anatolii Babynskyi (LinkedIn)@MrAnatoliusAnatolii Babynskyi, “‘Russkiy mir' - The ‘Russian World' meets Ukrainian politics and Vatican diplomacy”, The Pillar (March 3, 2022)Anatolii Babynskyi, “Split from Kirill is coming, say Ukrainian Orthodox priests”, The Pillar (March 9, 2022)Anatolii Babynskyi, “‘I have never seen such fear' - Ukraine's refugees, and the Catholics helping them survive”, The Pillar (March 24, 2022)Union of BrestEcumenical Council of FlorenceCaritas Internationaliswww.crownandcrozier.comtwitter.com/crownandcrozierfacebook.com/crownandcrozierhttps://www.instagram.com/crownandcrozier/Please note that this podcast has been edited for length and clarity.Support the show (http://missionoftheredeemer.com/crownandcrozier/)

The Russian Revolution is thought to have everything to do with the writings of Karl Marx. He predicted in the 19th century that history was marching inevitably toward a proletarian revolution and workers would overthrow the capitalist system and replace it with a socialist one. To many observers in Moscow, that's exactly what was happening. But one Russian scholar disagrees. He believes the Russian Revolution had nothing to do with Marx and everything to do with, paradoxically, the Russian Orthodox Church. Namely, Russia's century-old history of Orthodox monasticism. Today's guest is Jim Curtis, a Russian scholar, professor emeritus, and author of In Stalin's Soviet Monastery. The story begins with the young Iosif Djugashvili, later known as Joseph Stalin, who was studying to be a priest in an Orthodox seminary. He took on the role that defined his political career, that of a sadistic elder who imposed fiendish vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience on hapless Soviet citizens. This led to Stalin's policies essentially copying passion-suffering, a practice in which one takes on the sufferings of Christi to achieve sanctification, which he used to force gulag slave labor to work on useless infrastructure projects to purify them as a proper Soviet.Applying Russia's heritage of Orthodox monasticism to Soviet history gives coherence and meaning to what is often portrayed as a chaotic and contradictory period. Thus, by ignoring Marxist rhetoric and emphasizing Russia's monastic heritage, it arguably makes sense that Russians would perceive Lenin as a Christ figure with appropriate symbolism.

Why are Americans with no ethnic ties to Russia converting to the Russian Orthodox Church? Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, author of Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia, joins us to discuss why people who are displeased with American culture are converting to Russian Orthodoxy. We explore their political views, their frustrations with democracy and the separation of church and state, their love of Vladimir Putin, and what all of this means for America and the war in Ukraine today.

With the Russian Ukraine War raging, I became curious to understand the religious relationship between these two countries. I dug up issue 18 of Christian History Magazine which was dedicated to the Russian Orthodox Church. In it I found several articles that shed light on the history of these two countries and the religion that they share. So, what happened after the historic baptism at Kiev in 988? Ukraine basically became the first Christian nation in the region. But after the Mongol Invasion of the 13th Century, Moscow became preeminent. Find out more about the history of the Ukraine Russian conflict in this episode.

Dr. Scott Kenworthy, a professor in the Department of Comparative Religion at Miami University, spoke with ReligionUnplugged's Managing Editor Meagan Clark about the religious aspects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the complex history of Russian Orthodoxy. Kenworthy's research interests focus on the history and thought of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, particularly in modern Russia. His recent book co-authored with Alexander Agadjanian, “Understanding World Christianity: Russia” aims to correct Western myths and misunderstandings about Russian Christianity and history.

Listen now | We continue our Immigrant Deprogramming series by talking to Denis Lavinski, an artist in LA, who was raised in the White Russian/Vlasovite-influenced Russian Orthodox Church in California by his Soviet immigrant parents. Denis’s childhood experience is interesting and relevant today because the ideology he grew up in is basically the ideology that Putin stole and has been repackaging to legitimize his rule. You can see it on full display in Russia right now being used to prop up his regime change war in Ukraine — a mixture of Russian imperialism, nationalism, and Russian Orthodoxy, with Soviet WWII glory moments thrown in to round out the mess. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at yasha.substack.com/subscribe

Russian Orthodoxy v The West To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/549/29

Russian Orthodoxy v. The West

Why are American Christians rooting for Putin? How did the Russian autocrat become the ideal leader in their eyes? Brad speaks to Dr. Sara Riccard Swartz, an expert on Russian Orthodoxy and American religions, about her brand new book, "Between Heaven and Russia": https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823299515/between-heaven-and-russia/ Historically a minority immigrant faith in the United States, Russian Orthodoxy is attracting Americans who look to Russian religion and politics for answers to Western secularism and the loss of traditional family values in the face of accelerating progressivism. These converts sought and found a conservatism more authentic than Christian American Republicanism and a nationalism unburdened by the broken promises of American exceptionalism. Ultimately, both converts and the Church that welcomes them deploy the subversive act of adopting the ideals and faith of a foreign power for larger, transnational political ends. To Donate: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BradleyOnishi For an ad-free experience and to support SWAJ: https://irreverent.supportingcast.fm/straight-white-american-jesus-premium To become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/straightwhiteamericanjesus Produced by Brad Onishi Edited by Shannon Sassone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://swaj.supportingcast.fm

Marxists had always assumed the that Communism... when it finally arrived would be a perfect existence without religion. In the words of John Lennon :"Imagine there's no heaven... no hell below us, above us only sky." This had been a concept tossed around by European intellectuals since the Enlightenment yet few had dared to act upon it. The Russian Revolution gave the World a chance to see what it would be like to make that dream a reality. Lenin believed that religion (especially Russian Orthodoxy) was a cancer on society that needed to be ruthlessly extirpated or the Revolution would never have a chance to take root. The Bolsheviks would waste no time making the arch enemies of the proletariat pay for centuries of having fed the ignorant people "spiritual booze." The Revolutionary terror would sweep away millions of ordinary citizens of the former Russian Empire in a torrent of bloodshed but would turn its fiercest wrath on the Church. Atrocities the likes of which the modern world had never seen sprang up like wild fires across an empire of 150 million people. Who would dare resist? Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow... a man with less than a year serving in a position that hadn't even existed for 300 years in an organization that probably hadn't been politically relevant since the Middle Ages, decided to answer the call.  Seems like quite a mismatch. But wait whats this? This guy isn't afraid to drop some bombs. Even Lenin will find himself scared to touch him. How will it all end? Check out our latest episode to find out! 

Today, (most of) the gang reads a short story by Dostoevsky, in which a ridiculous man has a significant dream and won't shut up about it.  Theo is a birthday boy producer!  Jackie is too old for a milk carton yet too young for a Smuckers jar.  Rachel is insulted by someone who should really know better.  Topics include: the 3 host problem, Wheaties, Count Chocula, Dracula Weekly, Drac of the Month, Got Milk ads, convoluted insults, Colossal D, dead Russian juice, inhuman plumbers, Super Mario, the humanity of Italians, Lil Wayne, the Human Centipede (yes, again), Jay-Z and Pushkin, Russian Orthodoxy, birthday exhumations, Gogol, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Mormonism, Twilight, Eloise, Skipperdee, and Weenie/Ouini, Pinocchémon, The Sixth Sense, Ready or Not, butt-ass, and King Philips.   Content warning: extended discussion of suicide

When Prince Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles (July 15), received holy Baptism, he sent an embassy to Constantinople asking that clergy be sent to enlighten the Russian land and to establish Christ's Church there. Patriarch Nicolas II Chrysoberges (December 16) appointed Michael, a wise and blameless bishop, to be Metropolitan of Russia. Saint Michael traveled to Kiev with six bishops and a large number of clergy to aid him in his daunting work. He began by baptising the Prince's family and the nobles of Kiev. Prince Vladimir used his authority to have the pagan idols pulled down, and enjoined all the people to accept Baptism. Thus the people of Kiev gathered en masse on the banks of the Dnieper and were baptized by the Metropolitan and his clergy, establishing Kiev as the first Christian city in Russia. Paganism was deeply entrenched everywhere in this wild land, and the proclamation of the Gospel was difficult and dangerous. Nonetheless, the holy Metropolitan in his own lifetime was able to cast down the idols in Novgorod and Rostov and establish the Church there.   Metropolitan Michael reposed in peace in 992, having planted in Russia the seeds of Russian Orthodoxy, which in coming generations would become the very soul of the Russian people. His relics were found to be incorrupt in the twelfth century and were translated to the Monastery of the Kiev Caves.

When Prince Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles (July 15), received holy Baptism, he sent an embassy to Constantinople asking that clergy be sent to enlighten the Russian land and to establish Christ's Church there. Patriarch Nicolas II Chrysoberges (December 16) appointed Michael, a wise and blameless bishop, to be Metropolitan of Russia. Saint Michael traveled to Kiev with six bishops and a large number of clergy to aid him in his daunting work. He began by baptising the Prince's family and the nobles of Kiev. Prince Vladimir used his authority to have the pagan idols pulled down, and enjoined all the people to accept Baptism. Thus the people of Kiev gathered en masse on the banks of the Dnieper and were baptized by the Metropolitan and his clergy, establishing Kiev as the first Christian city in Russia. Paganism was deeply entrenched everywhere in this wild land, and the proclamation of the Gospel was difficult and dangerous. Nonetheless, the holy Metropolitan in his own lifetime was able to cast down the idols in Novgorod and Rostov and establish the Church there.   Metropolitan Michael reposed in peace in 992, having planted in Russia the seeds of Russian Orthodoxy, which in coming generations would become the very soul of the Russian people. His relics were found to be incorrupt in the twelfth century and were translated to the Monastery of the Kiev Caves.

“Archbishop Averky was one of the last of the giants of 20th-century Orthodoxy, not merely of the Russian Church Outside of Outside of Russia, or even of Russian Orthodoxy—but of the whole of the 20th-century Orthodox Church.”“The abundance with which his golden lips gushed the sweet honey of the pure teaching of Orthodoxy, especially in his most fruitful last years, has perhaps helped to hide from us the rarity and even uniqueness of his teaching in our evil days. We have grown so used to his flaming and bold words that we have not noticed that he was virtually the only hierarch of any Orthodox church writing in any language with such boldness and uprightness in defense of Orthodoxy.”Speaking of Eugene and Gleb (Fr. Seraphim and Fr. Herman) in the early days of The Orthodox Word, Hieromonk Damascene writes “Although they no longer sought for everything to be inspected prior to publication, they continued to come to Archbishop John [Maximovitch] whenever they had specific questions, and he answered them with love. For answers to theological questions which might arise, he said they should write to Archbishop Averky, with whom he had complete oneness of soul.” (from ‘Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works')Text is from issue #100-101 of The Orthodox Word: https://archive.org/details/100101V17...A treasure trove of articles from Archbishop Averky can be found here: http://archbishopaverky.blogspot.comThis channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/orthodox-wisdom/message

We venture east in this episode for a look at Russian Orthodox music that impacted the life and compositions of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). Dr. Richard Fountain, professor of piano at Wayland Baptist University and convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, shares with us some of his insights into Rachmaninoff's piano works and his compositions for the Divine Liturgy. Visit Dr. Fountain's webpage here: https://richardfountainpianist.com View the complete video of Russian bell ringing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbn_Fzcxw3o 

Dr. J. M. White’s new book, Unity in Faith?: Edinoverie, Russian Orthodoxy, and Old Belief, 1800-1918 (Indiana University Press, 2020) discusses the Russian Orthodox/Old Believer schism. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Russian government decided, largely for reasons of state, to bring the schismatic Old Believers back into the Orthodox fold. This desire resulted in the creation of edinoverie (“unity in faith”), and a set of institutions that attempted to allow Old Believers to practice their pre-1650’s rituals, while increasingly subjecting them to the authority of the church, and by extension, the state. Dr. White’s book is a history of this edinoverie. Along the way, readers learn a great deal about the relationship between the Russian church and the state, and about the inner logics of a major religious schisms, whose lessons apply to Russian history and beyond. Religious history is often neglected in the history of late imperial Russia, and this book also helps to rectify that imbalance. Aaron Weinacht is Professor of History at the University of Montana Western, in Dillon, MT. He teaches courses on Russian and Soviet History, World History, and Philosophy of History. His research interests include the sociological theorist Philip Rieff and the influence of Russian nihilism on American libertarianism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Dr. J. M. White’s new book, Unity in Faith?: Edinoverie, Russian Orthodoxy, and Old Belief, 1800-1918 (Indiana University Press, 2020) discusses the Russian Orthodox/Old Believer schism. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Russian government decided, largely for reasons of state, to bring the schismatic Old Believers back into the Orthodox fold. This desire resulted in the creation of edinoverie (“unity in faith”), and a set of institutions that attempted to allow Old Believers to practice their pre-1650’s rituals, while increasingly subjecting them to the authority of the church, and by extension, the state. Dr. White’s book is a history of this edinoverie. Along the way, readers learn a great deal about the relationship between the Russian church and the state, and about the inner logics of a major religious schisms, whose lessons apply to Russian history and beyond. Religious history is often neglected in the history of late imperial Russia, and this book also helps to rectify that imbalance. Aaron Weinacht is Professor of History at the University of Montana Western, in Dillon, MT. He teaches courses on Russian and Soviet History, World History, and Philosophy of History. His research interests include the sociological theorist Philip Rieff and the influence of Russian nihilism on American libertarianism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Dr. J. M. White’s new book, Unity in Faith?: Edinoverie, Russian Orthodoxy, and Old Belief, 1800-1918 (Indiana University Press, 2020) discusses the Russian Orthodox/Old Believer schism. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Russian government decided, largely for reasons of state, to bring the schismatic Old Believers back into the Orthodox fold. This desire resulted in the creation of edinoverie (“unity in faith”), and a set of institutions that attempted to allow Old Believers to practice their pre-1650’s rituals, while increasingly subjecting them to the authority of the church, and by extension, the state. Dr. White’s book is a history of this edinoverie. Along the way, readers learn a great deal about the relationship between the Russian church and the state, and about the inner logics of a major religious schisms, whose lessons apply to Russian history and beyond. Religious history is often neglected in the history of late imperial Russia, and this book also helps to rectify that imbalance. Aaron Weinacht is Professor of History at the University of Montana Western, in Dillon, MT. He teaches courses on Russian and Soviet History, World History, and Philosophy of History. His research interests include the sociological theorist Philip Rieff and the influence of Russian nihilism on American libertarianism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

Dr. J. M. White’s new book, Unity in Faith?: Edinoverie, Russian Orthodoxy, and Old Belief, 1800-1918 (Indiana University Press, 2020) discusses the Russian Orthodox/Old Believer schism. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Russian government decided, largely for reasons of state, to bring the schismatic Old Believers back into the Orthodox fold. This desire resulted in the creation of edinoverie (“unity in faith”), and a set of institutions that attempted to allow Old Believers to practice their pre-1650’s rituals, while increasingly subjecting them to the authority of the church, and by extension, the state. Dr. White’s book is a history of this edinoverie. Along the way, readers learn a great deal about the relationship between the Russian church and the state, and about the inner logics of a major religious schisms, whose lessons apply to Russian history and beyond. Religious history is often neglected in the history of late imperial Russia, and this book also helps to rectify that imbalance. Aaron Weinacht is Professor of History at the University of Montana Western, in Dillon, MT. He teaches courses on Russian and Soviet History, World History, and Philosophy of History. His research interests include the sociological theorist Philip Rieff and the influence of Russian nihilism on American libertarianism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Shownotes: This week, Cameron releases some pent-up stress by yelling about 1984 for...a bit. Then Matt gets personal in a 20 Questions Gauntlet—time to find out what his most embarrassing sartorial decisions have been. Tangentially, you’ll also find out how long it takes him to google ‘sartorial.’ Also...apologies to Edith Wharton. You deserve better. Major themes: POUM, Ranting about 1984, Converting NPCs to Russian Orthodoxy in D&D. The music used in this episode was “Bella Ciao,” by Toasted Tomatoes. You can find more of their work on Bandcamp and Youtube. Follow us on Instagram, check out our website, if you’re so inclined, check out our Patreon!

The Orthodachs Show, Ep. IV In this episode of The Orthodachs Show, TheBadgerDad has an indepth conversation with his special guest, Mr. Kevin Symonds, author and Fátima expert. Mr. Symonds speaks on the details of the Third Part of the Secret of Fátima and of the "errors of Russia" mentioned by The Theotokos. He also reveals exclusive information about an unpublished letter of Fátima Seer, Sr. Lúcia, housed at her Museum in Coimbra, Portugal. TheBadgerDad brings up his thoughts regarding the providential connection between the establishment of the Russian Greek Catholic Exarchate in May 1917 and the apparitions of The Theotokos. Corrections: -So-Called "Synod" of L'viv occurred in March 1946. -Epifany was formerly of the UOC-KP not the AUOC before being elected Metropolitan of the OCU. To read more from Rev. Dr. Athanasius McVay, HED, who was consulted before this episode aired, visit: https://annalesecclesiaeucrainae.blogspot.com/ Citation for jurisdiction granted to Sheptytsky by St. Pius pp X: https://annalesecclesiaeucrainae.blogspot.com/2016/11/benedict-xv-in-search-of-peace-for.html For more from Mr. Kevin Symonds: Web: https://kevinsymonds.com/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Third-Part-Secret-Fatima/dp/0998894052/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=kevin+symonds&qid=1590037085&s=books&sr=1-4 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfd50zqXBZ3hB646Lr0yveg For more episodes of The Orthodachs Show go here: https://thebyzantinelife.com/byzcatholic/byzcast/ Please consider supporting TheByzantineLife.com through one of the following ways: Web: https://thebyzantinelife.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=13926852 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebyzantinelife/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheByzLife Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/thebyzantinelife/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebyzantinelife/ Cover photo: Eparch Kyr Pavel Meletiev (Meletiou), a convert from Russian Orthodoxy, celebrates Hierarchical/Pontifical Divine Liturgy (Russian Old-Ritualist usage in Church Slavonic) at Fátima during the Holy Year of 1950/51. Intro Theme, Troparion for the Ascension (Greek): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUr28fXTmU Outro Theme, S.H.A.M.E. (Motionzz Remix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eia3WD_8vHw

In the latest of our archive recordings to be unearthed, we have here a 1969 lecture from the not-yet-29-year-old John Innes Stuart (1940-2003) - a renowned expert on Russian icons and historian of British biker culture. A remarkable character, Johnny was born in Aberdeen, educated at Eton, and was working as a porter at Sotheby's auctioneers when his extensive knowledge of Russian icons was found to be greater than any of their experts. A convert at the age of 18 to Russian Orthodoxy, he went on to establish the Russian department at Sotheby's in 1976, as well as his own consultancy with Ivan Samarine in 1995.Originally titled ‘Some aspects of collecting, restoring and studying icons, 1830-1917', this lecture gives an extensive history of the study and appreciation of Russian icons - from their creation and then literal concealment (by soot and the ornate silver okladki that covered them), to their appraisal as objects of academic interest, and of art in their own right.This episode was recorded on 9th May, 1969 at Pushkin House in Ladbroke Grove. The recording was catalogued and digitised by Anastasia Koro and Andrey Levitskiy, and was edited and produced for Pushkin House by Rafy Hay.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, in archive footage from 1961, enlightens the salon at Pushkin HouseMetropolitan Anthony Bloom (1914-2003), a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain, was one of the most important figures in the Russian Orthodoxy of his day. His many admirers attest that he combined a philosophical understanding of Christianity with high intelligence and personal charm.He became widely known to English speaking audiences for his BBC radio and TV broadcasts, exploring the intellectual and spiritual roots of Christianity. In this talk, recorded in 1961 and recently discovered in the vaults of Pushkin House, Metropolitan Anthony shares insights on Russian faith and spirituality and challenges the assumption that it is rooted in paganism.This episode was catalogued and digitised by Anastasia Koro and Andrey Levitskiy, and was edited and produced for Pushkin House by Rafy Hay.

Rome-based Catholic filmmaker Robert Duncan took part in a special, public screening of his documentary Faces Among Icons on April 29, 2018 at St. Vladimir's Seminary, followed by a panel discussion about the renewal of Orthodoxy in Russia. Duncan was joined on the panel by Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield and third-year Seminarian Priest Christopher Moore. Hear the panel discussion in its entirety as it addressed issues including ecumenical dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, the nature of church-state relations in Russia, and how the Orthodox Church there is addressing social concerns in Russian society.

Rome-based Catholic filmmaker Robert Duncan took part in a special, public screening of his documentary Faces Among Icons on April 29, 2018 at St. Vladimir's Seminary, followed by a panel discussion about the renewal of Orthodoxy in Russia. Duncan was joined on the panel by Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield and third-year Seminarian Priest Christopher Moore. Hear the panel discussion in its entirety as it addressed issues including ecumenical dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, the nature of church-state relations in Russia, and how the Orthodox Church there is addressing social concerns in Russian society.

From the Rebels, Rogues, and Scholars bracket, we pit the great Ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, against a true rogue, the Russian mystic, Grigori Rasputin. Find out who moves on to the second round to face Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.Support the show (http://www.battlegroundhistory.com)

Welcome to Season Two! This season I will post interviews and talks with healers, near-death experiencers, mediums, teachers, and mystics. Thank you so much for your interest and support of my book, Angels in the OR, which just launched this April. I love hearing from readers. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Angels-in-the-OR/Tricia-Barker/9781642931594 It is also available as an Audible. https://www.audible.com/pd/Angels-in-the-OR-Audiobook/B07QGGSCNP The Second Annual Online Near-Death Experience Summit Q and A session is over, but the videos are still available for purchase. If you would like to see these interviews, click here for more information. https://www.theuniversityofheaven.com/NDE-Summit2019 In this interview, I am talking with Daniel Berdichevsky. Daniel has lived a very dynamic and complex life, always searching ever so deeper for the greatest of life's mysteries. While growing up, he was influenced by several religions, ranging from Russian Orthodoxy, The Bahai faith, Judaism, and evangelical Christianity. However, at the age of 19, he had a profound mystical experience he classifies as a near death experience. God presented himself before had no religion, had no ideology, and had no form...the formless simplicity and unconditional love changed his perspective forever. I would love to stay in touch with you on social media. Here are my links. Website: https://triciabarkernde.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TriciaBarkerNDE/?pnref=lhc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triciabarker_nde/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TriciaTeacher LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-barker-44953b21/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/tricia-barker/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tricia-barker/support

As Russian militarism becomes increasingly intertwined with Russian Orthodoxy theology in the 21st century, the history of the Church’s relationship to war and its justification becomes particularly relevant. Betsy Perabo’s book Russian Orthodoxy and the Russo-Japanese War (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017) is a unique and important contribution to this area of inquiry, representing a rare contemporary academic exploration of just war theory within Russian Orthodoxy in the context of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Perabo examines the conflict through the concept of an “interreligious war” between Christian and Buddhist nations, paying particular attention to the writings of Nikolai of Japan, the Russian leader of Orthodox Church in Japan, as well as Russian soldiers, chaplains, military psychologists, and missionary leaders. In this interview we discuss the genealogy of Christian just war theory, the Russian Orthodox mission in in the late 19th-early 20th century the Japanese and Russian perception of religious motivations and divine influence in the 1904-05 war, and the implications of this history for Russian militarism today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Russian militarism becomes increasingly intertwined with Russian Orthodoxy theology in the 21st century, the history of the Church’s relationship to war and its justification becomes particularly relevant. Betsy Perabo’s book Russian Orthodoxy and the Russo-Japanese War (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017) is a unique and important contribution to this area of inquiry, representing a rare contemporary academic exploration of just war theory within Russian Orthodoxy in the context of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Perabo examines the conflict through the concept of an “interreligious war” between Christian and Buddhist nations, paying particular attention to the writings of Nikolai of Japan, the Russian leader of Orthodox Church in Japan, as well as Russian soldiers, chaplains, military psychologists, and missionary leaders. In this interview we discuss the genealogy of Christian just war theory, the Russian Orthodox mission in in the late 19th-early 20th century the Japanese and Russian perception of religious motivations and divine influence in the 1904-05 war, and the implications of this history for Russian militarism today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Russian militarism becomes increasingly intertwined with Russian Orthodoxy theology in the 21st century, the history of the Church’s relationship to war and its justification becomes particularly relevant. Betsy Perabo’s book Russian Orthodoxy and the Russo-Japanese War (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017) is a unique and important contribution to this area of inquiry, representing a rare contemporary academic exploration of just war theory within Russian Orthodoxy in the context of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Perabo examines the conflict through the concept of an “interreligious war” between Christian and Buddhist nations, paying particular attention to the writings of Nikolai of Japan, the Russian leader of Orthodox Church in Japan, as well as Russian soldiers, chaplains, military psychologists, and missionary leaders. In this interview we discuss the genealogy of Christian just war theory, the Russian Orthodox mission in in the late 19th-early 20th century the Japanese and Russian perception of religious motivations and divine influence in the 1904-05 war, and the implications of this history for Russian militarism today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Russian militarism becomes increasingly intertwined with Russian Orthodoxy theology in the 21st century, the history of the Church’s relationship to war and its justification becomes particularly relevant. Betsy Perabo’s book Russian Orthodoxy and the Russo-Japanese War (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017) is a unique and important contribution to this area of inquiry, representing a rare contemporary academic exploration of just war theory within Russian Orthodoxy in the context of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Perabo examines the conflict through the concept of an “interreligious war” between Christian and Buddhist nations, paying particular attention to the writings of Nikolai of Japan, the Russian leader of Orthodox Church in Japan, as well as Russian soldiers, chaplains, military psychologists, and missionary leaders. In this interview we discuss the genealogy of Christian just war theory, the Russian Orthodox mission in in the late 19th-early 20th century the Japanese and Russian perception of religious motivations and divine influence in the 1904-05 war, and the implications of this history for Russian militarism today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Russian militarism becomes increasingly intertwined with Russian Orthodoxy theology in the 21st century, the history of the Church’s relationship to war and its justification becomes particularly relevant. Betsy Perabo’s book Russian Orthodoxy and the Russo-Japanese War (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017) is a unique and important contribution to this area of inquiry, representing a rare contemporary academic exploration of just war theory within Russian Orthodoxy in the context of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Perabo examines the conflict through the concept of an “interreligious war” between Christian and Buddhist nations, paying particular attention to the writings of Nikolai of Japan, the Russian leader of Orthodox Church in Japan, as well as Russian soldiers, chaplains, military psychologists, and missionary leaders. In this interview we discuss the genealogy of Christian just war theory, the Russian Orthodox mission in in the late 19th-early 20th century the Japanese and Russian perception of religious motivations and divine influence in the 1904-05 war, and the implications of this history for Russian militarism today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Russian militarism becomes increasingly intertwined with Russian Orthodoxy theology in the 21st century, the history of the Church’s relationship to war and its justification becomes particularly relevant. Betsy Perabo’s book Russian Orthodoxy and the Russo-Japanese War (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017) is a unique and important contribution to this area of inquiry, representing a rare contemporary academic exploration of just war theory within Russian Orthodoxy in the context of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Perabo examines the conflict through the concept of an “interreligious war” between Christian and Buddhist nations, paying particular attention to the writings of Nikolai of Japan, the Russian leader of Orthodox Church in Japan, as well as Russian soldiers, chaplains, military psychologists, and missionary leaders. In this interview we discuss the genealogy of Christian just war theory, the Russian Orthodox mission in in the late 19th-early 20th century the Japanese and Russian perception of religious motivations and divine influence in the 1904-05 war, and the implications of this history for Russian militarism today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Russian militarism becomes increasingly intertwined with Russian Orthodoxy theology in the 21st century, the history of the Church’s relationship to war and its justification becomes particularly relevant. Betsy Perabo’s book Russian Orthodoxy and the Russo-Japanese War (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017) is a unique and important contribution to this area of inquiry, representing a rare contemporary academic exploration of just war theory within Russian Orthodoxy in the context of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Perabo examines the conflict through the concept of an “interreligious war” between Christian and Buddhist nations, paying particular attention to the writings of Nikolai of Japan, the Russian leader of Orthodox Church in Japan, as well as Russian soldiers, chaplains, military psychologists, and missionary leaders. In this interview we discuss the genealogy of Christian just war theory, the Russian Orthodox mission in in the late 19th-early 20th century the Japanese and Russian perception of religious motivations and divine influence in the 1904-05 war, and the implications of this history for Russian militarism today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this day, we remember the birthday of Sampson Sievers, an icon of 20th century Russian Orthodoxy, and the death of Hebrew scholar Clement Clarke Moore in 1863. Our reading is an excerpt from Gerhard Forde's article "Radical Lutheranism." We’re proud to be part of 1517 Podcasts, a network of shows dedicated to delivering Christ-centered content. Our podcasts cover a multitude of content, from Christian doctrine, apologetics, cultural engagement, and powerful preaching. Support the work of 1517 today.

One of the most important developments in the study of Russian history in the last decade or so is the “religious turn,” which, among other things, has pushed the study of Russian Orthodoxy beyond the conventions of church, theology, and doctrine toward the study of lived religion. Yet, many of the same scholars who study Orthodoxy as everyday practice have unknowingly become entangled in the very categories they seek to move beyond—that is, church, theology, and doctrine. This talk by Patrick Michelson explores these entanglements and their implications for the ways in which we understand this complex, contingent, and multivalent thing called Russian Orthodoxy. From the talk "Orthodox Impossible: Russian History and the Limits of Studying Religion."

Rome-based Catholic filmmaker Robert Duncan took part in a special, public screening of his documentary Faces Among Icons on April 29, 2018 at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, followed by a panel discussion about the renewal of Orthodoxy in Russia. Duncan was joined on the panel by Seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield and third-year Seminarian Priest Christopher Moore. Hear the panel discussion in its entirety as it addressed issues including ecumenical dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, the nature of church-state relations in Russia, and how the Orthodox Church there is addressing social concerns in Russian society.

When Sophia of Stettin came over to Russia to be the heir’s betrothed, she took her new name of Catherine upon converting to Russian Orthodoxy. She could have kept her old name, Sophia was a proper Russian name, but some think Elizabeth felt it an imprudent choice, considering the history of another woman with that name who was quite the usurper. She probably didn’t want to give Catherine any ideas in that area.Little did she know.Well, whether Catherine thought much on her name change at the time, I don’t know, but later on in her life, there was a work attributed to her where she commented on the regent Sophia  - “Much has been said about this princess, but I believe that she has not been given the credit she deserves...she conducted the affairs of the Empire for a number of years with all the sagacity that one could hope for. When one considers the business that passed through her hands, one cannot but concede that she was capable of ruling.”I had my own little geek out over Sophia, on my previous journey to Moscow. There was a very particular exhibit at the Kremlin Arsenal that I was excited to see. It was hardly unassuming. A double seated throne covered in ornamentation of snakes and eagles. But carved out of it, a tiny square window, and that was what I came to see. A singularly perfect physical manifestation of one woman’s attempt at power.See, Sophia would have been in a pretty sweet spot, if she’d been born with a  Y chromosome. When her brother Feodor II died, she would have had a straight shot at the throne. The only other male offspring were her younger brother Ivan, and a half-brother Peter.Ivan was nearly an invalid, partially blind and not in complete control of his wits.That’s what inbreeding gets you. Peter on the other hand, had the strikes against him of being only 10, and being a child of the Tsar’s less legitimate second wife. Other than that, as you might guess from his later nickname of Peter the Great he was pretty capable.A story from the time of when the Swedish king visited, and when the two tsars had to ask about his health as per custom "the hand of the elder tsar had to be raised to his cap by his young attendant, and a babbling noise issued from his lips." In contrast, the king took eleven year old Peter to be around 16.So, appearances aside, Russia couldn’t really be ruled by a child and a half-wit, but fortunately, elder sister Sophia was more than happy to step up and be regent. She was 27 at the time of her accession to power, and it was a move pretty much unprecedented for women in Russia.On that double-seated throne sat  young Peter and foolish Ivan. Either in front on a lower bench, or in the back, whispering through that hole (that would be covered by a curtain) would be Sophia. Sophia was the real ear for nobles to catch if they wanted anything done, and she sought to catch the public’s eye as well, putting herself on coinage and seals next to the two young tsars. Most of the sources I find that mention the hole in the throne tend towards saying Sophia’s whispers through it were more a symbolic story than her actual method of rule. Rats, shoulda known a symbol that perfect was fake.How well she actually ruled is a murky subject. Much the same way that any history of Peter III’s brief reign is colored by whether or not the writer liked his successor Catherine, any history of Sophia is colored by the writer’s opinion of Peter the Great, which as you can guess by the sobriquet is usually at the least deep respect, if not outright worship.But in her time behind the throne, roughly from 1682-89, Moscow began to be a more organized metropolis and the building and art styles known as Moscow baroque became the dominant one. She was a very pious woman, but that didn’t stop her from executing anyone who had opposed her taking over as regent, nor acquiring Kiev, nor warring with Turkey, nor annexing a chunk of Poland (but what Russian ruler doesn’t at least try that?)Peter however was growing older, and began to dislike the idea of having a regent. He also, being none too dumb himself, recognized that she might not like being a regent much longer, and might prefer another title. One that would be easier to get if he was dead. By 1688, when the Crimean campaigns took a turn for the worst, and the taxes they were costing the people began to feel burdensome, Peter, in some eyes, no longer seemed to need a regent.In July of 1689, he confronted her during a church feast, and then fled to a nearby town. With his own personal regiment. That he threatened to unleash to deal with her  “dishonorably” if she came anywhere near his stronghold. Sophia, who was holed up in the Kremlin, started issuing decrees that were contrary to the decrees of Peter, who was holed up in the Trinity Monastery. She even at one point flirted with the idea of becoming sovereign herself, the proposed coronation engravings surviving to be used against her later.She spent that summer behind the walls of the Kremlin, watching desperately as her supporters one by one either defected or were arrested and made to confess to intrigues against Peter. Her advisor and possible lover Vasily Galitzine, was implicated and exiled to Siberia.In September of that year, she was confined to the Novodivechy convent. As prisons go, it was a fitting and elegant one. She’d spent a lot of her rule embellishing the convent with new buildings, towers, icons, cathedrals, and now she’d never leave it alive.She didn’t take the veil, and hardly seems to have taken the vow of poverty, taking much of her possessions with her, and financing further constructions in the convent.I recorded a small bit while walking through the convent, and here it is.Right click here and save as to downloadIn 1697, a plot against Peter was discovered. The conspirators admitted under torture that their ultimate goal was to put Sophia on the throne. Peter came in to question her, and though evidence was discovered that she’d been being passed secret messages by her sisters, no evidence was found that she had a hand in the attempted coup. If they wanted to put her on the throne, she maintained, it wasn’t on her request.Still in October of 1697, she took the veil, to try to place herself on more blameless ground. Maybe she felt that she’d made the right decision when hundreds were executed. Three of the ringleaders were hung in view of her window, one of them had the petition inviting Sophia to take the helm of the state clasped in his hand "perhaps in order that remorse for the past may gnaw Sophia with perpetual grief."She died in 1704, still within the convent walls, and despite having taken the veil, still found a way to pay for handsome renovations to the various churches and towers within in the years leading up to her death.Not making any argument here that she would have been a better ruler than Peter, seemed like she was more an old-school, hang onto power by its' short and curlies as long as possible type ruler than any kind of reformer. But it’s interesting that for the rest of the 18th century after Peter's death, the country was ruled predominantly by women. Is this because of Sophia's legacy, or in spite of it?

One of the features of Russian Orthodoxy that most strikes Westerners when they encounter Orthodoxy is the prominence of icons, or sacred images. The Russians inherited from Byzantine Orthodoxy a sense of the importance of images in worship, both public and private, that had been enhanced by the 3 iconoclast controversy of the eighth to ninth centuries, and the final defeat of iconoclasm. This controversy, far more important in Byzantium than in the West, made icons a required aspect of Orthodox practice. It also involved the acceptance of an understanding of the place of religious images as ways of disclosing invisible realities, but also a way in which the material found an important place in religious practice, and indeed came to be held to be entailed by God's assumption of humanity in the Incarnation. Because of the ‘linguistic filter', all of this became hugely important within the world of Slav Orthodoxy. Orthodox devotion revolved around icons, and, as in Byzantium, they played a role in the defence of the Orthodox nations against attack. Legends traced icons back to the time of Christ; the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God being claimed as the work of St Luke the Evangelist (a claim Byzantine had made for the Hodigitria icon of the Mother of God). Particular icons—especially of the Mother of God—were associated with different places and had their own cult. Icons also provided a way of linking the public worship of the Church with the private devotions of Orthodox Christians: homes came to have a small domestic shrine, the ‘beautiful corner', krasny ugol.

One of the features of Russian Orthodoxy that most strikes Westerners when they encounter Orthodoxy is the prominence of icons, or sacred images. The Russians inherited from Byzantine Orthodoxy a sense of the importance of images in worship, both public and private, that had been enhanced by the 3 iconoclast controversy of the eighth to ninth centuries, and the final defeat of iconoclasm. This controversy, far more important in Byzantium than in the West, made icons a required aspect of Orthodox practice. It also involved the acceptance of an understanding of the place of religious images as ways of disclosing invisible realities, but also a way in which the material found an important place in religious practice, and indeed came to be held to be entailed by God’s assumption of humanity in the Incarnation. Because of the ‘linguistic filter’, all of this became hugely important within the world of Slav Orthodoxy. Orthodox devotion revolved around icons, and, as in Byzantium, they played a role in the defence of the Orthodox nations against attack. Legends traced icons back to the time of Christ; the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God being claimed as the work of St Luke the Evangelist (a claim Byzantine had made for the Hodigitria icon of the Mother of God). Particular icons—especially of the Mother of God—were associated with different places and had their own cult. Icons also provided a way of linking the public worship of the Church with the private devotions of Orthodox Christians: homes came to have a small domestic shrine, the ‘beautiful corner’, krasny ugol.