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The status of divine revelation in the works of Hieromonk Anthony Bulatovich

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2011

Tatiana Senina
Tatiana Senina*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science, Saint-Petersburg State University, St Petersburg 199034, [email protected]
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Abstract

The article presents one aspect of the theology of the leader of the Athonite followers of Onomatodoxy, Hieroschemamonk Anthony Bulatovich, namely his doctrine of divine revelation and words of God in the Bible as uncreated energies of God. This article shows that this doctrine is in conformity with the views of the Fathers of the Eastern Church as well as with the Old Testament theology of the Divine Name.

Type
Research Article
Information
Scottish Journal of Theology , Volume 64 , Issue 4 , November 2011 , pp. 377 - 389
Copyright
Copyright © Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd 2011

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References

1 On the Onomatodoxy dispute see: Antoine Nivière, ‘Le mouvement onomatodoxe: une querelle théologique parmi les moines russes du Mont-Athos (1907–1914)’, Ph.D. dissertation, Paris, Sorbonne, 1987; Tom E. Dikstra, ‘Heresy on Mt. Athos: Conflict over the Name of God among Russian Monks and Hierarchs, 1912–1914’, MA thesis, St Vladimir's Seminary, 1988; Tatiana Senina, ‘Imyaslavtsy ili imyabozhniki? Spor o prirode Imeni Bozhiya i afonskoe dvizhenie imyaslavtsev 1910–1920-kh godov’ (‘Name-Praisers’ or ‘Name-Idolisers’? Dispute about the Nature of the Name of God and the Athonite Movement of ‘Name-Praising’ Monks in 1910s–1920s), Religiya v Rossii (21 and 25 Dec. 2001), http://religion.russ.ru/discussions/20011221-senina.html and http://religion.russ.ru/discussions/20011225-senina.html; Ilarion, Bishop (Alfeev), Svyashchennaya tajna Tserkvi. Vvedenie v istoriyu i problematiku imyaslavskikh sporov (Sacred Mystery of the Church: Introduction to the History and Background of the Onomatidoxy Controversy), vol. 1 (St Petersburg: Aleteia, 2002), pp. 289–637Google Scholar; Leskin, Dmitry, Spor ob imeni Bozhiem. Filosofiya imeni v Rossii v kontekste afonskikh sobytij 1910-h gg. (Dispute on the Name of God: Philosophy of Name in Russia in the Context of the Events on Mt. Athos in the 1910s) (St Petersburg: Aleteia, 2004), pp. 21–137Google Scholar.

2 Father Anthony (Alexander Ksaverevich Bulatovich) graduated from the Alexandrovsky Lyceum in St Petersburg, one of the most privileged schools of his time. After his graduation he joined the Life Guards Hussar Regiment of the Second Cavalry Division and, before becoming a monk, he led, according to the witnesses, a pious but secular life. At that time he became famous not for his theological studies, but as a brave explorer and discoverer of unexplored lands in Ethiopia. On the life of Anthony before monasticism, see Katsnelson, Isidor and Terekhova, G., Po neizvedannym zemlyam Efiopii (On Unknown Lands of Ethiopia) (Moscow: Nauka, 1975)Google Scholar. A summary of another book by Katsnelson on Bulatovich, Isidor S. Katsnelson, A. X. Bulatovich: Hussar, Explorer, Monk, can be found at http://www.samizdat.com/kats.html.

3 The main materials against Onomatodoxy are collected in Svyatoe Pravoslavie i imenobozhnicheskaya eres’ (Holy Orthodoxy and the Heresy of Name-Idolisers) (Kharkov, 1916), and are partly repr. in recent books, e.g. Hitrov, A. M. and Solomina, O. L. (eds), Zabytye stranitsy russkogo imjaslaviya: Sbornik dokumentov i publikatsij po afonskim sobytiyam 1910–1913 gg. (Forgotten Pages of Russian Onomatodoxy: Collection of Documents and Publications on the Athos Events of 1910–1913) (Moscow: Palomnik, 2001)Google Scholar; Polishchuk, E. S. (ed.), Imyaslavie: Antologiya (Onomatodoxy: Anthology) (Moscow: Factorial Press, 2002)Google Scholar. The main materials in favour of Onomatodoxy are repr. in Borshch, K. (ed.), Imyaslavie: Sbornik bogoslovsko-publitsisticheskikh statej, dokumentov i kommentariev (Onomatodoxy: Collection of Theological and Journalistic Articles, Documents, and Commentaries), 3 vols (Moscow, 2003–5)Google Scholar.

4 Protoierej Georgij Florovskij, Puti russkogo bogosloviya (The Ways of Russian Theology) (Vilnius, 1991), p. 571, n. 2; Alfeev, Svyashchennaya tajna Tserkvi, 12, 545–7, 636; Leskin, Spor ob imeni Bozhiem, 16, 91, 99–100, 103–4, 118–23, 133–7.

5 Alfeev, Svyashchennaya tajna Tserkvi.

6 Leskin, Spor ob imeni Bozhiem. For a survey of the main recent Russian books on Onomatodoxy, see Tatiana Senina, ‘Novye monografii po voprosam imyaslaviya’ (New Monographs on Onomatodoxy), Volshebnaya gora 15 (2009), pp. 150–66.

7 Nivière, ‘Le mouvement onomatodoxe’.

8 Idem, ‘L'onomatodoxie: une crise religieuse à la veille de la révolution’, in Mille ans de Christianisme russe: 988–1988 (Paris, 1989), pp. 285–94, see p. 285.

9 In more detail, see Tatiana Senina, ‘Imya Bozhie i ikona v tvoreniyakh ieroskhimonakha Antoniya (Bulatovicha)’ (The Name of God and the Icon in the Works of Hieroschemamonk Antony (Bulatovich)), Acta eruditorum 6 (2009); the text is also available at: http://www.pravoslav.de/imiaslavie/sovr/senina_onoma_kai_eikon.htm.

10 Dikstra, ‘Heresy on Mt. Athos’.

11 As a matter of fact, it was repr. twice: Polishchuk, Imyaslavie, pp. 9–318; Borshch, Imyaslavie. Sbornik, vol. 1, pp. 307–502, however, without theological or other commentary by the editors.

12 An attempt at such a study by Bishop Ilarion Alfeev cannot be called successful, in more detail, see Senina, ‘Novye monografii’, pp. 150–9.

13 Concerning this controversy see primarily: Meyendorff, Jean, Introduction à l'étude de Grégoire Palamas (Paris: Édition de Seuil, 1959)Google Scholar.

14 Bulatovich, Hieroschemamonk Antony, Opravdanie very v Nepobedimoe, Nepostizhimoe, Bozhestvennoe Imya Gospoda nashego Iisusa Khrista (Apology of Faith in the Invincible, Incomprehensible, Divine Name of our Lord Jesus Christ) (Petrograd: Ispovednik, 1917), p. 203Google Scholar.

15 Idem, Moya mysl’ vo Khriste: O Deyatel'nosti (Energii) Bozhestva (My Thought in Christ: On Activity (Energy) of the Godhead) (Petrograd: Ispovednik, 1914), p. 5.

16 Idem, Apologiya very vo Imya Bozhie i vo Imya Iisus (Apology of Faith in the Name of God and in the Name Jesus) (Moscow: Religiozno-filosofskaya biblioteka, 1913), p. 17.

17 See e.g. Meyendorff, Introduction, part II.

18 See Vadim Lourie, ‘Posleslovije’ (Afterword), in Meyendorff, Ioann, Zhizn’ i trudy svyatitelya Grigoriya Palamy: Vvedenie v izuchenie, tr. Nachinkin, G. N., ed. Medvedev, I. P. and Lourie, V. M. (Russian tr. of Meyendorff, Introduction) (St Petersburg: Vizantinorossika, 1997), pp. 327–43Google Scholar; Tatiana Senina, ‘Afonskoe imyaslavie: stepen’ izuchennosti voprosa i perspektivy issledovanij’ (Athonite Onomatodoxy: Status quaestionis and Perspectives for Further Research), Vestnik Russkoj Khristianskoj Gumanitarnoj Akademii 9/1 (2008), pp. 286–91; idem, ‘Tema obozheniya v russkom bogoslovii: Vklad ieroskhimonakha Antoniya (Bulatovicha)’ (The Subject of Deification in Russian Theology: The Contribution of Hieroschemamonk Antony Bulatovich), in Natsional'noe svoeobrazie v filosofii: Materialy mezhvuzovskoj konferentsii, Moskva, 8–9 dekabrya 2009 g. (National Distinctness in Philosophy: Materials of the Interuniversity Conference, Moscow, 8–9 Dec. 2009), ed. A. N. Kruglov (Moscow: RGGU, 2009), pp. 117–24, see pp. 117–18, 122.

19 See Vadim Lourie, ‘Kommentarii’ (Commentaries), in Ioann Meyendorff, Zhizn’ i trudy svjatitelja Grigorija Palamy, pp. 393–6.

20 Bulatovich, Moya mysl’ vo Khriste, pp. 13–14, 17–18, 37, 53.

21 Ibid., pp. 8, 20, сf. p. 11.

22 Ibid., p. 96; сf. p. 108.

23 Ibid., p. 111.

24 Ibid., pp. 140–1; emphasis by Antony Bulatovich.

25 Ibid., p. 38.

26 Ibid., pp. 93–4.

27 Ibid., pp. 94–5.

28 Ibid., pp. 58, 87–8, 110, 134–5, 137, 144, 148, 154–5, 165, 170–1, 213.

29 Ibid., p. 136.

30 Bulatovich, Hieroschemamonk Antony, Proshenie v Pravitel'stvuyushchij Sinod (Petition to the Ruling Synod) (St Petersburg, 1913), p. 58Google Scholar.

31 John Climacus, Scala paradisi, 27, PG 88, 1116C.

32 Catecheses ad illuminandos, 16: 13.l.1–5, 24–8; 14.l.7–11, 21–3, see Reischl, W. C., and Rupp, J. (eds), Cyrilli Hierosolymorum archiepiscopi opera quae supersunt omnia, 2 vols (Hildesheim: Olms, 1967)Google Scholar.

33 See Dunaev, A. G. (ed., tr. and comm.), Makarij Egipetskij, Dukhovnye slova i poslaniya: Sobranie tipa I (Vatic. graec. 694) (St Macarius of Egypt, Spiritual Homilies and Epistles: Collection of Type I (Vatic. graec. 694)) (Moscow: Indrik, 2002), pp. 37–158Google Scholar.

34 Pseudo-Macarius, Sermo 21.19 (collectio B), see Berthold, H. (ed.), Makarios/Symeon Reden und Briefe, vol. 1, Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller (Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1973)Google Scholar.

35 Pseudo-Macarius, Homilia 12.213–18 (collectio H), see Dörries, H., Klostermann, E. and Krüger, M. (eds), Die 50 geistlichen Homilien des Makarios, Patristische Texte und Studien 4 (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1964)Google Scholar.

36 Bulatovich, Moya mysl’ vo Khriste, pp. 96–7, сf. p. 178; Bulatovich, Opravdanie very, pp. 178, 202–3.

37 Mansi, t. 13, 45BC; the Council is quoting Leontius of Neapolis here.

38 Ibid., 97A; the Council cites the Epistle of Gregory, the Pope of Rome, as an argument.

39 Basil Lourié, ‘The Theophaneia School: An Ekphrasis of the Heavenly Temple’, Scrinium: Revue de patrologie, d'hagiographie critique et d'histoire ecclésiastique. T3: The Theophaneia School: Jewish Roots of Eastern Christian Mysticism (2007), pp. xiii–xvi, see p. хiv.

40 See Golitzin, Hieromonk Alexander, ‘Christian Mysticism over Two Millennia’, Scrinium 3 (2007), pp. xxi–xxxiiiGoogle Scholar, and the articles in the first part of the same volume of Scrinium.

41 Philonenko-Sayar, Belkis and Philonenko, Marc, L'Apocalypse d'Abraham: Introduction, texte slave, traduction et notes (Paris: Librairie Adrien-Maisonneuve, 1981)Google Scholar; Orlov, Andrei, ‘Praxis of the Voice: The Divine Name Traditions in the Apocalypse of Abraham’, Journal of Biblical Literature 127/1 (2008), pp. 53–70CrossRefGoogle Scholar, see pp. 53–4, n. 1.

42 Orlov, ‘Praxis of the Voice’, p. 58.

43 Ibid., p. 59; for more details, see Weinfeld, Moshe, Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972)Google Scholar.

44 Ibid., pp. 59–60.

45 Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretatio in Psalmos, PG 80, 1441A.

46 PG 80, 1913C.

47 Orlov, ‘Praxis of the Voice’, p. 60.

48 Mettinger, Tryggve N. D., The Dethronement of Sabaoth: Studies in the Shem and Kabod Theologies (Lund: Wallin & Dalholm, 1982), p. 124Google Scholar.

49 Ibid., pp. 124–5.

50 See Orlov, A. and Golitzin, A., ‘“Many Lamps are Lightened from the One”: Paradigms of the Transformational Vision in the Macarian Homilies’, Scrinium 3 (2007), pp. 213–29CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Golitzin, Hieromonk Alexander, Et Introibo ad Altare Dei: The Mystagogy of Dionysius Areopagita, with Special Reference to its Predecessors in the Eastern Christian Tradition (Thessaloniki, 1994), pp. 373–85Google Scholar.

51 Troitskij, Sergej V., Uchenie sv. Grigoriya Nisskogo ob imenakh Bozhiikh i imyabozhniki (The Teaching of St Gregory of Nyssa on the Names of God and the Name-Idolisers) (Krasnodar, 2002), pp. 128–33Google Scholar.

52 Lourie, Vadim M. with the assistance of Vladimir A. Baranov, Istoriya vizantijskoj filosofii: Formativnyj period (The History of Byzantine Philosophy: The Formative Period) (St Petersburg: Axiōma, 2006), p. 48Google Scholar.

53 Bulatovich, Opravdanie very, chs 4–5.

54 Ibid., p. 62.

55 Bulatovich, Apologiya, pp. 5, 17, 23, 38, 187–8; Bulatovich, Moya mysl’ vo Khriste, pp. 86–7, 178.

56 See Senina, ‘Imya Bozhie i ikona’.