The Role of the Bible in the Formation of Philosophical Thought in Kievan Rus’ (as Exemplified by Ilarion of Kiev, Kliment Smolatič, and Kirill of Turov)

The article is an attempt to critically evaluate the manifestations of the philosophical culture sprouting in Rus’. With the baptism in the Byzantine Rite, Rus’ in the 10th century joined the family of Christian nations and defined the future direction of her own cultural development. The Middle Ages in Rus’ were eminently theocentric. Literature (which was mostly translated from the Greek in Bulgarian monasteries) had a religious character. Sacral content, assimilated in Rus’ mainly through the Old Church Slavonic (due to the scarce knowledge of Greek) had a decisive influence on formation of the philosophical worldview of Rus’ intellectual elite. The Bible thus became the main reference framework for the first Rus’ thinkers-philosophers: Ilarion of Kiev († 1055), Kirill of Turov († 1183) and Kliment Smolatič († 1164). Ilarion of Kiev, the first metropolitan of the Kievan Rus’ in his rhetoric work (which postulated the superiority of the New Testament to the Old) expressed a philosophical thesis of the equality of all Christian nations before God. Kliment Smolatič, the second metropolitan of Rus’, in his Letter to Presbyter Foma, defended the allegorical method of interpretating the Bible. Kirill of Turov, in his turn, in his Parable of the human soul and body allegorically tried to answer the question about the relationship of the body and the soul. For the Rus’ thinkers the content of the Bible served as a pretext for philosophical reflection, e.g. on the role of man in the universe, on the nature of reality, on the relation between matter and spirit. In their works we find the beginnings of the theory of knowledge, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics

Palamas and Florensky: The Metaphysics of the Heart in Patristic and Russian Philosophical Tradition

Тhis paper focuses on the philosophical issue known as the metaphysics of the heart within Orthodox Christianity – both Russian and Byzantie versions. Russian religious thought is based on patristic tradition. Influences and connections can be seen in Florensky’s philosophy of All-Unity. This Russian philosopher was highly inspired by Gregory Palamas, fourteenth-century Eastern Church. These two Orthodox thinkers, mainly their metaphysics of heart are objects of interests

The study of precious stones and its sources in the cycle of sermons entitled „Nuptiae Agni” by Antoni Węgrzynowicz

This article centers on the literary achievements of preacher Antoni Węgrzynowicz (1658-1721) from the collection Nuptiae Agni . Gody Baranka apokaliptycznego…  (Krak.w 1711) – „Nuptials of the Apocalyptic Lamb” (transl.) – in which there are, among other things, a series of conceptual sermons – refer to the fragment of Apocalypse 21, 19-20, relates to the twelve precious stones being the foundations of the Heavenly Jerusalem, traditionally associated with the names of the apostles. The author presents spiritual content, ingeniously built on knowledge of natural sciences regarding the properties of precious stones, derived from the writings of past and contemporary naturalists, from encyclopedic texts, biblical commentaries, baroque symbolographic compendia, and specialized literature for church speakers. The article discusses these sources of knowledge and seeks to present the writing strategies used by Węgrzynowicz concerning the study of precious stones.This article centers on the literary achievements of preacher Antoni Węgrzynowicz (1658-1721) from the collection Nuptiae Agni . Gody Baranka apokaliptycznego…  (Krak.w 1711) – „Nuptials of the Apocalyptic Lamb” (transl.) – in which there are, among other things, a series of conceptual sermons – refer to the fragment of Apocalypse 21, 19-20, relates to the twelve precious stones being the foundations of the Heavenly Jerusalem, traditionally associated with the names of the apostles. The author presents spiritual content, ingeniously built on knowledge of natural sciences regarding the properties of precious stones, derived from the writings of past and contemporary naturalists, from encyclopedic texts, biblical commentaries, baroque symbolographic compendia, and specialized literature for church speakers. The article discusses these sources of knowledge and seeks to present the writing strategies used by Węgrzynowicz concerning the study of precious stones

Filozofia gospodarki Sergiusza Bułgakowa

Recenzja książki: S. Bulgakov, Philosophie der wirtschaft. Die welt als Wirtschaftsgeschehen, hg. Von Barbara Hallensleben und Regula M. Zwahlen, Münster: Aschendorff Verlag, 201

Problem dziedzictwa bizantyjskiego na Rusi w opinii rosyjskich filozofów

As the Kievan Russian people accepted baptism in the Orthodox rite (X c.), they discovered a treasure of Byzantine thought, which contained both the marvels of pagan antiquity and foundations of the original Christian theology. Were the Russian people able to utilize this cultural potential? Can we see the dependency of the Russian people on Byzantium as a “continuation of tradition”? The mere fact of the lack of knowledge of Greek, both liturgical and literary, in Russia as well as Bulgaria’s mediation in the baptism of Russia says a lot about the possible degree of assimilation of Byzantine thought. On the other hand, Sviatoslav of Izbornik mentions his work of in 1073 classics such as John Climacus and Maximus the Confessor. Moreover, the spiritual practices of Hesychia and the Prayer of the heart, which are a very characteristic phenomenon of mystical theology in Byzantium, had become widespread among the Russian peoples since the fourteenth century first due to St. Sergius of Radonezh and then St. Nilus of Sora. Icons, conceived ontologically rather than aesthetically, also played a role, being one of the main channels Byzantine influence in Russia. Regarding the efficacy of the Russian utilization of the Byzantine cultural potential opinions vary from extremely negative (Gustav Shpet, Georgy Fedotov, Ivan Kiryeevsky) to extremely affirmative (Georgy Florowsky, Pavel Florensky). In this article, I first present selected opinions and arguments of Russian thinkers, then critically review them, and in the end draw conclusions.Ruś Kijowska, przyjmując chrzest w obrządku bizantyjskim w X wieku, odkryła skarby duchowej i materialnej kultury Bizancjum, przechowującej zarówno tradycję antyczną, jak i oryginalną teologię chrześcijańską. Pojawiają się następujące pytania: Czy Ruś była w stanie wykorzystać ten kulturowy potencjał? Czy kulturę ruską można rozważać w ramach kontynuacji tradycji bizantyjskiej? Brak znajomości greki na Rusi, a także pośrednictwo bułgarskie wiele mówią o możliwej asymilacji dziedzictwa bizantyjskiego. Z drugiej strony jednak już w Izborniku z 1073 roku wspomina się o Janie Klimaku czy Maksymie Wyznawcy. Co więcej, hezychazm i modlitwa Jezusowa, będące charakterystycznymi praktykami w bizantyjskiej teologii mistycznej, stały się popularne również na Rusi począwszy od XIV wieku za sprawą św. Sergiusza z Radoneża i św. Nila Sorskiego. Konceptualizacja i opinie na temat jakości i możliwości „bizantynizacji” Rusi są bardzo zróżnicowane, od skrajnie negatywnych (Gustaw Szpet, Gieorgij Fiedotow, Iwan Kiriejewski) do skrajnie pozytywnych (Gieorgij Fłorowski, Paweł Florenski). W artykule przedstawiam wybrane opinie i argumenty rosyjskich myśli­cieli na ten temat oraz krytycznie je analizuję, wyciągając na końcu wnioski

Grzegorz Palamas wobec kontrowersji hezychastycznej

This paper is an attempt of characteristics concerning theological phenomena called Hesychast Controversy. The presentation includes analysis of history of hesychasm and important facts from Gregory Palamas biography. The main source for research on that field is work of Palamas entitled Triads. Many of the orthodox theologians state that Triads appears as the most important work of orthodox spirituality. In my opinion the problem of fourteenth-century hesychasm and controversy around this spiritual movement, as an interesting field of research, is worth exploring.This paper is an attempt of characteristics concerning theological phenomena called Hesychast Controversy. The presentation includes analysis of history of hesychasm and important facts from Gregory Palamas biography. The main source for research on that field is work of Palamas entitled Triads. Many of the orthodox theologians state that Triads appears as the most important work of orthodox spirituality. In my opinion the problem of fourteenth-century hesychasm and controversy around this spiritual movement, as an interesting field of research, is worth exploring

Pawła Florenskiego sympatie i antypatie filozoficzne

Der Artikel bildet einen Versuch, die Inspirationsquellen und die Inhalte der philosophischen Kritik bei Pawel Florenski sowie ihren Einfluss auf die Entwicklung seiner eigenen Philosophie aufzuzeigen. Das Thema ist kontrovers, wovon u. a. der Artikel des deutschen Forschers Michael Hagemeister zeugt, auf den ich mich beziehe. Die Zweideutigkeit der intellektuellen Konstruktionen von Florenski, ihre „Genialität“ und zugleich „Unmenschlichkeit“ (laut einigen Forschern und Kritikern), ergibt sich, wie es scheint, aus der Inspiration des Platonismus und der – eigentümlich verstandenen –Orthodoxie sowie aus der Kritik des Kantianismus, der für den Philosophen den westeuropäischen Rationalismus verkörperte, der der russischen Seele fremd sei.The paper is an attempt to present Pavel Florensky’s philosophical inspirations and criticism as well as their influences on his own philosophy. The issue appears to be a thorny one as attested to by among others German researcher Micheal Hagemeister whose article is quoted and discussed at length. The ambiguity of Florensky’s outlook and his intellectual constructs, their both “genius” and “inhuman” character – as construed by some researchers and interpreters – seems to be the result of his Platonic and Eastern Orthodox inspirations as well as of criticism of Kantianism. To Florensky, Kantianism personifies Western rationalism, which in turn is absolutely antithetical to the so-called Russian soul. Artykuł jest próbą wskazania źródeł inspiracji i treści krytyki filozoficznej rosyjskiego myśliciela Pawła Florenskiego oraz ich wpływu na kształtowanie się jego własnej filozofii. Stanowi to temat nieco kontrowersyjny, o czym świadczy m.in. przywoływany przeze mnie artykuł, jaki napisał niemiecki badacz Michael Hagemeister. Dwuznaczność konstrukcji intelektualnych Florenskiego, ich „genialność” a zarazem „nieludzkość” (według opinii niektórych badaczy i krytyków), jak się wydaje, wynika z inspiracji platonizmem i prawosławiem (swoiście rozumianym) oraz krytyki kantyzmuuosabiającego racjonalizm zachodnioeuropejski (według filozofa przeciwstawny duszy rosyjskiej)