Sacred East, Dying West: A Study in the Slavophile Ideology of Aleksei Khomiakov
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Date
2006-06
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
This thesis examines the ideology and religious worldview of one of the most prominent leaders of the Slavophile movement in 19th century Russia, Aleksei Khomiakov. The first section begins with a detailed look at his personal ideology in the context of his strong religious beliefs as a Russian Orthodox theologian. In particular, it examines Khomiakov's extremely influential theological concept of Sobornost, along with Khomiakov's critique of Western Chrisendom. It was through his innovative, complex religious ideology that Khomiakov came to denounce Western Europe and its operational ideologies of Rationalism and Individualism as the ultimate degenerative forces in Western society that would cause the West's ultimate downfall. This becomes the backdrop from which to explore Khomiakov's understanding of Russia and its Orthodox faith as the solution to the West's decay.
The second section then deals exclusively with Khomiakov's conceptualization of the Orthodox Church primarily in metaphysical, abstract terms. This is explored within the context of a ten year correspondence of letters between Khomiakov and an Anglican theologian from Oxford, England, William Palmer. The interaction of these two powerful theologians discussing and challenging their respective religious ideologies generated an excellent theological discourse on Orthodoxy that was driven by both the critical analysis of a Western scholar and the unique, brilliant defense of Orthodoxy provided by Khomiakov. Their correspondence is then used not only to critically examine Khomiakov's metaphysical conceptualizations of the Eastern Orthodox Church, but also to examine the different ways in which Western and Orthodox theologians understand Christianity.
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Keywords
Slavophile, Orthodox Church, Khomiakov, Tsarist Russia