CrimeaPRESS reports:
What is taught at the Taurida Theological Seminary
Nineteen Russian saints left their mark on the life of the Tauride Seminary. Their prayers cover all the years of preparing students for the greatest ministry on earth and in Heaven — the priest of God. Today the Tauride Seminary is entering a new stage in its life: soon, God willing, we will move from the center of noisy Simferopol to the seashore, to the foot of the ancient, glorious Chersonese. Here the calling to the Lord Jesus Christ of our common godfather, Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, took place.
Today, the grandiose construction of New Chersonesus, a city and educational Christian spiritual and historical center, ends. In ancient times it would have been called Neopolis — New City. Majestic buildings grew over an area of almost 25 hectares, on the site of the ancient Chersonesus quarters that went deep underground over two millennia. Archaeological research has never been carried out here before. Only in the last three years, the largest archaeological expedition in terms of the volume of simultaneously explored areas in the entire history of scientific excavations took place in these places. Suffice it to say that over these three years, more than seven million ancient artifacts were raised from the ground! Of these, about half, that is, about three million, are of museum value. This is despite the fact that over the previous almost two hundred years of archaeological excavations, 250 thousand artifacts were recovered.
This is the amazing land and environment in which the students of the Tauride Chersonese Seminary will study and live. The new city will be filled with wonderful museums, scientific, educational and educational centers, and reconstructions of quarters of the ancient polis.
But the heart of New Chersonesos will be the open-air Temple, located in the same complex with the Museum of Christianity. This museum was conceived by the passion-bearing emperor Nicholas II shortly before the First World War, which, coupled with revolutions, prevented the implementation of the missionary plan of the holy Emperor. The main idea of the museum, conceived by the Tsar, was not so much the exhibition of antiquities, but the preaching of Christianity, a sublime and at the same time accessible to everyone story about the Lord Jesus Christ in the then already alarming apostasic times.
Of course, the current Museum of Christianity is many times larger in volume than planned in the last century, not to mention the technical equipment. But today we are embodying precisely the ideas and plans of those who, one hundred and ten years ago, together with Emperor Nicholas II, dreamed of realizing the missionary tasks of the Orthodox Church. So, today’s participants in the creation of the Museum of Christianity have the happiness of being involved in nothing more or less than the implementation of the plan of the holy passion-bearer emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich. And the students of the Tauride Theological Seminary will certainly be called into the community of these workers.
Future priests will be able to gain invaluable experience of practical catechesis here — after all, many people will flock to Chersonesos. Students will conduct catechetical and missionary excursions, individual conversations; will learn to answer countless questions, according to the words of the Apostle Peter: “Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and reverence” (1 Pet. 3:15).
Here we come to the main goal of studying at the Tauride Seminary — the education of a Priest. As St. Gregory the Theologian taught, “the priesthood is the art of the arts and the science of the sciences.” In the Tauride Seminary, everything is subordinated to this main goal. Any subjects, even non-theological ones, are, so to speak, “priestly oriented.” Additional special pastoral disciplines have been introduced:
- Propaedeutics of Pastoral Theology;
- Orthodox asceticism: the doctrine of passions and virtues;
- Fundamentals of Christian family life;
- Fundamentals and features of the family life of a clergyman;
- Patristic teaching on salvation;
- Practical experience of outstanding pastors of the Orthodox Church of the 19th–21st centuries;
- Pastoral heritage of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Tauris.
This experience has already been successfully tested at the Sretensky Theological Academy and at the Pskov-Pechersk Theological Seminary. Here, in Taurida, it will be strengthened and augmented by the experience of the Crimean shepherds-ascetics — such as Saints Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky) and Gury of Tauride.
It is very important that, as in the seminaries listed above, the Tauride Theological School will exist at the monastery. The St. Vladimir Monastery, founded around the baptism site of St. Prince Vladimir, was revived this year after exactly one hundred years of devastation and martyrdom of its inhabitants. The location of the seminary next to the monastery is a glorious and important tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church. The unique spiritual and prayer life of the holy monastery, the special monastic way of life, the opportunity to communicate with experienced confessors — all this beneficially contributes to the education of future priests.
This year, new excellent teachers have joined the scientific corporation of the Tauride Theological Seminary — both priests and Orthodox scientists from the universities of Sevastopol and Simferopol. The new vice-rector, Hieromonk Andrey (Korotkov), also determines a lot in the life of the seminary. He teaches one of the most difficult, but also extremely important subjects in the seminary course — liturgics. At one time, Father Andrei took a direct part in the creation of the Pskov-Pechersk Seminary, being its vice-rector and then rector. In many ways, it was through his work that this seminary entered the top ten best theological schools of the Russian Orthodox Church in four years. We very much hope that in 2025 the Taurida Theological Seminary will move to Chersonesos and begin a new stage of serving our Lord Jesus Christ, His Holy Church and the people of God.
On May 19, 2024, an Open Day will be held at the Taurida Theological Seminary, to which we invite everyone who wants to devote their life to serving the Church of Christ; strives to become a shepherd.
Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea, the administration and teachers of the seminary will talk about the features of the educational process at the theological school, the conditions for admission in 2024, and answer questions from applicants.
Participants of the meeting will be given a tour of the territory of the theological school and the seminary Church of the Three Saints.
The Open Day will be held both in person and remotely.
To take part in the Open Day, you must fill out electronic for turnout.
You can ask any questions you are interested in by calling the office of the Tauride Theological Seminary by phone +7 (978) 319–19–08.
Tauride Theological Seminary is waiting for its applicants who want to become shepherds, ready to serve for the good of the people of God and the Church of Christ!
Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimea Tikhon (Shevkunov)
May 9, 2024
Crimea news | CrimeaPRESS: latest news and main events
Comments are closed.