Secularization – emancipation from religion and church institutions; secularization. –Red.

††† Church life is not reduced to theological formulas. And although the style of thought of the Orthodox world after the fall of Constantinople until the end of the nineteenth century became completely Western, far from the theology of the Fathers, the liturgical life, the experience of prayer and spiritual life remained unchanged. And the revival of the eldership at the end of the eighteenth century naturally led to a revival of interest in patristic theology and to a deepening of its understanding. The "Babylonian captivity" of Orthodox (already predominantly Russian) theology came to an end at the end of the nineteenth century.

‡‡‡ V. Zelinsky's expression from his work "Thy Dwelling Places"31.

§§§ Once I took an exam at a Moscow university. The young man who answered best in the group asked for a separate conversation after the end of the exam. His question was: "Tell me, how can I wash off my baptism? I was baptized as a child, when I didn't understand anything, and now I feel how much it hinders me." Then it became clear that this young man was a conscious Satanist. I suggested that he write a petition addressed to the Patriarch: "I ask you not to consider me an Orthodox Christian anymore." He refused, saying that it would be too easy, that something really had to be done to wash away the traces of baptism... In this way I received direct confirmation of the efficacy of the Orthodox sacraments (and the most contested of them – infant baptism) on the part of the opposing force.

The religious feeling of the Romans, wrote A.F. Losev, "is very cautious, distrustful. The Roman does not so much believe as distrust. Mood and state of mind in general played an insignificant role in this religion. It was necessary to perform the form of a cult – and God could not help but help, he was legally obliged to help."34

†††† The same law that the "first president of the USSR" wanted to revive by initiating the adoption of the act "On the Protection of the Honor and Dignity of the President".

‡‡‡‡ The Haggadah is a collection of Jewish legends that developed at the beginning of the first millennium AD. –Red.

§§§§ The text literally says "protected". Such mistakes could be ignored if it were not for the claims of Ekman and his Russian publishers that their sect possesses the apostolic gift of Pentecost, the gift of "speaking in tongues." This gift, however, did not help either Ekman or his publishers and editors to fully master the Russian language.

Italics mine. – A.K.

††††† Заметим, что увлекшийся автор предписывает Богу, как Тому следует Себя вести: Бог должен... И непонятно, откуда взялась та необходимость, которая подчиняет себе Бога, диктуя Ему правила поведения.

‡‡‡‡‡ Еще Софокл говорил о лекарственном назначении оливкого масла: «масло, чтобы смягчить кожу на наших членах» (см.: Климент Александрийский. Строматы 4, 2).

§§§§§ «Крест есть жертвоприношение, не только жертва. Жертва есть не столько пожертвование, сколько посвящение. На Голгофе священнодействует воплощенное Слово» (протоиерей Г.Флоровский)65.

В противоположность этому адвентисткая догматика утверждает, что «со времени Своего вознесения Он стал нашим Первосвященником». Выходит, что до Вознесения – на Голгофе и на Вечере Христос не священнодействовал...66

****** Здесь есть сложность: в Евангелии Христос благословил явно некрещеных детей, что означает возможность внецерковного внетаинственного благословления. Однако если один вид благодати мог быть дан детям непосредственно, то почему же благодать крещения не может быть им преподана?