ANTHROPOLOGICAL VIEWS OF THE GREAT KYIV-MOHYLA ACADEMY GRADUATE HRYHORIY SAVYCH SKOVORODA IN THE LIGHT OF DIVINE REVELATION

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth (in 1722) of a prominent figure in the history of Ukrainian philosophical and theological thought, a graduate of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Hryhoriy Savych Skovoroda. An attempt to shed light on the anthropological views of the great Kyiv-Mohyla graduate, who in his works focuses much on a person and his ontological essence, has been made. Hryhoriy Skovoroda’s reasoning about a person in the context of Christian doctrine, where on the one hand he is the crown of creation, and on the other - he is on the border of two worlds: earthly and heavenly, has been analyzed. It is shown that Hryhoriy always emphasized the superiority of introspection over cognition of the world, as Skovoroda’s endless external journeys in one way or another reflect his inner journey, but the main journey of the philosopher is a platonic movement of self-knowledge. The great need to turn today to the Christian views of Hryhoriy and to comprehend his theological teachings, which for reasons unknown to us were undeservedly overlooked by domestic researchers or considered by them in passing. The latest research, which proves the deep Christian understanding of Skovoroda and rethinks its Christian meanings, has been mentioned. The focus is on the Christian existence of the Ukrainian theologian-thinker Skovoroda, who rejects rationalist theology, which makes God the object of human knowledge. It is shown that self-knowledge, according to Skovoroda, is a generated love of man for God. His self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom. The peculiarities of Hryhoriy’s travels as an elder man walking with a bag on his shoulders and a Bible, flute and staff, singing his songs, telling tales in bazaars and poor houses, granting treatises and dialogues to his friends have been highlighted. It is focused on the fact that Skovoroda devotes a lot of time to prayer and union with God through the sacraments of Confession and Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord. The image of the True Man – Jesus Christ – runs through the works of Skovoroda: everything begins with Him and ends with Him.