Episcopal ministry in Russian literature of the 20th century: using the example of short story “The Bishop” by A. P. Chekhov and the story of the same name by hieromonk Tikhon (Barsukov)

Abstract

The article analyzes the images of bishops in the works by A. P. Chekhov and Hieromonk Tikhon (Barsukov). In Chekhov’s short story, the bishop is both the successor of the apostles and the image of Christ. The four-part structure of the story is determined by the four Gospels, and the last days of the hero’s life fall on Holy Week and are consonant with the last days of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Chekhov endows his hero with such key characteristics as fortitude, love for his mother and native land, multigenerational connection with the Church, and humility. At the same time, despite sympathy for the bishop himself, for the author, looking at the bishop’s ministry “from outside” the Church, its severity exceeds its beauty. The view “from within” is presented in the story by Hieromonk Tikhon (Barsukov). The author’s vision of the bishop in it is determined by the patristic tradition and can be described by the formula “Where the bishop is, there is the Church, and there is no Church without the bishop”. He is characterized by a beautiful appearance, the royalty of service is combined in him with monastic humility. The bishop’s ministry in the author’s view is threefold: the bishop combines the functions of a father, a teacher, and a doctor. Despite the difference in approaches and views, both authors present a collective image of a bishop – the successor of the apostles, distinguished by wisdom and humility.