On the history of one canonical document. Possible reasons for the appearance of the “Canonical responses” of metropolitan John Prodromus

The “Canonical Responses” of Metropolitan John, given by the Russian Primate to the Monk James, is one of the oldest documents of canon law in Russia. Created in Greek and later translated into Russian, they were included in the Russian Nomokanon, becoming one of the most authoritative legal monuments. Meanwhile, the history of this canonical code has not yet been fully studied. The article attempts to identify the motives behind the appearance of this canonical document and to determine the place of James in the church administration of the era of Metropolitan John Prodromus. It is concluded that most of the issues considered in this canonical set were related to the topic of the hierarchical court, while James was probably one of the most influential monks of his time.