Shamans beat tambourines, Moses ascends the mountain, a Roman throws a handful of grain into the fire of his home, Egyptians give each other funeral utensils, a Paleolithic artist completes the drawing of a herd of bulls and blocks the entrance to the cave with stones... Why? Where did the world begin? How did plants, animals and people appear? Since when and why does humanity celebrate New Year? What was Homer silent about? What do Egyptologists, Sumerologists, anthropologists, and religious scholars do? We will tell you about all this, but be careful not to get confused in the branches of the World Tree!
About the “Little Encyclopedias” series
The Little Encyclopedias series is about things that seem too complex to be the subject of an encyclopedia for children.
Publication dossier
10 questions to the author of the book “Religions of the World”
Interview with Eulalia Popova, who over the years of working on the book became part of the Fordewind team, about herself and about the book: how it was created, how it differs, who needs it and why...
How did the idea to write a book about religions come about?
This happened by accident, that is, I had absolutely no intention (and never dreamed!) of writing a book, especially on such a complex topic. I just came to Fordewind to drink tea and get acquainted. Probably, Anya and Margot saw how sparks of inspiration flew from my eyes when for some reason I told them about the funeral utensils of the Egyptians and the texts of the pyramids, and the tea party ended with a proposal to make a book.
What brought you to this topic?
An existential crisis, of course! It seems that this happened in my third year at the Literary Institute. I read Kierkegaard, plowed through Dostoevsky, and listened to audio recordings of conversations with Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. And it hit me. Probably, at 19 years old it is impossible not to be tormented by the search for the meaning of life. Around the same time, I met a teacher at Kolomenskaya Orthodox Seminary, who could answer almost all my questions about Christianity. We talked for hours (about the ill-fated apple and the views of geneticists on the existence of the real Adam and Eve, about the big bang theory and microbiology, about the Great Schism and early Christian apologetics, about Plato and Aurelius Augustine, etc.), and I felt like the picture of the world is slowly expanding, the “blind spots” are filled with logical and harmonious content. In addition to Christianity, I was then very interested in Buddhism and Ancient Egypt, beliefs of “primitive” peoples. After graduating from the Literary Institute, I entered the correspondence department of PSTGU, the department of religious studies. But I quickly realized that I didn’t need a second degree diploma. higher education, I need knowledge, and I can study shamanism, Egypt, Jainism, and the history of Christianity in the early Middle Ages on my own. Having passed the first session with excellent marks, I took the documents. In general, I really like the idea of self-education, but here it is important to be able to work with sources and have a well-tuned critical thinking: check and double-check every word, question any statement, even if you really like it.
What is special about this encyclopedia, how does it stand out among others?
Firstly, there are not so many Russian-language children's books about religions - the fingers of one hand are enough to count them. And there are very few such books that would talk about each of the religions with equal enthusiasm and at the same time would not be pulled in any direction. We tried to maintain maximum neutrality and objectivity.
Secondly, we talk not only about religions, but also about those scientists, without whom there would be neither religious studies nor our book. Attention! It is quite possible that after reading it, your child will decide to become an archaeologist, anthropologist or Buddhist scholar.
Thirdly, in addition to stories about specific religions, the book contains “end-to-end” spreads dedicated to the fundamental categories inherent in all religions. Sacrifice, symbols, the role of words in religions different nations, the connection between religion and culture, the opposition of religion and science... There are even Short story humanity. All this is terribly interesting and sometimes so large-scale that it takes your breath away!
Who else took part in the work on the book?
Buddhist monk catholic priest, a Protestant deacon, my Indian friend from the Brahmin Varna, an Egyptologist and a religious scholar... A lot of wonderful people! I consulted with some of them during the writing of the book, and when the texts were ready, we agreed on them with representatives of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. It was very important for us to tell about each of the religions as correctly and truthfully as possible, without distortion.
In addition, our book was read from cover to cover by a scientific consultant, to whom we are very grateful for his valuable comments. By the way, thanks to such interaction with both theorists (religious scholars) and practitioners (religious representatives), we discovered that their views on the same things can differ significantly!
What are your favorite chapters?
About rock painting, about Confucianism and Taoism, about shamanism and Zoroastrianism... I can list all the contents!
Which topic was the most difficult to work with?
It's hard to write about the Abrahamic religions because you have to do it very carefully, avoiding rough edges and not taking sides in the disagreements that exist between them. But it was even harder with Buddhism! I rewrote it five times. Truly Bhante Topper (our consultant) has golden patience!
Of course, it is needed by both. That is, it’s great to be Orthodox and at the same time know something about Islam, Buddhism or Judaism. And it’s even more great when atheists understand what they are against and what exactly they are denying. When a Buddhist understands an Orthodox person, an Orthodox person understands a Buddhist, a Muslim understands a Catholic, a Catholic understands a Muslim, an atheist understands a believer, and so on, a space for safe and respectful communication arises. Each of us has the opportunity to conduct a dialogue with representatives of one religion or another, respecting their faith and beliefs. We may disagree with each other on something, but it is important to maintain mutual respect and goodwill.
The two most pressing issues related to religion now are the issue of propaganda and the issue of insulting the feelings of believers. How does this work in the book?
As I already said, there is no religious propaganda in our book, we do not incline the reader to any of the religions, instead we invite him to walk with us through the centuries and see how different, bizarre and at the same time similar people thought about God, about life and death. We are very sensitive to the feelings of believers. This is also why we turned to representatives of different religions - to find out how these texts would be perceived by believers. We even put a stamp at the end of the book saying that we acknowledge and respect other points of view on the issues raised in the book and have great respect for everyone's beliefs and beliefs.
Could this book be a manual or a basic tutorial? religious cultures and secular ethics?
Of course, not a textbook. But we hope that our book turned out to be more interesting than any textbook, because it is not limited by any strict framework and it does not have a teacher’s tone, but is very friendly and even perky in places. We would really like to captivate the child, interest him and awaken his curiosity, so that after reading this book he will find something of his own, get hooked on it and go on an exploratory adventure on his own! In addition, the pages of the book are decorated with stunning illustrations by Anya Oparina, which you will not find in any textbook!
At what age can you start talking to your child about religion?
When the child himself begins to ask questions about religion, then, probably, the conversation should begin. For some this happens at 6-7 years old, for others later. The publisher recommends the book for children of middle and high school age, but this is a personal and unique matter; when it’s interesting, then you should read it. And it is imperative for parents to discuss the topic with their child and, if necessary, help in understanding difficult passages. We tried to create a book that would be fun to read, and at the same time it was important not to lose depth, to avoid superficiality. I hope we succeeded!
Teaser for the book “Religions of the World”
What is strange, but very beautiful happens in the teaser of the book “Religions of the World: Small historical encyclopedia»?
For this video, we took illustrations from the book and, together with Anna Oparina (although how can we compare to the master’s sleight of hand?) cut them out so that the light passing through turns the shadows into pictures. We set up a real shadow theater on the wall of the publishing house’s office! Of course, you have to see this live, but it also looks great on video. And mysterious! Photo details of the process -
If you have already had experience interacting with any scientific reference book in this area, give this book your rating and leave a review. Add books that deserve to be on this list. Together, thanks to user ratings and reviews, we will create an adequate and useful encyclopedia of religions rating.
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In the study of the American historian Paul Werth, the phenomenon of multi-confessionalism of the Russian Empire is studied through the prism of the problems of the imperial system and governance in the 19th – early 20th centuries. The author examines Orthodoxy and the so-called “foreign Confessions,” illuminates the meaning and consequences of ethnic diversity within the Orthodox community. Considerable attention is also paid to such topics as transitions from one confession to another and the relationship of religious affairs with the sphere of civil rights and foreign policy. The book presents a number of regions of the Russian Empire - the Caucasus, the Kingdom of Poland, the Western and Baltic regions, the eastern outskirts of European Russia - and, accordingly, different religions and confessions: Islam, paganism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Armenian apostolic church. The author's vivid picture of religious diversity deepens our understanding of the specifics of the Russian Empire. gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
Vitaly Demyanovich Gitt
The century of scientific and technological progress has come to an end. Even advanced green 3D and 4G glasses are not capable of maintaining the illusion of omniscience and omnipotence of science. Folk legends, where magic and miracles live - the constant companions of Happiness - flow into the “robot fairy tales”.
... Further magic card peace. The author invites the reader to search for miracles and provides him with the opportunity to look at familiar reality in a new way.
Yes, there is magic. Yes, miracles happen. Everyone should know at least the most necessary things about this, and also have vital “magic immunity”. And to maintain this immunity, you can and should use appropriate means. One of the most effective magical means is the ancient Scandinavian Runes, preserved since the time of Odin.
RUNES – mighty magic tool, with the help of which you can still create miracles, attracting precious drops of Happiness into your life. In this book you will find everything you need to use Runes yourself or make right choice, if you decide to seek the help of specialists.
... Further
Sergey Gordeev According to the official version, the first people appeared in Europe forty thousand years ago. It is believed that these were people from African tribes. Around the same time, the first ritual images carved on rocks appeared in Australia. Similar images were found and in Namibia. The first evidence that pointed to the difference between man and animal were the simplest concepts of the wanderings of the soul and very primitive magic. Later from ancient magic all appeared modern sciences and religion. In the book of a famous researcher mystical history of humanity Sergei Vasilievich Gordeev tells how, by falling into errors and freeing himself from them, a person became a person. Talked about how ancient magic gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
... Further The greatest shrines of world religions are called relics: the Ark of the Covenant and gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
the cross of Jesus Christ, the Holy Grail and the Holy Kaaba, the sword of the Prophet Muhammad and the statue of the Emerald Buddha.
Shamil Goitimirov
In the process of working on this book, we sought, in a form accessible to schoolchildren, to talk about the main stages in the formation of a person’s religious worldview along the path of its historical development from paganism to the conscious perception of the blessed ideology of faith in one God.
... Further
The author considers the meaning of the existence of man and the Universe as a single and indivisible whole of the general process of processing matter into spirit. Why did God need the act of creating the Universe? What is the role of a person participating in this enormous process of life and activity of everything? of the universe? The modern philosopher N.N. is looking for answers to these and other difficult questions. Maltsev. gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
Sigmund Freud
“Totem and Taboo” is one of the key works of Sigmund Freud, which is a large-scale and original study of the characteristics of psychosexual perception, balancing on the verge of psychoanalysis, cultural studies and anthropology primitive man, – research, so far since then considered an absolute classic of psychoanalysis... gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
Boris Kapustin
The book is dedicated to revealing the necessary connections between freedom and evil. Distraction from them does not prevent the construction of the abstract idea of freedom, but it does not allow us to understand it as always the concrete practices of liberation. Why pure moral philosophy or normative ethics blind to this distinction between “freedom as an idea” and “freedom as liberation”? How to overcome such blindness and how does such overcoming transform ethical thought, historicizing and politicizing it? Must ethical thought thus transformed retain certain key concepts of pure moral philosophy, and above all the formal concept of duty, in order to be consistently and uncompromisingly historical and political? These questions are at the center of this book. Their discussion unfolds in the context of analysis and criticism of Kant’s moral philosophy - both its metaphysical “canon” and its revision in Kant’s later writings, and primarily in “Religion within the Limits of Reason Only.” gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
The book is addressed to everyone interested in moral and political philosophy who study and teach these disciplines.
... Further
A. K. Aitzhanova The book “Islam and the Vedas” is a dialogue between two, at first glance, distant traditions: Islamic mysticism (Sufism) and Vedic monotheism (Vaishnavism). Author of the book, religious scholar, candidate philosophical sciences , explains key concepts and concepts with scientific precision these teachings (role spiritual teacher , interpretation of sacred texts, levels spiritual knowledge gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
, life after death, the structure of the universe, etc.), as if bringing traditions to each other and allowing them to tell about themselves during the dialogue. The book contains many quotes from the Koran, Vedas and commentaries on them, and similar points are collected in comparative tables at the end of each chapter. While emphasizing the commonality of spiritual truths inherent in these traditions, the author nevertheless does not attempt to confuse them. Anyone interested in the spiritual traditions of the East will find many little-known and unexpected facts in this book. For a wide range of readers.
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche In his book, the famous Tibetan master Mingyur Rinpoche, combining ancient wisdom
Buddhism with the latest discoveries of Western science, shows how you can live a healthier and happier life through meditation.
... Further
Rinpoche was personally selected by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to participate in medical research into the effects of meditation at the Weisman Laboratory of Neuroscience and Brain Function at the University of Wisconsin.
... Further
A well-known historian of religion, the Englishwoman Karen Armstrong is endowed with rare virtues: enviable scholarship and a brilliant gift for speaking simply about complex things. She created a real miracle: she covered in one book the entire history of monotheism - from Abraham to the present day, from ancient philosophy, medieval mysticism, spiritual quests of the Renaissance and Reformation up to the skepticism of the modern era.
Adrian Krupchansky
Eternal questions: “Who am I?”, “What surrounds me?”, “What to do?”. Without them, it is impossible to answer the main question: “What is the meaning of life?” The ancient Vedic scriptures offer answers that are succinct, precise, balanced and reasoned. gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
Getting to know them will help make your life more harmonious, more fulfilling and happier.
... Further
Marshall Hodgson "The History of Islam" by the famous Islamic scholar Marshall Hodgson is a unique, comprehensive work that, since its first publication in 1975, remains the most ambitious study of Islamic civilization, covering events from the birth of Islam to the early 60s. XX gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
century. This completely unique work, which has no analogues in modern oriental studies, made Hodgson one of the indisputable authorities in Muslim history.
Stephen Batchelor This book is a dizzying attempt to understand the ancient heritage of Buddhism from the point of view modern man Western culture : what Buddhism can give to ordinary people, how to implement Buddhist principles in your life, what the real Buddha taught. Stephen Batchelor passed A 37-year journey of understanding Buddhism - from a monk who studied the theory and practice of Buddhism from the best Tibetan teachers, to a lay writer and teacher leading meditation groups. Russian edition gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
This famous book is illustrated with drawings by the famous Buddhist artist Richard Beer.
Marina Toropygina methodology. What is commonly called the iconological tradition is a rather complex phenomenon, the formation of which was influenced by interest in iconography and positivism of the 19th century, and subsequently by neo-Kantian philosophy, philosophical hermeneutics, Viennese positivism, analytical and existential psychology. Iconological discourse includes such scientists as F. Sachsl, E. Panofsky, E. Wind, E. Gombrich, E. Cassirer, L. Binswanger, J. Bialostotsky. Our study uses and cites sources that have not previously been translated into Russian. gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
The book is addressed to a wide range of readers: both scientific specialists and students interested in the history of art and the history of science, cultural studies, psychology, and philosophy.
... Further
Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje This book has two authors. The first is Dagpo Tashi Namgyal (XVI century), a high lama of the Kagyu Buddhist tradition. The Tibetan original of his manuscript is titled “Graded Meditation Instructions of the Great Seal of True Meaning Explaining the Natural State.” Second part, gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
"The Finger Pointing to the Dharmakaya" was written by the Ninth Karmapa Wangchug Dorje (1556–1603). Each of the works is a classic textbook on Mahamudra (Great Seal) meditation, the pinnacle of the Buddhist path. They completely show the path of practice, starting from simple concentration and ending with complete enlightenment; Detailed instructions are given on how to evaluate your development and avoid mistakes. For a wide range of readers.
Geza Vermes Appearance christian church - This is one of the greatest and most mysterious events in world history. The first days of its existence were shrouded in mystery for a long time, and what could be found out was a collection of rumors and legends, or what is called church by legend. This book is a serious attempt to lift the veil of the great mystery of the founding of the church. It presents the grandiose history of the emergence and development of Christianity: from Nazareth in the 30s - the city in which the founder of Christianity was born - to I Ecumenical Council gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
in Nicaea, held in 325, the place where the dogma of the divinity of Jesus was proclaimed. Geza Vermes (1924–2013) is one of the world's leading experts on Judaism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, New Testament biblical studies and the history of early Christianity.
In his book “Ultimate Healing,” the world-famous master of Buddhist meditation, Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, helps the reader understand what the root of all our bodily and physical ailments lies, and gives him all the necessary tools, using which everyone can ensure happiness and health in the future. Bringing us stories of people healed through meditation, Rinpoche examines in detail the cause-and-effect law of karma and the process of mental labeling, which play a key role in the emergence of diseases, and demonstrates how meditation and other techniques for developing wisdom and compassion can completely eliminate the root cause of all diseases . gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
Sergey Neapolitansky
Ayurveda (“ayu” - life and “veda” - knowledge leading to perfection) is a science of life that uses methods of physical, mental and spiritual improvement. From the point of view of Ayurveda, the body is not only a biological object consisting of cells and organs, but also a flow consciousness, which creates, shapes and controls all processes. And therefore a person, at his own will, can change the state of his body. Thousands of years before modern medicine discovered the connection between body and mind, Vedic teachers developed creative technologies that work with the deepest levels of consciousness. One of them was the science of sound, vibrational medicine, or mantrotherapy. gradually transformed into modern world religions. A large number of illustrations makes reading this book not only useful, but also very enjoyable.
The scientific director and coordinator of the project is Doctor of Philosophy, Professor E.S. Elbakyan
Compilation and general editing - Doctor of Philosophy, Professor A.P. Zabiyako, Doctor of Philosophy, Associate Professor A.N. Krasnikov, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor E.S. Elbakyan
Scientific support work - candidate of philosophical sciences S.E. Anikhovsky, candidate of philosophical sciences P.V. Basharin, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences I.S. Vevyurko, A.V. Kondratiev
Art editors M.N. Sitnikov, D. A. Uzlaner
Encyclopedia of Religions - Academic Project - Gaudeamus
Ed. A.P. Zabiyako, A.N. Krasnikova, E.S. Elbakyan
M.: Academic Project; Gaudeamus, 2008. - 1520 p.: ill. - (Summa).
ISBN 978-5-8291-1084-0 (Academic Project)
ISBN 978-5-98426-067-1 (Gaudeamus)
Encyclopedia of Religions - Religion and religions at the beginning of the third millennium
Since the Enlightenment, the idea that the life of religion has come to an end has gained broad rights and political-ideological perspectives in European consciousness: its institutions have come into conflict with the state and civil society, its rituals have become an anachronism, religious dogmas and commandments have become empty rhetoric, and the sacred books are a body of errors... In “progressive circles” religious idea relegated to the level of superstition or fables. In revolutionary ideologies, war was declared on religion as “the heart of a heartless world.”
Soon, where those calling themselves “Marxist” ideologies came to power, the promised war took on very real forms of repressive state policy - churches, mosques, datsans, shrines, synagogues were destroyed, clergy declared “enemies of the people” became objects of mass terror; under the influence of state anti-religious propaganda, society en masse declared its commitment to atheism. The development of Western democratic societies also confirmed the disappointing forecast for religion - secularization and anti-clericalism became at the beginning of the 20th century. for respectable citizens a normal way of life. The crisis of religion has clearly emerged even in traditional societies East: the reforms of Kemal Ataturk in Turkey, the Shah Pahlavi dynasty in Iran - such transformations led to secular modernization, which left less and less room for Islam, which had dominated until then. The “quasi-religions” of totalitarian regimes and the phenomenon of “civil” religions, which loudly declared themselves in the first half of the last century, seemed to only confirm the general trend of the collapse of religious systems, which, in the course of irreversible mutations, gave rise to bright, but atypical ersatz.
However, by the end of the 1970s, many of the religious new formations that arose after World War II discovered their vitality and began to compete fiercely with traditional faiths. The activity of the “religions of the new century” and the persistent struggle for the survival of the “old” churches, which put forward reform programs, new trends in theology and social projects in a wide spectrum, from fundamentalist to ultra-radical - these and other reasons led to the gradual growth of the religious factor in the West. Islamic Revolution of 1979 under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, education Islamic Republic Iran and the subsequent Islamization of a number of political movements - all this, coupled with the Western realities of increased religious life sounded as a “mourning accompaniment” to recent forecasts about the imminent displacement of religion from personal and public life. The star of those social reformers and thinkers who built their political programs and religious theories with the expectation of a society free of religion has set.
By the end of the 20th century. humanity has come under the sign of new theories of the global conflict of “Western” and “Eastern” religions, “Christian” and “Muslim” civilizations, which are put forward to explain and predict the geopolitical processes of the beginning of the third millennium. The European autumn of 2005, illuminated by night fires and unrest, confirmed the correctness of those thinkers who reasonably predicted the growth and radicalization of religious sentiment in the world. However, religious concepts clearly do not keep up with the large and multidirectional transformations that occur in the depths of religious life and sometimes lead to paradoxical and even scandalous changes that threaten new schisms and anathematizations. For example, there are no convincing theories for analyzing and predicting the consequences of such phenomena of modern religious life as the recent adoption Anglican Church America, Lutheran churches of Sweden, Holland doctrines on homosexual marriage and the female priesthood.
The crisis and insufficiency of previous religious approaches are as obvious as the absence or unconvincingness of new ways of interpreting and predicting many religious realities. It should be recognized, however, that in the 21st century. religious studies has entered as an independent branch of knowledge with a rich heritage, declaring itself as a science at the forefront of humanitarian knowledge, relevant for modern man and society. This potential will certainly allow the science of religion to provide its answer to the pressing problems of our time.
Dear reader! Before you is a secular Russian-language encyclopedic publication, dedicated to religions world, - “Encyclopedia of Religions”. In a systematic form, it represents the diversity of religious life both in historical retrospect and in its current dimension. Encyclopedic articles, of which there are more than 3,400 in the publication, reveal in a holistic manner the uniqueness of individual faiths (global and local, historical and recently emerged), as well as their most important aspects - doctrines, mythology, symbolism, theology and demonology, content holy books, religious practices, ethical and legal norms, forms of art, social institutions, etc. The compilers tried not to ignore even relatively small religious movements, without deviating from an impartial consideration of those whose assessment is extremely ambiguous (for example, skopchestvo). A significant section of the Encyclopedia is devoted to religious reformers, philosophers and theologians, their destinies, works and contributions to the history of religion. Important part Encyclopedias contain articles that reveal the content religious concepts and concepts.
"Encyclopedia of Religions" is a secular and non-denominational publication. Its authors - atheists, agnostics, Christians (Orthodox, Catholics, representatives of various directions in Protestantism), Muslims, Buddhists, Jews and bearers of other beliefs - primarily act as scientists who, when preparing articles, abstracted from personal ideological predilections. The contents of the Encyclopedia are an example of a fruitful dialogue between representatives of different worldviews, united by deep mutual respect and common scientific goals. The encyclopedia is free from any ideological pressure religious organizations, political movements or government institutions.
The compilers and editors of the Encyclopedia hope that the publication, designed for both specialists and a wide audience of readers of different ages and occupations interested in religion, will help deepen their understanding of the historical past and complex present of various religious formations. And perhaps a deeper understanding of our history will thus lift the curtain on some of the conflicts of the future.
Doctor of Philosophy A.P. Zabiyako, Doctor of Philosophy A.N. Krasnikov Doctor of Philosophy of the EU. Elbakyan
Encyclopedia of Religions - - Academic Project - Gaudeamus - PROKHANOV
PROKHANOV Ivan Stepanovich (1869-1935) - Russian Protestant religious leader, founder of the All-Russian Union of Evangelical Christians. Born into a family of spiritual Christians (Molokans), he was baptized at the age of 17. Graduated from St. Petersburg Technological Institute; He sympathized with the populists, and already in 1889 he began, together with a group of believers, to illegally publish the magazine “Conversation” in St. Petersburg. In 1893 he published his first collection of spiritual poems, and a year later he moved to Simferopol, where he created the Russian-Ukrainian Protestant community “Vertograd” (its member was, for example, Z.N. Nekrasova, the poet’s widow). However, this community did not last long, and in February 1895, due to religious persecution, P. was forced to leave Russia - first to Sweden, then to Germany, Paris and, finally, to Great Britain, where he studied at a one-year Baptist (see Baptist) theological courses in Bristol and met preachers from many European countries. In 1898 P. returned to Russian Empire, to Latvia, where he worked as a railway engineer and taught at the Riga Polytechnic Institute, from which, however, in 1901 he was dismissed as a sectarian. K con. 19 - beginning 20th century refers to the flowering of P.’s literary creativity. He collected and in 1902 published a collection of spiritual songs “Gusli” of 507 hymns (partially used in Baptist and other Protestant churches in Russia and the CIS to the present day), and in 1905 he published his collection of poems - “Strings of the Heart "(later he published a number of collections of spiritual songs and hymns). After the weakening of religious intolerance in 1905, P. actively became involved in missionary work and organizing Protestant communities. Thus, he participated in the creation of the Russian Evangelical Union in 1907 and drafted its charter. In January 1906, he began publishing the magazine “Christian” - one of the first organs of the Russian Protestant press, and from 1910 - the newspaper “ morning Star" In 1913, under the leadership of P., it was opened Bible school in St. Petersburg.
In November 1908, with his direct participation, the first evangelical community was registered in this city. Communities of Evangelical Christians under the leadership of P., due to doctrinal and church-organizational differences, moved away from a strictly Baptist orientation (including due to elements of Calvinism in the doctrine of the Baptist brotherhood, which were not recognized by Evangelical Christians). In 1909, P., independently of the Baptist leaders, convened the First All-Russian Congress in St. Petersburg, where the All-Russian Union of Evangelical Christians (ALL) was formed, of which P. became the chairman. However, later ALL made attempts to unite with the Baptists - for example. in 1911 at the World Baptist Convention in Philadelphia, where P. was elected vice-president of the Baptist World Union. In 1910, P. made up the so-called. The Doctrine is one of the authoritative documents of Russian Baptists. However, it was not until 1924 that he was ordained as a minister in the Baptist and Moravian Brethren community in Prague. During the First World War, the activities of ALL were disorganized, but its leaders, including P., actively defended the right of their organization to operate legally. P. enjoyed a certain influence even after the October Revolution. For example, he managed to get V.I. Lenin returned a house of worship to evangelical Christians in Kazan, and during the Civil War, ALL created a number of rural Protestant communes in central Russia. In 1923-1928 P. taught at Bible courses in Leningrad. However, in the summer of 1928, having arrived at the IV World Congress of Baptists in Toronto as vice-president of the World Union of Baptists, P., limited in his work, was forced to stay in Canada. Soon after his departure, the work of EVERYONE was suspended, but P. himself, remaining abroad, was actively working to create the World Union of Evangelical Christians. Died in Germany, buried in Berlin. Op.: In the cauldron of Russia. Chicago, 1992.
O.Ya Nesmiyanova, A.M. Semanov
The content of the article
RELIGION(from Lat. religio - “shrine”, piety, piety; Cicero associated it with Lat. religere - to collect, revere, observe, reconsider). A special form of awareness of the world, conditioned by belief in the supernatural, which includes a set of moral norms and types of behavior, rituals, religious activities and the unification of people in organizations (church, religious community). American anthropologist C. Geertz, exploring the “cultural aspect of the analysis of religion,” also defines it as a system of symbols, “which contributes to the emergence in people of strong, comprehensive and stable moods and motivations, forming ideas about the general order of existence and giving these ideas have an aura of reality in such a way that these moods and motivations seem to be the only real ones.” At the same time, theologians argue that no matter how comprehensive the definition of religion is, a non-believer is not able to understand and define its essence.
Theology (the doctrine of God) is a system of doctrines that appears with the emergence of theistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and social institutions Jewish or Muslim community or Christian church.
Christian theology is divided into historical, which explores the history of the Church, the Bible; systematic – dogmatics, apologetics; practical - homiletics, catechetics, liturgics (teachings about worship). Theology continues to develop to the present day. Cm. BECK, LEO;
BART, CARL;
CONGAR, IV;
WELTE, BERNHARD; LONERGAN, BERNARD; RUNNER, CARL;
BENEDICT XVI. Origin of religion., distributed along ethnic and political boundaries, are inferior to supranational, world religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Islam), which unite people regardless of their place of residence, language and ethnicity, etc. This idea is expressed in the New Testament: “There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all.”
Currently, along with established religions, a new type of religiosity is emerging, numerous non-traditional religions, which is caused by growing interest in the ideas of cosmism, various forms esoteric knowledge, the revival of archaic religious beliefs, often as symbols of national spirituality.
Classification of religions.
There are more than five thousand religions in our time. To systematize this diversity, types of religions are usually distinguished according to some common characteristics. There are various typological schemes according to which religions can be classified, for example, as “pagan and frank”, “natural and ethical”, “natural and inspired”, etc. Religions are divided into dead and living (modern). The first include disappeared religions, for example, the beliefs of the ancient Indians and Egyptians, who left behind many legends, myths and monuments of ancient culture.
Religions can be
monotheistic(monotheism) and polytheistic(pantheon of gods);
tribal(common among peoples who have preserved archaic social structures, for example, among the aborigines of Australia and Oceania);
national-national(Hinduism, Confucianism, Sikhism, etc.);
world. World (supranational) religions include: Buddhism (main directions - Mahayana and Hinayana), Christianity (main varieties - Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism), Islam (main directions - Sunnism and Shiism).
Elena Kazarina
Religion (from the Latin religio - “shrine”, piety, piety) is a special form of awareness of the world, conditioned by belief in the existence of the supernatural (in supernatural power) and in dependence on this result of human actions and human life. This faith is the main sign and element of any religion. R. includes a set of moral norms and types of behavior, rituals, religious activities, and the unification of people in organizations (church, religious community). Basics religious ideas, as a rule, recorded by people in sacred texts, according to supporters of the religion, either dictated directly by God, or written by people who, from the point of view of this religion, have reached the highest level spiritual development. Most religions are supported by professional clergy.
The religious system of representing the world (religious worldview) is based on faith or mystical experience, and not on data verified by scientific experiment.
Experiments by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof using LSD show that vivid mystical and religious experiences can be quite reliably obtained in laboratory conditions, and, apparently, have deep roots in the human psyche. Many theologians doubt the value of these experiences from the point of view of canonical religion: drug addicts, alcoholics, and schizophrenics experience no less vivid experiences.
There are other versions of the origin of the word “religion,” but this one is the most common.
Religion concept
Religion, as a phenomenon inherent in human society throughout its history and covering the vast majority of the world's population to this day, nevertheless turns out to be an area inaccessible and, at the very least, incomprehensible to many people. One of the reasons for this seemingly strange fact is the fact that religion, as a rule, is assessed and described by its external signs, by how it is “practised” in the cult, in the personal and public life of its followers. This is where the mass comes from different interpretations religions that see its essence either in some of its aspects that actually relate to it, but are secondary and insignificant in it, or in its perversions, which not a single world religion has escaped.
Religion is a dogmatic ritual system that reflects the ideological positions of a certain community of people. Religion means the deep nature of a person and is a form of his self-affirmation, that is, the result and cause of a person’s work on himself, his self-restraint from everything that interferes with the existence of his “I”.
There are three types of self-affirmation:
- 1. Pagan, based on a connection with nature; a person perceives himself as part of the world; all phenomena and objects of the world, as well as man himself, have a soul, that is, a part not felt by man, which can leave the material shell, change it, but always strive to manifest itself in it.
- 2. Religious, based on connections with supernatural forces and ethical requirements; spirits and souls are presented as more independent and less dependent on the material form of substance; man and the world of spirits are mutually beneficial to each other and dependent on each other; spiritual substances are considered as a totality, an independent world, organized according to its own laws; this world is capable of influencing the world of people; the world of people is capable of influencing the world of the gods; Intermediaries arise between these worlds (heroes, demigods, angels).
- 3. Secular based on artistic perception or scientific knowledge forces of nature and humanistic norms of life in society. The spiritual begins to be seen as an integral part of the material, earthly, human world. Man is seen as the only being capable of perceiving the spiritual and influencing its essence and form of manifestation.
Religious faith should be distinguished from superstitions, prejudices and delusions that originated in paganism, but arise and develop in modern times.
Religious faith also differs from secular faith in that it is necessarily associated with cult and worship, the veneration of deities with the help of specifically established rituals.
Dream Interpretation
