Two preachings on Lazarus Saturday: The moral dimension of friendship according to Saint Justin (Polyansky) and Saint Innocent of Kherson
Introduction. The article is devoted to the concept of friendship in Christian ethics. The author analyses the idea of friendship and its moral aspect in two previously underexamined in Russian theology sermons of Saint Justin (Polyansky) and Saint Innocent of Kherson on Lazarus Saturday. Theoretical analysis. The research allows us to make the following conclusions. According to Saint Justin (Polyansky) and Saint Innocent of Kherson, friendship represents: the friendly love of the Lord Jesus Christ for His friends, the ideal of friendship for every Christian in the terms of one’s relations with neighbours; the friendly love of a human for God (sincerity and openness, service), which is impossible without the assistance of Divine grace, and which is rewarded by achieving the Divine friendship in relation to a human (salvation); friendship between a human and God, which is characterized by mutual sincerity and openness, and mutual service; human friendship, which is characterized by mutual sincerity and openness (confession of sins to each other), mutual service of love, patience with shortcomings, and compassion. Conclusion. According to Saint Justin and Saint Innocent, friendship has a moral dimension; it is a part of Christian morality, and the telos of the Christian moral life.
- Bibliya. Knigi Svyashchennogo Pisaniya Vetkhogo i Novogo Zaveta [The Holy Bible. The Books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments]. Moscow, Rossiyskoe Bibleyskoe obshchestvo Publ., 2012. 1296, XXXII p. (in Russian).
- Grigoriy Velikiy Dvoeslov, svt. Izbrannye Tvoreniya [Selected Сreations]. Moscow, Palomnik Publ., 1999. 734, [1] p. (in Russian).
- Logunov A., comp. Mudrye mysli o druzhbe [Wise Thoughts on Friendship]. Moscow, Nikeya Publ., 2014. 224 p. (in Russian).
- Feofan Zatvornik, svt. Nachertanie khristianskogo nravoucheniya [The Outline of Christian Ethics]. Moscow, Otchiy dom Publ., 2010. 624 p. (in Russian).
- Iustin, episkop Ryazanskiy i Zarayskiy. Sochineniya: v 12 t. T. ? [Writings: in 12 vols. Vol. X]. Moscow, Tipolit. T-va I. N. Kushnereva i K° Publ., 1895. 356 p. (in Russian).
- Mikhail (Luzin), ep. Tolkovyy Apostol: Sobornye Poslaniya svyatykh Apostolov, izyasnennye episkopom Mikhailom (Luzinym) [Interpreted Apostle: The Conciliar Epistles of the Saint Apostles, explained by Bishop Michael (Luzin)]. Moscow, Pravilo very Publ., 2009. 764 p. (in Russian).
- Ioann Zlatoust, svt. Tolkovanie na Poslanie k Galatam [Exegesis of the Epistle to the Galatians]. Ioann Zlatoust, svt. Tvoreniya: v 12 t. T. 10, kn. 2 [Creations: in 12 vols. Vol. 10, book 2]. St. Petersburg, Izdatel’stvo St.-Peterburgskoy Dukhovnoy Akademii, 1904, pp. 729–816 (in Russian).
- Vasiliy Velikiy, svt. Rules summarized in questions and answers. Vasiliy Velikiy, svt. Tvoreniya: v 2 t. T. 2 [Creations: in 2 vols. Vol. 2]. Moscow, Sibirskaya Blagozvonnitsa Publ., 2009, pp. 223–319 (in Russian).
- Innokentiy Khersonskiy, svt. Velikiy post. Molitva svyatogo Efrema Sirina [Great Lent. Prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian]. Moscow, Otchiy dom Publ., 2011. 448 p. (in Russian).