The Economist's Interview with Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev

Source: The Economist

February 1, 2018

    

The Economist: I'd like to start with the church’s role in a sense of national identity of Russians and how the church’s role in that national identity has changed since the end of communism.

I think if we look at the history of the Russian nation and of the Russian state it would be very difficult to overestimate the role the Orthodox church played in the fashioning of the Russian national identity. And if you look at the Russian culture, not speaking of the medieval culture with its churches and icons and church singing, even if we look at the Russian culture of the 19th century, it is still very Christian, not only by its roots but also by its self-understanding and self-identity. And you may look at two greatest writers of the 19th century: Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. Both of them were believers. One of them had a problem with the church, let’s put it this way, but he believed in Christ. And Dostoyevsky was a very Christ-centric writer and his writings are full of Orthodox messages and even quotations from the church fathers.

...Read the rest at The Economist.

2/5/2018

See also
Greek transgender law is “crime before God”—Met. Hilarion Greek transgender law is “crime before God”—Met. Hilarion Greek transgender law is “crime before God”—Met. Hilarion Greek transgender law is “crime before God”—Met. Hilarion
The new law allowing even 15-year-olds to legally change their gender, recently adopted by the Greek Parliament on October 10, is a “crime before God and the people” and will be met with numerous protests from believers, Metropolitan Hilarion believes. Current US-Russia relations are a “phantasmagoria”—Met. Hilarion Current US-Russia relations are a “phantasmagoria”—Met. Hilarion Current US-Russia relations are a “phantasmagoria”—Met. Hilarion Current US-Russia relations are a “phantasmagoria”—Met. Hilarion
What is happening now between Russia and America, in my view, is a phantasmagoria, because those sanctions that were declared, those measures that were announced, are unlikely to bring benefit to anyone on this or that side. They cannot lead to improved relations between two countries,” Met. Hilarion stated in his recent interview posted on the site of the Russian Orthodox Church. Past twenty-eight years show greatest growth of faith in Russia—Metropolitan Hilarion Past twenty-eight years show greatest growth of faith in Russia—Metropolitan Hilarion Past twenty-eight years show greatest growth of faith in Russia—Metropolitan Hilarion Past twenty-eight years show greatest growth of faith in Russia—Metropolitan Hilarion
“The epoch which we call ‘the second Baptism of Russia’ begun in our Church in 1988. The mass baptism of our population started in Russia in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s,” Metropolitan Hilarion said while relating the history of Orthodoxy in Russia to the Italian guests.
Comments
Anthony 2/5/2018 8:33 pm
I had to do a double take when I read the title. I thought it read: The Ecumenists interview with Metr. Hilarion. They're everywhere I tell ya.
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