At a time of crisis, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church presents his remarkable personal vision of a ‘multi-polar’ future for the world. Two antagonistic systems are ranged against each other, one liberal, secular and humanistic, the other religious and traditionalist. Patriarch Kirill draws on the bitter experience of the Russian people in the twentieth century to illustrate the dangers of totalitarianism and how grave the break with one’s spiritual roots can be for civilization. Rather than a struggle to the death between competing value systems, he proposes instead the way of co-existence, grounded in mutual respect for moral categories that are common to all. He calls not for liberal values to be abandoned but to be supplemented by other cultural and philosophical systems, and to create a harmony between the two, not just with declarations of mutual friendship and respect but also through the reform of law and global governance. The Patriarch quotes the great Russian writer Dostoyevsky, who declared that “Beauty will save the world”.
(mospat.ru) – On 11 April 2011, the English edition of the book “Freedom and Responsibility. A Search for Harmony – Human Rights and Personal Dignity” written by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will be presented at the London Book Fair.
This is the first book by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church translated into English thanks to successful cooperation between the “Darton, Longman & Todd” British Publishing House and the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate. Deacon Michael Lomax of the Russian church in Brussels acted as translator. Bishop Richard Chartres of London wrote the introduction, calling the book a best example of modern religious thought.
Patriarch Kirill’s book is not the first publication of the Orthodox authors issued by “Darton, Longman & Todd.” They published the works by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh in the 1970s, and Metropolitan Hilarion’s “The Mystery of Faith” in the English language in 2002.
Speaking at the presentation will be Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, and Bishop Richard Chartres of London.
Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko of the Russian Federation to the United Kingdom; Archbishop Yelisei of Sourozh; Very Rev. Vladimir Siloviev, editor-in-chief of the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate; and Brendan Walsh, editorial director of “Darton, Longman & Todd” will be among guests of honour.
Igor Lapshin, head of the Department for International Relations of Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate, acted as coordinator of the project, which was realized with the participation of the Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation, the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, the Diocese of Sourozh, the Embassy of the Russian Federation to the United Kingdom, “Academia Rossica,” the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity Foundation, “The Russian World” Foundation, and “Baltic Chemical Terminal” Company.
The presentation will take place in the framework of “Russia – Guest of Honour at the London Book Fair 2011” programme from 03.00 p.m. till 03.30 p.m. Stand W555, EC2.
HT: AOI Blog
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