About one Archaic Ancient Slavic Influence on the Interpretation of the Phrase: «Get rich toward God» (Lk. 12, 21)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the problem of theological interpretation of the gospel parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12, 16–21) and particularly its final phrase about «richness toward God». The author draws attention to etymological connection between lexemes «God» and «richness» in Slavic language, makes an excursion into historical semantics, presenting possible range of meanings proto-Slavic *bogъ and demonstrating by examples from relative Indo-European languages its relevance to the idea of fate and endowing a person of benefits. The influence of archaic pre-Christian notions is revealed in perception and interpretation of the gospel parable by famous Russian theologists, such as St. Philaret of Moscow, St. Theophan the Recluse, St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, who usually combined the exegetic line of doing good deeds to people in need, consecration of earthly goods by God through sacrifice to Church needs, and also the idea of God as the only supreme good, which should be sought by person, who do hanger after the Kingdom of Heaven and Its righteousness.