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Nikolai Berdyaev
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==Theology and relations with Russian Orthodox Church== Berdyaev was a member of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]],<ref name=witte/><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Berdyaev, Orthodox religious philosopher, dies in Paris |magazine=The Living Church | publisher=Morehouse-Gorham Company | volume=116 | year=1948 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zErkAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA6-PA8 | ref={{sfnref|The Living Church|1948}}|page=8|quote=a devout member of Russian Orthodox Church}}</ref> and believed Orthodoxy was the religious tradition closest to [[early Christianity]].{{sfn|Berdyaev|1952}}{{rp|at unk.|quote="Orthodoxy is that form of Christianity which suffered the least distortion in its substance as a result of human history.... Out of all forms of Christianity, it is the Orthodox Church which remained more closely tied to early Christianity."}} Nicholas Berdyaev was an Orthodox Christian, however, it must be said that he was an independent and somewhat a "liberal" kind. Berdyaev also criticized the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] and described his views as [[anticlerical]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Yet he considered himself closer to Orthodoxy than either [[Catholicism]] or [[Protestantism]]. According to him, "I can not call myself a typical Orthodox of any kind; but Orthodoxy was near to me (and I hope I am nearer to Orthodoxy) than either Catholicism or Protestantism. I never severed my link with the Orthodox Church, although confessional self-satisfaction and exclusiveness are alien to me."<ref name=witte>{{cite book |last1=Witte |first1=John |last2=Alexander |first2=Frank S. |title=The Teachings of Modern Orthodox Christianity on Law, Politics, and Human Nature |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-231-14265-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=THpyJ0jBeH0C&pg=PA111|pages=111–112 }}</ref> Berdyaev is frequently presented as one of the important Russian Orthodox thinkers of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Noble |first=Ivana |title=Three Orthodox visions of ecumenism: Berdyaev, Bulgakov, Lossky |journal=Communio Viatorum |volume=57 |number=2 |year=2015 |pages=113–140 |url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLAn3853337 |issn=0010-3713 }} </ref><ref name=v2>{{cite book |last=Valliere |first=Paul |chapter=Introduction to the Modern Orthodox Tradition |editor-last1=Witte |editor-first1=John Jr. |editor-first2=Frank S. |editor-last2=Alexander |title=The Teachings of Modern Christianity on Law, Politics, and Human Nature |location=New York |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2006 |volume=1 |chapter-url=http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/facsch_papers/112/ |pages=2–4 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Clarke |first=Oliver Fielding |title=Introduction to Berdyaev |publisher=Bles |year=1950 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YoMIAQAAIAAJ }}</ref> However, [[Patristics|neopatristic]] scholars such as [[Georges Florovsky|Florovsky]] have questioned whether his philosophy is essentially Orthodox in character, and emphasize his western influences.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Florovsky |first=George |title=Book review: Introduction to Berdyaev By Clarke. Nicolas Berdyaev: Captive of freedom by Spinka |journal=Church History |volume=19 |pages=305–306 |number=4 |year=1950 |jstor=3161171 |doi=10.2307/3161171 |s2cid=162966900 }}</ref> But Florovsky was savaged in a 1937 Journal Put' article by Berdyaev.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ortodoksia and Humanness |url=http://www.berdyaev.com/berdiaev/berd_lib/1937_424.html |access-date=21 July 2022 |website=www.berdyaev.com}}</ref> Paul Valliere has pointed out the sociological factors and global trends which have shaped the Neopatristic movement, and questions their claim that Berdyaev and [[Vladimir Solovyov (philosopher)|Vladimir Solovyov]] are somehow less authentically Orthodox.<ref name=v2/> Berdyaev affirmed [[universal reconciliation|universal salvation]], as did several other important Orthodox theologians of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cunningham |first1=M.B. |last2=Theokritoff |first2=E. |title=The Cambridge Companion to Orthodox Christian Theology |publisher=Cambridge University Press |series=Cambridge Companions to Religion |year=2008 |isbn=978-0521864848 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jP2vivMSezMC&pg=PA118 |page=118}}</ref> Along with [[Sergei Bulgakov]], he was instrumental in bringing renewed attention to the Orthodox doctrine of [[apokatastasis]], which had largely been neglected since it was expounded by [[Maximus the Confessor]] in the seventh century,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Blowers |first=Paul M. |chapter=Apokatastasis |editor-last=Benedetto |editor-first=R. |editor-last2=Duke |editor-first2=J.O. |title=The New Westminster Dictionary of Church History: The early, medieval, and Reformation eras |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |series=New Westminster Dictionary Series |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-664-22416-5 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g46euaF7HAsC&pg=PA37 |page=37 }}</ref> although he rejected [[Origen]]'s articulation of this doctrine.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Deak |first=Esteban |year=1977 |title=Apokatastasis: The Problem Of Universal Salvation In Twentieth Century Theology |location=Toronto, Canada |publisher=University of St. Michael's College |isbn=9780315454330 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/302854733/ |pages=20–60}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Kirwan |first1=Michael |last2=Hidden |first2=Sheelah Treflé |title=Mimesis and Atonement: René Girard and the Doctrine of Salvation |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |series=Violence, Desire, and the Sacred |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-5013-2544-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eUg-DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA41 |pages=41–42}}</ref> The aftermath of the Russian Revolution and Civil War, along with Soviet efforts towards the [[Decree on Separation of Church and State|separation of church and state]], caused the Russian Orthodox émigré diaspora to splinter into three Russian Church jurisdictions: the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (separated from Moscow Patriarchate until 2007), the parishes under Metropolitan [[Eulogius (Georgiyevsky)]] that went under the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople]], and parishes that remained under the [[Moscow Patriarchate]]. Berdyaev was among those that chose to remain under the omophorion of the [[Moscow Patriarchate]]. He is mentioned by name on the Korsun/Chersonese Diocesan history as among those noted figures who supported the Moscow Patriarchate West-European Eparchy (in France now Korsun eparchy).<ref>{{cite web |title=ИСТОРИЯ ЕПАРХИИ |url=https://www.cerkov-ru.eu/istoriya-eparhii/ |access-date=17 May 2018 |website=Cerkov-ru.eu |archive-date=28 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428182200/https://www.cerkov-ru.eu/istoriya-eparhii/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Currently, the house in Clamart in which Berdyaev lived, now comprises a small "Berdiaev-museum" and attached Chapel in name of the Holy Spirit,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cerkov-ru.eu/item/chasovnya-v-chest-svyatogo-duha-v-klamare|title=Часовня в честь Святого Духа в Кламаре|website=Cerkov-ru.eu|access-date=17 May 2018|archive-date=28 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428182340/https://www.cerkov-ru.eu/item/chasovnya-v-chest-svyatogo-duha-v-klamare|url-status=live}}</ref> under the omophorion of the Moscow Patriarchate. On 24 March 2018, the 70th anniversary of Berdyaev's death, the priest of the Chapel served panikhida-memorial prayer at the Diocesan cathedral for eternal memory of Berdyaev,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.egliserusse.eu/Il-y-a-70-ans-Nicolas-Berdiaev-1874-1948--celebre-philosophe-russe-etait-rappele-a-Dieu_a1661.html|title=Il y a 70 ans, Nicolas Berdiaev (1874–1948), célèbre philosophe russe, était rappelé à Dieu|first=Prêtre Georges|last=Sheshko|website=Egliserusse.eu|access-date=17 May 2018|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804130838/https://www.egliserusse.eu/Il-y-a-70-ans-Nicolas-Berdiaev-1874-1948--celebre-philosophe-russe-etait-rappele-a-Dieu_a1661.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and later that day the Diocesan bishop Nestor (Sirotenko) presided over prayer at the grave of Berdyaev.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cerkov-ru.eu/novosti/ispolnilos-70-let-so-dnya-konchiny-izvestnogo-russkogo-filosofa-nikolaya-berdyaeva/|title=Исполнилось 70 лет со дня кончины известного русского философа Николая Бердяева|website=Cerkov-ru.eu|access-date=17 May 2018|archive-date=28 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428182343/https://www.cerkov-ru.eu/novosti/ispolnilos-70-let-so-dnya-konchiny-izvestnogo-russkogo-filosofa-nikolaya-berdyaeva/|url-status=live}}</ref> In recent years, efforts to archive and document Berdyaev's work have expanded. A group of scholars has digitized original, unpublished manuscripts from the Berdiaev-museum in Clamart, France, offering researchers and the public deeper insight into his unpublished writings and correspondence.<ref>{{cite web |title=Berdyaev Omeka Archive |url=https://berdyaev.omeka.net |access-date=9 March 2025}}</ref>
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