Florensky Paul, priest. Foreword to the publication of a series of the Fathers

Preparation for publication by hegumen Andronicus (Trubachev)

Abstract

This is a publication of a manuscript text from the archive of the priest Pavel Florensky, in which he critically talks about the textbook “Ecclesiastical History”of I. Sokolov. The text, written at the request of M. A. Novoselov was supposed to be a preface to the publication of a series of unrealized Holy Fathers. Fr. Paul Florensky, in his discussion of the ideology behind the writing of the Church history, criticizes the approach of I. I. Sokolov, who talks about “history’s struggle with the Church” and how it is simply a series of small and accidental conflicts and intrigues, representing “what was done to the church, rather than what the Church did”. According to Fr. Paul, Church history is a constantly increasing flow of Saints andspiritual values, and the center of gravity in writing a Church history should not be, what is said about the Church, but what the Church says about itself.