Hilarion

Abstract

The article describes religious and philosophical views of an outstanding Russian thinker and church-political figure Hilarion of Kiev (late X – early XI century – ca. 1054/1055). We analyze his historiosophical work “Sermon on Law and Grace” and show that it consists of three independent parts and constitutes a kind of collection of Hilarion’s texts. In a deeply emotional, figurative and poetic form the ancient Russian thinker gives a theoretical understanding of world and national history. Hilarion highlights the most important stages of the world history, developed according to the divine scenario and argues that the progress of humanity is carried out by introducing more and more peoples into Grace (Christianity). He justifies the idea of equality of all nations and asserts the right of the “young” Slavic people “to be new wineskin for old wine”. In spite of the arrogance of the Greeks, Hilarion glorifies the greatness of his country and the ancestors of Vladimir the Baptist. In the glorification of the present through the past is clearly traced the national idea. The program of independence of the Russian church from the Patriarchate of Constantinople was put in religious form. Hilarion ideologically justified his country’s right to church autonomy.