Starez

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Mikhail Wassiljewitsch Nesterow . The three starlings. 1915.

A Starez ( Russian старец "the old", cf. elder or presbyter , also Starze , plural Starzen ) is a respected and honored elder in a monastery of the Orthodox Churches , where he acts as a consultant and teacher. Literally translated, Starez means venerable old man .

function

The title Starez does not designate an ecclesiastical office such as deacon, priest or abbot (Igumen, Archimandrite), but rather describes the function as a spiritual teacher and spiritual companion of novices and laypeople . He has no administrative function within the monastery.

Career

Typically, an elder has the steps of the Eastern Church monasticism undergone by usually over several years in the solitude of a hermitage or Klause lingered to a special relationship to develop to God. He lived in prayer of the presence of God , simplicity of thought, in incessant ascetic practice and the resulting mystical experience. Under the guidance of a Master, he has gained experience in spiritual warfare. He practices the incessant prayer of Jesus , and in the knowledge of the heart he leads a life in Christ. On his spiritual path, studying philocracy is of great help.

Well-known Starzen

The center of Starzentum (Russian старчество) is traditionally the monk colony on Mount Athos . The famous Starez Siluan (1866–24 September 1938) from Central Russia also lived there. He entered the monks' colony on Mount Athos in 1892. At first Siluan devoted himself to manual tasks in the monastery, later he retired to a hermitage. He became one of the most famous spiritual fathers of the Eastern Church.

Also of Russian origin and well known was Starez Leonid , whose real name was Lev Nagolkin. In 1796 he entered a hermitage in Oryol and lived there as a hermit. He became a sought-after spiritual teacher and gathered students around him. It was through him that starzism became widely known.

The Russian monk Seraphim von Sarow is considered the most important Russian star of the 19th century.

As the root of family names

Were in the 16th century - in the 15th Russia the family name set and passed down from generation to generation, which refers to a person belonging to a particular family. These were possessive adjectives with the suffixes -ov / -ev, -in, which originally indicated the name of the head of the family. So the descendant of a man who was called Starez was finally given the name Starzew (Russian Старцев).

See also

  • List of Starzen . There you can find the historical and alphabetical order as well as further information.

literature

  • Alla Selawry: Johannes von Kronstadt, Starez of Russia. Die Pforte, Basel 1981, ISBN 3-85636-064-6
  • Igor Smolitsch : Life and Teaching of the Starzen. The spiritual masters of the Russian Orthodox Church. Herder, Freiburg i.Br. 2004 ISBN 3-451-05475-2
  • Archimandrite Sophronius: Starez Siluan, monk from Mount Athos. Volume 1, His Life and Teaching. Patmos, Düsseldorf 1980, ISBN 3-491-77345-8
  • Archimandrite Sophronius: Starez Siluan, monk from Mount Athos. Volume 2, The Scriptures. Patmos, Düsseldorf 1981, ISBN 3-491-77346-6

Fiction

The Starzen play an important role in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Происхождение фамилии Старцев. Retrieved October 1, 2019 .