Relationships between the Bishopate and priests after the restoration of the Orthodox Church organization in 1632 in the Belarusian lands, as illustrated by the situation with Hegumen Athanasius of Brest

Abstract

This article analyzes the relations between the Orthodox episcopate and priests following the restoration of church organization in the Belarusian lands in 1632. The object of study is the clergy of the Kyiv Metropolitanate in the first half of the 17th century. The study employs historical-comparative, historical-genetic, and microhistorical methods, determined by the nature of the objectives. The relevance and theoretical significance of the publication stem from its examination of the ecclesiastical structure of the metropolitanate during this period in the context of contemporary understanding. Using a microhistorical approach, the problematic is explored through the case of Athanasius (Filippovich), Hegumen of the Simeonov Monastery in Brest, and the Orthodox episcopate from 1638 to 1646. The article reconstructs the nature of these relations and analyzes the incident that led to the ecclesiastical trial and the temporary defrocking of the Brest yegumen. Using principles of objectivity and historicism, the author analyzes the complex ecclesiastical and socio-political situation in the Belarusian lands following the Warsaw Sejm of 1632, which followed the adoption of the “Points of Tranquility” and the recognition of the equal rights of Orthodox Christians. The study demonstrates that problematic aspects in the interactions between bishops and priests are explained by individual contradictions rather than systemic confrontation within the Metropolitanate. This conclusion is confirmed by the subsequent reinstatement of Athanasius of Brest as hegumen by Metropolitan Peter (Mogila), which testifies to intra-church unity. The results of the study contribute to the historiography of the issue and allow for a deeper understanding of the process of restoring the Orthodox Church structure and the development of church-state relations in the Belarusian lands in the first half of the 17th century.