Priest Pavel Florensky’s theology of culture: the consecration of reality in cult
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51216/2687-072X_2026_3_14-29Keywords:
Priest Pavel Florensky, philosophy of cult, philosophy of culture, homo faber, sacrament and ritual, sanctification of reality, watersheds of thought.Abstract
In fragments of his unfinished work, “The Philosophy of Cult,” priest Pavel Florensky presented a deeply thoughtful and vividly illustrated framework for the philosophy of culture. Based on the instrumental framework of human activity (homo faber), Florensky comes to an understanding of the fundamental importance of “sacred things” (Sacra) associated with cult for culture. The central idea of the scheme is the notion that culture is centered on the cult. Using numerous striking examples, Florensky demonstrates the rootedness of various cultural phenomena in various aspects of cult. The main thing for him is, of course, Christian culture and the cult of the Christian Church, although many examples are given from the Old Testament and pagan cultures.
Closely linked to church culture is the shared tradition of sanctifying reality. This applies primarily, of course, to the sanctification of man and the seven sacraments of the Church. However, it is also expressed in numerous church rituals (the blessing of water, food, houses, weapons, springs, etc.). The most striking example of the sanctification of reality is the cult of saints, as well as the associated cult of veneration of holy relics.
Drawing on a wealth of liturgical texts, Florensky underscores the realist character of the understanding of the sanctification of reality within ecclesial practice. The author of the article notes the fundamental incompatibility of this point of view with modern scholarship, based on the dualism of Descartes and Kant. Another important aspect of Florensky’s work, noted by the author, is his attempt to trace in detail the emergence of the cultural phenomena of philosophy, science, and technology from cultic realities. All of this, taken as a whole, constituted a series of works conceived by Florensky, entitled “At the Watersheds of Thought,” in which the theme of the sanctification of reality played a paradigmatic role.
For citation: Katasonov V. N. Priest Pavel Florensky’s theology of culture: the consecration of reality in cult // Theological Collection of Tambov Theological Seminary, 2026, no. 3 (36), pp. 14-29. (In Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.51216/2687-072Х_2026_3_14-29. EDN: JZGBHY
Received 11 June 2026.
Accepted for press 17 July 2026.
Funding: This research did not receive any external funding.
Conflict of interest: The author declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.
The content is available under a license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
ISSN 2687-072Х
RSCI: SPIN-код: 1665-4055, AuthorID: 339975
JATS XML
RCSI
Downloads
References
Список источников
1. Андроник (Трубачев), игум. История создания цикла «У водоразделов мысли» // Флоренский П., свящ. Сочинения : в 4 т. / составление и общая редакция игумена Андроника (А. С. Трубачева), П. В. Флоренского, М. С. Трубачевой. Москва : Мысль, 1999. Т. 3 (1). С. 5-26.
2. Андроник (Трубачев), игум. История создания цикла «Философия культа (опыт православной антроподицеи)» // Флоренский П., свящ. Собрание сочинений : Философия культа (Опыт православной антроподицеи) / составление и общая редакция игумена Андроника (А. С. Трубачева). Москва : Мысль, 2004. С. 5-24.
3. Флоренский П, свящ. Сочинения. В 4 т. Т. 1 / составление и общая редакция игумена Андроника (А. С. Трубачева), П. В. Флоренского, М. С. Трубачевой. Москва : Мысль, 1994. 797, [2] с. (Философское наследие ; т. 122).
4. Флоренский П., свящ. Сочинения. В 4 т. Т. 2 / составление и общая редакция игумена Андроника (А. С. Трубачева), П. В. Флоренского, М. С. Трубачевой. Москва : Мысль, 1996. 877 [2] с. (Философское наследие ; т. 124).
5. Флоренский П., свящ. Сочинения. В 4 т. Т. 3 (1). У водоразделов мысли (Черты конкретной метафизики). Москва : Мысль, 1999. 622 с. (Философское наследие ; т. 128).
6. Флоренский П., свящ. Сочинения. В 4 т. Т. 3 (2). У водоразделов мысли (Черты конкретной метафизики). Москва : Мысль, 1999. 624 с. (Философское наследие ; т. 129).
7. Флоренский П., свящ. Собрание сочинений : Философия культа (Опыт православной антроподицеи) / составление и общая редакция игумена Андроника (А. С. Трубачева). Москва : Мысль, 2004. 685, [1] с. (Философское наследие ; т. 133).
Список литературы
1. Булгаков С. Н. Свет невечерний. Созерцания и умозрения. Москва : Республика, 1994. 415 с. (Мыслители XX века).
2. Даренский В. Ю. Богословие мифа священника Павла Флоренского // Труды кафедры богословия Санкт-Петербургской Духовной Академии. 2024. № 1 (21). С. 146-160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47132/2541-9587_2024_1_146. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/DJXWYQ
3. Катасонов В. Н. Дискуссионные вопросы теологии культуры Пауля Тиллиха в свете православного богословия // Богословский сборник Тамбовской духовной семинарии. 2026. № 1 (34). С. 14-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51216/2687-072X_2026_1_14-33. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/WCENEY
4. Орлов Д. В. Поиски истока в творчестве священника П. Флоренского, М. Элиаде и Ж. Деррида // Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета. Сер. 1: Богословие. Философия. 2009. № 3 (27). С. 55-64. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/KVULFR
5. Павлюченков Н. Н. Литургическое богословие в лекциях по «Философии культа» священника Павла Флоренского: основные особенности и источники / Русско-Византийский вестник. 2019. № 1 (2). С. 78-103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24411/2588-0276-2019-10004. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/VVGSQE /
6. Хомяков А. С. Полное собрание сочинений. В 8 т. Т. 8. Письма. Москва : Университетская типография, 1900. 538 с.
Sources
1. Andronik (Trubachev), Hegumen Istoriya sozdaniya tsikla “U vodorazdelov mysli” [History of creation of the cycle “At the Watersheds of Thought”]. Florensky P., svyashchennik. Sochineniya [Florensky P., priest. Writings]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 1999, vol. 3 (1), pp. 5-26. (In Russian).
2. Andronik (Trubachev), Hegumen Istoriya sozdaniya tsikla “Filosofi-ya kul’ta (opyt pravoslavnoi antropoditsei)” [History of creation of the cycle “Philosophy of cult (the experience of Orthodox Anthropodicy)”]. Florensky P, svyashchennik. Sobranie sochinenii [Florensky P., priest. Collected Works]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 2004, pp. 5-24. (In Russian).
3. Florensky P., Priest Sochineniya [Writings]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 1994, 797, [2] p. (In Russian).
4. Florensky P., Priest Sochineniya [Writings]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 1996, vol.2,877 [2] p. (In Russian).
5. Florensky P., Priest Sochineniya [Writings]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 1999, vol. 3 (1), At the Watersheds of Thought (Features of Concrete Metaphysics), 622 p. (In Russian).
6. Florensky P., Priest Sochineniya [Writings]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 1999, vol. 3 (2), At the Watersheds of Thought (Features of Concrete Metaphysics), 624 p. (In Russian).
7. Florensky P., Priest Sobranie sochinenii: Filosofiya kul’ta (Opyt pravo-slavnoi antropoditsei [Collected works: Philosophy of cult (An experience of Orthodox Anthropodicy)]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 2004, 685, [1] p. (In Russian).
References
1. Bulgakov S. N. Svet nevechernii. Sozertsaniya i umozreniya [The unfading light. Contemplations and speculations]. Moscow, Respublika Publ., 1994, 415 p. (In Russian).
2. Darensky V. Yu. Bogoslovie mifa svyashchennika Pavla Florensko-go [Theology of the myth of Priest Pavel Florensky]. Trudy kafedry bogosloviya Sankt-Peterburgskoi Dukhovnoi Akademii [Works of the Department of Theology of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy]. 2024, no. 1 (21), pp. 146-160. (In Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.47132/2541-9587_2024_1_146. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/DJXWYQ
3. Katasonov V. N. Diskussionnye voprosy teologii kul’tury Paulya Tillikha v svete pravoslavnogo bogosloviya [Controversial issues in Paul Tillich’s theology of culture in light of Orthodox Theology]. Bogoslovskii sbornik Tambpvskoi duk-hovnoi seminarii [Theological Collection of Tambov Theological Seminary]. 2026, no. 1 (34), pp. 14-33. (In Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.51216/2687-072X_2026_1_14-33. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/WCENEY
4. Orlov D. V. Poiski istoka v tvorchestve svyashchennika P. Florenskogo, M. Eliade i Zh. Derida [Searching for the source in the works of Priest P. Florensky, M. Eliade, and J. Derrida]. Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svyato-Tikhonovskogo gumanitarnogo universiteta [Bulletin of the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities]. 2009, Series 1: Theology. Philosophy, no. 3 (27), pp. 55-64. (In Russian). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/KVULFR
5. Pavlyuchenkov N. N. Liturgicheskoe bogoslovie v lektsiyakh po “Filo-sofii kul’ta” svyashchennika Pavla Florenskogo: osnovnye osobennosti i is-tochniki [Liturgical Theology in the lectures on the “Philosophy of Cult” by Priest Pavel Florensky: main features and sources]. Russko-Vizantiiskii vestnik [Russian-Byzantine Bulletin], 2019, no. 1 (2), pp. 78-103. (In Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.24411/2588-0276-2019-10004. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/VVGSQE
6. Khomyakov A. S. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Complete Works]. Moscow, University Printing House Publ., 1900, vol. 8, Letters, 538 p. (In Russian).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Theological Collection of Tambov Theological Seminary
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
