Church Legal Consciousness: Historical Patterns and Challenges of Modern Times. On Canonical Heritage of Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov

The article provides an analysis of the work “Church Law and the Crisis of Legal Consciousness” by Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov, a famous Russian religious thinker. He first published it in exile in 1923. The concept of church legal consciousness proposed by Fr. S. Bulgakov is based on the postulation of the transcendent foundation of the church law and the need to understand it exactly like this. Being determined by its historical background, it remains relevant in our time. Based on the principle of “the law of the law”, the church law has stood the test of time and thus confirmed its validity. However, the crisis of legal consciousness in the Christian civilization of the 20th century was obvious. According to the philosopher, this crisis is rooted in the idea of legal secularization and in the differentiation of religion and law, which is as unnatural as the genetic connection between law and religion. The attempt to separate them is the most obvious sign of the crisis in Christian legal consciousness. To respond to this challenge is a fundamental spiritual and social task for the Church. This article is based on a paper presented at the round table discussion “Church Legal Consciousness: Historical Patterns and Challenges of Modern Times. On Canonical Legacy of Archpriest Sergius Bulgakov” (St. Petersburg Theological Academy, September 24, 2025).