The starets of the monastery is the hieromonk Casian Creţu.
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And the Elder added: "They need you there". After this advice, in 1839, Aleksandr entered the Optina Monastery in Kaluga guberniya when the monastery was in its spiritual heyday. His first guide was Starets (Elder) Leonid and then later Starets Makary, whom Ambrose shared a cell with. This gave him get help in his spiritual progress.
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Fyodor Kuzmich (), also Feodor Kozmich, , Theodore of Tomsk, or FomichEncyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., vol. 1, p. 559. (died February 1, 1864, in Tomsk) was a Russian Orthodox starets.
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However even the most advanced practitioners still use prayer ropes. The Jesus Prayer may be practiced under the guidance and supervision of a spiritual guide (pneumatikos, ), and or Starets, especially when psychosomatic techniques (like rhythmical breath) are incorporated. A person that acts as a spiritual "father" and advisor may be an official certified by the Church Confessor (Pneumatikos Exolmologitis) or sometimes a spiritually experienced monk (called in Greek Gerontas (Elder) or in Russian Starets). It is possible for that person to be a layperson, usually a "practical theologician" (i.e.
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Even within the household, many were unaware of the exact nature of the Tsarevich's illness. At first Alexandra turned to Russian doctors and medics to treat Alexei; however, their treatments generally failed, and Alexandra increasingly turned to mystics and holy men (or starets as they were called in Russian). One of these starets, an illiterate Siberian named Grigori Rasputin, was introduced to the Emperor and Empress in November of 1905. Within a year, he was acting as Alexei's personal healer and had gained enormous influence over Empress Alexandra, and consequently the Tsar himself.
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Nikolay Guryanov (also Nicholas Guryanov and Nikolai Alekseievich Gurianov, , May 24, 1909, Gdov district, St. Petersburg gubernia - August 24, 2002, Pskov region) was a Russian Orthodox Christian and reputed myrrh-bearing starets and priest. Numerous miracles and healings are ascribed to him.
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Saint Ambrose of Optina (; birth name: Aleksander Mikhaylovich Grenkov, , December 5, 1812, Bolshaya Lipovitsa settlement, Tambov guberniya – October 23, 1891) was a starets and a hieroschemamonk in Optina Monastery, canonized in the 1988 convention of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
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Saint Alypius the Stylite () was a seventh-century ascetic saint. He is revered as a monastic founder, an intercessor for the infertile, and a protector of children. During his lifetime he was a much sought-after starets (guide in the Christian spiritual life).
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Teoctist I of Moldavia (ca. 1410-November 18, 1477 or 1478) was a Moldavian cleric of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Teoctist was probably tonsured a monk and served as starets at Neamț Monastery, which at the time was the country's most prominent.Vicovan, pp.
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They also inspired the figure of Zosima in Dostoyevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov. A more modern example of a starets is Archimandrite John Krestiankin (1910-2006) of the Pskov Monastery of the Caves who was popularly recognized as such by many Orthodox living in Russia.
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According to her, he was never a monk, but a starets. (As he was not an elder he would be referred to as a pilgrim.) For Maria, her father's healing practices on Tsarevich Alexei were based on magnetism.Rasputin, p. 33. According to Maria, Grigory did "look into" the Khlysti's ideas.Moynahan, p. 37.
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The poustinia was introduced to Roman Catholic spirituality by the Catholic social activist Catherine Doherty in her best-selling book Poustinia: Christian Spirituality of the East for Western ManCatherine Doherty (1975), Poustinia. first published in 1975. Although originating with ancient startsy (wise Russian elders, sg. starets), Doherty's popular book made the concept of poustinia accessible to modern Western people.
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Large swathes of the public rallied behind him, causing protests and riots against the Sturdza government. Although the Synod showed its readiness to reinstate Ghenadie, the latter did not follow suit, and spent the remainder of his life at Căldărușani. In 1909, he was made Starets for life. His final activities were in the field of art conservation.
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Blessed Pavel spent the first years of his life in Taganrog renting different flats. Later, he moved into a house on Depaldo Street (now "Pereulok Turgenevskiy"), not far from the Saint Nicholas Church. Thanks to the dean of Taganrog county, archpriest Alexander Klyunkov, this house still exists and is known among people as the “keliya of starets Pavel”.
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Father Zosima is an Elder and spiritual advisor (starets) in the town monastery and Alyosha's teacher. He is something of a celebrity among the townspeople for his reputed prophetic and healing abilities. His spiritual status inspires both admiration and jealousy among his fellow monks. Zosima provides a refutation to Ivan's atheistic arguments and helps to explain Alyosha's character.
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A member of Russian aristocracy, Taneyev was a high- ranking state official, serving for 22 years as the head of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery. His daughter Anna Vyrubova was a lady in waiting and best friend of Tsarina Alexandra. Vyrubova is best known for her friendship with the Romanov family and with the starets Grigori Rasputin.
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Starets (Russian: ста́рец old man, elder) A Russian religious spiritual leader, teacher, or counsellor. Yurodivy (Russian: юродивый, jurodivyj) A form of Eastern Orthodox asceticism in which one intentionally acts foolish in the eyes of men; a Holy Fool. Znamennoe singing also Znamenny Chant (Russian: Знаменное пение, or знаменный распев) The traditional liturgical singing in the Russian Orthodox Church.
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Though barely literate, he was sought out by pilgrims for his wise counsel. His writings were edited by his disciple and pupil, Archimandrite Sophrony. Father Sophrony has written the life of the saint along with a record of St. Silouan's teachings in the book Saint Silouan the Athonite. Starets Silouan was canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1987.
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Zeepvat, p. 175 Grand Duchess Olga with her brother, Tsarevich Alexei, ca. 1910. Olga's mother relied on the counsel of Grigori Rasputin, a Russian peasant and wandering starets or "holy man", and credited his prayers with saving the ailing Tsarevich on numerous occasions. Olga and her siblings were also taught to view Rasputin as "Our Friend" and to share confidences with him.
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Georgy Kossov () also known as Yegor Chekryakovsky (, literally Yegor of Chekryak, Yegor being a simplified form of Georgy; 4 April 1855 – 19 April 1928) was a Russian Orthodox priest and a starets. On 9 October 2000 he was Glorified as a saint. Kossov's biography was written in Sergei Nilus's book Father Yegor Checkryakovsky. He is often referred as the soul heir of Amvrosy of Optino.
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Novices are most often referred to as "Brother", although at some places, e.g., on Mount Athos, novices are addressed as "Father". Among the Greeks, old monks are often called Gheronda, or "Elder", out of respect for their dedication. In the Slavic tradition, the title of Elder (Church Slavonic: старецъ, Starets) is normally reserved for those who are of an advanced spiritual life, and who serve as guides for others.
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6 Sep 2012 . Palmer's attraction to Eastern Orthodox teachings caused him to go on a pilgrimage in 1948 to Mount Athos, Greece, the center of Eastern Orthodox monasticism and inner spirituality. A chance meeting upon his arrival at Mt. Athos resulted in a meeting with a Fr. Nikon, who became Palmer's spiritual father, or starets in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. By 1950, Palmer officially joined the Orthodox Church.
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Among the Greeks, old monks are often called Gheronda, or "Elder", out of respect for their dedication. In the Slavic tradition, the title of Elder (Church Slavonic: Starets) is normally reserved for those who are of an advanced spiritual life, and who serve as guides to others. For the Orthodox, Mother is the correct term for nuns who have been tonsured Stavrophore or higher. Novices and Rassophores are addressed as "Sister".
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692 the former revolutionary was ordained a monk at Neamț Monastery, taking the name Sofronie Vârnav (transitional alphabet: Sofрonie Вaрnaвꙋ̆). Described by Iorga as intelligent, charitable and industrious, he was for a while the community's Starets, but apparently also returned to Hilișeu, where he enjoyed living among the peasants.Iorga, pp. 179–181 He still maintained contacts with the Paris Orthodox circles, donating 5,000 ducats to the Romanian chapel,Pocitan Ploeșteanu, p.
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It is written of him that he used to find lost people and freed hostages from bandit captivity. He became particularly famous after a surviving sailor came to him and recognised in him the starets who appeared to him during an accident. But the sailor came to the island to a respected man and only after "recognised" him. In September 1997, a group of 10 pilgrims visited Nikolay in his wooden hut.
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It is considered that it is the village Varnitsa () near Rostov. The future saint received the baptismal name of Bartholomew (Варѳоломе́й Varfolomei in Russian) in honor of the Apostle Bartholomew. Although an intelligent boy, Bartholomew had great difficulty learning to read. His biography states that a starets (spiritual elder) met him one day and gave him a piece of prosphora (holy bread) to eat, and from that day forward he was able to read.
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Church of the Nativity, part of the Sihăstria Monastery complex When he reemerged from prison, in 1952, Brother Agathon decided to enter the priesthood as a hieromonk, and became Father Daniil. He was originally assigned to Crasna, then moved to more remotes sketes. After a stint at Sihăstria Monastery, he moved high up in the Rarău Mountains, Bukovina. With the help of Ilie Cleopa, the influential Orthodox preacher at Sihăstria, Daniil was appointed Starets.
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Russian Orthodox priest hearing confessions before Divine Liturgy, Church of the Protection of the Theotokos, Düsseldorf, Germany. In general, Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Christians choose an individual to trust as his or her spiritual guide. In most cases this is the parish priest, but may be a starets (Elder, a monastic who is well known for his or her advancement in the spiritual life). This person is often referred to as one's "spiritual father".
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He also blessed the Russian army before its departure to Kazan in 1552. During his Kazan campaign in 1559, Ivan the Terrible left Macarius in Moscow to "protect the tsardom", which made him a temporary head of state. In 1552 and 1554, Macarius completed the second and third editions of the Grand Menaion. During the church councils in 1553-1555, Macarius supported the accusations of heresy, aimed at a boyar son Matvei Bashkin, starets Artemiy, and monk Feodosiy Kosoy.
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Timotei Ionescu, Рeспȣnсꙋ̆ лa пetiцiȣnea Sf-saлe monaхȣлȣĭ Sofрonie Вaрnaвꙋ̆. Iași: Tiparĭul Tribuneĭ Romăne, 1862 According to church historian Melchisedec Ștefănescu, Vârnav, being "detested by the public and disgraced by prince Cuza", settled in Bucharest, "providing his services to whoever would need them." He sees the former Starets as an extremist and a heretic, "formed in the school of Blanqui, Pyat [and] Rochefort".Melchisedec Ștefănescu, "Biseric'a Ortodoxa si Calindariulu", in Biseric'a si Scól'a, Nr. 28/1882, p.
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This marked a beginning of a significant spiritual revival in the Russian Church after a lengthy period of modernization, personified by such figures as Demetrius of Rostov and Platon of Moscow. Aleksey Khomyakov, Ivan Kireevsky and other lay theologians with Slavophile leanings elaborated some key concepts of the renovated Orthodox doctrine, including that of sobornost. The resurgence of Eastern Orthodoxy was reflected in Russian literature, an example is the figure of Starets Zosima in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamazov.
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A strannik (Странник) by Vasily Perov A starets (Romanian: stareț, ; fem. ) is an elder of an Eastern Orthodox monastery who functions as venerated adviser and teacher. Elders or spiritual fathers are charismatic spiritual leaders whose wisdom stems from God as obtained from ascetic experience. It is believed that through ascetic struggle, prayer and Hesychasm (seclusion or withdrawal), the Holy Spirit bestows special gifts onto the elder including the ability to heal, prophesy, and most importantly, give effective spiritual guidance and direction.
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The cloister boasted a rich library, collected with help from the Slavophile Kireyevsky brothers, both buried within the monastery walls.photo The philosopher Konstantin Leontyev lived at the monastery for four years and took the tonsure here. The local starets Saint AmvrosyAmbrose - Elder of Optina is said to have been a prototype of Father Zosima in Dostoyevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov. After the Russian Revolution, the last of the startsy were forcibly deported from the monastery, which was declared a gulag.
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On 20 June 1999 the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Blessed Pavel. The saint starets' relics were transferred from his Kelya on Ulitsa Turgenevskaya in Taganrog into the St.Nicholas church. Today many people come from all corners of Russia to the Saint Pavel of Taganrog's shrine with his holy relics that are kept at the Saint Nicholas Church. Many people saw and remember a unique aureole in the sky over the Saint Nicholas Church in Taganrog on the day of Blessed Pavel's canonization.
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175 The Tsarina relied on the counsel of Grigori Rasputin, a Russian peasant and wandering starets or "holy man", and she credited his prayers with saving the ailing Tsarevich. Tatiana and her siblings viewed Rasputin as "Our Friend" and confided in him. In the autumn of 1907, Tatiana's father escorted his sister, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, to the nursery so that she could too meet Rasputin. Tatiana and her siblings all wore their long white nightgowns, and they were comfortable in Rasputin's presence.
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The golden age of the monastery came with the 19th century, when its fame spread to the imperial capital and the island was visited by eminent visitors from Saint Petersburg, including Alexandre Dumas and Fyodor Tyutchev. An 1873 essay by Nikolai Leskov describes his impressions from the monastery. As a consequence of its high profile, the monastic community could fund extensive building projects, starting with the construction of a new cathedral in 1800–09. This huge two-storey eight-pillared building was designed by a local starets.
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Monks may pray this prayer many hundreds of times each night as part of their private cell vigil ("cell rule"). Under the guidance of an Elder (Russian Starets; Greek Gerondas), the monk aims to internalize the prayer, so that he is praying unceasingly. Diadochos of Photiki refers in On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination to the automatic repetition of the Jesus Prayer, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, even in sleep. This state is regarded as the accomplishment of Paul the Apostle's exhortation to the Thessalonians to "pray without ceasing" ().
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Dehn wrote that Titi was baptized Lutheran, which was required by her husband's family to maintain an inheritance. Alexandra remained disturbed that her godchild had had a Lutheran baptism and insisted seven years later that the child must be rebaptized in the Russian Orthodox Church. The Dehns complied with her request. Dehn was skeptical about the holiness of the starets in making Grigori Rasputin and the Empress's reliance upon him, but wrote that Rasputin once prayed over her own son, Titi, when the child was dangerously ill and the boy made a quick recovery.
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A pregnant Alexandra Pistohlkors, standing at far left, and her husband Alexander Pistohlkors, second from left, are pictured with Grigori Rasputin and other admirers in his apartment in 1914. Alexandra's sister Anna Vyrubova is in the back row, standing fourth from left. Alexandra and her husband were featured in a widely circulated portrait of Rasputin with his admirers, which was taken in his apartment in St. Petersburg in 1914. At first, the starets was a frequent visitor to the Pistohlkors in their home, and Alexandra introduced Rasputin to many of her friends and relatives.
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The fathers of early Christianity used the word gnosis (knowledge) to mean spiritual knowledge or specific knowledge of the divine. This positive usage was to contrast it with how gnostic sectarians used the word. This positive use carried over from Hellenic philosophy into Greek Orthodoxy as a critical characteristic of ascetic practices, through St. Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, Hippolytus of Rome, Hegesippus, and Origen. Cardiognosis ("knowledge of the heart") from Eastern Christianity related to the tradition of the starets and in Roman Catholic theology is the view that only God knows the condition of one's relationship with God.
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Grand Duchess Anastasia with her mother, Tsarina Alexandra, in about 1908 Her mother relied on the counsel of Grigori Rasputin, a Russian peasant and wandering starets or "holy man," and credited his prayers with saving the ailing Tsarevich on numerous occasions. Anastasia and her siblings were taught to view Rasputin as "Our Friend" and to share confidences with him. In the autumn of 1907, Anastasia's aunt Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia was escorted to the nursery by the Tsar to meet Rasputin. Anastasia, her sisters and brother Alexei were all wearing their long white nightgowns.
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A traditional Hawaiian blessing during a groundbreaking ceremony A blessing can also be a request for permission, as in "gaining your parents' blessing" would consist of having been granted consent. Clergy will normally receive a blessing from their ecclesiastical superiors to begin their ministry. In the Russian Orthodox Church pious laymen would go to a starets (elder) to receive his or her blessing before embarking upon any important work or making a major decision in their life. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a member may receive a special blessing, known as a patriarchal blessing, as guidance.
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336 Maria, like all her family, doted on the long-awaited heir Tsarevich Alexei, or "Baby", who suffered frequent complications of hemophilia and nearly died several times. Her mother relied on the counsel of Grigori Rasputin, a Russian peasant and wandering starets or "holy man" and credited his prayers with saving the ailing Tsarevich on numerous occasions. Maria and her siblings were also taught to view Rasputin as "Our Friend" and to share confidences with him. In the autumn of 1907, Maria's aunt Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia was escorted to the nursery by the Tsar to meet Rasputin.
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Eastern Orthodoxy comes from the same pre-schism traditions, but the role of a "spiritual director" or "elder" in Orthodoxy has maintained its important role. The original Greek term geron (meaning "elder", as in gerontology) was rendered by the Russian word starets, from Old Church Slavonic starĭtsĭ, "elder", derived from starŭ, "old". The Greek tradition has a long unbroken history of elders and disciples, such as Sophronius and John Moschos in the seventh century, Symeon the Elder and Symeon the New Theologian in the eleventh century, and contemporary charismatic gerontes such as Porphyrios and Paisios. Sergius of Radonezh and Nil Sorsky were two most venerated startsy of Old Muscovy.
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The revival of elders in the Slavic world is associated with the name of Paisius Velichkovsky (1722–94), who produced the Russian translation of the Philokalia. The most famous Russian starets of the early 19th century was Seraphim of Sarov (1759-1833), who went on to become one of the most revered Orthodox saints. The Optina Pustyn near Kozelsk used to be celebrated for its startsy (Schema-Archimandrite Moses, Schema-Hegumen Anthony, Hieroschemamonk Leonid, Hieroschemamonk Macarius, Hieroschemamonk Hilarion, Hieroschemamonk Ambrose, Hieroschemamonk Anatole (Zertsalov)).[1] Such writers as Nikolay Gogol, Aleksey Khomyakov, Leo Tolstoy and Konstantin Leontyev sought advice from the elders of this monastery.
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According to Douglas Smith, his decision "could only have been occasioned by some sort of emotional or spiritual crisis". Rasputin had undertaken earlier, shorter pilgrimages to the Holy Znamensky Monastery at Abalak and to Tobolsk's cathedral, but his visit to the St. Nicholas Monastery at Verkhoturye in 1897 was transformative. There, he met and was "profoundly humbled" by a starets (elder) known as Makary. Rasputin may have spent several months at Verkhoturye, and it was perhaps here that he learned to read and write, but he later complained about the monastery, claiming that some of the monks engaged in homosexuality and criticizing monastic life as too coercive.
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Hieromonk Amphilochius (1749-1824) Martha Shestova (1560-1631) The institution may be traced to the beginnings of Christian monasticism in the 4th century. The original Greek term geron (meaning "elder", as in gerontology) was rendered by the Russian word starets, from Old Church Slavonic starĭtsĭ, "elder", derived from starŭ, "old". The Greek tradition has a long unbroken history of elders and disciples, such as Sophronius and John Moschos in the seventh century, Symeon the Elder and Symeon the New Theologian in the eleventh century, and contemporary charismatic gerontes such as Porphyrios and Paisios. Sergius of Radonezh and Nil Sorsky were two most venerated startsy of Old Muscovy.
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In quite a number of his works he opined that the relegation of the biblical word has inevitably resulted in limiting contemporary theology in dilemmas of the type: therapeutic or Eucharistic theology, gerontes/starets or bishop, theosis or sacraments etc. Following the general line of Metropolitan of Pergamon, John (Zizioulas’) Eucharistic ecclesiology for the necessity of the “primacy” on a theological and not just historical basis, he also brought into the fore for reconsideration the views expressed by the pioneer in the field Nicholas Afanasiev,«Συνοδικότητα και πρωτείο στην Καινή Διαθήκη. Η παύλεια ‘περιεκτική’ ευχαριστιακή θεολογία αίτιο και προϋπόθεση της συνοδικότητας», Θεολογία 80 (2009) vol.
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One group of historians points to Maksim Branković, a Serbian monk, probably named by Radu due to his good relations with the Serbian Despotate. Another group points to Macarie, starets of the Bistrița Monastery. This establishment was maintained by the Craiovești boyars, in whose interest it was to place an ally as bishop. Later, Neagoe Basarab, a former pupil at the monastery, would elevate Macarie to the Wallachia Metropolis, establishing a tradition wherein the leading candidate (willing or not) for the highest churchly office in the country would come from Râmnic, the bishops of which would be regarded as the second highest ranked clerics within the synod, behind the metropolitan.
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The pilgrim's inner journey begins when he is struck upon hearing the words of Paul (in I Thessalonians 5:17) to "pray without ceasing." He visits churches and monasteries to try and understand how to pray without ceasing. His travels lead him to a starets (a spiritual father) who teaches him the Jesus Prayer—"Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me"—and gives him practical advice on how to recite the prayer uninterruptedly, as a type of mantra.Smith, Huston, in the foreword of: The book details the gradual spiritual development and struggles of the narrator, and the effect the narrator's spirituality has on those around him.
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Evgeny Nikolayevich Pogozhev (), 21 April 1870, Moscow, Russian Empire, – 13 February 1931, Leningrad, USSR was a Russian religious writer, essayist and journalist, better known under the pseudonym E. Poselyanin. Among his best known books are Starets Ilarion Troyekurovsky (Старец Иларион Троекуровский, 1895), Poetry of Faith. A.N. Maykov, the Poet of Russia and Russian Orthodoxy (Поэзия веры и А. Н. Майков как поэт Православия и России, 1898), Sacred Sites of the Russian Land (Святыни Земли Русской, 1899), Konstantin Nikolayevich Leontyev (Константин Николаевич Леонтьев, 1900), The Tale of Saint Leaders of the Russian Land (Сказание о святых вождях Земли Русской, 1900), Christ's Warriors. Tales From the Lives of Saints (Воины Христовы.
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Acquainted with the Romanian liberal movement, and an ardent Romanian nationalist, he helped establish bodies of intellectuals dedicated to cultural and political cooperation across the Danubian Principalities and beyond—including, in 1846, the Romanian library of Paris. His purchase of mainly Baroque paintings, donated by him to Academia Mihăileană, forms the core of the Iași Museum of Art. With Nicolae Bălcescu and C. A. Rosetti, Vârnav also managed the Society of Romanian Students in Paris, whose revolutionary agenda brought him into conflict with European governments. He then played a small part in the French Revolution of 1848, before returning to take orders at Neamț Monastery, a Hieromonk and Starets.
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Anastasia and her sister were intrigued by the more mystical side of the Eastern Orthodox religion; they were early supporters of the French seer "Dr." Philippe VachotRasputin: The Saint Who Sinned and of the starets Rasputin, and introduced both in turn to the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Tsarina of Russia. According to popular Russian belief, the influence of Rasputin was instrumental in the downfall of the Romanov family. Anastasia's husband, Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1856–1929), was Commander in Chief of the Russian Army during the first year of World War I, carrying out campaigns on the Austro-German front and in the Caucasus.
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In large communities, the new novice may be assigned a starets (spiritual father or spiritual mother) who will guide his (or her) spiritual development. Frequent confession of sins and participation in the sacred mysteries (sacraments) of the church is an important part of Orthodox monastic life. A novice is free to leave the monastery at any time, and the superior is free to dismiss the novice at any time if, for instance, they feel that the novice is not called to monasticism, or if there have been issues of discipline. If, however, the novice perseveres, after a period of around three years the hegumen may choose to clothe them in the first (beginning) rank of monasticism: the rassaphore.
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The Blessed starets Saint Paul of Taganrog ( - Pavel Taganrogskiy, born Pavel Pavlovich Stozhkov) dramatically influenced the belief in God and spiritual outlook of inhabitants of Taganrog, Don Land, South of Russia and Ukraine. A plain layman, who lived in Taganrog in the 19th century, he conciliated love and worship of Russian Orthodox Christians, who flowed to him for a piece of advice and spiritual support. Pavel Pavlovich Stozhkov was born on November 21 (November 8 OS), 1792 in Malorossia guberniya of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) in a rich noble family. His parents – collegiate registrar Pavel and Paraskeva – were devoutly religious people, they infused in the heart of their son belief in God and piety.
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Palace of the Chamber of Deputies The building that is today the Patriarchal Palace (Palatul Patriarhal) was built under Constantin Șerban and was intended to house the monastery's starets. After 1688, when Radu Leon named the monastery the country's metropolitan cathedral, the old palace was rebuilt; over time, it was expanded and new wings were added. Between 1932 and 1935 the architect Gheorghe Simotta added a new section to the palace, today its main area, which includes a large throne room, chancelleries, the Patriarch's apartment and several other rooms. On the palace walls there is a series of paintings that depicts several scenes in the monastery's history, as well as from Romanian history.
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Schema-monk Hilarion The 20th century history of Imiaslavie started in 1907 with the publication of the book On the Caucasus Mountains by a revered starets, Schema-monk Hilarion. In his book, Hilarion told of his spiritual experience with the Jesus Prayer as a proof that "The name of God is God Himself and can produce miracles". The book became extremely popular among the Russian monks on Mount Athos in Greece. Many of them argued that, since according to Plato, "the name of an object exists since before the object itself does" , so the name of God must pre-exist before the world was created, and that it (the Name) cannot be anything but God Himself.
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During this time he published several books on spiritual topics, including his most famous work (other than Velikoe v malom): On the Bank of God's River, a portrait of his years at Optina and of the many Orthodox Starets living there. During this timeframe, Nilus "discovered" the papers of Nikolay Motovilov, a Russian landowner and Fool for Christ who was a disciple of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Nilus published one of these manuscripts as "A Wonderful Revelation to the World: the Conversation of St. Seraphim with Nicholas Alexandrovich Motovilov on the acquisition of the Holy Spirit."St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral - St. Seraphim of Sarov: A Wonderful Revelation to the World at www.stseraphim.
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Already before his death, rumor spread that his Jewish enemies had poisoned the Starets, and a riot (or attempted pogrom) erupted in the city. As noted by Rosetti, "the excitement of the population required intervention of troops sent in from bordering counties, as a safeguard for the Jews, whose lives were being threatened." The same is noted by Iorga: "His death was found suspicious, and military measures were taken to curb the anti- Jewish movements." The conspiracy theory was shunned as "infamy" by the left- liberal daily Românul, which noted that "ignorance was exploited" by "the enemies of the country"—both in Tutova and Ialomița County (the scene of a scandal over allegations of blood libel).
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All of them followed the Athonite hesychast observances.John Anthony McGuckin, “The Making of the Philokalia: A tale of Monks and Manuscripts”, according to Brock Bingaman, Bradley Nassif, „The Philokalia: A Classic Text of Orthodox Spirituality”, Oxford University Press, 2012, , pp. 40-41 In 1746, at age twenty-four, in order to perfect his monastic experience, he moved on Mount Athos, where he made his way to the Pantocrator monastery, and was assigned to live in its small Kiparis Skete. He spent the next four years in solitary life and prayer, living in extreme poverty. In 1750, he was visited by his former Starets, Basil of Poiana Mărului, who came on the Holy Mountain, and tonsured him as a lesser schema monk, with the name of Paisius.
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In 1958 he was transferred to the Pskov bishopric as parish priest of Saint Nicholas' church on the island of Talabsk (Zalit) in Pskov (Chudskoye) lake where he spent the remaining 44 years of his life, 40 as a priest, retiring at a very old age and settling at a humble wooden house nearby afterwards. Among many of those who were allowed to visit him in recent times were pop stars Andrey Makarevich and Valentina Tolkunova. From the middle of 1999 the starets did not meet anyone, which provoked pilgrims to such a point that complaints were written to the administration of the Russian president. In his final year, before his death, Nikolay, despite his illness nevertheless found the strength to receive pilgrims, to strengthen them and instruct them in faith.
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Even before the official establishment of a Romanian communist regime in 1948, Buzdugan came to the attention of the Soviet occupation forces, which began procedures to arrest or deport him as a political undesirable. In 1945, he was hiding in monastic clothes at Bistrița Monastery, where he met the medical assistant and monk-in-training Valeriu Anania. In his memoirs, Anania describes Buzdugan as a mediocre poet, his Orthodox devotional pieces comparable to Lord's Army hymns, adding: "He grew old with the impression of him being a great poet, and I became awfully sad at the thought that I might grow old with that same impression of myself." According to Anania, Buzdugan also angered the starets with his urban demeanor, and left for Bucharest when "times changed for the better".
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Bishop Theofan and Rasputin Word of Rasputin's activity and charisma began to spread in Siberia during the early 1900s. At some point during 1904 or 1905, he traveled to the city of Kazan, where he acquired a reputation as a wise and perceptive starets, or holy man, who could help people resolve their spiritual crises and anxieties. Despite rumors that Rasputin was having sex with some of his female followers, he made a favorable impression on the father superior of the Seven Lakes Monastery outside Kazan, as well as a local church officials Archimandrite Andrei and Bishop Chrysthanos, who gave him a letter of recommendation to Bishop Sergei, the rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, and arranged for him to travel to St. Petersburg. Upon meeting Sergei at the Nevsky Monastery, Rasputin was introduced to church leaders, including Archimandrite Theofan, who was the inspector of the theological seminary, was well-connected in St. Petersburg society, and later served as confessor to the tsar and his wife.
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