Special Features of the Spiritual Leadership of St. Theofan the Recluse

Abstract

The article is devoted to the specifics of the ascetic practice of the famous Russian devotee of piety, Bishop Theofan (Govorov). At the beginning of the article, a historical basis is given for the dialectical confrontation between the world and the monastery, which is resolved into one of the blessed forms of Christian life. Further, a distinction is made between the concepts of «the world of God», as the universe created by God, and the «world of sin», as the rule of evil that invaded the surrounding world through the fault of man. This distinction helps to remove the common misconception about monastic renunciation of the world and to reveal the true relationship that a person gives birth to when he embarks on the monastic path of spiritual rebirth. Developing these relationships, the monk enters into an integral, organic, spiritual and grace-filled unity with the world of God, which allows him to establish a genuine relationship based on love for the entire divine creation with all the inhabitants of the created world. On this fundamental principle of monastic life, as Bishop Theofan, the Recluse of Vyshensky writes, it is precisely necessary to build the archpastoral leadership of all members of the Church — not only the monastic brotherhood, but also the secular people, thereby continuing the spiritual tradition of the Russian eldership.