The Image of the Church – Present and Future – in the Works of Nicholas Berdyaev. Article one: “Berdyaev is always thinking in a sobornal way”

This article focuses on the analysis of the image of the Church, both present and future, in the works of N.A. Berdyaev between 1911 and 1948. Berdyaev’s language and philosophical method, which is of fundamental importance for understanding of his image of the Church, are analysed. It is demonstrated, that the ecclesial problematics is present and revealed in the philosopher’s works not only as a constant theme of his reflections, but even more so in the very design of his thought, in his “sobornal” perspective, which have been noted by a number of scholars, as well as in his gnoseological orientation, which comes out of his particular understanding of New Testament revelation about the human person. The epistemological meaning of Berdyaev’s idea of the Church as a spiritual reality that is rather revealed within the human spirit and can only be perceived through communion, than stand before him as an external object, is explained. The article shows the significance of Berdyaev’s fundamental idea of the connection between the levels of perception and the levels of communion (i.e. of the overcoming of discord between people), which is explicitly or implicitly present in almost all of his works, beginning with The Philosophy of Freedom (1911) and ending with Truth and Revelation (1947), and becomes especially clear in the context of his ecclesiological reflections. The article also critically analyzes in what sense one can speak of the “sociological” nature of Berdyaev’s thinking, which some scholars have pointed out, and demonstrates how this feature of his philosophy is connected with its ecclesiastical character. The ideas of “sobornal gnoseology”, “epistemic accusation”, as well as concept of “an integral understanding of Church” over against “understanding via differentiation”, and Berdyaev’s approach to conceiving of the boundaries of the Church, are elucidated.