The Common Task: Eucharist, Social Action, and the Continuity of Bulgakov's Thought (original) (raw)
Related papers
Reconsidering Sergius Bulgakov as a Theologian of the Eucharist
ANZATS Conference Brisbane, 2018
Geopolitical change at the start of the 20th century wrought significant change to the study of theology. After the Russian Revolution, exiled intellectuals found their way to the West and connected with like-minded scholars. One of these was Sergius Bulgakov, whose life was particularly complex: beginning as a Marxist and later returning to Orthodox Christianity, he became one of the most prominent, and contentious, theologians of the Russian diaspora. He forged ecumenical connections, including with the Fellowship of St Alban and St. Sergius. Traditionally, scholars have categorised him with the so-called “Russian School”, largely due to his sophiology. But scholars have come to question the accuracy of this categorisation. For example, Andrew Louth has proposed that Bulgakov be regarded as a theologian of the eucharist. Consideration of period documents confirms Bulgakov’s eucharistic consciousness, especially with ecumenism, corroborating Louth’s hypothesis. More research is justified into an important direction in the study of Russian diaspora theology.
International Journal of Orthodox Theology, 2020
Sergius Bulgakov continues to be a contentious figure in the modern revival of Orthodox theology. His reputation continues to be damaged by the consequences of the Sophia Affair, which means that the entirety of Bulgakov's theology is yet to be fully appraised. The present article considers the development of Bulgakov's ecclesiology, emerging out of his Christology, over the course of his life. While not unrelated to his sophiology, it is not contingent on it. The paper follows the development of Bulgakov's ecclesiology, beginning with his philosophical writings, into his major contributions to the émigré journal
Sergius Bulgakov, one of the most remarkable and enigmatic personalities of the 20th century, continues to motivate scholarship. Outside sophiology, one of his earlier interests was political theology. Being part of the Idealist “phase” of his life, it coincided with his time in the State Duma and reveals a synthesis, incorporating sobornost, and its application in the socio-political sphere. A noteworthy aspect of Bulgakov’s approach was its eucharistic aspect, and the realisation of the “divine principle” in the sociopolitical space. After the Revolution, as the ability to participate in the socio-political environment abated, Bulgakov’s interests found a home in the ecumenical movement. Nevertheless, Bulgakov’s ideals of God’s operation in the sociopolitical space are informative to religious values in a democratic societies.
Despite much passionate discussion of Dumitru Stăniloae’s ecclesiology or his more comprehensive view of divine-human communion, his doctrine of the Eucharist as a sacrament has received no attention in scholarship or more generally in Orthodox contemporary theology. The present study undertakes this examination, trying to chart Stăniloae’s writings on the Eucharist and follow the evolution of his thinking. After the identification of three stages of development, the following key aspects are presented: the influence of Bulgakov, the Eucharist as a sacrament and a sacrifice, the relationship between the Eucharist and the personal spiritual life (the “inner liturgy”), Stăniloae’s position vis-à-vis the frequency of the eucharistic partaking, and the significance of the Eucharist for ontology. The relevance of Stăniloae’s eucharistic doctrine for ecclesiology is left for a future occasion.