Filippov Boris

Waves and Cycles of Religious Tension in History

Abstract

The notions of «religious awakening» and «religious revival» refer to processes which took place in the history of European civilization. These notions are widely used in academic language and literature. During the last third of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first century, a global phenomenon emerged which can be described as «de-secularization», «religious revival» or «spiritual awakening». This was characteristic of all religions. Sociologists, researchers of religions and political scientists have begun to discuss its nature and character. The author attempts to place it in the broader context of Western European and Russian history of the last five hundred years. He wishes to examine it with reference to the cyclic-wave theory of social development. He introduces the concept of «religious tension» defined as the idea that mankind and the individual cannot be in a state of constant religious tension. Following the wave of spiritual tension or religious revival a «return wave» of spiritual indifference or tranquility succeeds. The two periods taken together constitute a single cycle. As a criterion for assessing the presence or absence of tension, the author highlights popular piety and the religious atmosphere just before the Protestant Reformation. These models are later employed as part of a pattern underlining similar characteristics of religious life at other times. The first section of the article presents the theory behind the problem and the characteristics of the return wave lasting from 1930 to 1960. This was the wave that served as the basis for the theory of secularization. The second section of the article highlights the religious tension characteristic of the second half of the twentieth and the start of the twenty-fi rst century.

Keywords

waves, cycles, tension, renewal, the conditions fro salvation, types of piety, sects, secularization/de-secularization, Reformation, anti-clericalism, Jaspers, Eisenstadt, Schlesinger, Buné, S. Lebedev, Uzlaner, Filatov, Furman, Kääriä

References

1. Altermatt H. U. Katholizismus und Moderne. Zur Sozial- und Mentalitätsgeschichte der Schweizer Katholiken im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert, Zürich, 1989.
2. Aubert R. 1985 “O żywienie w duszpasterstwie“ (About Nutrition in Pastoral Care), in Aubert R. i in. Historia Kościoła, Warszawa, 1985, vol. 5. Od 1948 do czasów współczesnych, pp. 98–108.
3. Aubert R. 1985 “Początki katolicyzmu społecznego“ (Origins of Catholic Catholicism), in Idem. Historia Kościoła, Warszawa, 1985, vol. 5, pp. 109–124.
4. Bruls J. 1985 “Od misji do młodych Kościołów” (From Thought to Young Churches), in Aubert R. Historia Kościoła, Warszawa, 1985, vol. 5, pp. 199–325.
5. Fonnesberg-Schmidt I. Papieże i krucjaty baltyckie 1147–1254 (Popes and Balic Crusades 1147–1254), Warszawa, 2009.
6. Knowles M. D. 1988 “Klimat religijny XV wieku” (Religious Climate of XV Century), in Historia Kościoła…, Warszawa, 1988, vol. 2, pp. 357–358.
7. Micklethwait J., Wooldridge A. God Is Back. How the Global Revival of Faith Is Changing the World, London, 2009.
8. Pięciak W. Kryzys wiary czy kryzys systemu?: kościoły w Niemczech 1990–1999 (Crisis of Faith of Crisis of System?: Churches in Germany 1990–1999), Warszawa, 1999.
9. Secularization, in // http://www.newadvent. org/cathen/13677a.htm (Date: 14.11.2013).
10. 1986 “Sekty albo nowe ruchy religijne. Wyzwanie duszpasterskie. Wstęp. 1.5” (Sects or New Religions. Pastoral Study), in L’Osservatore Romano. Citta del Vatikano, 1986, vol. 5, pp. 3–6.
11. Stark R., Bainbridge W. The Future of Religion, Berkley, 1985.
12. Tuchle H. 1986 “Pobożność ludzi świeckich” (Piety of Secular People), in Historia Kościoła, Warszawa, 1986, vol. 3, pp. 29–30.
13. Wilson B. Religion in Secular Society: a Sociological Comment, London, 1966.
14. Alekseev A. I. 2004 “K izucheniju eresi strigol'nikov” (To Study of Strigolniki Heresy), in Drevnjaja Rus'. Voprosy medievistiki, 2004, vol. 4/18, pp. 22–34.
15. Alekseev A. I. Religioznye dvizhenija na Rusi poslednej treti XIV — nachala XVI v.: strigol'niki i zhidovstvujushhie (Religious Movements in Rus’ of Last Third of XIV — Begin of XVI Cent.: Strigolniki and Zhidovstvujushhie), Moscow, 2012.
16. Barsov N. I. 1894 “Eres', eretiki” (Heresy, Heretics), in Jenciklopedicheskij slovar' Brokgauza i Efrona: V 86 tomah (E–Zh.), Saint-Petersburg, 1894, vol. 22, p. 672.
17. Bjune V. Igra s ognem (Game with Fire), Moscow, 1991.
18. Velikoe vozrozhdenie (Great Renaissance), in http://svobd.ru/2010-11-15-00-07-27/70--/1148-y.html (Date: 03. 11. 2013)).
19. Vereshhagin I. F. Cerkovno-eparhial'naja periodicheskaja pechat' v obshhestvennoj zhizni rossijskoj provincii vo vtoroj polovine XIX — nachale XX veka. Dis. … kand. ist. nauk (Church-Diocese Periodicals in Social Life of Russian Province in Second Half of XIX — Begin of XX Century. Dissertation), Arhangel'sk, 2013.
20. Voroncova E. 2010 “Teologicheskaja recepcija sociologii religii Niklasa Lumana” (Theological Reception of Religion Sociology of Niklas Luhmann), in Materialy seminara 2010-7 Serija: Problemy organizacii cerkovnyh obshhin. Mezhdunarodnaja praktika. Dekabr' 2010, Moscow, 2010, pp. 94–101.
21. Voroncova I. V. Religiozno-filosofskaja mysl' nachala XX veka (Religious-Philosophical Thought of Begin of XX Century), Moscow, 2008.
22. Voroncova L. M., Filatov S. B., Furman D. E. 1995 “Religija v sovremennom massovom soznanii” (Religion in Modern Massive Consciousness), in Sociologicheskie issledovanija, 1995, vol. 11, pp. 81–91.
23. Galkina E. V. Stanovlenie protestantizma v anglijskih kolonijah Severnoj Ameriki (1630–1760-e gg.). Dis. ... kand. ist. nauk (Formation of Protestantism in English Colonies of North America (1630–1760). Dissertation), Stavropol', 2002.
24. Daleckaja V. Ju. Politika gosudarstva i cerkvi v otnoshenii sektantov v Rossii XVIII–XIX vekov (State and Church Politics on Sectarians in Russia of XVIII–XIX Centuries), Moscow, 2004.
25. Dogan M. 1999 “Padenie tradicionnyh cennostej v Zapadnoj Evrope: religija, gosudarstvo-nacija, vlast'” (Fall of Traditional Values in West Europa: Religion, State-Nation, Power), in Mirovaja jekonomika i mezhdunarodnye otnoshenija, 1999, vol. 12, pp. 23–30.
26. Djevis N. Istorija Evropy (Europe History), Moscow, 2005.
27. Zhuk S. I. 1997 “Pervoe religioznoe «Velikoe Probuzhdenie» v Britanskoj Amerike” (First Religious “Great Awakening” in British America), in Voprosy istorii, 1997, vol. 6, pp. 133–142.
28. Zernov N. M. Russkoe religioznoe vozrozhdenie XX v. (Russian Religious Renaissance of XX Cent.), Parizh, 1991.
29. Joas H. 2009 “Budushhee hristianstva” (Future of Christianity), in Sociologicheskie issledovanija, 2009, vol. 11, p. 79.
30. Isaev B. A. Sociologija. Kratkij kurs (Sociology. Short Course), Moscow, 2010.
31. Isaev S. A. “«Velikoe probuzhdenie»” (“Great Awakening”), in Pravoslavnaja jenciklopedija, vol. 7, pp. 510–511.
32. Istorija krestovyh pohodov (History of Crusades), Moscow, 1998.
33. K obshhestvu, svobodnomu ot religii (To Society Freed of Religion), Moscow, 1970.
34. Kalhun K. Postsekuljarnost' pri demokratii. O svetskosti (Postsecularity by Democracy. About Secularity), in http://www.russ.ru/pole/Postsekulyarnost-pri-demokratii (Date: 06.01.2015)).
35. Kanningem Dzh. V. S nadezhdoj na sobor. Russkoe religioznoe probuzhdenie nachala veka (With Hope on Council. Russian Religious Awakening of Begin of Century), London, 1990.
36. Karpov V. 2012 “Konceptual'nye osnovy teorii desekuljarizacii“ (Concept Basics of Desecularisation Theory), in Gosudarstvo, religija, cerkov' v Rossii i za rubezhom, 2012, vol. 2/30, pp.114–164.
37. Kirvel' Ch. S. 2002 “«Ahilesova pjata» teorii progressa” (“Heel of Achilles” of Progress Theory), in Vestnik Grodzenskago dzjarzhaunago univesitjeta imja Janki Kupaly. Seryja 1, 2002, vol. 2/10, p. 34.
38. Kondakov Ju. E. Liberal'noe i konservativnoe napravlenija v religioznyh dvizhenijah v Rossii pervoj chetverti XIX veka (Liberal and Conservative Directions in Religious Movements in Russia of First Quarter of XIX Century), Saint-Petersburg, 2005.
39. Zaslavskaja T. I. (ed.) Kuda idet Rossija?... Krizis institucional'nyh sistem: Vek, desjatiletie, god (Where Does Russia Go?.. Crisis of Institutional Systems: Age, Decade, Year), Moscow, 1999.
40. Lebedev S. D. «Religioznoe vozrozhdenie» kak social'naja real'nost': opyt teoreticheskogo analiza (“Religious Renaissance” as Social Reality: Experience of Theoretical Analysis), in http://socionavtika.narod.ru/Staty/diegesis/lebedew3.htm (Date: 22. 03. 2013)).
41. Lur'e Ja. S., Kazakova N. A. Antifeodal'nye ereticheskie dvizhenija na Rusi XIV — nachala XVI v. (Antifeudal Heretical Movements in Russia of XIV — Begin of XVI Cent.), Moscow; Leningrad, 1955.
42. Makgrat A. Bogoslovskaja mysl' Reformacii (Theological Thought of Reformation), Odessa, 1994.
43. Marija (Skobcova). 1997 “Tipy religioznoj zhizni” (Types of Religious Life), in Vestnik RHD, 1997, vol. 176.
45. Netuzhilov K. E. Formirovanie sistemy cerkovnoj periodicheskoj pechati v Rossii XIX — nachala XX veka. Dis. … d-r filol. nauk (Formation of System of Church Periodicals in Russia of XIX — Begin of XX Century. Dissertation), Saint-Petersburg, 2010.
46. Osipov G. V., Moskvichev L. N., Kabyshha A. V. i dr. Sociologija. Osnovy obshhej teorii (Sociology. Basics of General Theory), Moscow, 2008.
47. Ostrovskaja L. V. 1983 “Osobennosti ponimanija hristianstva krest'janami Sibiri” (Features of Understanding of Christianity by Siberian Peasants), in Obshhestvennyj byt i kul'tura russkogo naselenija Sibiri (XVIII — nach. XX v.), Novosibirsk, 1983, pp. 135–150.
48. Panchenko A. M. 2000 “Petr i veroterpimost'” (Petr and Religious Toleration), in On zhe. O russkoj istorii i kul'ture, Moscow, 2000, p. 386.
49. Parsamov V. S. Zhozef de Mestr i Aleksandr Sturdza: Iz istorii religioznyh idej Aleksandrovskoj jepohi. Posobie po speckursu (Joseph de Mestre and Alexandr Sturdza: From History of Religious Ideas of Alexandr Epoche. Textbook for Special Course), Saratov, 2004.
50. Pechnikov M. V. 2005 “K voprosu o religioznoj praktike strigol'nikov” (To Question about Religious Practice of Strigolniki), in Ad fontem, Moscow, 2005, pp. 224–236.
51. Romanova E. V. Massovye samosozhzhenija staroobrjadcev v Rossii v XVII–XIX vekah (Massive Self-Immolations of Old Believers in Russia in XVII–XIX Centuries), Saint-Petersburg, 2012.
52. Rybakov B. A. Strigol'niki (Russkie gumanisty XIV stoletija) (Strigolniki (Russian Humanists of XIV Century)), Moscow, 1993.
53. Sidorova N. I. Misticizm v russkoj religioznoj kul'ture pervoj chetverti XIX veka. Dis. … kand. ist. nauk (Mysticism in Russian Religious Culture of First Quarter of XIX Century. Dissertation), Saratov, 2010.
54. Sinelina Ju. Ju. Ciklicheskij harakter processa sekuljarizacii v Rossii (sociologicheskij analiz: konec XVII — nachalo XXI veka). Avtoref. dis. ... d-r soc. nauk (Cyclical Character as Secularization Process in Russia (Sociological Analysis: End of XVII — Begin of XXI Century). Dissertation Abstract), Moscow, 2009.
55. Spic L. Istorija Reformacii (Reformation History), Moscow, 2003, vol. 2.
56. Trevel'jan Dzh. M. 1959 “Anglija vremen Defo. Religioznoe vozrozhdenie” (England of Time of Defoe. Religious Renaissance), in On zhe. Social'naja istorija Anglii, Moscow, 1959, pp. 318–367.
57. Trevel'jan Dzh.M. Istorija Anglii ot Chosera do korolevy Viktorii (English History from Chauser to Queen Victoria), Moscow, 2001.
58. Uzlaner D. 2008 “V kakom smysle sovremennyj mir mozhet byt' nazvan postsekuljarnym“ (In What Sense Can Modern World Be Called Postsecular), in Kontinent, 2008, vol. 136.
59. Uzlaner D. 2008 “Stanovlenie neoklassicheskoj modeli sekuljarizacii v zapadnoj sociologii religii vtoroj poloviny XX v.” (Formation of Neoclassical Secularization Model in West Religion Sociology of Second Half of XX Cent.), in Religiovedenie, 2008, vol. 2, pp. 135–148.
60. Firsov S. L. Russkaja Cerkov' nakanune peremen (konec 1890-h — 1918 gg.) (Russian Church before Changes (End of 1890s — 1918)), Moscow, 2002.
61. Furman D. E., Kaariajnen K. Religioznost' v Rossii v 90-e gody XX — nach. XXI veka (Religiosity in Russia in 1990s — Begin of XXI Century), Moscow, 2006.
62. Hantington S. Tret'ja volna. Demokratizacija v konce XX veka (Third Wave. Democratization in End of XX Century), Moscow, 2003.
63. Hegglund B. 2001 “Dvizhenie duhovnogo probuzhdenija v XIX veke” (Movement of Spiritual Awakening in XIX Century), in Istorija teologii, Saint-Petersburg, 2001, pp. 329–334.
64. Shahnovich M. M. Antiklerikalizm: Kruglyj stol (Anticlericalism: Round Table), in http://polit.ru/article/2012/06/17/anticlericalism_seminar/ (Date: 17. 03. 2014).
65. Shlezinger ml. A. Cikly amerikanskoj istorii (Cycles of American History), Moscow, 1992, pp. 46–48.
66. Jejzenshtadt Sh. 1999 “Osnovy i struktury civilizacionnogo ustroenija obshhestva. O civilizacijah «osevogo vremeni». «Osevoe vremja» i stanovlenie transcendentnoj duhovnosti” (Basics and Structures of Civilization Society System. About Civilizations of “Axis Time”. “Axis Time” and Formation of Transcendent Spirituality), in Erasov B. S. (ed.) Sravnitel'noe izuchenie civilizacij: Hrestomatija: Ucheb. posobie dlja studentov vuzov, Moscow, 1999, pp. 94–101.
67. Jaspers K. Smysl i naznachenie istorii (Sense and Purpose of History), Moscow, 1991.

Information about the author

Filippov Boris