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Яндекс.Метрика

DOI: 10.46698/w4466-6139-5760-g

ON COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF “ALANIAN DOSSIER” OF PATRIARCH NICHOLAS MYSTICUS AND APOSTLE PAUL’S EPISTLES

Asratyan, D.K.
Izvestia SOIGSI. 2020. IIS 38 (77).
Abstract:
Letters of Nicholas Mysticus, Patriarch of Constantinople, to Peter, Archbishop of Alania, remain
the chief documentary source for the history of Christianity in the North Caucasus in the 10th century.
The study of the “Alan Dossier” of Patriarch Nicholas remains relevant due to the growing interest
in the spiritual history of the peoples of the Caucasus, who lived at the crossroads of civilizations,
religions and cultures and formed their own distinctive national and cultural traditions under such
diverse influence. The main research method was the comparison of lexical and semantic means used
by the Apostle Paul and Patriarch Nicholas in two different, but correlated historical and religious
contexts. The purpose of the study is to identify genre and literary connections between the letters
of the Patriarch and the books of the New Testament. Scientific novelty lies in the substantiation of
the linguistic, semantic and theological parallels between the letters of Nicholas and the letters of
the Apostle Paul, especially the pastoral ones (1-2 Tim and Titus). Although the compared texts are
chronologically separated by almost a millennium, there is a typological similarity in the historical
contexts in which they were written (a spiritual mentor – a bishop student – a newly formed Christian
community of “barbarians” in need of education). In the interpretation of Nicholas, mission is a hard
work, but it is done at the direct command of the God and is rewarded from above, and in this sense,
the Patriarch is completely rooted in the New Testament tradition. As the results of the study have
СОИГСИ
ИЗВЕСТИЯ СОИГСИ 38 (77) 2020 13
История. Этнология
shown, the rhetorical and theological richness of the letters of Nikolas the Mysticus does not diminish
their historical value, yet for correct interpretation it is necessary to take into account their literary
character.
Keywords: history of Christianity, North Caucasus, Alans, New Testament, Apostle Paul
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