Vl.S. Solovyov's idea of Christian unity in the conditions of the 20–21st centuries challenges

This article examines the concept of Christian unity in the context of Russian philosophical thought. The author analyzes the works of Vl.S. Solovyov, as well as the works of Russian religious philosophers of the early 20th century, theologians and church leaders of the 20th-21st centuries, devoted to issues of ecclesiastic unity. The study demonstrates the enduring relevance of Solovyov’s ideas on ecclesiastic unity in the context of modern geopolitical and sociocultural challenges. The work relies on the encyclicals of the Roman pontiffs, the official decrees of the Second Vatican Council, the definitions of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, the views of Russian philosophers of the 20th century, among whom N.O. Lossky, V.V. Zenkovsky, G.V. Florovsky, S.N. Bulgakov, S.L. Frank, and A.F. Losev. The author implements the historical and philosophical research method, as well as methods of historical analysis and comparative religion. The article analyzes the evolution of the idea of Christian unity in the thought of Vl.S. Solovyov from the project of ecclesiastic unity to the eschatological pessimism of “Three Conversations about War, Progress and the End of World History”. The author pays attention to its reception in the intellectual and church space of the 20th and 21st centuries and the relevance for determining the directions of contemporary Russian society’s development. In essence, the author of the article substantiates the thesis that the idea of Christian unity of Vl.S. Solovyov could be a possible intellectual basis in formulating responses to the challenges that the church faces today regarding its participation in creating humane world order.