On
Wednesday, June 25, at
the session of the working group of the Council of Bishops of the Russian
Orthodox Church "Theological
education and educational activity of the Church" Bishop Anthony
of Boryspil, Rector of Kyiv Theological Academy made a report "Modern
conditions and perspectives for theological education in Ukraine".
He noted that modern social and historical conditions confront Ukraine with
necessity "to respond quickly and accurately to the widest scope of challenges
concerning different spheres of aspects of social life", therefore the problem of theological education is of
high interest.
Vladyka presented statistical data on theological educational institutions in Ukraine,
totalling 1 theological academy, 7 seminaries, 10 theological schools and 2
theological institutes. More than 1560 students study at fulltime departments, and
some 2409 study by
correspondence.
Bishop Anthony
noted that at present theological schools have to restore theological science
in Ukraine under the
circumstances that differ significantly from those in Russia.
The theological schools in Ukraine
need neither accreditation nor simple license for educational process. Also the Ukrainian
legislation lacks legal procedure for integration of the secular and
theological educational systems.
"At the same time", noted Vladyka Anthony, "the historical realia confront the
theological science with the new tasks and perspectives which are impossible to
achieve without adopting experience of
the secular humanitarian disciplines and other domains of scientific knowledge."
Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy stated that in pursuit of the ways of
reformation of theological schools it is
important to prevent the tendencies of secularization of theological education,
avoiding inconsistencies typical of almost all the respectable theological
educational establishments of local
churches", in whose walls ingrained the complex of inferiority to philosophical
faculties, or it became a typical situation that the diaconate is considered
almost the most important function of the Church."
Vladyka Anthony believes that those aspects of
theological education which do not directly relate to the pastoral work should
beassigned to the theological faculties of the secular educational
establishments or to theological institutes.
But, according to Vladyka, the officials of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine as well as those of Russia have an
abstract idea of the contents of the so-called "theological standard".
Therefore the Kyiv
Theological Academy
and the Ukrainian seminaries are far from the idea of seeing common perspective
for their development exclusively in getting accreditation on the standard of
theology. "Otherwise, said Vladyka, we
are running a risk to place ourselves in the situation of dependence on the
Ministry of Education, whose views (not only ideological) stand in stark
contrast with the tradition of theological education.
Vladyka Anthony informed that in Ukraine the standardization of
theology was performed during several years, but within this period only the
standard of Bachelor of theology was worked out. This kind of education may
hardly be called higher.
At the end of the report Vladyka
Anthony emphasized the necessity
of understanding the exclusive importance of theological education for the future of the
Church and Orthodoxy. Successful completion of the reformation
process is possible only on condition of joint efforts of the church
institutions of all levels.
Photos of
the Press-Service of the Moscow
Patriarchate
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