Theology in the Humanities Educational Space. Theology in the secular educational space
June 14 - 15 with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation on the basis of the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI" and the General Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after. Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the First All-Russian Scientific Conference "Theology in the Humanities Educational Space" was held.
As noted by the chairman of the organizing committee of the conference, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, for the first time at a scientific forum that has an all-Russian status, leaders of state authorities responsible for the development and implementation of scientific and educational policy, representatives of religious traditions, rectors, professors and teachers of secular and ecclesiastical universities, which implement educational programs in theology.
The problems and prospects for the development of theology as a branch of knowledge were considered, both in the scientific and academic aspect, and in the aspect of interreligious cooperation. Attention was drawn to both domestic and international experience. There was a discussion of successful models of theological education in public and private, secular and ecclesiastical universities.
A special tonality of the conference was set by the greeting of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, which was announced by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
“The state recognition of theology as a scientific specialty, the creation of dissertation councils and the expert council of the Higher Attestation Commission marks the beginning of a new stage in the history of Russian education and science. All this indicates that society is gradually freeing itself from the burden of false ideas and ideological clichés of the past, according to which knowledge remained outside science that did not fit into the framework of materialistic philosophy and natural science of the 19th century,” the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church states.
O.Yu. Vasiliev, emphasizing that today in the country "all restrictions have been removed and there are no obstacles to the development and expansion of this area of scientific knowledge."
Of course, there will still be many discussions on this topic and "natural scientists in all means mass media will ask questions,” the minister suggests, but theology is evolving. Specialized departments have been opened in 51 universities, a progressive increase in the number of budget places majoring in theology.
Speaking about the most important tasks, the minister noted the need to comprehend the fundamental foundations that this science has given us. It is necessary to understand the place of theological science among other branches of scientific knowledge, to determine the basic principles, methods of work that always provide theology with a stable specificity, "not allowing theological research to be reduced to a set of related humanitarian disciplines." The minister focuses special attention on the training of scientific personnel, strengthening the departments of theology, supporting scientific and theological projects that have a deep ideological content.
In a welcoming address to the participants of the conference, the head of the administration of the President of the Russian Federation A.E. Vaino called the recognition of theology in our country as a complex scientific educational discipline "an important significant result of many years of constructive interaction between authorities, religious organizations, pedagogical expert circles, a powerful incentive for the development of humanitarian knowledge, promotion of traditional spiritual and moral values". The appeal was announced by A.A. Fursenko, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation. Andrey Alexandrovich also drew the attention of his colleagues to the acute problem of educating young generations, linking its solution to the development of the humanitarian space, "an important part of which is undoubtedly theology."
Chairman of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Rector of RUDN University V.M. Filippov noted that today's attitude in society towards theological education is based on many myths and outdated stereotypes. According to V.M. Filippov, these stereotypes are partly caused by ideological narrow-mindedness, due to the influence of many years of aggressive anti-religious propaganda, and partly by the fact that theological teachers themselves do not always take into account modern realities in the life of society and do not seek to overcome outdated stereotypes in an open discussion.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, made a presentation “Theology in modern Russia: the formation of the industry.
According to Bishop Hilarion, for many decades theology was artificially thrown out of the educational space, but now this unnatural situation has been corrected, and theology has taken its rightful place in the system of the humanities taught at a secular university.
At the same time, the archpastor recalled, from the very beginning, the project of introducing the specialty "Theology" into the secular educational space of Russia had an interreligious character.
“Theology is a systematic form of expression of the doctrine of a certain religious tradition, its dogma, it forms a religious worldview. Creation of quality and modern system theological education in a country like Russia, where people of different faiths have lived in peace and harmony for many centuries, is one of the factors sustainable development of the state and the interreligious world in it,” stressed the chairman of the DECR.
To study religious phenomena from a theological point of view means to study them in the broad context of religious tradition, just as the study of philosophical texts and ideas requires their consideration in the context of philosophical tradition, the hierarch recalled:
And this requires a systematic theological education, an important element of which is internal communication in the community of theologians, which includes both teachers and students. In this respect, theology has all the features that are characteristic of other scientific disciplines. Connection within theology personal experience and theological competencies with scientific methodology research produces an effect that is impossible with an external, detached approach to religion.
It was noted that theological competencies and theological views on the studied phenomena and processes are useful, and sometimes necessary, for specialists in other sciences, in whose field of vision are man, nature or society.
Recognition of the scientific status of theology corresponds to modern world experience and the strategy of integrating domestic science into the world scientific community, Vladyka Hilarion stated, emphasizing: “But it is important that theology becomes open to public and social problems being solved in our country, and its role in the general humanitarian space was fully used for the development of interreligious dialogue and cooperation”.
At the same time, the speaker noted that it is possible to speak of theology as a “new” branch of knowledge only in the current Russian context. Historically, it was theology that stood at the origins of university education, and all the largest universities in Western Europe began as theological schools.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk dwelled on the most important trend recent years in Russian educational space: the gradual convergence of the sphere of confessional spiritual education with the sphere of secular education.
“In Soviet times, these spheres were separated, a blank impenetrable wall was built between them,” he recalled. “Today, this wall has been destroyed, as evidenced, in particular, by the state accreditation of several leading theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
One of the actions aimed at raising the level of education in theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church was the introduction of a single educational standard. Before learning programs one seminary or academy could be strikingly different from the programs of another theological school of a similar level.
As Vladyka told the conference participants, another large-scale project that is being carried out in the Russian Orthodox Church is the creation of new textbooks for theological schools. The archpastor presented to the audience signal copies of three teaching aids, which were approved the day before at a meeting of the Supreme Church Council.
Touching upon the decision to award academic degrees not in “related” fields, as it was supposed before (philosophy, history, etc.), but in theology, the OCAD rector emphasized:
“This means that now in his research the theologian is no longer obliged to “tailor” theological topics to these related sciences and work with an eye to the specifics of specific scientific methodologies or academic habits common in the respective communities of specialists. We can safely rely on the theological methodology proper and the development of theological problems (including issues of dogmatic, liturgical pastoral theology, biblical studies, etc.). This poses new challenges for us to fill the Theology branch of knowledge with real content.”
According to Metropolitan Hilarion, at the current stage, it is necessary to single out specific areas within the branch of knowledge "Theology" - Orthodox, Islamic, Jewish.
“I believe that the design of theology as a branch of knowledge should take into account the prospect of the gradual formation of full-fledged groups of specialties related to a particular religious tradition or confession,” the hierarch continued.
“In order to develop the scientific branch of Theology, we must not mix religious traditions, but study each of them separately,” Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk expressed confidence. “At the same time, it is important to find in them, with all the doctrinal and cultural differences, a common value-ideological core, and explore it from the standpoint of theology. This is the guarantee of the interaction of different religions, ethnic groups and cultures, and in the long term - the guarantee of preserving the unity of our great multinational country, which we must preserve not only for ourselves, but also for future generations.”
Rector of NRNU MEPhI M.N. Strikhanov expressed confidence that the addition of the department of theology to the humanitarian block of the university brings many system-forming principles of educating students, their orientation towards universal human values verified over the centuries. Recalling the dire consequences of deviations from the values of ancestors, the rector emphasized that even in Soviet times, the ideologists of communism, in order to motivate people to great achievements, had to appeal to foundations rooted in religious tradition.
As the rector of NRNU MEPhI noted, even at the dawn of the 21st century, religion has great value for billions of people precisely because it appeals to eternal values. It gives a person not just intellectual, but moral guidelines, including the traditions of self-restraint, which is very important in the face of an impending shortage of resources and an acute environmental crisis.
It's a concept moral ideals, which does not allow destroying the landmarks of society and the individual. Assessing the situation in modern Russia, we can state that the social differentiation of society, economic disintegration, devaluation of spiritual values have had a negative impact on the public consciousness of many social and age groups. It is especially important for us – for the youth.
When technical university this task becomes even more responsible, because in many ways its graduates ensure the activity of the country's technological and defense sectors. Speaking on the example of NRNU MEPhI about the experience of developing the humanitarian sector of education at the university, M.N. Strikhanov noted that theology in technical university- this is not an exotic educational discipline, not a whim of representatives of the Church, not an attempt to invade someone else's space in order to impose a religious worldview, not an obstacle in the teaching of traditional scientific disciplines.
Rector of the Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University named after Kozma Minin A.A. Fedorov made a report "Theology and Pedagogical Education", in which, in particular, he spoke about the network program with the Russian Orthodox Church in the field of theology, which has already been graduated from 200 people.
Within the framework of the conference, round tables were also held on the topics: "Theology as a branch of knowledge: problems and prospects", "Theology and educational standards", "Theology as a space for interfaith cooperation".
Speech by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Rector of the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles, at the All-Russian Symposium "Religion in the Aspects of Philosophical, Theological, Religious Approaches: Problems of Defining an Object and Expertise" (Russian Academy of National Economy and public service, April 22, 2016).
Dear Olga Yurievna,
Dear colleagues!
The organizers of the symposium asked me to make a presentation on my vision of the place of theology in the system Russian science and education.
Theology in the secular educational space
The question of the status and role of theology (or theology) in the educational space goes far beyond the narrowly specialized interests of representatives of theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church or other confessions. It is directly related to the development of our country, its national security.
The geopolitical challenges we are facing show that urgent systemic measures are needed to change approaches to spiritual, moral and civic-patriotic education, and more broadly to the role and place of religion in education. We cannot limit ourselves to the task of instilling respect for traditional religions as ways of tolerant coexistence in a multicultural environment. This approach has already led to a crisis in the West.
We face a much more difficult task: to form a value-oriented worldview in young children based on our religious traditions, creating such an intellectual and spiritual environment in society that is able to confidently withstand these challenges.
For this, it is necessary to revise the stereotypes of “secularism” imposed on us, which do not allow religion to be effectively present in the educational space.
Today, there is no longer any doubt about the justification for teaching the Fundamentals of Religious Culture at school; this experience requires expansion, distribution to other levels and forms of education. The latter, in turn, gives rise to the need for scientific, methodological, and personnel support - I am talking specifically about theological personnel, about theology.
In addition, theology is a special space for interfaith, interreligious communication with a very important, specific format of dialogue. Expanding this dialogue window is not only in the interests of traditional religions, but also in the direct interests of the state. At the same time, the level of discussion, the level of interaction, the purpose of which is the unity of values, our national unity and social solidarity, also depend on the availability of scientific and theological personnel prepared for such a dialogue, included in the life of the religious community and having authority and influence in it.
That is why we are talking about the need to complete work on the creation in the secular educational space of the branch of scientific knowledge "theology", including the right to receive state-recognized academic degrees in theological specialty.
It may be objected that there is no such tradition in Russian university education. Yes, indeed, in pre-revolutionary Russian universities and other secular educational institutions there were no theological faculties, in contrast to a significant part of European universities, dating back to the Middle Ages. However, the education system in Russia gave graduates of theological academies, who defended dissertations and received degrees in theology, all the necessary rights, similar to the rights of university graduates.
If we talk about foreign models of theological education, then we should study their experience, but we should not count on the possibility of technical transfer or blind copying. Moreover, the crisis of Christian culture in Europe, its visible consequences, warn against uncritical borrowings.
In turn, the domestic system of training theological personnel, destroyed in Soviet times, continues to be restored. And this process, which has gained momentum in recent years with the joint work of the Church and the state, is capable of reaching a new level, where Russia can become a leader.
Today Russia has a special role. In our spiritual revival, not only the peoples of our country see their hope, but also people in many countries who for a long time placed their hopes on Western values, Western philosophy, Western culture.
Overcoming the worldview, value, moral crisis is impossible without the cooperation of the state and society, and religious organizations are the largest public associations.
And since religious teachings are traditionally expressed in the language of theology, the language of theology, then theology in its current Russian context is not secular and not “supra-confessional”, which they are trying to impose on us in accordance with the models mentioned, but relating to traditional confessions, reveals additional features confidently draw a trajectory of movement into the future of Russia.
Specific parameters for the presence of theology in secular universities
Today, we should talk about the presence of theology in Russian science and education, no longer in the modality of possibility or desirability-undesirability, not in the subjunctive mood, but in the modality of the entry of theology into the educational space that has taken place both de facto and de jure. The country has legally fixed and actually operates a system of university theological education, which includes the appropriate levels: bachelor's degree, specialist's degree, master's degree, postgraduate study, and additional educational programs. Theology (scientific branch 26.00.00, scientific specialty 26.00.01) is included in the nomenclature of specialties of scientists Russian Federation, the passport of the scientific specialty was approved, work is underway to open the appropriate dissertation council. Church-wide postgraduate and doctoral studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, Moscow state university named after M.V. Lomonosov, Russian Academy of the National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation, St. Tikhon's Orthodox University for the Humanities signed an agreement on the creation on their basis of a joint dissertation council for the defense of dissertations in the specialty 26.00.01 - Theology.
Theology is taught in 48 Russian universities (including 36 state ones), in 36 cities of all federal districts. Orthodox theology is taught in 42 universities (including 36 state ones) in 33 cities. In 15 universities, a specialty program is being implemented, in 35 universities - a bachelor's degree, in 14 universities - a master's program. Professional retraining programs (1-4 years) have been opened in 6 universities, refresher courses in 7 universities, and theology is taught in 9 universities as part of elective courses.
Diocesan councils for theology have been established in the capital and regions to ensure interaction between theological departments of universities and the Church.
In Russia there are not only Orthodox, but also Islamic theological divisions in universities. There are examples of the coexistence of several confessional profiles within the same faculty, for example, at the Faculty of Theology of the Ural Mining University.
In parallel with the entry of theology into the secular educational space, there is a convergence of the church education system with state standards. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the Russian Orthodox Church today has 35 theological seminaries, two theological academies, as well as the General Church postgraduate and doctoral studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius. Thirty-five of them have a state license. Nine theological schools implement the Federal State Educational Standard (FSES) for bachelor's programs in theology, two - the FSES for master's programs in theology.
The system of spiritual education of the Russian Orthodox Church as a whole is focused on educational programs, either built on the basis of the Federal State Educational Standard "Theology", or as close as possible to them.
Theological academies have opened postgraduate courses, and there are dissertation councils for the defense of candidate dissertations in theology. The Church-wide Graduate and Doctoral School offers postgraduate and doctoral programs. There is a church-wide dissertation council for the defense of doctoral dissertations in theology and church history. The requirements for dissertation research in theological educational institutions comply with the requirements of the Higher Attestation Commission. The procedure for accepting and defending dissertations in church dissertations is also focused on HAC standards. Efforts are being made to develop and improve the quality of research programs based on the leading academic institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church
Why do secular universities need theology?
The process of returning theology to the Russian academic space was complex. But in the end, historical justice and statesmanship triumphed. The discriminatory barriers set up in the era of state atheism have been overcome. The restoration of theology in academic rights has also become one of the aspects of the implementation of the obligations of Russia, which it assumed when entering the European educational space under the Bologna agreements, providing the possibility of mutual recognition of degrees, including in theology. Thus, the recently adopted Pan-European Classification of Specialties of Highest Scientific Qualification includes theology.
The entry of theology into the university and academic space does not contradict the secularism of the state and society, provided that it is understood not in the spirit of aggressive secularism and atheism, but as ideological neutrality while observing the principle of freedom of conscience. The presence of theology in education and science is a sign of the civic maturation of Russian society, its acceptance of its structural complexity, multifactoriality, while simultaneously recognizing the significance of the spiritual and cultural roots of Russian civilizational identity.
Christian theology, theological rationality is one of the essential elements of European and Russian culture, it ensures the presence in the culture of Christian truths and ideas that express the religious experience of many generations. Like any science, theology has not only a highly specialized meaning, but also creates the basis for the preservation, multiplication and subsequent transfer to a wide public space of a certain kind of knowledge that has general cultural significance.
Theology is also a necessary tool for communicating religious meanings in a civil dialogue on issues affecting the common good. The need for such a dialogue, with the participation of religious groups, as we remember, was convincingly written by Jurgen Habermas.
Dialogue with the scientific and expert community
Public and expert recognition of theology in its academic status has become possible largely due to the constant dialogue with the scientific and expert community.
One of the most difficult formal tasks turned out to be the solution of the issue of introducing theology into the nomenclature of specialties of scientific workers and the development of a passport for a scientific specialty.
Here, the key was the discussion of the scientific status of theology, its subject specificity, different from those of other scientific specialties, as well as the problem of confessional differentiation.
The experience of recent years has confirmed me in the opinion that, despite the importance of scientific and methodological discussions about the scientific status, subject-methodological definitions, interdisciplinary distinctions, they should not be the basis and key argument for establishing some direction as a scientific specialty.
In practice, the most important argument in favor of recognizing a new separate scientific branch or specialty is the presence of an established scientific school, a scientific and expert community recognized by other members of the academic community.
In the case of theology, the situation was just that. First, for the humanities, the pre-revolutionary tradition retains its significance, when famous scientists were associated with both academic theology and university science. Secondly, a number of significant foreign theologians are known in Russia, recognized and cited by Russian scientists, specialists in other branches of the humanities (philosophers, historians, linguists, art critics). And, thirdly, there appeared Russian scientists who came from academic to ecclesiastical science or made their way back, retaining their presence in the sphere of their original studies. Actually, this third group, for the most part, today constitutes the scientific and expert core of Russian theology. These are professors of the OCAD, theological academies and seminaries, PSTGU, RCCA, theological departments and faculties, authors of the Orthodox Encyclopedia, as well as scientists who are not formally associated with church academic institutions, but at the same time are engaged in research activities recognized both by them and by colleagues in the theological community as being within the competence of theology.
Thus, the scientific and expert Russian theological community (I am talking now about Orthodoxy, although this is largely true in relation to other traditional religions of Russia) is diverse, diversified, multidisciplinary in composition, has a good level of academic ties with both Russian and international by the academic community, recognized by church academic institutions, but at the same time it does not yet have formal scientific and shop signs. The fact that a significant part of the members of the expert theological community recognized by the HAC has degrees in related scientific fields became the basis for the interim decision of the Ministry of Education and Science that academic degrees in theology at this stage will be awarded not in theology, but in history, philosophy, philology, pedagogy and psychology, cultural studies and sociology, art history. The argument is the lack of a sufficient number of experts with recognized theological degrees to form an expert council of the HAC in theology. This argument does not seem convincing enough to us, we believe that there are a sufficient number of specialists who are able to form an expert council of the Higher Attestation Commission on theology, but not on the basis of industry-specific attributions of academic degrees, but on the basis of their research topics and subjects taught.
Subject specificity of theology
As for the subject specificity of theology, it is formally spelled out in the passport of the corresponding scientific specialty. The draft passport was prepared at the Department of Philosophy of Religion and Religious Studies of Moscow State University, which is important in connection with the question of the intersection of the areas of responsibility of theology and religious studies.
Speaking about the fact that the passport of a scientific specialty is approved by the Higher Attestation Commission, I do not want to say that all issues of the subject-methodological demarcation of theology and related sciences are resolved with complete clarity and to everyone's pleasure. This is not true.
It is also false to say that everything is perfectly clear with the self-representation of theology as a science. The assumption of complete clarity in the question of correlating the scientific specialty "theology" with ecclesiastical theology and the complex of ecclesiastical sciences, as they traditionally existed and still exist in academic and educational institutions Russian Orthodox Church.
A preliminary understanding of the subject-methodological specifics of theology, as I said, is enshrined in the passport of a scientific specialty. This understanding, which is a convention, the result of an uneasy compromise between representatives of related scientific and expert communities and theologians, in my opinion, is quite enough to start today. productive work expert and dissertation councils on theology and resolving issues of disciplinary affiliation and scientific consistency of dissertation research. The best way resolution of problems that may appear here - practice.
The main thing we count on is constant cooperation with representatives of related sciences.
In particular, I believe that we will be able to achieve a good level of understanding and cooperation with religious scholars. Keeping in mind the fears voiced from time to time, I can responsibly state: theology does not set itself the task of ousting religious studies from the university and academic space, does not set itself the task of replacing itself, taking the positions of religious studies. Precisely because we, for our part, see the subject-methodological specificity of theology in relation to religious studies, we do not pretend to its academic destiny. On the contrary, we believe that the emergence of theology as a scientific specialty will contribute to a better understanding of the subject-methodological specifics of religious studies.
We count on the development of cooperation between theological institutions in secular universities, as well as ecclesiastical theology with religious scholars, as well as with representatives of other related sciences. So, work on philosophical and theological areas could be fruitful: hermeneutics, epistemology, problems of language, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, theory of culture, social and political philosophy, anthropology, axiology, ethics. In terms of interaction with the social sciences, in particular, the question of the relationship between religion and science as socio-cultural realities and public institutions could be studied. Theology has a theoretical resource for understanding the "social being" of the Church - ecclesiology, and, in part, social ethics. Therefore, it is probably ecclesiology and Christian social ethics as areas of theological thought that could become the sphere of interdisciplinary interaction with the social sciences.
At the same time, the emphasis on practice and interdisciplinary cooperation in specific areas does not remove the importance of clarifying scientific and methodological issues. Thus, within the framework of the commission on theology of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by me, a document “Theology as a science and its place in the system of knowledge” is being prepared. The study of this topic aims to clarify both the scientific status of theology/theology, its subject-methodological specifics, and clarify the role of theology itself, that is, theology, understood as a science, in the experience, life and service of the Church.
The Church-wide postgraduate and doctoral studies, together with leading ecclesiastical and secular scientific institutions, regularly hold seminars on complex scientific and methodological issues of theology.
Colleagues! It seems to me that we have good reason to be optimistic about the future of theology in the Russian academic space. And I want to once again testify to our total openness to academic cooperation for the benefit of Russian science, education, and Russian society as a whole.
The creation of a high-quality and modern system of theological education in a country like Russia, where people of different faiths have lived in peace and harmony for many centuries, is one of the factors for the sustainable development of the state and interreligious peace in it
June 16, 2017
Report Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk at the plenary session of the First All-Russian Conference "Theology in the Humanities Educational Space", which opened in Moscow June 14, 2017
Dear honored guests and participants of the conference! Dear colleagues!
Let me, first of all, thank the leadership of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI and personally Rector Mikhail Nikolaevich Strikhanov for the opportunity for all of us to gather in this hall to discuss the pressing problems of the formation of the Theology industry in modern Russia.
When five years ago we jointly opened the department of theology at this leading Russian university, many were perplexed: what does theology have to do with nuclear physics? why should nuclear scientists study theology? The answer to these perplexities lies in the name of the educational institution, more precisely, in one word from this name: “university”. What is a university? This is by no means a specialized institution of a narrow profile, not a vocational school. This is an educational institution that trains people who, being professionals in their field, are also widely erudite in other fields, including the humanities.
Theology has exactly the same relation to nuclear physics as philosophy, history, law, Russian language and literature, and other humanitarian disciplines. For many decades, theology has been artificially thrown out of the educational space.. The Bible, the Koran and the Talmud were in fact forbidden literature, and Jesus Christ was learned mainly from "Masters and Margaritas".
This unnatural situation is corrected today, and theology has taken its rightful place in the system of the humanities taught at a secular university. The question of whether theology is a science or not is actually closed: the inclusion of the specialty "Theology" in the nomenclature of the VAK put an end to disputes on this topic.
This was followed by the approval in September 2015 of the passport of the scientific specialty "Theology". The Expert Council of the Higher Attestation Commission on Theology began its work, the composition of which was formed with the support of religious organizations that are members of the Interreligious Council of Russia. Each of the experts included in the Expert Council has a name in a certain field of humanitarian knowledge, at the same time, they are scientists who are trusted in the corresponding religious organization.
Thus, from the very beginning, the project of introducing the specialty "Theology" into the secular educational space had an interreligious character. And it is no coincidence that representatives of Russia's traditional confessions are present in this hall today.
Under the auspices of the VAK was the first in the history of Russia Joint Dissertation Council in the specialty "Theology" was created. On June 1 of this year, the first in the modern Russian history defense of a dissertation for the degree of candidate of theology. This defense was a kind of strength test for members of the dissertation council, since atheistic representatives of the biology community sent five negative feedback, accusing the dissertator that he is based on the "hypothesis of the existence of God", and such a hypothesis allegedly contradicts the scientific worldview. However, 21 members out of 22 present voted in favor of awarding the required degree to the dissertation candidate.
This defense demonstrated, on the one hand, a high degree of solidarity among those involved in the formation of the scientific branch of "Theology". On the other hand, it showed that our society still retains the inertia that comes from the times of forcibly imposed atheism, when people were taught that religion is incompatible with science. And therefore, there remains a need to explain again and again what theology is, why it is needed.
Theology is a systematic form of expressing the doctrine of a particular religious tradition, its dogma, it forms a religious worldview. Creation of a high-quality and modern system of theological education in a country like Russia, where people of different faiths have lived in peace and harmony for many centuries - one of the factors of sustainable development state and the interreligious world in it.
To study religious phenomena from a theological point of view means to study them in the broad context of religious tradition, just as the study of philosophical texts and ideas requires their consideration in the context of philosophical tradition. And this requires systematic theological education, an important element of which is internal communication in the theological community, which includes both teachers and students. In this respect theology has all the features that are characteristic of other scientific disciplines.
The combination within the theology of personal experience and theological competencies with the scientific methodology of research gives an effect that is impossible with an external, detached approach to religion. If, for example, a religious scholar studies religious practices by the method of third-party observation, then he must make a special effort to model religious consciousness, while the theologian is already included in religious practices and is the bearer of religious consciousness.
However, this applies not only to religious studies, which is aimed at the study of religion. It is equally important that theological competencies and theological views on the phenomena and processes being studied are useful, and sometimes necessary, for specialists in other sciences, in whose field of vision are man, nature or society.
The theological perspective, along with the philosophical or cultural perspective, is capable of to open to representatives of other disciplines new perspectives, approaches, a fresh look at old problems.
In this context, we can talk about the importance of such areas of theological research as theology of personality, theology of culture, theology of education, and pastoral psychology. They are a kind of bridge between theoretical problems theology and practical realities of society.
However Ethics is the clearest mediator here. which makes it possible to perceive and analyze the existing socio-political, cultural, economic and other social processes through the prism of axiological and normative attitudes, which basically - whether someone wants to admit it or not - have religious basis. Exactly religious ethics makes it possible to use a language that is understandable modern man and does not require special theological training.
And all these opportunities are applied where theology is included in the practice of universities and scientific communities, where it is a legitimate and equal participant in scientific and academic communication.
We are moving along this path. This is evidenced by the presence here a large number leaders, professors and lecturers of numerous secular and ecclesiastical universities, which implement theological programs. And since we are at the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI", I note that the five-year work of the Department of Theology of this university shows a successful experience in using the possibilities of theology as a humanities.
Those who today try to challenge the scientific nature of theology proceed from certain stereotypes that have developed in Soviet era and not obsolete to this day, in particular, from the idea that scientific and religious approaches are mutually exclusive.
However, it is necessary to point out the conventional nature of scientificity. The idea of what belongs to science and what remains outside of it is the result of a certain convention, that is, an informal mutual agreement scientists. Thus, before the scientific revolution of the 17th century, science was identical to learning as such: a philosopher, an erudite, a sage was considered a representative of science.
After the emergence of scientific natural science, the criteria separating science from non-science were established: rationality, empiricism and objectivity. These criteria retain their significance today, but scientific character is determined not only by them. In the process of the development of science, scientific paradigms were replaced, and what was not previously considered scientific acquired a scientific status. In addition to the natural and exact, new humanities and social sciences appeared, which did not immediately find their place in the academic space.
Some of them have acquired scientific status relatively recently, for example, psychology, sociology, cultural studies. In addition, new scientific disciplines have emerged as a result of interdisciplinary interaction: within the natural sciences (for example, biochemistry) and at the intersection of the humanities and natural sciences (cognitive science). In other words, science grew with new disciplines, and this process is likely to continue.
Attention should also be paid to the fact that the recognition of new scientific disciplines was associated with their institutionalization: over time, new specialized departments were opened at universities, and then faculties. Suffice it to recall how difficult it was for sociology to enter the university space, and yet today no one questions its scientific status.
This points to another important circumstance. Scientific research areas are those that are included in organizational structure educational and research institutions. However, such inclusion is not only a recognition of the scientific nature of a certain discipline, but also a guarantee that the research and development carried out within this discipline educational activities will meet scientific criteria.
In this way, the inclusion of theology in the complex of scientific disciplines is a multifactorial process. It is necessary to understand that certain theological disciplines are scientific in terms of research methodology and the procedure for qualifying it as scientific.
Recognition of the scientific status of theology corresponds to modern world experience and the strategy of integrating domestic science into the world scientific community. But it's important to make theology open to public and social problems solved in our country, and its role in the common scientific and humanitarian space is fully used to develop interreligious dialogue and cooperation.
An important issue is the lack of understanding in the academic community of the criteria that determine the scientific status of theology, which prompts some representatives of this community to criticize, which is far from a constructive position.
I will base my analysis and examples on the Orthodox tradition that I represent. Referring to it allows us, for convenience, to use the terms theology and theology interchangeably.
Let me remind you that in the Orthodox tradition, theology is the value-worldview core of faith. It is the basis of normativity, not related to science. However, it is studied by special theological disciplines that expound, interpret and substantiate the teaching of the Church.
For example, dogmatic theology- this is a detailed presentation of the main dogmatic truths that are binding on all members of the Church. Closely related to doctrine are disciplines such as apologetics, moral and pastoral theology, within which doctrine is applied to various areas. church life- missions, religious and moral preaching, spiritual care.
One more example: patrology engaged in the study of ancient church writing. Her subject area- theological texts and works of church writers of antiquity. In this sense, it is similar to such disciplines and scientific specialties as the history of philosophy or the history of literature.
I note that in recent decades in Russia there have appeared quite a few independent patrological studies of secular and ecclesiastical scientists, many of which are by no means inferior to the works of foreign colleagues. New translations of patristic writings were made, provided with scientific commentaries and reference apparatus, translated into Russian and introduced into scientific circulation the fundamental works of foreign authors.
Another example might be liturgy, the subject of which is worship, and related disciplines adjacent to it, for example, the history of church singing.
I will complete the list of examples biblical studies, which also has its own special subject, problem field, research methods. In modern biblical studies, an interdisciplinary approach is widely used. The study of the Holy Scriptures is impossible without a deep study of the ancient languages (Jewish, Greek, Aramaic, Syriac, Coptic, Latin, etc.) and comparative linguistics, it requires a deep awareness in the field of history and culture ancient world. Studying the Bible Is More Than Just Studying ancient text, is the study and the richest history of its interpretation.
Theological are such special disciplines studied and taught in theological schools as the history of the Church, canon law, Christian archeology, and the history of Christian art. These disciplines are theological, since they are directly related to the life of the Church, but in terms of internal organization and methodology, they are similar to other humanitarian and social sciences. They can be called theological, attributed to the scientific specialty "Theology" and included in a new branch of knowledge.
In passing, I note that talking about theology as a "new" branch of knowledge is possible only in the current Russian context. Historically, it was theology that stood at the origins of university education, and all the largest universities in Western Europe began as theological schools.
I would like to dwell on the most important trend of recent years in the Russian educational space: gradual convergence of the sphere of confessional spiritual education with the sphere of secular education. In Soviet times, these spheres were separated, a blank impenetrable wall was built between them. Today, this wall has been destroyed, as evidenced, in particular, by the state accreditation of several leading theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Preparing our educational establishments to accreditation (and this process is still far from complete), we take care to bring them to the scientific level at which secular higher education is in modern Russia. This applies not only to technical parameters (the number of square meters per student, the availability of a gym, etc.), but also to the requirements for scientific programs and the teaching methodology itself. Only those theological schools that fully comply with the formal criteria set by the state for higher educational institutions receive accreditation.
One of the actions aimed at raising the level of education in our theological schools was introduction of a unified educational standard. Prior to this, the curricula of one seminary or academy could be strikingly different from those of another theological school of a similar level. Now all theological schools are taught according to a single standard.
Another large-scale project that is being carried out in the Russian Orthodox Church under the direct supervision of His Holiness the Patriarch and the Supreme Church Council is creation of new textbooks for theological schools. Until recently, our students studied either from pre-revolutionary textbooks or from literature published in exile. It's time to update the whole body educational literature so that each discipline is taught at the modern scientific level.
Today, I am pleased to present to the high assembly signal copies of the three teaching aids that were discussed and approved yesterday at a meeting of the Supreme Church Council.
The first of these is called "History of Non-Christian Religions". This is a detailed and invaluable description of the religious teachings and traditions of monotheistic religions - Islam and Judaism, as well as other religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism. The textbook has already been tested in teaching at the Sretensky Theological Seminary and received appreciated specialists, including secular ones.
Another study guide is called the Four Gospels. This is the first volume of a planned three-volume collection. The book is designed to teach the student to work independently with the text of the Gospel, to compare the parallel narratives of the Evangelists, to identify points of difference and similarity between them. The textbook introduces the student to the ancient and modern interpretations of the gospel texts.
Finally, the third textbook is an anthology of ancient Christian literature under the general title "Holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church." This is an anthology, which is an appendix to the textbook on patrol, which is still in the process of being written.
Why am I presenting these textbooks here, within the walls of MEPhI University, where representatives of secular educational institutions have gathered? because these textbooks are created not only for theological schools. I hope that they will be equally in demand in the theology departments of secular universities. After all, the availability of modern teaching aids is the most important factor in the success of our common undertaking. And I I perceive the formation of the "Theology" branch as a common project of confessional educational institutions, be it Orthodox, Islamic and Jewish, and secular universities in which this scientific branch is developing.
In conclusion of my report, I would like to draw attention to what we need to do in the near future.
On the last day of May, the Presidium of the Higher Attestation Commission adopted a recommendation to award academic degrees not in “related” fields, as was supposed before (philosophy, history, etc.), but in theology. This means that now, in his research, the theologian is no longer obliged to “tailor” theological topics to these related sciences and work with an eye to the specifics of concrete scientific methodologies or academic habits common in the respective communities of specialists. We can safely rely on the theological methodology proper and the development of theological problems (including issues of dogmatic, liturgical pastoral theology, biblical studies, etc.).
This poses new challenges for us to fill the branch of knowledge "Theology" with real content. As I already said, theology is not analogous to religious studies. It cannot be impersonal from a religious and confessional point of view. The passport of the only scientific specialty 26.00.01, which is so similar to the passport of the religious discipline, does not reflect either the content or the tasks of theology.
At the current stage it is necessary highlight within the branch of knowledge "Theology" specific areas- Orthodox, Islamic, Jewish. I believe that the design of theology as a branch of knowledge should take into account the prospect of the gradual formation of full-fledged groups of specialties relating to a particular religious tradition or denomination.
Convinced that the industry should be built on a religious and confessional principle. The division of theology into three groups of specialties will be similar to, for example, philological sciences are divided into literary criticism and linguistics, and physical and mathematical ones include astronomy, mechanics, and so on. Only the principle of division in this case will be belonging to a certain religious and confessional tradition.
In each of these groups at this stage, one specialty of the same name can be provided. In the future, as the real filling of each of the specialties scientific achievements and the emergence of profile specialists, within the confessional groups of specialties, it is possible to gradually introduce differentiated specialties, breaking down the existing ones.
In order to develop the scientific branch "Theology", we must do not mix religious traditions, but study each of them separately. At the same time, it is important to find in them, with all the doctrinal and cultural differences, a common value-ideological core, and explore it from the standpoint of theology. This is the guarantee of the interaction of different religions, ethnic groups and cultures, and in the long term - the guarantee of preserving the unity of our great multinational country, which we must preserve not only for ourselves, but also for future generations.
On June 14-15, 2017, the First All-Russian Scientific Conference "Theology in the Humanities Educational Space" was held in Moscow.
The purpose of the forum, which was held with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation on the basis of the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI" and the Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, was to discuss topical theoretical and practical problems of the formation of the theological branch of knowledge and the development of theological educational programs in modern Russia.
The preparation and holding of the conference was attended by higher educational institutions, on the basis of which the Joint Dissertation Council in the specialty "Theology" operates, as well as: The Expert Council on Theology of the Higher Attestation Commission under Russian Ministry Education and Science, Federal Educational and Methodological Association in the System higher education on UGSN "Theology", expert group on theology at the Interreligious Council of Russia, Interdepartmental Coordinating Group of the Moscow Patriarchate for teaching theology in universities.
Orthodox hierarchs and clergymen, heads of traditional religious communities of Russia, representatives of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science, the Higher Attestation Commission, the Interdepartmental Coordinating Group of the Moscow Patriarchate for Teaching became participants and guests of honor of the forum theology in universities, rectors of higher educational institutions.
Among the participants of the conference from the Russian Orthodox Church were: Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Rector of the General Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, Head of the Department of Theology of MEPhI, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk; Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov Alexy; Metropolitan Sergius of Samara and Togliatti; Metropolitan Feofan of Kazan and Tatarstan; Metropolitan of Tambov and Rasskazovsky Theodosius; Metropolitan of Kemerovo and Prokopyevsk Aristarkh; Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, rector of the Stavropol Theological Seminary; Metropolitan Zinovy of Saransk and Mordovia, rector of the Saransk Theological Seminary; Metropolitan of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh Isidor; Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Eugene of Vereya, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary; Bishop Theophylact of Dmitrov; Archbishop of Pyatigorsk and Circassian Theophylact; Bishop of Rybinsk and Danilovsky Veniamin; Bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynopol Mstislav; Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk, Rector of the Kolomna Theological Seminary; Bishop of Glazovsky and Igrynsky Victor; Bishop Eugene of Sredneuralsky; Rector of the Minsk Theological Academy Archimandrite Sergiy (Akimov); rector of the Orthodox St. Tikhonovsky humanitarian university Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov; the rector of the RPU, hegumen Peter (Eremeev); Rector of the Kursk Theological Seminary, Archimandrite Simeon (Tomachinsky); rector of the Nikolo-Ugresh Theological Seminary, hegumen John (Rubin); Dean of PSTGU Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky; Archpriest Oleg Skomorokh, Deputy Director of the Institute of Theology and Pastoral Pedagogy at the RCCA; Hieromonk Onesimus (Bamblevsky), Chairman of the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the Moscow City Diocese; Protopriest Konstantin Pol'skov, Vice-Rector for Science of PSTGU; OCAD Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Hieromonk John (Kopeikin); Vice-Rector of the OCAD for scientific work D.V. Shmonin and others.
At the beginning of the meeting, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk read out a message of greeting from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
“The state recognition of theology as a scientific specialty, the creation of dissertation councils and the expert council of the Higher Attestation Commission marks the beginning of a new stage in the history of Russian education and science. All this indicates that society is gradually being freed from the burden of false ideas and ideological clichés of the past, according to which knowledge that did not fit into the framework of materialistic philosophy and natural science of the 19th century remained outside science. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill also noted that today there is a growing awareness among scientists that theology, which is primarily a systematic expression of religious faith, is also a system of disciplines that meet the criteria of scientific character. “Artificially separating this powerful layer of humanitarian knowledge from science and education means robbing our culture, depriving it of historical memory, worldview and value foundations,” the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church emphasized.
Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation O.Yu. Vasilyeva said in her speech that an order had been signed, according to which it is now possible in Russia to award the academic degrees of candidates and doctors of theology. Scientific specialty"Theology" appeared in Russia in 2015, but there were no special academic degrees for theologians.
“It seems to me that we need to pay special attention to the training of scientific personnel. Therefore, the next question arises - this is the strengthening, strengthening of the departments of theology,” O.Yu. Vasiliev. According to her, in Russia there are no obstacles for the development of this field of science, and this is only the beginning of the path. The Minister of Education also noted that the number of state-funded places in the specialty "Theology" will be increased in universities.
In the message of the head of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation A.E. Vaino called the recognition of theology in Russia as a complex scientific and educational discipline "an important and significant result of many years of constructive interaction between authorities, religious organizations, pedagogical and expert communities, a powerful incentive for the development of humanitarian knowledge." The appeal was announced by Aide to the President of the Russian Federation A.A. Fursenko.
According to the head of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Education and Science, Rector Russian University friendship of peoples V.M. Filippova, today the attitude to theological education in Russian society based on myths and outdated stereotypes. However, theology is not limited to religious studies and is a complex scientific discipline covering a significant area of humanitarian knowledge.
Then the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, the rector of the General Church postgraduate and doctoral studies, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, made a report "Theology in modern Russia: the formation of an industry."
According to Vladyka Hilarion, for many decades theology was artificially thrown out of the educational space, but now this unnatural situation has been corrected, and theology has taken its rightful place in the system of the humanities taught at a secular university. At the same time, from the very beginning, the project of introducing the specialty "Theology" into the secular educational space of Russia had an interreligious character. “Theology is a systematic form of expression of the doctrine of a certain religious tradition, its dogma, it forms a religious worldview. The creation of a high-quality and modern system of theological education in a country like Russia, where people of different faiths have lived in peace and harmony for many centuries, is one of the factors for the sustainable development of the state and interreligious peace in it,” the DECR chairman emphasized.
To study religious phenomena from a theological point of view means to study them in the vast context of religious tradition, just as the study of philosophical texts and ideas requires their consideration in the context of philosophical tradition, the hierarch recalled: “And for this, systematic theological education is necessary, an important element of which is internal communication in community of theologians, including both teachers and students. In this respect, theology has all the features characteristic of other scientific disciplines. The combination within the theology of personal experience and theological competencies with the scientific methodology of research gives an effect that is impossible with an external, detached approach to religion. It was also noted that theological competencies and theological views on the phenomena and processes being studied are useful, and sometimes necessary, for specialists in other sciences, in whose field of vision are man, nature or society.
Recognition of the scientific status of theology corresponds to modern world experience and the strategy of integrating domestic science into the world scientific community, Vladyka Hilarion stated, emphasizing: “But it is important that theology becomes open to public and social problems being solved in our country, and its role in the general humanitarian space was fully used for the development of interreligious dialogue and cooperation”.
At the same time, the speaker noted that it is possible to speak of theology as a “new” branch of knowledge only in the current Russian context. Historically, it was theology that stood at the origins of university education, and all the largest universities in Western Europe began as theological schools.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk dwelled on the most important trend of recent years in the Russian educational space: the gradual convergence of the sphere of confessional spiritual education with the sphere of secular education. “In Soviet times, these spheres were separated, a blank impenetrable wall was built between them,” he recalled. “Today, this wall has been destroyed, as evidenced, in particular, by the state accreditation of several leading theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
One of the actions aimed at raising the level of education in theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church was the introduction of a single educational standard. Prior to this, the curricula of one seminary or academy could be strikingly different from those of another theological school of a similar level.
Another large-scale project that is being carried out in the Russian Orthodox Church is the creation of new textbooks for theological schools. The archpastor presented to the audience signal copies of three teaching aids, which had been approved the day before at a meeting of the Supreme Church Council.
Touching upon the decision to award academic degrees not in “related” fields, as was previously assumed (philosophy, history, etc.), but in theology, the OCAD rector emphasized: “This means that now in his research the theologian is no longer obliged to “adjust » theological topics related to these related sciences and work with an eye to the specifics of specific scientific methodologies or academic habits common in the respective communities of specialists. We can safely rely on the theological methodology proper and the development of theological problems (including issues of dogmatic, liturgical, pastoral theology, biblical studies, etc.). This poses new challenges for us to fill the Theology branch of knowledge with real content.”
According to Metropolitan Hilarion, at the current stage, it is necessary to single out specific areas within the branch of knowledge "Theology" - Orthodox, Islamic, Jewish. “I believe that the design of theology as a branch of knowledge should take into account the prospect of the gradual formation of full-fledged groups of specialties related to a particular religious tradition or confession,” the hierarch continued.
“In order to develop the scientific branch of Theology, we must not mix religious traditions, but study each of them separately,” Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk expressed confidence. - At the same time, it is important to find in them, with all the doctrinal and cultural differences, a common value-ideological core and explore it from the standpoint of theology. This is the guarantee of the interaction of different religions, ethnic groups and cultures, and in the long term - the guarantee of preserving the unity of our great multinational country, which we must preserve not only for ourselves, but also for future generations.”
During the plenary session, reports were also made by the rector of the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI" M.N. Strikhanov and Rector of the Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University named after Kozma Minin, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor A.A. Fedorov.
As part of the forum program, round tables were also held on the topics: "Theology as a branch of knowledge: problems and prospects", "Theology and educational standards", "Theology as a space for interfaith cooperation".
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On June 14, 2017, the opening of the First All-Russian Scientific Conference "Theology in the Humanities Educational Space" took place.
The purpose of the forum, which is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation on the basis of the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI" and the Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, is to discuss topical theoretical and practical problems of the formation of the theological branch of knowledge and the development of theological educational programs in modern Russia.
Higher educational institutions take part in the preparation and holding of the conference, on the basis of which the Joint Dissertation Council in the specialty "Theology" operates, as well as the Expert Council on Theology of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, the Federal Educational and Methodological Association in the System of Higher Education in UGSN "Theology", expert group on theology at the Interreligious Council of Russia, Interdepartmental Coordinating Group of the Moscow Patriarchate for teaching theology in universities.
Orthodox hierarchs and clergymen, heads of traditional religious communities of Russia, representatives of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science, the Higher Attestation Commission, the Interdepartmental Coordinating Group of the Moscow Patriarchate for Teaching became participants and guests of honor of the event theology in universities, rectors of higher educational institutions.
Among the participants of the conference from the Russian Orthodox Church are the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, the rector of the General Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, the head of the department of theology of MEPhI, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk; Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov Alexy; Metropolitan Sergius of Samara and Togliatti; Metropolitan Feofan of Kazan and Tatarstan; Metropolitan of Tambov and Rasskazovsky Theodosius; Metropolitan of Kemerovo and Prokopyevsk Aristarkh; Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, rector of the Stavropol Theological Seminary; Metropolitan Zinovy of Saransk and Mordovia, rector of the Saransk Theological Seminary; Metropolitan of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh Isidor; Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Eugene of Vereya, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary; Bishop Theophylact of Dmitrov; Archbishop of Pyatigorsk and Circassian Theophylact; Bishop of Rybinsk and Danilovsky Veniamin; Bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynopol Mstislav; Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk, Rector of the Kolomna Theological Seminary; Bishop of Glazovsky and Igrynsky Victor; Bishop Eugene of Sredneuralsky; rector of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov; the rector of the RPU, hegumen Peter (Eremeev); Rector of the Kursk Theological Seminary, Archimandrite Simeon (Tomachinsky); rector of the Nikolo-Ugresh Theological Seminary, hegumen John (Rubin); Dean of PSTGU Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky; Archpriest Oleg Skomorokh, Deputy Director of the Institute of Theology and Pastoral Pedagogy at the RCCA; Hieromonk Onesimus (Bamblevsky), Chairman of the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the Moscow City Diocese; Protopriest Konstantin Pol'skov, Vice-Rector for Science of PSTGU; OCAD Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Hieromonk John (Kopeikin); OCAD Vice-Rector for Research D.V. Shmonin and others.
At the beginning of the meeting, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk read out a greeting from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
“The state recognition of theology as a scientific specialty, the creation of dissertation councils and the expert council of the Higher Attestation Commission marks the beginning of a new stage in the history of Russian education and science. All this testifies to the fact that society is gradually freeing itself from the burden of false ideas and ideological cliches of the past, according to which knowledge remained outside science that did not fit into the framework of materialistic philosophy and natural science of the 19th century,” states the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted that today there is a growing awareness among scientists that theology, which is primarily a systematic expression of religious faith, is also a system of disciplines that meet the criteria of scientific character. “Artificially separating this powerful layer of humanitarian knowledge from science and education means robbing our culture, depriving it of historical memory, worldview and value foundations,” His Holiness is sure.
In his speech at the conference, Minister of Education and Science O.Yu. Vasilyeva announced that an order had been signed, according to which it is now possible in Russia to award the academic degrees of candidates and doctors of theology. The scientific specialty "Theology" appeared in Russia in 2015, however, there were no special academic degrees for theologians.
“It seems to me that we need to pay special attention to the training of scientific personnel. Therefore, the next question arises - this is the strengthening, strengthening of the departments of theology, ”said O.Yu. Vasiliev. According to her, in Russia there are no obstacles for the development of this field of science, and this is only the beginning of the path. The Minister of Education also noted that the number of state-funded places in the specialty "Theology" will be increased in universities.
In the message of the head of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation A.E. Vaino called the recognition of theology in Russia as a complex scientific and educational discipline "an important and significant result of many years of constructive interaction between authorities, religious organizations, pedagogical and expert communities, a powerful stimulus for the development of humanitarian knowledge." The appeal was announced by Aide to the President of the Russian Federation A.A. Fursenko.
According to the head of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Education and Science, Rector of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia V.M. Filippova, today the attitude to theological education in Russian society is based on myths and outdated stereotypes. “These stereotypes are partly caused by ideological blindness due to the impact of aggressive anti-religious propaganda over many decades,” he noted, stating that theology is not limited to religious studies and is a complex scientific discipline covering a significant area of humanitarian knowledge.
Recalling that in Russia, according to the Law on Education, it is inextricably linked with upbringing, V.M. Filippov pointed out: "In the field of theological education, an important direction is the spiritual education of young people."
Then Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Rector of the General Church Graduate and Postgraduate School, spoke on Theology in Modern Russia: the Formation of a Branch.
According to Bishop Hilarion, for many decades theology was artificially thrown out of the educational space, but now this unnatural situation has been corrected, and theology has taken its rightful place in the system of the humanities taught at a secular university.
At the same time, the archpastor recalled, from the very beginning, the project of introducing the specialty "Theology" into the secular educational space of Russia had an interreligious character. “Theology is a systematic form of expression of the doctrine of a certain religious tradition, its dogma, it forms a religious worldview. The creation of a high-quality and modern system of theological education in a country like Russia, where people of different faiths have lived in peace and harmony for many centuries, is one of the factors for the sustainable development of the state and interreligious peace in it,” the DECR chairman emphasized.
To study religious phenomena from a theological point of view means to study them in the vast context of religious tradition, just as the study of philosophical texts and ideas requires their consideration in the context of philosophical tradition, the hierarch recalled: “And for this, systematic theological education is necessary, an important element of which is internal communication in community of theologians, including both teachers and students. In this respect, theology has all the features that are characteristic of other scientific disciplines. The combination within the theology of personal experience and theological competencies with the scientific methodology of research gives an effect that is impossible with an external, detached approach to religion. It was noted that theological competencies and theological views on the studied phenomena and processes are useful, and sometimes necessary, for specialists in other sciences, in whose field of vision are man, nature or society.
Recognition of the scientific status of theology corresponds to modern world experience and the strategy of integrating domestic science into the world scientific community, Vladyka Hilarion stated, emphasizing: “But it is important that theology becomes open to public and social problems being solved in our country, and its role in the general humanitarian space was fully used for the development of interreligious dialogue and cooperation”.
At the same time, the speaker noted that it is possible to speak of theology as a “new” branch of knowledge only in the current Russian context. Historically, it was theology that stood at the origins of university education, and all the largest universities in Western Europe began as theological schools.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk dwelled on the most important trend of recent years in the Russian educational space: the gradual convergence of the sphere of confessional spiritual education with the sphere of secular education. “In Soviet times, these spheres were separated, a blank impenetrable wall was built between them,” he recalled. “Today, this wall has been destroyed, as evidenced, in particular, by the state accreditation of several leading theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
One of the actions aimed at raising the level of education in theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church was the introduction of a single educational standard. Prior to this, the curricula of one seminary or academy could be strikingly different from those of another theological school of a similar level.
As Vladyka told the conference participants, another large-scale project that is being carried out in the Russian Orthodox Church is the creation of new textbooks for theological schools. The archpastor presented to the audience signal copies of three teaching aids, which had been approved the day before at a meeting of the Supreme Church Council.
Touching upon the decision to award academic degrees not in “related” fields, as was previously assumed (philosophy, history, etc.), but in theology, the OCAD rector emphasized: “This means that now in his research the theologian is no longer obliged to “adjust » theological topics related to these related sciences and work with an eye to the specifics of specific scientific methodologies or academic habits common in the respective communities of specialists. We can safely rely on the theological methodology proper and the development of theological problems (including issues of dogmatic, liturgical pastoral theology, biblical studies, etc.). This poses new challenges for us to fill the Theology branch of knowledge with real content.”
According to Metropolitan Hilarion, at the current stage, it is necessary to single out specific areas within the branch of knowledge "Theology" - Orthodox, Islamic, Jewish. “I believe that the design of theology as a branch of knowledge should take into account the prospect of the gradual formation of full-fledged groups of specialties related to a particular religious tradition or confession,” the hierarch continued.
“In order to develop the scientific branch of Theology, we must not mix religious traditions, but study each of them separately,” Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk expressed confidence. “At the same time, it is important to find in them, with all the doctrinal and cultural differences, a common value-ideological core, and explore it from the standpoint of theology. This is the guarantee of the interaction of different religions, ethnic groups and cultures, and in the long term - the guarantee of preserving the unity of our great multinational country, which we must preserve not only for ourselves, but also for future generations.”
During the plenary session, reports were also made by the rector of the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI" M.N. Strikhanov and Rector of the Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University named after Kozma Minin, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor A.A. Fedorov.
As part of the forum program, round tables were also held that day on the topics: “Theology as a branch of knowledge: problems and prospects”, “Theology and educational standards”, “Theology as a space for interfaith cooperation”.
The work of the First All-Russian Scientific Conference "Theology in the Humanities Educational Space" will last until June 15.
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