Te holy mountain of Athos and its meaning for orthodoxy and the Slavs

Tis article was writen by Archpriest Basil Veryuzhsky, Professor of Leningrad Teological Academy, over half a century ago, in 1952. He reviews in brief the history of monasticism on Mt. Athos, and the impact of hagiorite ascetic traditions on the history and culture of the Slavs. He pays special atention to the relations between the Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches and Mt. Athos, as well as the problems in the relations between Greeks and Slavs from the 19th to the mid-20th century. Tese ethnic disagreements were not accidental. Rather, the professor argues, “the Greeks always had an exaggerated view of their role in Orthodoxy”. Te author believes that disavowing such views would allow the Patriarchate of Constantinople “to rise above national tendencies and take its place at the hight of Orthodox consciousness.” Here the text of this article is presented, based on the personal file of Professor Archpriest Basil Veryuzhsky in the Archives of St. Petersburg Teological Academy (file 1314. pp. 26-58), with a few stylistic and orthographic corrections