Praxis

Legal Regulation of Missionary Activity of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Russian Federation

2025-03-20T13:47:50+00:00

Legal regulation of missionary activity in the Russian legal field appeared in 2016, when the Federal Law "On Amendments to the Federal Law "On Counteracting Terrorism" and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in Terms of Establishing Additional Measures to Counter Terrorism and Ensure Public Safety" dated 06.07.2016 No. 374-FZ was adopted. However, the discussion of the legislative consolidation of provisions on missionary activity has been going on for more than 10 years. The adopted law introduced Chapter III.1 "Missionary Activity" into the Federal Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations". The article examines various levels of legal regulation of the right to freedom of dissemination of religious beliefs (constitutional, international, federal); the definition of missionary activity according to Russian legislation and documents of the Russian Orthodox Church; the applicability of state legal regulation of missionary activity to the Russian Orthodox Church; where missionary activity is carried out without hindrance; who has and does not have the right to be a missionary; what document a missionary must have; in what cases missionary activity is prohibited, and who is responsible for prohibited missionary activity.

The Practice of Translations of Bishops (Metatheton) in the Church of Greece. Part III: 1959–1977

2025-03-20T14:05:52+00:00

In this article, the A. studies the issue of the principle of translation (metatheton) of bishops in the Church of Greece (CG) in its historical development. The 3rd and final part looks at the period from the 1960s, when metapheton was widely recognised as "the main problem, the real stumbling block", to the present day. The A. examines in detail the events of 1962–1966, when supporters and opponents of metatheton staked everything and the struggle around it reached its climax. The A. gives a translation of the most important and characteristic documents. The problem of metatheton was partly removed by the 1967 coup d'état. The last milestone in the history of metatheton is the adoption of the statute of 1977, which is still in force today. The A. analyzes this statute in detail from the point of view of the Holy Canons and compares it with earlier statutes. The conclusion shows that the struggle against the metapheton has considerably revitalised the CG, which, with regard to translations of bishops, is currently the closest to the Holy Canons of the major Local Orthodox Churches. The appendix contains a list of translations in the CG from its foundation to the present.

The Main Directions of Research Activities of Students of the Department of Church Law at the Kazan Theological Academy

2025-03-20T14:18:09+00:00

The most important form of the educational process of any higher educational institution is the scientific activity of students. An integral part of studying the legacy of the pre-revolutionary Kazan scientific school of church law is the study of scientific works of pupils of the Kazan Theological Academy. Within the framework of this article, student and candidate's essays performed at the Department of Church Law of the Kazan Theological Academy will be considered.

Powers of the Episcopate in the Ancient Church in the I–IV Cent.

2025-03-20T15:54:04+00:00

The article is devoted to the consideration of the process of formation of episcopal power in the Ancient Church in the period from the 1st to the 4th centuries. In particular, it attempts to identify the factors that influenced the process of the rise of the Roman, Alexandrian and Antiochian Churches. Using the comparative legal method of research, as well as the historical and canonical approach, the author comes to the conclusion that there are four common factors that influenced the rise of episcopal power in the first four centuries of church life.

Legal Regulation of the Cultural Policy of the Russian Federation and the Problems of Implementation of Relevant Norms

2025-03-20T16:08:58+00:00

Currently, the cultural policy of the Russian Federation at the legislative level is aimed at preserving and strengthening Russian traditional spiritual and moral values. However, in practice, legislative norms in this area are usually not implemented. The article reveals the content of the normative acts regulating the state cultural policy. The problems of the implementation of the norms of state cultural policy and the reasons for the contradictory situation of cultural life in Russia "de iure" and "de facto" are revealed. The issue of morality in the cultural life of the Russian public is touched upon, human rights and freedoms and the need to limit them are considered. The Church's position on the identified issues is given.

The Legal Status of the Military Clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Russian Federation: The Main Challenges

2025-03-20T16:23:03+00:00

The article analyzes the current legal status of the military clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Russian Federation on the basis of state normative legal acts of the Russian Federation, as well as church normative documents. On the basis of the above documents, the most important legal aspects of the interaction of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are highlighted, legal gaps in bilateral cooperation and legal regulation of the activities of military clergy in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and other law enforcement agencies of Russia are also shown, separately highlights issues related to military clergy in the Special military operation.

Marriage Between Christians and Non-Christians

2025-03-20T14:40:05+00:00

The theme of Christian marriage and its conditions is a recurring theme in Church law. The 2017 determination of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church “On the Canonical Aspects of Church Marriage” consolidated the Church's rulings in the area of marriage law in accordance with the requirements of modernity. In the fall of 2024, a draft document “On Issues Concerning Prayer with Non-Orthodox Christians” was submitted for Church-wide discussion, Section VI of which, in particular, stipulates the admission of mixed marriages: “The participation of a non-Orthodox Christian in the marriage ceremony in the case of such a marriage is implied by the very rite of the sacrament”. The question of the possibility of crowning a mixed marriage is also addressed in the Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church (p. X.2). The historical solution of this question in the Orthodox Church is offered in the published translation of the article by the famous Orthodox canonist Nicodemus (Milash) “Marriage Between Christians and Non-Christians” (1907). The translation was made by Archpriest Alexander Zadornov, Associate Professor, according to the edition: Никодим (Милаш), еп. Брак између хришћана и нехришћана // Никодим (Милаш), еп. Дела. Књ. VII: Аутобиографија; студије; чланци. Београд; Шибеник: Истина, 2005. С. 783–796. In this publication, the subscripts are arranged in accordance with the original, reflecting the bibliographical and commentary traditions of the time of the text's creation.

Becoming the Gospel: St. Paul, Theosis and Missionary Hermeneutics

2025-03-20T16:36:44+00:00

This article is a bibliographical review of Michael J. Gorman's monograph «Becoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission». A major aspect of Gorman's work is his attention to missio Dei. For the author, mission is not simply a line item in the church budget or an activity designed only for preaching in a foreign land. Mission is the heartbeat of the Church, and as such must be an integral part of authentic Christian life. Equally important is Gorman's view of theosis as the central theme of the theology of the Apostle to the Gentiles. Gorman argues that Paul's theology is a theology of theosis.

Foreword by the Editor-in-Chief

2025-03-20T13:34:04+00:00

FOREWORD BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The last few years in Russian theological scholarship have been marked by an increased interest in questions of canon law. This cannot be explained by practical issues alone: the crisis of inter-Orthodox relations, the new understanding of the principles of canonical hermeneutics, including the conflict of interpretations of church legal norms. Gone are the times when it seemed necessary to justify the legal beginning in ecclesiastical life and to substantiate the legitimacy of including canonics in a number of legal sciences.

The activities of the Justinian (MDA), Barsovsky (SPbDA), and Berdnikovsky (KDS) readings of the leading ecclesiastical schools of our Church devoted to issues of church law demonstrate the need to continue research even in those areas of canonics that seemed or appear to have long been studied and reached a scientific consensus.

Praxis magazine contributes to this welcome trend to the best of its ability.

In this issue readers will find articles on marriage law, the history of the study of canon law in Russia, the regulation of missionary activity and cultural policy in today's Russia, and the status of individual clerics and their authority.

Archpriest Alexander Zadornov,

Head of the Department of Church Practical Disciplines at the Moscow Theological Academy

Moscow Theological Academy

Celibate

2025-03-20T14:57:15+00:00

This article is published on the basis of the report of Professor Archpriest Vladislav Tsypin at the All-Russian Pokrovsky Academic Scientific Theological Conference ‘Autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church: Towards the 575th Anniversary of the Establishment of Autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church’, held on 11 October 2025 at the Moscow Theological Academy. The article is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of clergy celibacy in its historical and theological perspectives. The paper traces the evolution of the attitude to celibacy from its negative evaluation in antiquity and ancient Israel to its recognition as a special feat in Christianity. The main emphasis is placed on analysing the development of the practice of celibacy in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, identifying key differences in their canonical approaches. The historical and theological factors that determined the establishment of celibacy for the episcopate in Orthodoxy and its extension to all clergy of the Latin rite in Catholicism are explored. Particular attention is paid to the internal controversies and debates that accompanied the institution of celibacy, especially in the context of the Catholic tradition, as well as to contemporary tendencies to rethink this practice in both confessions. The aim of the study is to deepen the understanding of the canonical, historical and theological aspects of the phenomenon of celibacy in Christianity.

Canonical Section of the Annual Pokrovsky Conference of the Moscow Theological Academy

2025-03-20T16:47:27+00:00