Philosophical and pedagogical views of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill (Gundyaev)

Authors

  • Lev E. Shaposhnikov Kozma Minin Nizhniy Novgorod State Pedagogical University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu17.2021.212

Abstract

The article analyses the historical and philosophical views of Patriarch Kirill and his evaluation of modern Western philosophy, formed in the era of postmodernism. A distinctive feature of that time is the blurring of the criteria that define the border between good and evil. According to the Patriarch, this approach is caused by the absolutization of a person’s freedom, considered beyond the context of one’s responsibility for the actions performed. As a result, the philosophy of liberalism justifies the rejection of the Christian commandments, since they are claimed to suppress one’s personal freedom. Thus, the Patriarch emphasizes the importance of preserving the “Christian dimension” of a person’s behavior. The present work pays special attention to the Patriarch’s conceptualization of the Russian philosophical tradition, which is views as an important means to preserve national identity. Representatives of the Russian religious renaissance (S. N. Bulgakov, N. A. Berdyaev, V. V. Zenkovsky and others), reflecting on the understanding of the Church, society, personality, were able to meet the challenges of the time and satisfy questioning believers. The article focuses on the Patriarch’s ideas related to educational issues and reforms. It is posited that educational innovations should be based on Russian traditions, namely on the fundamentality of education. In this respect, it is essential to realize that when introducing the unified state examination procedure as a universal system of students’ assessment, pedagogues need to amend educational plans in order to include the development of learners’ fundamental skills and knowledge. The Patriarch is opposed to the technocratic approach to education because the goal of education is reduced only to the formation of the skills necessary for work. He agrees that school graduates should possess certain competences related to their career, but they should know Russian history, literature, and culture at a sufficient level. The Patriarch’s aspiration to preserve the unity of education and upbringing as a unique feature of the Russian educational process is accentuated.

Keywords:

tradition, philosophy, liberalism, the Church, education, upbringing, pedagogue, reform, national

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References

Литература

1. Кирилл, Патриарх Московский и всея Руси (2014), Собрание трудов. Сер. III: Богословие и духовное просвещение, т. 1, М.: Изд-во Московской патриархии РПЦ.

2. Кирилл (Гундяев), митрополит (2002), Здесь зародилась Святая Русь, Журнал Московской патриархии, No 8, с. 70–78.

3. Кирилл (Гундяев), патриарх (2012), Миссия государства в поддержании правды, Журнал Московской патриархии, No 11, с. 20–23.

4. Кирилл (Гундяев), патриарх (2012), Первосвятительское слово в праздник иконы Казанской Божией Матери, Журнал Московской патриархии, No 12, с. 16–18.

5. Кирилл, Патриарх Московский и всея Руси (2015), Семь слов о русском мире, М.: Всемирный русский народный Собор.

6. Кирилл, Патриарх Московский и всея Руси (2015), Собрание трудов. Сер. III: Богословие и духовное просвещение, т. 2, М.: Изд-во Московской патриархии РПЦ.

7. Кирилл (Гундяев), патриарх (2010), Задача церкви — нести слово правды Божией, Журнал Московской патриархии, No 1, с. 30–37.

8. Кирилл (Гундяев), патриарх (2012), Высокая миссия православного просвещения, Журнал Московской патриархии, No 3, с. 38–42.

9. Кирилл (Гундяев), патриарх (2012), Слово церкви должно нести правду, Журнал Московской патриархии, No 2, с. 26–31.

References

1. Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia (2014), Collected works, Ser. III: Theology and spiritual enlightenment, vol. 1, Moscow: Izdatel’stvo Moskovskoi patriarkhii RPTS Publ. (In Russian)

2. Kirill (Gundyaev), Metropolitan (2002), Holy Russia was born here, Zhurnal Moskovskoi patriarkhii, no. 8, pp. 70–78.

3. Kirill (Gundyaev), Patriarch (2012), Mission of the state in maintaining the truth, Zhurnal Moskovskoi patriarkhii, no. 11, pp. 20–23.

4. Kirill (Gundyaev), Patriarch (2012), The Primate’s word on the feast of the icon of the Kazan mother of God, Zhurnal Moskovskoi patriarkhii, no. 12, pp. 16–18.

5. Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia (2015), Seven words about the Russian world, Moscow: Vsemirnyi russkii narodnyi Sobor Publ. (In Russian)

6. Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia (2015), Collected works, Ser. III: Theology and spiritual enlightenment, vol. 2, Moscow: Izdatel’stvo Moskovskoi patriarkhii RPTS Publ. (In Russian)

7. Kirill (Gundyaev), Patriarch (2010), The task of the Church is to carry the word of God’s truth, Zhurnal Moskovskoi patriarkhii, no. 1, pp. 30–37.

8. Kirill (Gundyaev), Patriarch (2012), High mission of Orthodox enlightenment, Zhurnal Moskovskoi patriarkhii, no. 3, pp. 38–42.

9. Kirill (Gundyaev), Patriarch (2012), The word of the Church must carry the truth, Zhurnal Moskovskoi patriarkhii, no. 2, pp. 26–31.

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Published

2021-06-30

How to Cite

Shaposhnikov, L. E. (2021). Philosophical and pedagogical views of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill (Gundyaev). Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies, 37(2), 338–351. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu17.2021.212

Issue

Vol. 37 No. 2 (2021): Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies

Section

Religious studies

License

Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.