2020. the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox church

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BASIC PRINCIPLES of the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church toward the other Christian confessions: https://mospat.ru/archive/en/2000/11/s2000e13/

• Part 1 -  Section 1. The unity of the Church and the sin of human divisions, items 1-10. Topics covered include: - The unique nature of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and its unity; - Unity in Christ, not human forms of unity; - Heresy and schisms; - Apostolic Succession and the passing on of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; Inerrancy of the Ecumenical Councils; - Incarnation, the new humanity in Christ, Deification, and the Sacraments; - Catholicity; - Excommunication.
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• Part 2 - Section 1. The unity of the Church and the sin of human divisions, items 11-20. Topics covered include: - Excommunication in the Orthodox Church compared with Rome; - The unique nature of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and its unity vs. modern concepts of plurality; - Major Schisms; - Schismatic thinking - self-assertion, delusion, sectarianism, loss of Catholicity and love; - Reception of schismatics: ROCOR's approach vs. other jurisdictions; - The existence of the Grace of God outside the Canonical Church; - The importance of unity for the Church's witness.
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• Part 3 - Section 2. "The quest for the restoration of the unity", items 1-14. Topics covered include: - Summary of Orthodox Ecclesiology; - Praying for those outside the Church; - Genuine unity is possible only in the bosom of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church; - Faulty models and methods of unity; - Idolatrous forms of truth vs. Jesus Christ, THE Truth; - A discussion of infallibility and inerrancy.
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• Part 4 - Sec. 3. "Orthodox witness before the non-Orthodox world"; Sec. 4. "Dialogue with the non-Orthodox;" Sec. 5. "Multilateral dialogue and participation in the work of inter-Christian organizations [including the importance of service to the needy]"; Sec. 6. "Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church with the non-Orthodox on her canonical territory;" Sec. 7. "Internal tasks in relation to dialogue with non-Orthodox confessions."
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• Part 5 - Section I. Basic theological provisions. Topics covered include: 1. Loving and valuing people because of their value to God vs. "loving humanity" in general; 2. Against socialism and Marxism; 3. Call to Orthodox social ministry; 4. Roles of Parish ministries and Monasteries; 5. The Church's political role on moral issues as the conscience of society; 6. The healing role of the Church's moral teaching vs. the satanic and destructive influence of moral decay; 7. The Church's role to restore and heal the repenting sinner.
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• ​Part 6 - Section II. Church and Nation and Section III. Church and State. Topics covered include: a. Nations and States. b. Christian patriotism and not depersonalizing or dehumanizing your enemies. c. Attitudes to war, self defense. d. A Christian view of authority and the legitimacy of earthly powers based on godly, just rule, not on godlessness and immorality. ROCOR’s example. e. Nationalism and respect for peoples, family, and the worth of each person vs. Internationalism. f. The Christian view of humanity, united first in Adam, restored in Christ, vs. the “autonomous individual in nature” banding together for common good.
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• ​Part 7 - Sections III.3-III.8. Church and State.  Topics covered include: a. Mutual, non-interfering spheres of activity of Church and State: Mutual support without intrusion; Church has persuasive power, State has coercive power. b. Examples of varying Church-State relations in history and modern times. c. The Church's response to ungodly States. Attempts to remove religion from personal, family, and cultural life.
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• ​Part 8 - Section III.8. Church and State --- Section IV.9 Christian Ethics and Secular Laws. Topics Covered: 1. Types of permitted activity of the Church with the State. A discussion in the contexts of Russia and the US. 2. The perfect Divine law leading to life. The imperfect, yet necessary, secular law, which "has as its task not to turn the world lying in evil into the Kingdom of God, but to prevent it from turning into hell". 3. The Christian's responsibility to obey civil laws with certain limits. 4. The erosion of secular law and the increase in immorality and sometimes even lawlessness. 4. God gives freedom, Satan controls. True freedom is in conforming to the divine will, not in doing whatever you want. "Where the Spirit is, there is liberty" (2 Cor. 3:17). 5. Modern legal understandings that see the law as a purely human and utilitarian invention.
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• ​Part 9 - Section V. Church and Politics Section VI. Labor and its Fruits Section VII. Property Section VIII. War and Peace.
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• ​Part 10 - Section IX. Crime, Punishment, Restoration Section X. Personal, Family and Public Morality​
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