NATURE THEOLOGY |
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IR 398 Final Paper, by Christie Gibbons, March 9, 2005, page 1 Nature Theology Within Russian Orthodox Christianity In the created world only the human being combines material and spiritual elements. Human existence is thus differentiated from non-human creation in a qualitative way. In light of this fact, the Church Fathers often speak of the human being as a little world or microcosm of the whole creation. The Church Fathers teach that the human body contains in it all levels of existence of the natural world which preceded it in order of the creation, and considered the physical elements which make up the human body as in no way different from those which constitute the physical world. This means that the natural world is fully integrated with the human being and the whole of creation. 1 Among most Russians, there is a consistent interest in, and a passion for religion, most commonly Russian Orthodox Christianity. Russian Orthodox Christianity’s long history was initially established by Prince Vladimir, a Russian Viking turned Saint, who converted his country to Christianity in the year 988. 2 Yet, a thorough conversion of the largest country in the world is a difficult, if not impossible, undertaking. Remnants of Russian pagan rituals and belief continued to permeate throughout the entire eleven time zones of Russia. For centuries, many Russians have practiced these local customs, and held these pre-Christian beliefs, which some have deemed superstitions or folklore, often living in fear of The Evil Eye and other spiritual influences, many of which are found in the natural environment. Since Russia did not experience the Reformation and the thorough eradication of medieval superstitions that ensued, such pre-Christian folk legacies are still quite prevalent in the subconscious, as well as the conscious, of the Russian national soul. We might say that the Russian conversion to pure Christianity was incomplete, or that is was more of a fusion of local folk belief and Russian Orthodox Christianity. The Russian word for such fusion is dvoeverie, meaning ditheism or dual faiths. Perhaps it would be more accurate for us to claim that Prince Vladimir helped to establish the long history of the controversial, yet ever-present, phenomenon of dvoeverie. Thus, it is essential that we examine Russian Orthodox Christianity through the lens of residual pre-Christian Russian paganism. This paper is a record of my becoming better acquainted with the core beliefs and practices of the Russian Orthodox Church in light of their integration with pre-Christian Russian folk customs and beliefs, as well as the role that the natural environment plays within this framework of dual faiths. To better understand the phenomenon of dual faiths, we must first articulate the meaning of the words that comprise it. Let us consider the word orthodoxy, which translated from Greek can mean: right belief, right praise, or right worship. There has been a recent increase in those turning to the right belief of the Orthodox Church. Currently there are about 350 million Orthodox Christians throughout the world. 3 Many of these converts are Americans. One contributor to the surge of recent U.S. converts may be that Orthodox Christians typically find two main problems in contemporary American Christianity. The first problem they see is an excess of theological and social liberalism. The second problem they see is an entertainment-oriented, self-indulgent style of worship. 4 Both problems seem to encourage an individualism with which the Orthodox Church is not comfortable. Another reason for the recent increase in converts to Orthodox Christianity is its rich liturgy. It is a liturgy brimming with history and beauty. A story about Father Christodoulos, sole monk of the Brotherhood of St. George monastery in Denver, illustrates well the richness and beauty of the Orthodox liturgy. Father Christodoulos was once eating breakfast after the liturgy with two college men, both recent converts to Orthodoxy. During breakfast, one of the men asked Father Christodoulos if he had listened to the CDs he had lent him. After a long silence, Father Christodoulos said, “My mind is still on the liturgy. I haven’t fully come back yet.” He paused again and then gently instructed: “The liturgy is heaven on earth. Paradise on earth. Maybe we shouldn’t move beyond it so quickly to mundane things. Maybe we should take time to savor it.” 5 This story is a testament to the things that many Orthodox converts seek; stability, mystery, majesty, integrity, historical roots, and authenticity. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 An extract from the Report of the World Church Council Inter-Orthodox Consultation, October 1987. 2 Rosemary Edmonds, in the Translator’s Preface of Nikolai Gogol’s The Divine Liturgy of the Russian Orthodox Church, (London: Bowering Press, 1960), ix. 3 Amy Johnson Frykholm, The Christian Century, Smells and Bells: Turning to Orthodoxy, 28 Dec 2004. 4 Frykholm, The Christian Century, 28 Dec 2004. 5 Frykholm, The Christian Century, 28 Dec 2004. |
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