The Quarterly Journal of St. Philaret’s Institute

The article explores in detail the concept of charismatic ministries in the legacy of N. Afanasiev. It examines the role of charisma within Eucharistic ecclesiology and highlights the differences between Afanasiev’s understanding of charisma and that of his predecessors. The study demonstrates that Afanasiev’s concept of charismatic ministries cannot be fully understood outside the context of early 20th century theological debates in pre-revolutionary Russian theology, particularly those surrounding the ideas of R. Sohm. Special attention is given not only to the connections and contrasts between Afanasiev’s and Sohm’s models, but also to its comparison with the views of Russian academic theologians. Despite his sharp critique of “school” theology, Afanasiev draws significantly on ideas developed within the Russian academic theology. In particular, his views are compared with the works of I. Popov, A. Kartashev, and especially Fr. M. Fiveysky, in whose wri­tings themes resonant with Afanasiev’s thought can be found. At the same time, Afanasiev reinterprets the legacy of his predecessors by introducing a Eucharistic perspective and emphasizing the communal rather than official or individual ­nature of charisma. Whereas earlier thinkers often understood charisma in terms of authority or power, Afanasiev proposes an ecclesiolo­gi­cally open model of the “charism of love”, which belongs to the entire church community. In this regard, charisma, for Afanasiev, becomes the foundation of ministry and communion in the Church. His concept represents an effort to overcome the traditional opposition between charisma and institution.