So how many Orthodox are there really in Russia, and what makes the rest imitate Orthodoxy? Andrey Zaitsev reflects.
How many Orthodox are there in Russia? There are endless debates around this issue.
Some consider everyone who calls themselves that way to be Orthodox. According to various surveys, the number of such people ranges from 60 to 80 percent of the country's population.
“Then Vladimir sent his envoys throughout the city to say: “If someone does not come to the river tomorrow - be it rich, or poor, or beggar, or slave - he will be my enemy.” Hearing this, the people went with joy, rejoicing and saying: “If this were not good, our prince and the boyars would not have accepted it.” The very next day, Vladimir went out with the priests of Tsaritsyn and Korsun to the Dnieper, and countless people gathered there. They entered the water and stood there alone, immersed up to their necks, others up to their chests, young people near the shore up to their chests, some holding babies, and adults wandering around, while the priests, standing, said prayers.”
As in Byzantium, monks were very much loved in Rus', and before their death, noble people became monks in order to receive salvation.
Nowadays, the situation has changed - people want faith that does not require effort from them - to bless eggs and apples, to receive Epiphany water, baptize a child, perform a funeral service for the deceased, light a candle and get married - this is the gentlemanly religious set of our new Orthodox. As soon as the Church goes beyond the flags and talks about the need to keep the commandments and undergo the catechumenate before baptism, it immediately receives an indignant reaction from the average person, who asks to be left alone.
The situation with the number of Orthodox Christians in Russia fits perfectly into the not entirely decent joke about the real and the virtual. Virtually we have many Orthodox Christians, but in reality, no more than two or three percent of Russians even come to church.
In other words, the choice of religion turns into a status thing, into an opportunity to show the good side of oneself to others. Number of people saying they are listening classical music or watch the Culture channel, significantly more than those who actually love the classics and can distinguish Beckett from Ionesco. Joining the majority allows a person to increase his self-esteem.
On the other hand, there are people who do not want to belong to the majority religion. They may call themselves simply Christians, Catholics, followers of alternative Orthodox churches, or be followers of other religions. said that people very often look for answers to their questions in some exotic cults, knowing nothing about Orthodoxy. Christianity seems to them too familiar a religion to which they belong only nominally.
Of course, among the followers of any religion there are sincere believers who do not care whether they belong to a “minority church” or a “majority church.” For them, all these games with numbers are not very interesting, but inside the church it is impossible to carry out segregation and separate the “correct” Orthodox from the “wrong”. Life will do it itself, not paying attention to statistics.
About a third of “Orthodox” Russians do not believe in God - inexorable statistics testify to this. In the same time various groups Every now and then they propose making Orthodoxy the state religion. In their arguments, they refer to opinion polls, according to which “80 percent” of the Russian population consider themselves Orthodox.
At the same time, the voice of believers is becoming louder - today they are active participants in almost all social processes, and heated discussions about building new churches or mosques, teaching religion in schools and banning abortion do not appear out of thin air.
About how many believers there really are in Russia and whether their quality is more important than quantity is in the RIA Novosti material.
Interest has accumulated
From year to year, sociologists unanimously record an increase in the number of believers. For example, since 1991, more and more Russians began to trust in God in Everyday life. The same can be said about citizens’ trust in the Russian Orthodox Church and religious organizations in general (data from VTsIOM).
Several years ago, the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences tried to measure the level of religiosity of compatriots and found out that 79% consider themselves Orthodox, 4% are Muslim, and 9% “believe in some kind of religion.” higher power"The number of atheists, scientists have stated, is decreasing.
The results of the Synodal period (from 1721 to 1917 - Ed.), as well as events during and after the revolution, according to the clergyman, showed well “that no external forms in themselves speak of anything.” At the same time, the Church has a certain attitude towards those people who call themselves Orthodox, but do not lead a corresponding lifestyle.
“We look at them, first of all, as people who are open to interaction, open to nourishment. This is a potential flock - maybe they intend to come to church, they do not have a conscious bias against the Church. Accordingly, this is the very part of our citizens who which at any moment can become active parishioners,” adds the archpriest.
More than two thousand years have passed since the appearance of the first Christians. During this time, one of the largest world cities was formed. Today it is difficult to find a country in which there are no Christian communities or churches. Christian statistics are growing every year. The number of believers in Jesus Christ makes up almost a third of the world's population.
Major world religions
IN modern world four out of five people on earth profess a particular religion. Main religious movements:
- Christianity.
- Islam.
- Hinduism.
Christianity takes first place in the ranking. How many Christians are there in the world according to statistics? The number of religion followers (Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox) reaches 33% of the planet's population. In 2017, the figure exceeded 2.4 billion people.
Despite the enormous influence of Christianity, the history of its formation is full of persecution and suffering. Statistics of Christians in the world include more than 70 million people who became martyrs for their faith. Of these, 45 million believers died in the 20th century.
Christianity arose on the basis of Judaism and was initially regarded as a sect.
What is the difference between Jews and Christians? Judaism is national religion. The basis of the teaching is the chosenness of the Jewish people. Christianity is a world religion. It unites all followers of Jesus Christ.
The difference lies in how Christians pray. Of course, prayer is part of spiritual practice in all religions. However, their lyrics and performance are significantly different. There are several in Christianity prayer rules. In Judaism obligatory prayers No.
The meaning of faith
Faith in the life of a Christian is a gift from God. Having taken the path of faith, a person gets rid of his shortcomings, gradually transforming into the image of Christ. The most important commandments for Christians are to love God and neighbor. They combine 10 Old Testament instructions that became the basis of Christianity. The New Testament commandments define how a Christian should live. However, their implementation must be a voluntary decision.
The holy book of Christians is the Bible. It includes a series of ancient books that were created over 15 centuries. The Bible consists of two parts:
- Old Testament – 39 books;
- New Testament – 27 books.
The Christian cross serves as the main symbol of faith. It represents the instrument of Christ's execution. The cross reminds us of the Savior’s sacrifice for the sake of eternal life.
The life of a Christian is connected with a temple or other place intended for worship and church sacraments. Temples include places of worship that have an altar.
The main idea of Christianity
The first Christians and their teaching appeared in Palestine. Later Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire. The number of believers by the end of the first century was 800 thousand people. The main idea of the religion was the legend that the savior of the world would come - the Lord Jesus Christ. In conditions of oppression and poverty, the new teaching gave hope for supernatural salvation.
The spiritual life of a Christian came first. The convert had to acknowledge man's sinfulness. The teaching of Christ encourages humility and the dream of a happy afterlife. The goal of a Christian is to glorify God and convert people to a new faith.
The followers of the movement preached the ascension of Christians. According to scripture, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ will suddenly be taken up into heaven to be united with the Lord.
The new religion was fundamentally different from paganism. The difference between a Christian was his belief in one God. Whereas paganism was polytheistic. It recognized a hierarchy of gods.
The Christian faith implies observance of the following precepts:
- humility before God;
- love and mercy for people;
- prohibition of polygamy;
- struggle with sin and passions;
- abstinence and fasting;
- doing good.
Jesus Christ, who was crucified on the cross and resurrected and then ascended into heaven, also commanded the disciples to spread the gospel throughout the world.
First meetings
Meetings of the first Christians took place in homes on Sundays. Believers read the texts Holy Scripture, listened to sermons and prayed. Prayer in the life of a Christian has great value. It implied a sense of sinfulness, a personal appeal to God, and the pursuit of moral ideals.
Wealthy Christians often provided spacious rooms in their homes for large gatherings. The first Christian churches appeared in the era of persecution. They were built in the style of Roman basilicas.
Persecution from the Jews
Many Jews rejected the teachings of Jesus Christ. They began persecuting Christians and their apostles almost immediately after their appearance.
The God of Christians is the same as that of the Jews, but in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This fact significantly distinguishes Christianity from Judaism or Islam. Jews do not recognize what Christians believe and reject the divine nature of Jesus Christ. They consider him one of the prophets.
Persecution of the pagans
After the destruction of Jerusalem, pagans began to persecute adherents of the new religion. What Christians taught went against their morals and traditions. The persecution continued for more than two centuries. They were especially cruel under Emperor Nero. One of the paintings describes the execution of Christians under Nero. In the arena of the amphitheater there is a group of old men and women who are being torn to pieces wild animals. And the one on whose orders innocent people are executed enjoys a terrible spectacle. 
Executions of Christians continued under other emperors. They were especially fierce in the period from 303 to 313. The supreme rulers issued decrees legalizing the execution and torture of Christians. According to researchers, from 3 to 3.5 thousand people died in those days. However, persecution could not prevent the spread of Christianity.
Status of official religion
The ancient Christians gained recognition in the Roman Empire in the early 4th century. By that time new religion reached Spain, Africa and India. Christian statistics in 313 numbered more than 14 million people. Christianity received the status of a state religion and began to preach humility before state power and intolerance towards the free-thinking of antiquity.
The attitude of Christians towards ancient monuments was ruthless. Many of them were destroyed. At the same time, Roman Christians laid the foundation for religious unity in Europe, which contributed to the creation of common cultural values.
Church holidays
Christian holidays gradually took shape. At first, the apostles and their disciples participated in Jewish holidays. Later, the church began to establish new festivals that reflect major events in the history of Christianity
What are the most important holidays for Christians? This includes the Nativity of Jesus Christ, Easter and Trinity.
The first holiday is associated with the birth of the savior. It is celebrated in the first month of the year (January 7, 2018). The second holiday is associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is celebrated in different time(April 8, 2018). The third holiday points to the trinity of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). It originated on the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus Christ, after his ascension into heaven. Orthodox Christians celebrate it on the 50th day after Easter, Catholics on the 57th.
Years of persecution contributed to the formation of the cult of martyrs, whom Orthodox Christians call saints. Most of them date back to early Christianity. At the same time, annual public commemorations of Christian saints became traditional. The action takes place on certain days.
Schism in Christianity
The history of Christians from the very beginning has been characterized by the presence of various groups and sects. They differed in terminology and understanding of the common creed. The fight against such heresies was carried out at ecumenical councils. However, contradictions remained. With the collapse of the Roman Empire, Christianity was divided into two parts:
- the western part is Catholic;
- the eastern part is Orthodoxy.
The difference between Catholics and Orthodox Christians was caused by the difference in cultures and mentalities. The final break between the two directions of Christianity took place at the beginning of the 13th century. The main differences between Orthodox Christians and Catholics:
- hierarchical structure of the church;
- ritual or disciplinary traditions;
- features of doctrine.
How are Orthodox Christians baptized? Until the 13th century, fingering was done using the index and middle fingers. Today, triplicate is more common.
In Catholicism, all five fingers are used. The sign of the cross is performed in memory of the number of wounds on the body of the Lord.
Protestantism
Protestantism originated in the 16th century in Europe. Protestant Christians broke away from Catholic Church during the period of the Reformation. The diversity of views within a religious branch is expressed in independent movements and church unions.
Evangelical Christians represent the largest union of Lutheran and Reformed churches. It marked the beginning of the process of bringing together different faiths around the world.
The Church of Evangelical Christian Baptists arose in 1944 on the territory of the USSR. Today their total number exceeds 400 thousand people.
Baptist Differences
How do Baptists differ from Orthodox Christians? The dispute between them concerns the form of baptism. Baptists believe that it should be conscious and voluntary. They reject infant baptism. Baptists believe that the soul can be saved only by fulfilling the commandments from the holy book of Christians. They do not recognize church sacraments and Christian saints, and consider icons to be ordinary paintings.
An additional difference lies in the manner in which Christians are buried and the conduct of religious services. Key figure The ministry is not the priest, but the pastor of the community. During the service they do not pray, but read the Bible and sing psalms. For Baptists, a church is a house of prayer for Christians, and communion is the eating of wine and bread. Baptistism became most widespread in North America. At the end of 2011, there were about 24 million representatives of the movement.
Seventh-day Adventists
Adventist Christians arose on the basis of Baptistism. The current formed in the 19th century in the United States.
At the end of the century, the first Seventh-day Adventist communities appeared in Crimea. By the beginning of the October Revolution, Christian statistics numbered 7 thousand followers. However, in the 1930s, Christians in the USSR were subjected to... Adventist communities began to revive only at the end of the 70s. During perestroika they united into a single union.
Pentecostals
The largest movement in Protestantism is represented by Pentecostal Christians. The current originated at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States. The First Ecumenical Council in 325 condemned them and classified them as sectarians.
Pentecostals are also called Christians of the evangelical faith. The teaching is based on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which gives them the gift of prophecy and the ability to share the good news.
Orthodoxy
How many Orthodox Christians are there in the world? According to statistics, 100 years ago Orthodox Christians made up a fifth of the planet. Today their number ranges from 150 to 260 million people. They mainly live in countries of Eastern Europe and CIS.
Christian statistics link the decline in the share of Orthodox Christians with demographic problems in the republics former USSR. Christians in Russia make up the largest number among Orthodox Christians in the world - about 105 million people (72.6% of the population).
Distribution of Orthodox Christians by country (millions of people):
- Ethiopia – 36.
- Ukraine – 35.
- Romania – 19.
- Greece – 10.
- Serbia – 6.7.
- Bulgaria – 6.2.
- Belarus – 5.9.
- Egypt - 3.9.
- Georgia – 3.8.
At the end of the 17th century, a branch of Orthodoxy called “Spiritual Christians” arose in Russia. Representatives of the movement preached asceticism and condemned luxury ruling class. The new trend was divided into several directions:
- believers of Christ;
- Skoptsov;
- Doukhobors;
- Molokans
Far East
Christians in Japan appeared in the Middle Ages, when the first Catholic missionaries arrived on the islands. By the end of the 16th century, the number of adherents new faith was 300 thousand people. However, the missionaries were soon banned from the island. In 1596, Christians were attacked. The priests were accused of violating the ban and were brutally executed. Missionary work was banned for the next two hundred and fifty years. Christians created secret communities.
Missionaries reappeared in Japan in the mid-19th century. Today the statistics of Christians in Japan is about 2.5 million. Protestants account for almost 1 million people. Among them:
- Pentecostals – 257 thousand;
- adherents of the United Church of Christ - 196 thousand;
- parishioners of the Spirit of Jesus Church – 125 thousand people.
According to legend, the first sermons of Christians in China were carried out in apostolic times. However, documented evidence dates back to the 7th century. Today there are about 60–70 million followers of Christ living in the country. In India, Christianity is the third largest religion. In 2008, there were about 25 million believers.
Near East
Christian communities in the countries of the Middle East arose during the time of the apostles. Statistics of Christians in Iraq until 2003 numbered about 1 million people. Later, the number of followers of the movement decreased to 150 thousand. Today the situation remains extremely difficult. There are Christian testimonies about the seizure of their lands by ethnic Kurds. Whereas Islamic extremists force them to convert to Islam or pay unaffordable taxes.
Christians in Syria for a long time coexisted peacefully. The share of the Christian population was more than 2 million people. They sent their children mainly to Western schools. However, as a result of the conflict, Christian statistics recorded an outflow of 700 thousand to 1 million believers.
Türkiye
Christians in Turkey began building the first churches back in the 1st century. In the fourth century, the capital of the Byzantine Empire was established on its territory. At the same time, the Armenians who inhabited eastern part countries. Modern Christians in Turkey are predominantly Orthodox. Their most of lives in Istanbul.
Libya and Egypt
Christians appeared in Egypt in the 1st century. At the end of the third century, Christianity received the status of an official religion. It is practiced by the indigenous population of the country – the Copts. Statistics of Christians in Egypt range from 10 to 20 million people. Copts represent the largest Christian community in the Middle East. They brought Christianity to Libya, where it was the main religion until the collapse of the Roman Empire. Today Islam dominates Libya.
Spain
Spain in the Middle Ages was a stronghold of Catholicism. Christian statistics confirm this fact. Today, over 75% of the country's population is Catholic. The number of Protestants is small. In 2010 there were no more than half a million.
There are more than 900 thousand Orthodox Christians in Spain. Their number increased in the 90s due to migrants from Eastern Europe and Russia.
Israel
Christians in Israel are divided into four main churches. The largest group are Catholics different traditions– about 90 thousand people. The number of Orthodox and Protestants is 30 thousand each. Jews in the country are over 6 million people (79% of the population).
The position of Christians is quite ambiguous. There are still cases of persecution of Christians. They began during the creation of Israel. In 1947, 350 thousand believers lived in Palestine. In 1969, their number decreased to 45 thousand people. The objects of increased hostility among Jews are Jews who converted to Christianity.
Found a great article on Wikipedia. It collects quantitative data on religious affiliation. Atheists and agnostics are also taken into account (in some tables they are combined as non-believers). There are 18 groups and three sources in total.
The largest (by number of followers) religion in the world is Christianity; throughout the 20th century, the share of Christians in general population The earth remained practically unchanged, remaining equal to 33-34%. The second world religion is Islam (23% of the world's population). The number of non-believers and atheists is highly controversial and is estimated various studies in 11-16% of the world's population. A significant proportion of the world's population are Hindus (14-15%), Buddhists (7%) and supporters of traditional beliefs.
The category of non-religious people includes very different groups beliefs. A number of studies distinguish two groups in this category - actually non-religious people and atheists. Atheists include people who are convinced of the absence of any deity, as well as skeptics, supporters of irreligion and militant atheists. Non-religious people include agnostics, supporters of freethinking, people who are not interested in religion or have no religious preferences.
Over half of all non-religious people in the world live in one country - China (413 million agnostics and 98 million atheists). A significant number of non-religious people are concentrated in other Asian countries(100 million agnostics and 19 million atheists). That. Asia is home to 80% of all agnostics and 85% of all convinced atheists on Earth. There are significant numbers of non-believers and atheists in Europe (98 million and 18 million) and North America (41 million and 2 million). Non-religious people make up a significant proportion of the population of Oceania, where 3.8 million agnostics and 365 thousand atheists live. IN Latin America There are 15 million agnostics and 2.5 million convinced atheists. The number of non-religious people in Africa is relatively small (5.5 million non-believers and 0.5 million atheists).
Followers of religions in 2010:
Distribution of religions by number of countries:
Population dynamics in the 20th century:
Share of Christians in different countries world:
Share of Muslims in different countries of the world:
Proportion of Hindus in different countries of the world:
Share of Buddhists in different countries of the world.
Orthodoxy is divided into two main denominations: the Orthodox Church and the Ancient Eastern Orthodox Church.
The Orthodox Church is the second largest community in the world after Roman Catholic Church. The Ancient Eastern Orthodox Church has similar dogmas as the Orthodox Church, but in practice there is a difference in religious rites, which are more diverse than those of the conservative Orthodox Church.
The Orthodox Church is dominant in Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine, while the Ancient Eastern Orthodox Church is dominant in Armenia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
10. Georgia (3.8 million)
The Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church has about 3.8 million parishioners. It belongs to the Orthodox Church. Georgia's Orthodox population is the largest in the country and is governed by Holy Synod Bishops.
The current Constitution of Georgia recognizes the role of the church, but determines its independence from the state. This fact is the opposite of the historical structure of the country before 1921, when Orthodoxy was the official state religion.
9. Egypt (3.9 million)
The majority of Egyptian Christians are parishioners of the Orthodox Church, amounting to about 3.9 million believers. The largest church denomination is the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, which is a follower of the Armenian and Syriac Ancient Eastern Orthodox Churches. The Church in Egypt was founded in 42 AD. Apostle and Evangelist Saint Mark.
8. Belarus (5.9 million)
The Belarusian Orthodox Church is part of the Orthodox Church and has up to 6 million parishioners in the country. The Church is in full canonical communion with the Russian Orthodox Church and is the largest denomination in Belarus.
7. Bulgaria (6.2 million)
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has about 6.2 million independent believers of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is the oldest in the Slavic region, founded in the 5th century in the Bulgarian Empire. Orthodoxy is also the largest religion in Bulgaria.
6. Serbia (6.7 million)
The Autonomous Serbian Orthodox Church, referred to as the Autocephalous Orthodox Church, is the leading Serbian religion with nearly 6.7 million parishioners, representing 85% of the country's population. This is more than most ethnic groups in the country combined.
There are several Romanian Orthodox Churches in parts of Serbia founded by migrants. Most Serbs identify themselves by adherence to the Orthodox Church rather than by ethnicity.
5. Greece (10 million)
Number of Christians who profess Orthodox teaching, close to 10 million of the population of Greece. The Greek Orthodox Church includes several Orthodox denominations and cooperates with the Orthodox Church, holding liturgies in the original language of the New Testament - Koine Greek. The Greek Orthodox Church strictly follows the traditions of the Byzantine Church.
4. Romania (19 million)
Most of the 19 million parishioners of the Romanian Orthodox Church are part of the autocephalous Orthodox Church. The number of parishioners is approximately 87% of the population, which gives reason to sometimes call the Romanian language Orthodox (Orthodoxie).
The Romanian Orthodox Church was canonized in 1885, and since then has strictly observed Orthodox hierarchy which has existed for centuries.
3. Ukraine (35 million)
There are approximately 35 million members of the Orthodox population in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church gained independence from the Russian Orthodox Church after the collapse of the USSR. Ukrainian Church is in canonical communion with the Orthodox Church and has greatest number parishioners in the country, accounting for 75% of the total population.
Several churches still belong to the Moscow Patriarchate, but Ukrainian Christians for the most part do not know which denomination they belong to. Orthodoxy in Ukraine has apostolic roots and has been declared the state religion several times in the past.
2. Ethiopia (36 million)
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the largest and oldest church in both population and structure. The 36 million parishioners of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church are in canonical communion with the Ancient Eastern Orthodox Church and were part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is independent and the largest of all the Ancient Eastern Orthodox Churches.
1. Russia (101 million)
Russia has greatest number Orthodox Christians all over the world total amount about 101 million parishioners. The Russian Orthodox Church, also known as the Moscow Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Orthodox Church, which is in canonical communion and complete unity with the Orthodox Church.
Russia is believed to be intolerant of Christians, and the number of Orthodox Christians is constantly disputed. A small number of Russians believe in God or even profess Orthodox faith. Many citizens call themselves Orthodox Christians because they were baptized in the church as children or are mentioned in official government reports, but do not practice the religion.
The video will tell in detail about the main religions practiced in the world, with many historical facts.
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