Protodeacon

Andrey Kuraev
Andrey Kuraev (Андрей Кураев)
ChurchRussian Orthodox Church
SeeMoscow
Installed5 April 2009
Term endedIncumbent
Other post(s)Professor of theology; 1996 to 2013
Orders
Rankdeacon
Personal details
Born
Andrey Vyacheslavovich Kuraev (Андре́й Вячесла́вович Кура́ев)

(1963-02-15) 15 February 1963
Moscow, Soviet Union
ProfessionCleric, theologian, professor, writer, blogger
EducationFaculty of Philosophy of the Moscow State University (1979—1984, with honours[1])
Moscow Theological Seminary (1985—1988)
Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the University of Bucharest (1988—1990)
Moscow Theological Academy (1992)

Andrey Vyacheslavovich Kuraev (Russian: Андре́й Вячесла́вович Кура́ев; born 15 February 1963) is an Orthodox theologian and missionary and a defrocked Protodeacon[2] of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Biography

Kuraev studied at the Moscow Theological Academy Seminary between 1985 and 1988, and graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy in 1992.[3] He studied at the Bucharest Theological Institute, Bucharest, Romania between 1988 and 1990.

Kuraev became a deacon on 29 November 1990, and on 5 April 2009, he became a Protodeacon[lower-alpha 1] of the Russian Orthodox Church. He was the dean of the Russian Orthodox University between 1993 and 1996.

Kuraev received his Candidate of Philosophy degree from the Philosophy Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1994[3] In 1995, he received a candidate of theology degree from Moscow Theological Academy for his thesis entitled "Tradition. Dogma. Ceremony."

In 2004, following the Beslan school siege, Kuraev wrote a book entitled "How to Relate to Islam after Beslan", igniting an intense emotional discussion in Russian society.[5] A similar, and even more intense, discussion occurred after Kuraev commented on the ethnic and religious background of the Tsarnaev brothers, the masterminds behind the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013.[6]

In 2005, Kuraev tried to organize the picket "to defend Russian Christmas" near Catholic Cathedral in Moscow. The picket was scheduled for 24 December, when Catholics celebrate Christmas, with the slogans: "Russian Christmas is 7 January", "Stop the defamation of Russian Orthodox Church!”, "Orthodox Church is not late. It is loyal!”[7]

In 2006, Kuraev succeeded in organizing anti-Madonna's Confessions Tour concert protests with the slogan "Madonna", go home!".[8] Kuraev was mostly offended by the singer's so-called "pseudonym"[9] and complete lack of religious common knowledge.[10] In 2013, he welcomed Madonna's new "illegal gastarbeiter" status in Russia, adding that "her masturbation on stage using a crucifix is not an art".[11] In 2019, Kuraev, a vivid Russian rock fan,[12] said Wikipedia was his source of knowledge about the entertainer: "It's written in there that she was inserting a crucifix into her vagina and masturbated with it during her concerts. It doesn't inspire me".[13]

Several media outlets reported that Kuraev criticized the politics of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, the ethnic parliament of the Crimean Tatars, during a lecture tour in Crimea in September 2006. He drew an analogy between the policy of the mejlis and mob behavior among young men in society.[14]

Kuraev was named "man of the year" by a media organization in 2008.[15]

Since October 2013, Kuraev has written about the existence of the "gay lobby" inside the Russian Orthodox Church,[16] provoking various negative responses from church officials.[17][18][19][20]

On 30 December 2013, the science board of Moscow Theological Academy dismissed Kuraev from its staff, due to his media activity[21] and his blog.[22] He has expressed outrage at the decision, attributing it to revenge from his alleged "gay lobby" for his part in revealing a scandal regarding homosexual activity at the Kazan Theological Seminary.[23] The scandal resulted in an investigation,[24] a cleric being fired[25] in March 2014, and the dismissal of most administration members.[26] Kuraev has also been outspoken about the criminal process and prison punishment of Pussy Riot group members.[27][28]

On 29 December 2020 the Moscow Episcopal Court defrocked Kuraev, but to come into force this decision must be approved by the Patriarch.[29]

On 23 August 2022, the Nikulinsky Raion Court in Moscow fined Kuraev 30 thousand Russian rubles for "discreditation" of the Russian Armed Forces that he allegedly did in his LiveJournal post about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[30]

In December, 2023, Russia’s Justice Ministry placed Kuraev on its “foreign agent” list, adding that almost all individuals and publications included in the list have spoken out against the “special military operation.” [31]

Publications

    • Kuraev A. Provocarile ecumenismului. Bucuresti, ed. Sofia, 2006. (Romanian)
    • Kuraev A.V. "Harry Potter" in church: between anaphema and smile: Should one give an indulgence to fairy tales? Is the magical non-dead demonic? ... Truth of «Harry Potter» — Neva, 2003. — 123 pages — ISBN 5-7654-2901-7
    • Kuraev A.V. «Harry Potter»: a try to be not scared / Deacon Andrey Kuraev. — Andreevskiy flag, 2004. — 205 pages — ISBN 5-9553-0035-X
    • Kuraev A.V. Gifts and anaphemas : what Christianity brought to word? : thoughts on the edge of millennium. / Nikea; Arefa, 2009. — 319 pages — ISBN 978-5-91761-001-6
    • Kuraev A. Daruri si anathemele. Bucuresti, 2004. (Romanian)
    • Kuraev A. Tajemnica Izraela // Fronda. Warszawa, 1999, No. 17/18. (Polish)
  • Kuraev A.V. How to relate to Islam after Beslan? / Deacon Andrey Kuraev. — 2004 — 127 pages — ISBN 5-9900367-1-X[32]
    • Kuraev A. Mostenirea lui Hristos. Ceea ce n-a intrat in Evanghelie. Bucuresti, ed. Sofia, 2009 (Romanian)
    • Non-American missioner / Deacon Andrey Kuraev. — Saratov, 2006. — 463 pages — ISBN 5-98599-028-1
  • Religy without God. — 2006. — 527 pages. — ISBN 5-7789-0209-3
    • Kuraev A. Pecetea lui antihrist, codurile de bare si semnele vremurilor. Bucuresti, 2005.(Romanian)
  • Kuraev A.V. Fantasy and truth of "The Da Vinci Code": AST-Zebra, 2006.
    • Kuraev A. Pantheism and Monotheism // The Russian Idea. In search of a new identity. Ed. By Wendy Helleman. Bloomington, Indiana, 2004. (Partial translation to English)[33]
  • Kuraev A.V. Christianity on the edge of history : About our defeat / Deacon Andrey Kuraev. : Palomnik, 2003. — ISBN 5-87468-208-2
    • Kuraev A.V. Church and youth : is the conflict imminent? And about rock music... Rus. ostrov, 2004. — ISBN 5-902565-01-4
  • David Baggett Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts ; [from English] [afterword by Deacon Andrey Kuraev]. — Amfora 2005. (Lenizdat). — 430 pages — (Novaya Evrika). — ISBN 5-94278-892-8[34]

Notes

  1. ↑ Proto-deacon means first-servant (in Greek). In the Russian Orthodox Church it is an honorary title given to married deacons although Kuraev is not married and he is also celibate according to his supporter Alexander Nevzorov[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Дьякон на мотороллере. Отец Андрей Кураев" [Deacon riding scooter. Father Andrey Kuraev]. YouTube (in Russian). Radio Svoboda. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  2. ↑ "Archdeacon Andrei Kuraev defrocked".
  3. 1 2 Кураев Андрей Вячеславович – Древо. Drevo-info.ru.
  4. ↑ "Nevzorovskie Sredy". echo.msk.ru (in Russian). Echo of Moscow. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  5. ↑ Gheddo, Piero. (17 September 2004) Slaughter of Beslan children done as murderers shouted “God is Great”, says theologian. Asianews.it.
  6. ↑ Новости NEWSru.com :: Андрею Кураеву досталось от российских мусульман: объявили "провокатором в рясе" за слова о бостонском теракте. Newsru.com.
  7. ↑ "Диакон Андрей Кураев организует пикет "в защиту русского Рождества" вблизи католического собора" [Deacon Andrei Kuraev will organize a picket "to defend Russian Christmas" near the Catholic Cathedral]. Blagovest-info.ru (in Russian). Blagovest. 21 December 2005. Archived from the original on 11 February 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "Православные организации провели новую акцию протеста под лозунгами "Madonna, go home", "Билайн" прощай!" (ФОТО)" [Orthodox organizations held a new protest rally with slogans "Madonna, go home", "Beeline" goodbye! " (PHOTO)] (in Russian). 12 September 2006. Retrieved 8 March 2020. after Ovchinnikov's speech, an impromptu "Madonna" came out to the center of the lawn, a young girl in a terrible mask and a wig with horns
  9. ↑ "Андрей Кураев: нельзя зарабатывать деньги на чужой боли" [Andrey Kuraev: you cannot make money from someone else's pain] (in Russian). Vesti.Ru. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 29 August 2018. The name, which for the billions of people on the earth and in the history of the earth is perceived as a symbol of utmost purity, the Madonna, Virgin Mary, Mother of God, has become the stage nickname of a porn star
  10. ↑ "Диакон Кураев советует Мадонне посмотреть "Страсти Христовы"" [Deacon Kuraev advises Madonna to see the "Passion of Christ"] (in Russian). Daily Show. 11 September 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2020. I did not think that in our time in the world, especially in America, there can be such a backward person. By backwardness, in this case, I mean, Mrs. Ciccone most likely did not even watch the film "The Passion of the Christ". I would even gladly send her a disc with it
  11. ↑ ""Найти картонное чучело для битья"" ["Find a cardboard scarecrow for whipping"] (in Russian). Lenta.ru. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "О. Андрей Кураев - о группе "Алиса" и русском роке". Newsmuz.com (in Russian). 28 April 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2020. In general, I say this: if the Communist authorities had tried to support rock in the seventies, and, instead of promoting sweet pop, if they tried to find and nurtured a group like today's Alisa, we wouldn't have lost the Cold War. America would not beat us
  13. ↑ "Андрей Кураев: "Православная вера – это вера в церковь"" [Andrey Kuraev: "Orthodox Faith is a Faith in Church"]. stolicaonego.ru (in Russian). Интернет-газета «СТОЛИЦА на Onego.ru». 1 July 2019. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  14. ↑ Русская линия / Новости / Диакон Андрей Кураев выступит в Крыму. Rusk.ru (24 September 2008).
  15. ↑ Вести.Ru: "Человеком года" в шестой раз стал Алексий II // Vesti.ru (22 December 2008).
  16. ↑ Московский Комсомолец: происшествия, общество, культура, мнения, интервью – МК. Mk.ru.
  17. ↑ Chaplin called Kuraev repent for the words gay lobby. All-rss.com (17 January 2014).
  18. ↑ Interview: Deacon Andrei Kuraev V. Tver Metropolitan Viktor Archived 3 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine. .stetson.edu.
  19. ↑ Archdeacon Kuraev Answers Chaplin'S Accusations Archived 3 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine. stetson.edu.
  20. ↑ Right-wing church media attack Kuraev. Groups.yahoo.com.
  21. ↑ Как относиться к исламу после Беслана? – Известия. Izvestia.ru.
  22. ↑ Протодиакона Андрея Кураева отчислили из профессоров МДА — комментарии. http://www.pravmir.ru/diakona-andreya-kuraeva-otchislili-i-professorov-mda-kommentarii-1/#ixzz31JIwCkfj. Pravmir.ru (31 December 2013).
  23. ↑ В штат Тверской епархии приняли игумена, изгнанного из Татарстанской митрополии за домогательства до семинаристов. Tvernews.ru.
  24. ↑ Россия: Общество: Прокуратура проверит «гомоигумена» в Казанской семинарии. Lenta.ru.
  25. ↑ Пресс-секретаря Татарстанской митрополии обвиняют в гомосексуализме – Новости России – ИА REGNUM. Regnum.ru (16 December 2013).
  26. ↑ Митрополит Анастасий временно отстранен от руководства Казанской семинарией – Новости России – ИА REGNUM. Regnum.ru (14 March 2014).
  27. ↑ Протодиакон Кураев встретился с Pussy Riot – ПОЛИТ.РУ. Polit.ru.
  28. ↑ Kuraev Meets Pussy Riot. 02varvara.wordpress.com.
  29. ↑ Outspoken Moscow Theologian Defrocked by Orthodox Church The Moscow Times
  30. ↑ "Андрея Кураева оштрафовали на 30 тысяч рублей за «дискредитацию» армии из-за поста в ЖЖ". Meduza. 23 August 2023.
  31. ↑ ""Russia's Justice Ministry updates 'foreign agent' list to include theologian Andrey Kuraev and political scientist Alexander Baunov, among others"". Meduza. 22 December 2023.
  32. ↑ Андрей, диакон. "Вступление – Как относиться к исламу после Беслана? — диакон Андрей". azbyka.ru.
  33. ↑ Helleman, Wendy E. (31 March 2018). "The Russian idea : in search of a new identity". Bloomington, Ind. : Slavica Publishers – via Trove.
  34. ↑ "Diak_kuraev: Мои книги". Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2014. deacon Andrey Kuraev – My books
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