This article is centered on presenting Florensky’s thought regarding the close relationship between dogma and religious experience. The author begins by briefl y examining the idea of religion as a particular sense of consciousness (Schleiermacher) in the realm of knowledge and thought (John Newman). Hans-Georg Gadamer’s theory of religious feeling and religious experience is also discussed. Western authors who wrote about the rapport between religious experience and religious tradition include William James and Rudolf Otto; Russians include Bulgakov, Berdyaev, Frank, Il’in, and Tareev. Florensky’s ideas on the subject are presented on the basis of his early works and of his Pillar and Foundation of Truth. The author remarks that Florensky understands religious dogma primarily as a means given to man which makes it possible for him to overcome rational reality and rise to higher levels of perception. The possibility of surmounting mundane reality is realized through religious experience in which dogma assumes the role of an anchor or point of orientation as well as a point of resistance. The objectivity of religious experience, according to Florensky is guaranteed by its participation in that same truth which reveals itself to man, which gives man the means to recognize itself as the objective and absolute truth, and which establishes man’s religious experience in a formulated dogmatic doctrine.
Pavel Florensky, religious experience, religious perception, religious tradition, Christian dogma, senses, knowledge, reason.
1. Antonov K. M. 2011 “Russkaja religioznaja filosofija i fenomenologija religii: tochki soprikosnovenija” (Russian Religious Philosophy and Phenomenology of Religion:Common Grounds) in: Religiovedcheskie issledovanija, 2011, vol. 5/6, pp. 7–21.
2. Antonov K. M. Filosofija religii v russkoj metafizike XIX — nachala XX veka (Philosophy of Religion in the Russian Metaphysics XIX – Beginning of the XX Centuries), Moscow, 2009.
3. Berdjaev N. Novoe religioznoe soznanie i obshhestvennost' (New Religious Consciousness and Community), Saint-Petersbourg, 1907.
4. Bulgakov S. N. Svet Nevechernij (Unfading Light), Moscow, 1994.
5. Butru Je. Vil'jam Dzhems i religioznyj opyt (W. James and Religious Expirience), Moscow, 1908
6. Gadamer H.-G. Istina i metod: Osnovy filosofskoj germenevtiki (Truth and Method: Grounds Philosophical Hermeneutics), Moscow, 1988.
7. Dzhems V. Mnogoobrazie religioznogo opyta (The Varieties of Religious Experience), Moscow, 1910.
8. Il'in I. A. Aksiomy religioznogo opyta: issledovanie (Axioms of Religious Experience), Moscow, 2006.
9. Koreneva N. A. 2012 “Ponjatie religioznogo opyta v filosofii o. Pavla Florenskogo” (Concept of the Religious Experience in P. Florensky’s Philosophy) in: Tochki, 2012, vol. 1–4 (11), pp. 120–121.
10. N'jumen Dzh. G. Ideja Universiteta (The Idea of a University), Minsk, 2006.
11. Otto R. Svjashhennoe (The Holy), Saint-Petersbourg, 2008.
12. P. A. Florenskij: Pro et contra. Antologija (P. Florensky: Pro et Contra. Antology). Saint-Petersbourg, 2001.
13. Pavel Florenskij i simvolisty (P. Florensky and Symbolists), Moscow, 2004.
14. Pavljuchenkov N. N. 2011 “Psihologija religii v trudah svjashhennika Pavla Florenskogo” (Psychology of Religion in Priest P. Florensky’s Writings) in: Vestnik PSTGU. Serija 1. Bogoslovie. Filosofija, 2011, vol. 5 (37), pp. 99–112.
15. Pavljuchenkov N. N. Religiozno-filosofskoe nasledie svjashhennika Pavla Florenskogo. Antropologicheskij aspect (Priest P. Florensky’s Religious-Philosophical Heritage), Moscow, 2012. S. 111–141.
16. “Perepiska 1902–1903 mezhdu A. V. El'chaninovym i P.A . Florenskim (Pis'ma. Prodolzhenie)” (Correspondence 1902–1903 between A. Elchaninov and P. Florensky (Letters. Continuation)) in: Vestnik PSTGU. Serija 1. Bogoslovie. Filosofija, 2010, vol. 4 (32), pp. 91–115
17. Pylaev M. A. Kategorija «svjashhennoe» v fenomenologii religii, teologii i filosofii XX veka (Category of the “Holy” in XX c. Phenomenology of Religion, Theology and Philosophy), Moscow, 2001.
18. Strahov P. S. Pragmatizm v nauke i religii (Po povodu knigi Dzhemsa «Mnogoobrazie religioznogo opyta») (Pragmatism in Science and Religion (Cencerning W. James Book “The Varieties of Religious Experience”)), Sergiev Posad, 1910;
19. Tareev M. M. 1917 “Novoe bogoslovie” (New Theology) in: Bogoslovskij vestnik, 1917, vol. 9-10, pp. 212.
20. Tareev M. M. Hristos (Christ), Moscow, 1908.
21. Trubeckoj S. N. Sochinenija (Writings), Moscow, 1994.
22. Florenskij P. A.
23. Florenskij P. A. 2001 “Voprosy religioznogo samopoznanija” (Problems of Religious Self-Knowledge) in: Hristianstvo i kul'tura, Moscow, 2001, pp. 421–438.
24. Florenskij P., svjashh. Detjam moim. Vospominanija proshlyh dnej (For My Children. Memoir of Past Days). M., 1992.
25. Florenskij P. svjashh. Sochinenija. Filosofija kul'ta (Opyt pravoslavnoj antropodicei) (Writings. Philosophy of Cult. (Essay on Orthodox Antropodicea)), Moscow, 2004.
26. Frank S. L. 1911 “Lichnost' i mirovozzrenie Shlejermahera” (Schleiermacher’Figure and Worldview) in: Russkaja mysl', 1911, vol. 9, pp. 1–28
27. Frank S. L. 1915 “Religioznaja filosofija G. Kogena” (H. Cohen’s Religious Philosophy) in: Russkaja mysl', 1915, vol. 12, pp. 29–31.
28. Frank S. L. Zhivoe znanie (Live Knowledge), Berlin, 1923.
29. Frank S. Real'nost' i chelovek (Reality and Human), Saint-Petersbourg, 1997.
30. Frank S. Sochinenija (Writings), Moscow, 1990.
31. Homjakov A. S. Sochinenija bogoslovskie (Theological Writings), Saint-Petersbourg, 1995.
32. Shaposhnikov V. A. 2012 “Matematika i religija v universitetskoj perepiske Pavla Florenskogo (1900–1904)” (Mathematics and Religion in P. Florensky’s Univeristy Correspondence) in: Filosofija, bogoslovie i nauka kak opyt cel'nogo znanija, Moscow, 2012, рр. 150–173.
33. Shlejermaher F. Rechi o religii. Monologi (On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers), Saint-Petersbourg, 1994.
34. Shmeman A. prot. Dnevniki (Diaries), Moscow, 2005.