Translated from: http://www.hist.msu.ru/Science/Conf/lomweb01/krapchun.htm

The religious tradition of the relationship Nil of Sora and Joseph Volotskii.
Krapchunov DE
Tomsk State University, Russia

For Christianity is characterized by a certain cultural conservatism. In the words of famous modern apologist Deacon A. Kuraev, each of the three faiths that make up the Christian world today, bears the imprint of the era in which it evolved. Orthodoxy - is ancient Christianity, as well as - the medieval perception of Christianity, and Protestantism - the era of bourgeois revolutions. "[1]

Old Believers - one of the most conservative currents within Christianity. Since the classics researchers Old Believers Shchapova and Kostomarov they decided to see "the fossilized fragment of old Russia." Indeed, the Old Believers - is a deeply traditional culture or postfigurative (in the terminology of M. Meath). Tradition is almost impossible to learn from books. Tradition of Latin. Tradeo - convey, therefore imperative that a carrier of culture, faith, which could convey that which he had once been taught. The tradition is passed from mouth to mouth. It is known that even a careful study of the Bible - the basis, it would seem, Orthodoxy does not lead to the traditional understanding of the Orthodox culture, the spirit of Russian spirituality. Anyone can learn the basics of traditional culture, but only faced with a living tradition is able to get closer to its understanding.

Study of Culture of Old Believers can come into contact with those perceived as the world around Russian in the XVII century. and even earlier. In the Old Believers, together with the "old customs" still life, the economic system of that era, in which it took shape in a special Russian subethnos, particular perceptions of reality and history.

Thus, we can turn to how to perceive the old believers and believers belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church, an event of national history. Their opinion may serve as a kind of cultural-historical source for those studying the question.

In the scientific literature today there are two opposing points of view on the question of whether there have been conflicts between the Nile and Joseph. In this regard, it is necessary to remember what place these figures occupy the Middle Ages in the Russian Church. Both were canonized, and, shortly after his death, and the local worship of their feats began during his lifetime. The name of St. Nil of Sora has been on the mesyatseslove the Old Believers. This suggests that his glorification took place not in the XVIII century, and even before the split, so I can not say that the canonization of Joseph Volotsky in the XVI century meant the rejection of everything taught by Reverend Nile.

Old Believers Saints are not seen as opposites. This suggests that the inhabitants of Russia in the XVII. saw no hostility in the relationship of the elders. Notably, as the founder of one of the strongest communities of Old Believers in the Tomsk region explained the reason for a secular science Neal and Joseph perceived rivals: "What nonsense it all, from a misunderstanding, Neil Sora forbidden to hold land in the monastery, but Joseph's own charter. They constituted the charter for the different monasteries. External people do not know the meaning and image of their feat, because they do not understand this feat did not pass by experience what they said. "[2]

Figures of the Church who are familiar with the prayer is not from books but from personal experience, say, Joseph and Neil are complementary .. [3] Moreover, it is not only the personal opinions of church leaders, but also an expression of faith throughout the Church as a church experience, tradition is expressed in worship. The fact that believers derive their knowledge of liturgical texts is proof neprotivopostavleniya views of the two saints as the Church celebrates them inseparably in troparion canon all the saints in the land of Russia beaming: "And thou, Joseph, Volosky praise, non-covetous and the Nile, the water calm and on zlatse abstinence disciple your herd mudra upasli Este, and now with them Pray for thought upon your memory. " . [4]


[1] Kuraev.A. Protestants to Orthodoxy. - Http://www.kuraev.ru:8080/konf.html

[2] Diary Archaeological Expedition TSU. Asinovskij area. Notebook 2 liters. 2-3.

[3] R. Tamberg Russian Fedor Studio. / / Prep. Joseph Volotskii. Message icon painter. M., 1993. - P.29. John, the Metropolitan. Autocracy of the Spirit. SPb., 1995. - S. 127.

[4] Canon all the saints in the land of Russia beaming. Canto 6, tropar 4 / / Mina. M., 1987. - V. 9 - May. - Part 3. - S. 399.

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I like Nil Sorsky for his position on non-possession, I realize that the Stoglav ruled against him.

I also like him because he rejected the idea of the government building him a mason hermitage.

Nil Sorsky already knew that we become detached from the world’s things to the degree that we attach ourselves to Christ, says one author.

I believe the image below is from the Bela-Krinitsa, perhaps the halo was drawn in later?

I believe Nilus was a Saint, but I could be wrong.

Forgive, brother John