The Quarterly Journal of St. Philaret’s Institute

In 2018–2019 World Orthodoxy entered a phase of severe institutional crisis, which exacerbated the contradictions existed between the autocephalous churches. The article analyzes the ecclesiological causes of the crisis. The author points out that in Orthodox ecclesiology there are at least two conflicting normative theories describing the structure of the Orthodox Church in different ways. The first is based on the principle of pan-Orthodox unity, the second is based on the principle of independence of autocephaly. The first model describes the position of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and is supported mainly in Greek-speaking churches. The second model describes the position of the Russian Orthodox Church, to which the so-called “New patriarchies” are usually joined. As one of the main causes of the crisis, the author also emphasizes church decisionism, within the framework of which it is impossible to reconcile the principles of pan-Orthodox unity and independence of autocephaly. A characteristic feature of the modern Orthodox ecclesial landscape is the lack of the institution of law at the level of relations between autocephalous churches. The source of the ecclesial order is not the common rules to all participants of inter-Orthodox relations, but the sovereign will of the autocephalous churches. In the final part of the article, the author proposes, as an alternative, the contours of normative ecclesiological theory based on the main principles of republicanism: freedom as non-dominance and the rule of law.