The Russian Orthodox Church has revoked the stamp on Sergei Maslennikov’s books and prohibits their distribution. Acting comments on the situation. Head of the Secretariat of Scientific and Theological Review and Expert Evaluation O.V. Kostishak.
— Oleg Vasilyevich, the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church has withdrawn the stamp from Sergei Maslennikov’s books and prohibits their distribution. What prompted this measure?
— The Publishing Council actually reviewed the works of S.M. Maslennikov for several years and some of them were given a church vulture. However, in the course of familiarization with the latest works, in which the author ignored the previously indicated comments, a serious danger to the reader and listener was discovered in them. I would like to emphasize that the decision to revoke the stamps assigned to the works of S.M. Maslennikov, was caused not by his individual erroneous opinions or inaccuracies that the author expresses, but by the generally incorrect, one might say, system of his views on Christian life.
— What kind of person is Sergei Maslennikov? Where does he serve?
— According to data available in open sources, Sergei Mikhailovich is a layman, lives in Yekaterinburg, and received the sacrament of Baptism at a mature age. He is not a clergyman and has no theological education. The path of his spiritual knowledge is very doubtful. Carrying obedience in one of the Ekaterinburg parishes, he actively carried out catechetical activities that went far beyond the boundaries of the parish. S.M. has a strong emphasis in his catechetical and writing activities. Maslennikov focuses on the teaching of repentance - as he understands it. He called the catechist courses themselves “School of Repentance.” All his works are devoted to the author’s unique understanding of repentance to one degree or another.
— What is the spiritual harm of Sergei Maslennikov’s books?
— In his works (I think, not out of malice, but out of spiritual illiteracy) S.M. Maslennikov tries to explain everything clearly and simply where it is accessible and simply cannot be explained, tries to detail what does not need detail, tries to speak cataphatically where only apophaticism is possible. Spiritual practice recommended by S.M. Maslennikov, is not healthy and, as a result, can lead a person to a terrible spiritual impasse. It is worth saying that Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov himself, actively quoted by S.M. Maslennikov, wrote about the danger of the form of spiritual life proposed by the author and directly connected it with the passion of pride. It is very important for us to remember that Christianity is not a set of rules, and the Bible and the books of the fathers are not quotation books. Christ is a Person, and Christianity (and asceticism, and repentance, and everything else necessary in spiritual life) is love for Christ and the desire to communicate with Him.
— Tell us more about the inaccuracies in the presentation of Orthodox teaching in the books of Sergei Maslennikov.
- CM. Maslennikov often undertakes to assert something with great confidence when there is no and cannot be a direct answer (which is often the case in Orthodox theology). The author's idea of the passions and virtues consists of a mechanical and formal comparison of the sayings of the holy fathers, while the Holy Scriptures, liturgical texts and the works of the holy fathers require a long and organic understanding. Claims to the works of S.M. Maslennikov, as mentioned above, relate primarily to his system of views, which in some places leads the author to serious mistakes. Figuratively, we can say that from the phrase of St. Silouan of Athos “Keep your mind in hell and do not despair” S.M. Maslennikov left only the first part of it. In all his works, the author places special emphasis on how sinful and sinful man is, how unworthy he is of God’s love, how much he must repent, etc. A clear illustration of this approach, in my opinion, is compiled by S.M. Maslennikov and his everywhere propagated “Diary of a Penitent”. In this “Diary” sins are classified into “mortal”, “everyday” and “forgivable” (although, as is known, the difference between mortal and non-mortal sin is more than conditional), detailed in great detail and set out point by point. In particular, the author defines it as a sin even if someone woke up at night from hunger and took food; It is also considered a sin if parents praise their child.
I emphasize that “The Diary of a Penitent” is offered by the author to everyone, without exception, preparing for confession. It should be said that confession is a very living matter and only in the most general form lends itself to any kind of structuring. The general rule of how to confess can be said to be the words of St. Ambrose of Optina: “Do not hide anything, speak directly, do not round off,” and how and with what words this will be done is a matter of conscience, sensitivity and spiritual sobriety of the confessor and the confessor.
You asked about inaccuracies in the works of S.M. Maslennikova. I can say that sometimes his thoughts take on an even more tangible form. For example, the following excerpt from an audio recording of his lecture can be cited: “Who can say of himself that he is humble? This is a sign of vanity and hypocrisy! Question from the listener: “And if in prayer one encounters: “...a humble, sinful and unworthy servant...”?” Answer by S. M. Maslennikov: Omit this word! If it bothers you, let it out! The meaning of prayer is not distorted or distorted, but for us it becomes more understandable and accessible.” There is hardly any need for comment at this point. Of course, it is wrong if we do not adjust ourselves, corrupted by sin, to Church teaching, but try to adapt Church teaching to our understanding - even when this adaptation takes the most “pious” forms.
— I know that there are reviews from the clergy of the Valaam Monastery, Optina Monastery and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra about the books of Sergei Maslennikov. What points do they draw the attention of Orthodox believers to?
— Yes, indeed, the Publishing Council asked for the opinion of the inhabitants of the authoritative monasteries you named. In general, the confessors who sent their reviews were unanimous in their negative assessment of his works. In reviews, the monks expressed the opinion that “The Diary of a Penitent” (which was primarily discussed) is an attempt to structure a spiritual penitential life in unacceptable detail. “One gets the impression,” says one review, “that for him [the author] the answer to the Last Judgment is something like an audit of the financial statements. On the other hand, the detailing of the “levels” of the same sin brings to mind the formulations of the criminal code... Only thanks to some lexical turns, the publication of “The Diary of a Penitent” has something similar to Christianity. Otherwise, in its jurisprudence, it could well be compared with the Old Testament requirements.” It was also a common point in the reviews that such a “template” approach would make the living and grace-filled development of personality in repentance impossible. An attempt to love God without asceticism and repentance will degenerate into a kind of spiritual hedonism, and asceticism for the sake of asceticism and repentance for the sake of repentance will degenerate into dark sectarianism. A grace-filled life in the Church of Christ, correct spiritual guidance, reading Scripture and the fathers will educate—cannot fail to educate—a correct view of spiritual life, so long as we are able to listen to the Lord God, Who will certainly answer the questioner, reveal to the interpreter, and find those who seek Him.
— There is also video content of Sergei Maslennikov’s speeches on the Internet—isn’t it worth watching and listening to?
— Everything that has been said about the books of S.M. Maslennikov can also be attributed to his performances. His repeated appeals - not only to the decisions of the Publishing Council, but also to the reviews of the inhabitants of the monasteries - showed that he was rooted in his opinion and was not going to change it. I do not rule out that for someone at some stage of spiritual life the works of S.M. Maslennikov were helpful. However, if you look at his work as a whole, they are hardly worth recommending.
— What to do with books that are already sold in church shops? Will they be withdrawn from sale?
— Of course, it will be necessary to stop the distribution of S.M.’s works. Maslennikov through the church book network.
— Is the reaction of the publishing houses that publish Sergei Maslennikov’s books known? Were they understanding?
— The decision to recall the vultures from the works of S.M. Maslennikov was adopted recently, and the reaction of the publishing houses that publish it is not yet known to me. I really hope for understanding on the part of publishers and distributors, since concern for the souls of people is the main thing that we must keep in mind in such cases.
According to the prophecies of the holy fathers, the salvation of Christians in the last times will be associated with great sorrows. The Church will become depleted of wise mentors. However, by the grace of God, salvation is possible at any time. The Holy Fathers bequeathed their spiritual heritage to Christians of all subsequent centuries, so that by studying it, man would learn to understand the will of God and explain His holy Providence.
The author of the conversations that we want to offer studied true repentance from the works of Ignatius Brianchaninov, a wise teacher of prayer and repentance. Today you have the opportunity to buy a series of conversations by Sergei Maslennikov about the path to salvation in an mp3 collection with a total playing time of 180 hours. Respectfully treating the spiritual treasury of the saint’s teachings and trying to convey his thoughts to the listener as much as possible, the author only adds examples from life.
The conversations of the teacher of the School of Repentance touch on all the main issues of the life of a Christian. They are presented in a logical sequence that should lead a person to repentance. The starting point on this path is poverty of spirit and contrition of heart. How to induce such a state of heart and mind? Does fasting help with this? Listeners will learn three simple and effective rules that will make the post correct. Which prayer causes contrition of the heart, and which one offends God? How to learn to pray with your heart so as not to turn the most important thing in life into a harmful habit?
The author of the series of conversations, The School of Repentance, invites the listener to understand how alive his faith is. What and who motivates his actions? Can Satan control a person’s life while instilling plausible thoughts?
The believer’s mood depends on whether the path has been chosen correctly: will there be joyful sadness in his soul for God or will he be overcome by the sorrows of this world? How to achieve the first and avoid the second?
How long is the path from contrition of the heart to correction of the mind - the most important stage of repentance? This state is achieved by assimilation and correct acceptance of the concepts set forth in the Gospel and interpreted by the holy fathers in their works. The author repeatedly emphasizes how dangerous it is to be guided by your own opinion, knowledge, and experience if they do not agree with Church Tradition.
Repentance only has power when its fruits are visible. How is a person who has achieved worthy repentance different from others? Does all bearing of the cross lead to salvation and what is imaginary righteousness? How to escape your will and learn to trust God? After all, as the holy fathers teach, self-will is obedience to Satan, who acts in a person through his passions. From the conversations, the listener learns about the seven main rules that determine the will of God. Their importance for a modern person is that, without being able to turn to an elder for advice, with their help one can determine how correctly the life vector has been chosen. In addition to conversations in mp3 format, the reader can buy books by Sergei Maslennikov, of which eight have been published to date.
Repentance is not a tick in a life diary, not another stage in achieving a certain goal. This is an ongoing activity. Once you have taken the path of repentance, it is dangerous to leave it. The enemy places traps along this path, the purpose of which is to lead a person to false repentance, false tears and false joy. The author will try to help the listener learn to recognize the devil's tricks.
The conversations offered today have stood the test of time. Today they are especially relevant. This is the sixth reissue. 15 discs make up 180 hours of sound.
Having discovered something very important, interesting and hitherto unknown, an ordinary layman Sergei Maslennikov was baptized in 1994 and completely immersed himself in the study of the spiritual heritage of Christians. Almost abandoning all his worldly affairs, he spent three years studying the works and various interpretations of the Holy Scriptures of the holy fathers of the church. Then Sergei Mikhailovich Maslennikov began his vigorous creative writing activity, which was very well supported and “promoted.” Many are still perplexed how he did it.
Maslennikov Sergei Mikhailovich: biography
On the writer’s personal website you can read his full biography, but we will focus on the key points, since we are limited to the scope of a short article. So, he was born in the town of Tchaikovsky, Perm Region, on July 26, 1961, graduated from high school (in 1978) with a gold medal, then entered and graduated from the Ural Electromechanical Institute in 1983.
In 1982, Sergei Maslennikov decided to get married. His biography indicates that two children were born in the marriage. Then he worked from 1983 to 1986 as an electromechanic and site manager at the Tobolsk signaling and communications distance. Then, in 1986, he lived in Sverdlovsk (today’s Yekaterinburg) and until 1994 he worked at a fish gastronomy plant - first as the head of the electrical shop, then as chairman of the trade union committee, and then as deputy director for trade and etc. O. director.
Novice
In 1999, he became a novice of one of the monasteries in Yekaterinburg, and he was asked to head the Sales Department in the Yekaterinburg diocese. All this time, Sergei Mikhailovich Maslennikov continued to study the works of the holy fathers and at the same time conducted “Moral Lessons” for Ekaterinburg schoolchildren.
Since 2002, he began working as an altar server, singer and reader in the parish of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the city of Yekaterinburg. And at the same time he led catechumens and Sunday school for adults. To do this, he studied the works of St. even more scrupulously. Ignatius Brianchaninov. Over five years - from 2003 to 2008 - he taught about 200 hours of lessons from the “School of Repentance” series.
Achievements
Since 2005, Sergei Maslennikov was listed as the newly created rector of the “School of Repentance” parish, for which he specially developed a training program and even trained teachers.
Since 2010, he began to work on compiling the works “Christian Virtues” and “Passion - Diseases of the Soul,” which amounted to 8 books with a circulation of 300,000 copies. Conducted lectures on “Asceticism for the Laity.”
At the beginning of 2015, for the book “Reconciliation with Christ,” Sergei Maslennikov became a laureate of the All-Russian Literary Prize and was awarded the St. blgv. Prince Alexander Nevsky.
Ban on book distribution
And now we come to the most interesting thing: in 2015, the publishing council of the Russian Orthodox Church revoked the stamp and banned the books of Sergei Maslennikov. The situation was commented on by the acting head of the Secretariat of Scientific and Theological Review and Expert Evaluation Oleg Vasilyevich Kostishak.
According to him, the review of the works of S. M. Maslennikov actually took place for several years, and some of his works were given a church stamp. But the further into the forest, as people say, the more firewood there is. After reading his latest works, the writer was given specific comments, which he ignored. These works of his were called unhelpful for Christians, and even dangerous for people not mature in spiritual life (according to O. V. Kostishak). Priest Georgy Shinkarenko commented on the current situation: “Having heard references to the authority of the holy fathers, many may think that this is an interpretation of their teaching. But in fact, the teaching of the Orthodox Church is presented through Maslennikov’s personal spiritual experiences. And, unfortunately, the result is a distortion of understanding way of salvation." According to the priest, this state of affairs was led not only by his individual erroneous opinions or inaccuracies, but by this man’s generally incorrect system of views on the entire Christian life.
Errors
Sergei Maslennikov does not have a theological education and is not a clergyman, and the path of his spiritual knowledge is quite doubtful. All his mistakes occur mainly not due to malicious intent, but more from spiritual illiteracy, since he tries to explain those moments from Scripture that are not at all so easy to explain. The spiritual practice recommended by the writer, according to researchers, is unhealthy and can lead a person into a difficult spiritual impasse. The author constantly refers to the words of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, although when interpreting his works he makes gross and sometimes unacceptable mistakes.
Maslennikov’s ideas about passions and virtues were formed from a mechanical and formal comparison of the sayings of the holy fathers, but at the same time, the Holy Scriptures, the works of the holy fathers and liturgical texts require a long organic understanding. A clear example is his often promoted “Diary of a Penitent,” where he deliberately classifies sins. “I don’t know how an experienced confessor can allow you to fill out such a diary, with sins that are disgusting to read, much less list them out loud later? Total control over the state of the soul by a person who is also not a priest cannot end in anything good!” notes Shinkarenko.
Dear fathers, brothers and sisters! During the days of Holy Great Lent, we are pleased to begin publishing the valuable author’s works of S. M. Maslennikov “School of Repentance. On the path to salvation" and "Asceticism for the laity." From listener feedback: “What I heard in Sunday school made an amazing impression on me. I've been looking for this for so long! What the teacher said spread like a balm through my soul, I couldn’t believe what I heard, everything was so close to me, so necessary, I looked around, saw ordinary women around, probably not understanding their happiness.”
about the author
Sergei Mikhailovich Maslennikov is the author of a series of conversations “On the Path to Salvation”, as well as a series of books “Passion - Diseases of the Soul” and “Christian Virtues”.
Sergei Mikhailovich was born on July 26, 1961 in the city of Tchaikovsky, Perm Region. In 1978 he graduated from high school with a gold medal. In 1983 he graduated from the electrical engineering department of the Ural Electro-Mechanical Institute of Railway Transport Engineers. He has been married since 1982 and has two children.
From 1983 to 1986, he worked in his specialty at the Tobolsk signaling and communications department as an electrician, senior electrician and section manager. In 1986 he returned to Yekaterinburg (then Sverdlovsk) and until 1994 he worked at a fish gastronomy plant as head of the electrical department, chairman of the trade union committee, deputy director for trade, and acting director.
In 1994 he received Baptism. At this time, he developed an interest in studying spiritual literature, and in 1996, leaving all worldly affairs at once, he devoted almost three years to studying the works of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and the interpretations of the Holy Fathers on the Holy Scriptures. In 1999, he worked for some time in one of the monasteries in Yekaterinburg. In the same year, he was offered to head the Sales Department of the Yekaterinburg diocese. Continuing to study the works of the holy fathers, Sergei Mikhailovich simultaneously conducted “Moral Lessons” for students from 1st to 11th grade at secondary school No. 129 in Yekaterinburg.
Since 2002, he worked in the church in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Seven Keys in Yekaterinburg, where he served as an altar boy, reader and singer. At the same time, he conducted catechumens and Sunday school for adults. The latter required a repeated, more scrupulous and thorough reading and study of the works of St. Ignatius. During this period (2003 – 2008), about 200 hours of audio lectures in the “School of Repentance” series appeared.
Since 2005, he was appointed teacher and then senior teacher of the School of Repentance created by the rector of the parish with the blessing of the ruling bishop. While occupying this position, he collected and processed the School’s educational materials, developed the program, worked with students (parishioners), and trained teachers. Thanks to the School, the parish almost quadrupled in a short time, and the number of communicants on Sundays is about 300 people.
Since 2010, he began working on compiling books in the series “Passion - Diseases of the Soul” and “Christian Virtues” (a total of 8 books with a total circulation of about 300,000 copies) and conducting lectures “Asceticism for the laity.”
In January 2015 for his book « Reconciliation with Christ » awarded the title of laureate of the All-Russian Literary Prize in honor of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky in the category “Theology for the People” and was awarded the medal of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky.
About the award ceremony.
I first met Sergei Mikhailovich Maslennikov about 10 years ago in the church in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in Yekaterinburg, he then helped the priest at the altar services; After the service, he came out of the altar, people surrounded him, and he answered questions. This picture can probably be seen in many temples. Somehow I was immediately impressed by the expression on his face, somehow especially calm, deeply attentive. I then thought that it was probably the priest.
Then I went to Sunday school for the first time, these are exactly the conversations that you can now hear on discs called “School of Repentance: On the Path to Salvation.” What I heard in Sunday school made an amazing impression on me. I've been looking for this for so long! What the teacher said spread like a balm through my soul, I couldn’t believe what I heard, everything was so close to me, so necessary, I looked around, saw ordinary women around me, probably not understanding their happiness. Sometimes I wondered why they needed all this, it was about asceticism, I then mistakenly thought that this was the lot of some chosen people. My soul triumphed over what I heard: the man spoke the truth, and my soul responded to these words with triumph! My soul was tormented, it needed the true word and now it has found it.
Sergei Mikhailovich’s path to the temple passed by my house, and I, waiting for him on this path, accompanied him to the temple; Of course, our conversation often lasted half an hour or more. Then during the day I came to the temple and spent some more time talking with him, the communication did not end there, I met him from work, accompanied him home, and we talked until he had the strength. My soul was richly nourished by the conversations of this spiritual man. I was lucky, at that time none of the parishioners particularly needed Sergei Mikhailovich, which sincerely surprised me, but I made good use of it. Later, when the School of Repentance was formed, it became much more difficult to get through to him. We talked with him about a very important topic - about how to live by faith, about how to learn this Heavenly, Divine science - Orthodoxy. He always had time for me. In general, all the people who communicate with him have the impression that you are special to him and that you have some kind of special relationship with him. I never saw him irritable or in a bad mood. He is always in some special mood, probably this is the state of a praying person. For me, Sergei Mikhailovich is an example of special selflessness and humility; Probably, only such unearthly qualities can attract Christians, the understanding that they have something special, attractive, unearthly, as if a special, eternal life flows from a powerful inner source.
Brothers and sisters, I assure you and hope for your Christian understanding that in no case do I want to make or present Sergei Mikhailovich as a saint or a miracle worker, or anything else like that. I've never seen anything like it! I think that this is alien to true humility. Sergei Mikhailovich considers himself a disciple of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov); He himself says about this that he was brought up on the works of this great saint of our time, from his creations he received everything necessary for his spiritual experiences. I think that some of his inherited qualities also play a significant role here: many people read St. Ignatius, but as if missing the most important thing or reaping a fruit that was not as abundant as Sergei Mikhailovich reaped. This is truly a student! Let us listen to his conversations and he who truly has a thirst will quench it.
It is also worth adding, I think, an important detail - Sergei Mikhailovich almost did not prepare for the conversations, he simply did not have time. I planned a topic that needed to be considered for the benefit of those listening, and with God’s help, I conducted an hour and a half conversation. Therefore, one can probably judge a person’s spiritual state, understanding that such a thing cannot be accomplished without God’s help. Sergei Mikhailovich does not consider conversations “his own”, he considers them the property of Christians. In recent years, I have had numerous meetings with different people who, from their conversations, experienced feelings similar to mine.
Brothers and sisters, it was not at all easy for me to write these lines, I did it for the first time, I read my brother’s question above and decided to tell my impression of meeting this person. Maybe someone will tell about it in a completely different way. The most important thing, perhaps, is that I did it sincerely. Of course, I am very grateful to God for bringing me together with this man. Many thanks to Sergei Mikhailovich for his long-suffering towards me, for those countless spiritual advice that helped and still help me to carry out my earthly path with the hope that it will happen successfully for me. Amen.
Vladimir, parishioner of the temple
in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Without a doubt, we are sure that many visitors to our site are already familiar with the soulful works of Sergei Mikhailovich. For those who, for one reason or another, have not yet turned their attention and ears to them, we invite you to join us and carefully listen and comprehend some of them.
So, today we invite you to familiarize yourself with a series of lectures by Sergei Mikhailovich Maslennikov under the general title “Asceticism for the Lay,” may your heart not be confused by such a strict name.
Asceticism for the laity. Part 1.
Asceticism for the laity. Part 2.
Asceticism for the laity. Part 3. Asceticism for the laity. Part 4.
DSNMP: A little hint: since some videos are quite long in time and it is not always possible to watch them at one time, you can use a program, for example FormatFactory, to convert the video file into MP3 audio format, which, in turn, using a program, for example, MP3cut, cut into several short files, say 15-20 minutes each. Then burn it all onto a CD or USB drive and listen to it on your player at home or in your chariot (car).
