Protopresbyter Evgeny Akvilonov: Proofs for the existence of God in the context of the synodal period rational theology

Abstract

This article considers protopresbyter Evgeny Akvilonov’s features of teaching fundamental theology and his doctrine on the proofs for the existence of God in the context of rational theology of the synodal period. It is demonstrated that: the main methodological feature of his fundamental theological heritage is his desire to preempt the solution of apologetic tasks by solving fundamental-founding ones, aimed at bringing the Christian faith content to scientific understanding, or at the awareness of the necessary internal connection and objective foundations of the Christian faith doctrine; when substantiating the truth of Christianity, he relied on the method of historical and comparative analysis of religions and considered bishop Mikhail Gribanovsky’s “subjective method” unsatisfactory, returning to the traditional neo-scholastic method. Prof. Akvilonov’s detailed presentation of ontological, cosmological, and teleological proofs is analyzed, and the main methodological feature of his teaching is revealed: the proofs are studied in close logical relationship with the doctrine of divine attributes. Prof. Akvilonov’s use of an original methodology for studying the proofs did not give much effect to the development of the doctrine about them in contemporary fundamental theology. The concept of a unified proof put forward by him did not receive a necessary detailed completion. Also, no original formulation of ontological and cosmological proofs was proposed, and a new form of the teleological proof is a probabilistic judgment; prof. Akvilonov’s attempt to search for new ways of developing the doctrine of the proofs for the existence of God is assessed positively.