Religious syncretism and the meanings of the names of gods in the Russian language. Religious syncretism Syncretic teaching
Almost all religions existing today are syncretistic. For example, in Islam, Judaism, Christianity and most of the pagan beliefs of the peoples of the Middle East that have sunk into oblivion, they have a common situation - this is confrontation and struggle. This was not the case either in ancient religions or in Buddhism. But there is practically no such syncretism of religions as in Africa.
African culture developed almost in parallel with others, so very often it produces many forms of religious diversity and a combination of different beliefs that are not found anywhere else in the world. The most famous examples of syncretism in Africa are the synthesis of Islam and the traditional beliefs of Bantu peoples and tribes, the synthesis of Christianity with the cults of Western, Southern and Eastern Africa. Astrology and geomancy are popular in West Africa and Madagascar, having been seriously introduced to African cultural soil due to their borrowing from the Arabs.
As a result of the combination of classical Euro-American Christianity and black cults at the beginning of the 20th century, Quimbangism appeared. This unique religion adopted the cross, messianism and confession from Christianity, and fetishism and animism, especially the cult of ancestors, from the beliefs of black Africans. Unlike many other Protestant denominations, the Quimbangists recognize the participation of Christ himself in the Eucharist.
This syncretic religion was famous for its Puritan ethics, including the prohibition of violence, polygamy, dancing, and the use of alcohol and tobacco. The Kimbanguists were serious supporters of the anti-colonial movement and the peaceful separation of the Congo from the British crown. They are loyal to whites. Kimbangism is the largest Afro-Christian religion. He gave a powerful impetus to other Afro-Christian movements.
The current Afro-Christian complex stands for progress and a strong secular culture with an integral unified African civilization. But he does not give up his belief in spirits. Islam among the Bantu peoples deserves special attention.
Monotheists
If Muslims are clear monotheists who believe in Allah, then the Bantus believe in the Junta and his entourage of spirits. For the former, the Prophet Muhammad plays a huge role; for the latter, his role is played by the head of the clan or the sorcerer. A Muslim is required to fast and pray five times a day, but in Bantu culture he must perform completely different rituals - make sacrifices to ancestors and spirits, and also pray to them. The functions of a mullah in Africa are performed by a sorcerer-witch doctor, and Muslim folk practices are performed by pagan rituals.
Shintoism, Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan. Based on the animistic beliefs of the ancient Japanese, the objects of worship are numerous deities and spirits of the dead. The complex process of cultural synthesis of local tribes with newcomers laid the foundations of Japanese culture proper, the religious and cult aspect of which was called Shintoism. Shinto (“the way of spirits”) is a designation for the supernatural world, gods and spirits (kami), which have been revered by the Japanese since ancient times. The origins of Shinto go back to ancient times and include all the forms of beliefs and cults inherent in primitive peoples - totemism, animism, magic, the cult of the dead, the cult of leaders, etc. The ancient Japanese, like other peoples, spiritualized the natural phenomena around them, plants and animals, dead ancestors, and treated with reverence the intermediaries who communicated with the world of spirits - magicians, sorcerers, shamans. Later, having already experienced the influence of Buddhism and adopted a lot from it, primitive Shinto shamans turned into priests who performed rituals in honor of various deities and spirits in temples specially built for this purpose.
The basis of Shinto is the deification and worship of natural forces and phenomena. It is believed that everything that exists on Earth is, to one degree or another, animate, deified, even those things that we are accustomed to consider inanimate - for example, a stone or a tree. Each thing has its own spirit, a deity - kami. Some kami are spirits of the area, others personify natural phenomena and are patrons of families and clans. Other kami represent global natural phenomena, such as Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess.
The main principle of Shinto is to live in harmony with nature and people. According to Shinto beliefs, the world is a single natural environment where kami, people, and the souls of the dead live side by side. Life is a natural and eternal cycle of birth and death, through which everything in the world is constantly renewed. Therefore, people do not need to seek salvation in another world; they should achieve harmony with the kami in this life.
Shinto, as a religious philosophy, is a development of the animistic beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of the Japanese islands. There are several versions of the origin of Shinto: the export of this religion at the dawn of our era from continental states (ancient China and Korea), the emergence of Shinto directly on the Japanese Islands since the time of Jomon, etc. It can be noted that animist beliefs are typical of all known cultures at a certain stage of development , but of all any large and civilized states, only in Japan were they not forgotten over time, but became, only partially modified, the basis of the state religion.
The formation of Shinto as the national and state religion of the Japanese dates back to the period of the 7th-8th centuries AD. e., when the country was united under the rule of the rulers of the central Yamato region. In the process of unifying Shinto, a system of mythology was canonized, in which the sun goddess Amaterasu, declared the ancestor of the ruling imperial dynasty, was at the top of the hierarchy, and local and clan gods took a subordinate position. The Taihoryo code of laws, which appeared in 701, approved this provision and established the jingikan, the main administrative body, which was in charge of all issues related to religious beliefs and ceremonies. An official list of state religious holidays was established.
Empress Genmei ordered the compilation of a collection of myths of all the peoples living on the Japanese Islands. According to this order, the chronicle “Records of Ancient Acts” was created in 712, and in 720 the “Annals of Japan” was created. These mythological codes became the main texts in Shinto, some semblance of sacred scripture. When compiling them, the mythology was somewhat corrected in the spirit of the national unification of all Japanese and the justification of the power of the ruling dynasty. In 947, the code “Engisiki” (“Code of Rituals of the Engi Period”) appeared, containing a detailed presentation of the ritual part of state Shinto - the order of rituals, the necessary accessories for them, lists of gods for each temple, texts of prayers. Finally, in 1087, an official list of state temples supported by the imperial house was approved. State temples were divided into three groups: the first included seven sanctuaries directly associated with the gods of the imperial dynasty, the second - seven temples of greatest importance from the point of view of history and mythology, the third - eight temples of the most influential clan and local gods .
Intellectually, from the point of view of philosophical understanding of the world, theoretical abstract constructions, Shintoism, like religious Taoism in China, was insufficient for a vigorously developing society. It is therefore not surprising that Buddhism, which penetrated from the mainland to Japan, quickly took a leading position in the spiritual culture of the country.
From the 6th century The widespread introduction of Buddhism into all spheres of public life began, which initially led to competition between Shintoism and Buddhism for the right to be the spiritual basis of Japanese statehood. The result of this process was the formation of the 8th century. syncretic Shinto-Buddhist forms of collective consciousness, when the religious systems of Shinto and Buddhism served the various needs of society and the individual.
The most accurate functional “division of labor” between Buddhism and Shintoism in the VI-VII centuries. defined by the American scientist R. Miller: “Buddhism served the spiritual and aesthetic needs of the era, and traditional mythological ideas and ideas about ancestors served as a support for the social structure, as well as a means of determining differences in status within this structure” 11 Sila-Novitskaya T.G. The cult of the emperor in Japan: myths, history, doctrines, politics. -- M.: Science. Main Editorial Board of Oriental Literature, 1990, p. 4.
The unification of Shinto into a single national religion took place under the strong influence of Buddhism, which penetrated Japan in the 6th-7th centuries. Since Buddhism was very popular among the Japanese aristocracy, everything was done to prevent inter-religious conflicts. At first, kami were declared the patrons of Buddhism; later, some kami began to be associated with Buddhist saints. Ultimately, the idea developed that kami, like people, may need salvation, which is achieved in accordance with Buddhist canons.
Buddhism spread to Japan in the form of Mahayana and did a lot for the formation and strengthening of a developed culture and statehood there. Bringing with it not only Indian philosophical thought and Buddhist metaphysics, but also the traditions of Chinese civilization (Buddhism came mainly through China), the teachings of the Buddha contributed to the formation in Japan of the administrative-bureaucratic hierarchy and some of the fundamental principles of the system of ethics and law. It is noteworthy that in this area there was no emphasis, as was the case in China, on the unconditional authority of the wisdom of the ancients and on the insignificance of the individual before the opinion and tradition of the collective as a whole. On the contrary, already in the “Law of 17 Articles”, published in 604, the tenth article was contained, from which it was clear that each person can have his own opinions and beliefs, ideas about what is right and wise, although one should still act, in accordance with the will of the majority. In this article, as if in embryo, important differences are visible that predetermined - along with a number of other factors - a different internal structure and different political destinies of Japan in comparison with China, to whose civilization it owes so much 11 Vasilyev L.S. History of the religions of the East Moscow “Higher School” 1983, p. 328.
In other words, within the framework of ancient Japanese civilization, Buddhist norms, even having undergone sinicization and Confucianization, turned out to be stronger, and it was they who played a significant role in laying the foundations of Japanese culture. Already from the 8th century. The influence of Buddhism also became decisive in the political life of the country, which was facilitated by the institution of the Inke, according to which the emperor, during his lifetime, was obliged to abdicate in favor of the heir and, having become a monk, rule the country as a regent. The number of Buddhist temples grew rapidly: in 623, according to the Nihongi chronicle, there were 46 of them. At the end of the 7th century. A special decree was issued to install altars and Buddha images in all official institutions. In the middle of the 8th century. It was decided to build the gigantic Todaiji Temple in the capital of Nara, and the central place in the temple was occupied by the 16-meter figure of the Buddha Vairochana, the gold for which was collected throughout Japan. Buddhist temples began to number in the thousands. In Japan, many schools-sects of Buddhism have found their second home, including those that did not survive or fell into decline on the mainland.
The most famous new sect of Japanese Buddhism was the teaching of Zen. Zen Buddhism is the same Japanese reaction to Indian Buddhism and the manifestation of the Japanese national spirit in Buddhism, like its prototype, Chan Buddhism - the personification of everything Chinese in Buddhism. Zen entered Japan from China at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries. in both its modifications, northern and southern. However, the southern school received the greatest development, the passionate preacher of whose ideas, Dogen, made some significant changes to its principles. Thus, Dogen, unlike the Chinese tradition of the southern branch of Chan, respected the authority of the Buddha, the sutras and his teacher.
This innovation of Dogen played an important role in the subsequent destinies of the Zen sect in Japan. It remained esoteric, like Chan in China. However, its possibilities and influence in Japan turned out to be immeasurably wider. Firstly, recognition of the authority of the teacher contributed to the strengthening of certain traditions. The Inka institution was strengthened, which meant recognition by the master teacher that the student had achieved enlightenment, satori. Thus, the master, as it were, sanctioned the student’s right to inherit the authority of the teacher and the traditions of his school. Secondly, schools at Zen monasteries became very popular. The severity and cruelty of education, cane discipline, psychotechnics and self-control, the desire to teach a person to persistently achieve a goal and be ready to do anything for it - this in the Zen system of education appealed to the samurai class with its cult of the sword and willingness to die for the master. It is natural, therefore, that Zen Buddhism was willingly patronized by the shoguns.
Zen Buddhism, with its principles and norms, largely determined the code of samurai honor, the “way of the warrior” (bushido). Courage and loyalty, a heightened sense of dignity and honor (not the “face” of an educated Chinese Confucian, but precisely the honor of a warrior-knight, the insult of which is washed away only by blood), the cult of suicide in the name of honor and duty (not only boys in schools, but also girls from samurai families were specially trained in this art: boys - to do hara-kiri, girls - to stab themselves with a dagger), the philosophy of fatalism combined with fanatical devotion to the patron, as well as the confidence that the glorious name of the valiantly fallen will shine and be revered by generations for centuries - all this together taken, included in the concept of “bushido” and had a huge influence on the Japanese national character, was largely brought up by Japanese Zen Buddhism.
The fanaticism and readiness for self-sacrifice cultivated in samurai by Zen Buddhism differed from the fanaticism of the warriors of Islam, who went to their death in the name of faith, expecting reward for this in the next world. There was no concept of eternal bliss in the next world either in Shintoism or Buddhism. And in general, the spiritual orientation of Japanese culture, like Chinese culture, which had a considerable influence on it in this sense, was this-worldly. The samurai who went to their death dreamed not about bliss beyond the grave and the afterlife, but about a worthy death and a high place in the memory of the living. This attitude towards death as a natural end, as the natural fate of everyone, to the normal change from one state to another (with the prospect of returning to the old state of life, but in a new birth) was to a large extent stimulated by Buddhism, including Zen Buddhism 11 Vasiliev L .WITH. History of the religions of the East Moscow “Higher School” 1983, p. 332-333.
Shintoism absorbs many ideas from Buddhism. Buddhist temples began to be located on the territory of Shinto temple complexes, where appropriate rituals were held; Buddhist sutras were read directly in Shinto shrines. The influence of Buddhism especially began to manifest itself starting from the 9th century, when Buddhism became the state religion of Japan. At this time, many cult elements from Buddhism were transferred to Shintoism. Images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas began to appear in Shinto shrines, new holidays began to be celebrated, details of rituals, ritual objects, and architectural features of temples were borrowed. Mixed Shinto-Buddhist teachings appeared, such as Sanno-Shinto and Ryobu-Shinto, which consider kami as manifestations of the Buddhist Vairocana - “the Buddha who permeates the entire Universe.”
From the merger of Shintoism with Buddhism, which penetrated Japan in 538 and received the support of the authorities in the 8th century, a very interesting synthesis arises. At first the Kami were identified with the Buddhist gods (devas); later they were raised to a higher level, and they became avatars - the embodiment of Bodhisattvas. Both cults practice an active exchange between images of Buddhas and Kami. During the shogunate of the Kamakura dynasty (1185-1333), marked by the extraordinary fruitfulness of the thinkers of Japanese Buddhism, Tendai Shinto and Tantric Shintoism (Shingon) appeared. The following centuries would give rise to an opposing movement that sought to purify Shinto (Watarai and Yoshida Shinto) from Buddhist influence. During the Edo era (Tokyo, 1603-1867), Shintoism merged with Confucianism (Suika Shinto). Although the Renaissance (Fukko) Motoori Norinaga (17th century) set out to restore Shinto to its original purity and criticized the merger with Buddhism and Confucianism, the movement would ultimately embrace the Catholic concept of the Trinity and Jesuit theology. If in the Tokugawa era (Edo, 1603-1867) Shinto Buddhism was recognized as the state religion, then in the subsequent Meiji era (after 1868) Shintoism in its pure form became the official religion 11 Eliade M., Culiano I. Dictionary of religions, rituals and beliefs. M.: “Rudomino”, St. Petersburg: “University Book”, 1997, p. 111.
Thus, a kind of syncretism of religions developed in Japan - most Japanese considered themselves adherents of both Shintoism and Buddhism, and in religious ideas and rituals it was difficult to separate one religion from another. In conclusion, I will add that in modern Japan the proportion of the population that simultaneously professes two religions - Buddhism and Shintoism - is 84%.
One more important factor should be noted - Confucianism also had a certain impact on the religion of Japan. Japanese culture differs from Sino-Confucian culture in one more aspect. If in China conformism was almost absolutely dominant, with only weak outlets in the form of Taoism and Buddhism, then in Japan it was much weaker. The individual was supposed to have the right to decide, determine and be devoted to the idea and the patron that he himself had chosen. True, the choice was usually made only once - after this, the practice of loyalty to the grave and readiness to die for an idea or master came into force. But the right to choose (even if only once, not for everyone and not always!), in principle, still existed.
Closer to the Sino-Confucian Japanese tradition is the cult of ancestors and the family tree. Of course, Japan did not know the depth of this cult that was in China. However, the valor and dignity cultivated among the samurai were largely associated with their origin (a feature that brings the samurai closer to European chivalry than to the Chinese norms of ancestor cult), and this, in turn, required maintaining the family tree and veneration in accordance with the norms Shintoism of deceased ancestors. And here, of course, the Chinese Confucian tradition had its influence.
This, as well as the general trend of cultural borrowings from China, played a role in the fact that Confucianism developed significantly in Japan over time. But this did not happen right away.
The history of Confucianism in Japan (as well as Taoism) dates back to the early stage of development of Japanese civilization and statehood. Migrants from the mainland, Chinese and Koreans, brought with them not only Confucian texts, but also the norms of Confucian morality and lifestyle that corresponded to them. But Buddhism, which was dominant in Japan, was quite wary of Confucianism. Confucianism in Japan, however, has seen better times.
Since the 17th century, when the shoguns from the Tokugawa clan (1603-1867) managed to stop the decentralizing tendencies of the Japanese feudal lords and, with an iron hand, reunite the country under their rule, when the Buddhist church led by them turned into a grassroots administrative base to keep the population in obedience, a favorable situation developed for the intensive penetration of Confucianism into Japan. The shoguns hoped that Zhu Xi's reformed neo-Confucianism would be able to give them an additional opportunity to strengthen their power. The Confucian ideals of loyalty to those in power, reverence for elders, and unwavering maintenance of the status quo seemed appropriate. Through the efforts of a number of preachers, Zhuxi Neo-Confucianism began to quickly spread in Japan. The methods of some of the preachers are noteworthy. Interesting in this regard, for example, is Yamazaki Ansai (1618-1682). He preached the ideas of Confucianism, trying to combine the commandments of Confucius and Mencius with the spirit of samurai patriotism and the norms of ancient Shintoism. Yamazaki Ansai, like other Japanese Confucians, sought to combine Confucian principles with the norms of Shintoism. He put forward a theory according to which the neo-Confucian li (not the old Confucius, i.e. ceremonies, ritual, but the other, neo-Confucian - the great principle, universal order) is that divine power of nature that manifests itself through all traditional “ eight million" Shinto kami led by the great Amaterasu. The push towards the rapprochement of Neo-Confucianism with Shintoism came in the conditions of the 18th-19th centuries. considerable political meaning. The cult of antiquity and the great ideals of the past, the study of the history of Japan, the origins of its culture contributed to a kind of revival of Shintoism, the strengthening of its norms in all classes, and above all in samurai with its penchant for the ideas of the greatness of ancestors and devotion to the master. Gradually, this cult, reworked through the prism of the Confucian attitude towards the ruler, towards the sovereign, more and more definitely began to relate specifically to the Japanese emperor - a direct descendant of the great Amaterasu, the only legitimate ruler of Japan 11 Vasiliev L.S. History of the religions of the East Moscow “Higher School” 1983, p. 335-338.
japan middle ages political art
RELIGIOUS SYNCRETISM - the borrowing by one religion of elements of other religions or a combination of components of different religions in a new religious system. Borrowings from other cults and belief systems are characteristic of all religions throughout human history. Many modern researchers consider Christianity to be a syncretic religion, which was formed in the first centuries of our era in the Roman Empire, combining elements of the Egyptian and Greek mysteries and dialectical Hellenic philosophy in the interpretation of the Alexandrian school of Neoplatonists, the esoteric teachings of the East, the principles of Jewish messianic historicism and Jewish apocalypticism in the interpretation of the early Christian schools 1st-2nd centuries and Christian mythology proper, based on the allegorical interpretation of the Bible Philo of Alexandria.
In Rus', Christianization proceeded for centuries under the sign of preserving elements of folk (“pagan”) beliefs, cults and traditions. Thus, Perun’s abilities were transferred by the popular consciousness to the prophet Elijah, with whom the image of Ilya Muromets subsequently merged; the female deity Makosh began to be called St. Paraskeva while maintaining her mission; miraculous icons replaced local patron gods.
Today, religious syncretism in Russia can be divided into: 1) preserved to this day from past times and 2) new, which appeared in the USSR and the Russian Federation.
1) Some folk festivals in Russia were renamed in a Christian manner, maintaining the same meaning: “honey spas” (the consecration of honey and cereals) was preserved in its original meaning. The “apple salvation”, while maintaining the ritual of the consecration of apples, symbolizing the transformation of nature, was superimposed on the Christian image - “The Transfiguration of the God-Man”. The holiday of the “Protection of the Virgin Mary” replaced the “Protection of the God Kryshen”, celebrated on this day (October 1 of the old style) in Russia (the girls sang: “Kryshen, Kryshen, cover the earth with snow, and me with a bridegroom!”). The significance of this holiday is associated with the idea of Heaven's protection of the entire Russian land. The popular celebration of the winter solstice - Maslenitsa - has also been preserved without a Christian interpretation (with mummers walking and symbols of the sun god).
Nowadays attempts are being made to revive some syncretic cults and mythical images. For example, the image of a warrior slaying a dragon, which goes back to the cult of the Zoroastrian god Mithra, was rethought in Russia in the 14th century: the image of the martyr George appeared in the coat of arms of Moscow and Russia. Now the authorities are trying to introduce the image of St. George the Victorious into the public consciousness as a symbol of the “new Russia.”
2) In the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, new forms of religious syncretism are associated either with the desire of traditional religions to adapt to modern sociocultural realities, or with the desire of new religions to maintain their influence at the expense of ancient traditions. Thus, the Russian Orthodox Church was forced to agree with the celebration of the New Year, despite the fact that it falls on the Nativity Fast. In the context of a ban on widespread celebrations there was a revival of the pre-Christian folk practice of “rejoicing” together with ancestors - on the graves of relatives, which was categorically prohibited by the Orthodox Church. church (as a “compromise” the church began to celebrate a special holiday with the pagan name “Radonitsa” on the 9th day after Easter).
In the doctrinal sphere, ecumenism can be classified as manifestations of religious syncretism (see. in Russia) and joint ecumenical prayers and rituals, in which all Christian denominations participate to one degree or another, as well as some other innovations.
V. S. Polosin
Here is quoted from the publication: Religions of the peoples of modern Russia. Dictionary. / editorial team: Mchedlov M.P., Averyanov Yu.I., Basilov V.N. and others - M., 1999, p. 472-474.
At the end of the 5th - beginning of the 6th century. in Central Japan, the struggle between clans for supremacy in the general tribal association intensified. In their quest for power, the Soga clan used a foreign religion - Buddhism, the first mention of which dates back to 538, when the embassy of the Korean kingdom of Baekje arrived in Yamato with Buddhist sutras and a statue of Shakya Muni.
Confucianism also penetrated the Japanese islands. Confucian ideas met the needs of the royal elite and their aristocratic circle. Their desire for power was consistent with an ethical program with a clear social division of society, where the place and responsibilities of everyone were determined. Confucian ethics, with its principle of filial piety and duty, prescribed strict adherence to the cult of ancestors for everyone, and unquestioning submission to the “divine” dynasty of rulers for the lower strata.
But still, in the struggle for power, Buddhism turned out to be a priority for the Soga clan. After Soga's victory, Buddhism began to spread widely, accompanied by the construction of Buddhist monasteries and temples and the provision of vast lands to them.
The new religion with a pantheon of Buddhas and bodhisattvas took a strong place in the life of the Japanese. It was not perceived as something alien and opposed to tribal cults. Rather, on the contrary, the same protective functions and various assistance were expected from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They began to be endowed with the same magical properties as the kami - they were approached with specific requests - protection from diseases, sending a rich harvest, protection from evil, etc. The Japanese was confident that the new gods undoubtedly possessed more powerful powers. Huge, richly decorated temple buildings, sparkling golden interiors and solemn hours-long services supported this impression.
Buddhas and bodhisattvas naturally entered the vast pantheon of Shinto as new gods. However, in the early period of the spread of Buddhism, the functions of temple deities and even their hierarchy were not important and decisive for the local population. They developed their own attitude towards each of the deities, and, consequently, their own unique hierarchy was formed, which was still based, as in the cult of the kami, on the idea of the possibility of receiving help from the gods, capable of influencing the life of an individual person or the whole communities.
Buddhism also brought something new. Shinto arose as a religious practice of an agricultural community and was a reflection of collective views and requests, while Buddhism paid attention to the individual and appealed directly to the individual.
Local cults and Buddhism divided among themselves the functions associated with special moments in the life of the Japanese: bright, joyful events - birth, marriage - remained under the jurisdiction of the ancestral gods, headed by the “solar” goddess Amaterasu. Death, interpreted by Shinto as defilement, was protected by Buddhism, introducing the concept of liberation through the practice of venerating the Buddha.
This is how the syncretism of two religions developed - in Japanese terminology rebushinto – the way of Buddhism and Shinto. It was of great importance that the process of combining the two religions developed with broad government support. For example, by government decree, Shinto and Buddhist ritual are combined even in such a main and sacred ceremony as “the emperor eating the rice of the new harvest”: Buddhist monks are invited to it.
The highest form of religious syncretism was the concept honji suijaku, according to which the deities of the Shinto pantheon can be considered as temporary incarnations of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Thus, the “solar” goddess Amaterasu became the incarnation of the Buddha “Diamond Light” Vairocana.
the borrowing by one religion of elements of other religions or the combination of components of different religions into a new religion. system. Borrowings from other cults and belief systems are characteristic of all religions throughout human history. Mn. modern Researchers consider Christ a syncretic religion, which was formed in the first centuries AD. e. in the Roman Empire, combining elements of Egyptian and Greek. mysteries and dialectical Hellenic philosophy in the interpretation of the Alexandrian school of Neoplatonists, esoteric teachings of the East, the principles of Jewish messianic historicism and Jewish apocalypticism in the interpretation of the First Christ. schools of the 1st–2nd centuries. and Christ himself. mythology based on the allegorical interpretation of the Bible by Philo of Alexandria.
In Rus', Christianization proceeded for centuries under the sign of preserving elements of folk (“pagan”) beliefs, cults and traditions. Thus, Perun’s abilities were transferred by the popular consciousness to the prophet Elijah, with whom the image of Ilya of Murom subsequently merged; the female deity Makosh began to be called St. Paraskeva while maintaining her mission; miraculous icons replaced local patron gods.
Today S. r. in Russia can be divided into: 1) preserved to this day from past times and 2) new, which appeared in the USSR and in the Russian Federation.
1) Certain folk festivals in Russia were renamed to Christ. manners, maintaining the same meaning: “honey saved” (the consecration of honey and cereals) has been preserved in its original meaning. Christ superimposed on the “apple salvation” while preserving the ritual of the consecration of apples, symbolizing the transformation of nature. image "Transfiguration of the God-Man". The holiday of the “Protection of the Virgin Mary” replaced the “Protection of the God Kryshen” celebrated on this day (October 1st of the Old Style) in Russia (the girls sang: “Kryshen, Kryshen, cover the earth with snow, and me with a bridegroom!”). The significance of this holiday is associated with the idea of Heaven's protection of the entire Russian land. The popular celebration of the winter solstice, Maslenitsa, has also been preserved without Christ. interpretations (with mummers walking and with symbols of the sun god).
Nowadays attempts are being made to revive certain syncretic cults and mythical images. So, for example, the image of a warrior slaying a dragon, and going back to the cult of the Zoroastrian god Mithra, in Russia in the 14th century. was rethought: the image of the martyr George appeared in the coat of arms of Moscow and Russia. Now the authorities are trying to introduce the image of St. George the Victorious into the public consciousness as a symbol of the “new Russia”.
2) In the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, new forms of S. r. are associated either with the desire of traditional religions to adapt to modern times. sociocultural realities, or with the desire of new religions to maintain their influence at the expense of ancient traditions. Thus, the Russian Orthodox Church was forced to agree with the celebration of the New Year, despite the fact that it falls on the Nativity Fast. Under the conditions of the ban on the widespread celebration of Easter, a revival of popular pre-Christian Christianity took place. the practice of “rejoicing” together with ancestors at the graves of relatives, which was strictly prohibited by the Orthodox Church. church (as a “compromise” the church began to celebrate a special holiday with the pagan name “Radonitsa” on the 9th day after Easter).