PRACTICE OF CHARISMATIC MOVEMENTS
/DUCHOVNÁ PRELESŤ V PRAXI CHARIZMATICKÝCH HNUTÍ/

Andrej NIKULIN

assistant professor, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Presov, Masarykova 15, 08001 Presov, Slovakia, andrej.nikulin@unipo.sk, 00421517724729, ORCID: 0000-0002-8434-1261

Abstract

In this paper, we will look deeper into some serious topics related to the spiritual life from the perspective of Orthodox spirituality in comparison with various charismatic movements. A person's spiritual life has several criteria of health in Christianity, one of which is wrestling with spiritual overgrowth. In Orthodox spirituality, transgression is given special attention, since it hides a great danger to the spiritual life at all stages of spiritual growth. Prelesia can affect the equally experienced as well as the less experienced believer, it can be related to his individual spiritual condition, but it can also have a collective dimension in the form of religious movements and communities. In their case, the overgrowth goes beyond the personal problem of the individual and becomes already part of the social doctrine and experience, which can lead to undesirable social manifestations such as intolerance, bigotry and other extremist views.

Keywords

Anthropology, freedom, Orthodox Christianity, charismatic movements

SUMMARY

The main goal of the spiritual life, according to G. Sinaita, is to get rid of and purify oneself of all that hinders the grace of God, because the devil commonly presents the truth to the inexperienced and covers his evil nature with a false spiritual image. The Lord is not angry with those who, because of caution, do not respond to any "address from on high," but rather commends man for his vigilance and sound judgment.
Equally inappropriate and dangerous from a spiritual point of view are the uncontrolled expressions of emotion, often interspersed with fits of laughter and crying. It is laughter during prayer that the Holy Fathers point to as an unchristian or rather pagan practice.
In the tradition of Orthodox spirituality, after years of severe asceticism and inner struggle with the passions, the saints may have received similar gifts, although, as has already been said, this was not the goal of their spiritual wrestling. In charismatic movements, similar phenomena occur quite frequently, over a relatively short period of time. An encounter with Christ and the gifts one can receive from him at any time and on any occasion. In doing so, the courage and confidence with which one presents his gifts, as S. Rous points out, reveals the self-deception of such a person and the mistaken view of this state as a manifestation of God's grace. He considers the consequence of such spiritual thinking to be a dangerous intensification of conceit and pride, a sense of exceptionalism and dominance, which can already have a wider than spiritual impact not only on the individual but also on society.

(Language: slovak)

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