The Christianization of Russia

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The Christianization of Russia
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Theme

• How did whole nations become Christian?
• Contrast China isolated monasteries in country
• Pre-600s Christianity spread by diffusion

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Strategies for missionizing

• Destruction of pagan religion
• Appropriation/transformation of pagan religion
• Pope Gregory I (The Great)
• In 596, sent missionaries to England
• Christianize pagan shrines
• Sprinkle with holy water
• Set up altars with Christian relics (bones) of
  saints
• translate pagan religion into Christian
  observance of holy days, mass
• Example Christmas on Dec. 25
• Both destruction and appropriation
• St. Boniface of Germany (675-754)
• Prince Vladimir of Russia (958-1015)
• With forcible conversions

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Politics

• Military conquest of a region by a Christian king
  Christianization
• Charlemagne, HRE (800)
• King Olav, Norway (995-1030)
• Previous kings of Norway were Christian
• Olav brought in bishops from England and Germany,
  enforced Christianity

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Russia

• Russian Primary Chronicle (11/12th c.)
• About events in 987-88
• Take with grain of salt
• Multiple reasons for princes conversion
• Prince converted by worship of Greeks
• Like Constantine, credits God with military
  victory
• Intermarriage also contributes to conversion
• Distinctive piety
• Venerate images
• Latins pray wrong (p. 313) unorthodox

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Kievan Rus, 11th c.
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St. Basils Church, Moscow 1555-1561
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Interior, St. Basils, Moscow
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Iconostasis, Chapel of the Glorious Resurrection
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Iconostasis, Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist, Washington, D.C.
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Celebration of the Divine LiturgyRussian
Orthodox Church in Australia
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Celebration of the Divine Liturgy