Ecclesiastic publicism at the dawn of the "Great reforms"

This article considers the genre of ecclesiastic publicism, which emerges among parish clergy during the beginning of the reign of Alexander II. The author considers the opinions of clergy with respect to various inter-church problems, and the discussions between “critics” and “defenders” of the roles of married and monastic clergy as well as of the state of theological education in the 19th century. The author points out that ecclesiastic publicism not only gave readers information about inter-church problems, but also formed public opinion and argued for the need for serious reforms in the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church. The author demonstrates that ecclesiastic publicism is an important source for the study of the history of the Russian Church during the period of the Great Reforms.