First candidate of theology. Certificate from Philaret. Theology should be on the list of scientific specialties

Assignment procedure

In Russia, the academic degree of Candidate of Sciences is awarded by the dissertation council based on the results of defending a candidate's dissertation. Then the Higher Attestation Commission of Russia decides to issue a candidate of sciences diploma.

Scientific branches

Depending on the specialty in which the candidate's dissertation is defended, the applicant is awarded one of the following academic degrees:

Candidate of Architectural Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Biological Sciences (Ph.D.)
Candidate of Veterinary Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Military Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Geographical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Art History (Ph.D.)
Candidate of Historical Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Cultural Studies
Candidate of Medical Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Candidate of Political Sciences (Ph.D.)

Candidate of Psychological Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Agricultural Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Sociological Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Technical Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Candidate of Philological Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Philosophical Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Chemical Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Economic Sciences (PhD)
Candidate of Legal Sciences (Ph.D. in Law)

Previously, there was also a PhD in Naval Science degree. For some time (around the 1940s), the academic degree of candidate of art history was called candidate of art history.

Many specialties allow applicants to be awarded an academic degree in several branches of science, depending on the predominant subject area of a particular dissertation. For example, in specialty 02.00.04 (physical chemistry), the degree of candidate of physical and mathematical or technical or chemical sciences can be awarded. At the same time, however, the principle of “one dissertation - one branch of science” is observed, regardless of the number of specialties of the dissertation and branches of science of the specialty. Also, a specific dissertation council may be limited in the range of degrees awarded depending on the industry.

Notes

Sources

Regulatory documents on the website of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia

Qualifications in education and science
University graduates	Bachelor Specialist Master Licentiate
Academic degrees	PhD Doctor of Science Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Academic titles	Associate Professor Professor
Academic titles	Corresponding Member Academician

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See what “Candidate of Philological Sciences” is in other dictionaries:

Diploma of Candidate of Sciences Candidate of Sciences is an academic degree of the first stage (up to Doctor of Sciences) in the USSR, the Russian Federation and a number of CIS countries. In Russian universities, a candidate's degree is one of the sufficient conditions for participation in the competition for the position... ... Wikipedia

Books

Russian rituals and superstitions, I. Pankeev. Candidate of Philological Sciences I. A. Pankeev, whom millions of readers know as the host of the television “Book Shop,” collected in this book the information necessary for everyone throughout the entire…

"Candidate of Sciences" is an academic degree. It has existed in Russia and the CIS countries since the times of the Soviet Union - since 1934. This is an intermediate step on the scientific path from Master to Doctor of Science and is awarded to an applicant who:

has higher education;
passed all candidate exams;
carried out a number of studies on his topic;
presented and proved the novelty and practical value of scientific ideas;
passed the procedure in accordance with the requirements established by law.

The Russian academic degree “Candidate of Sciences” is an analogue of the Western PhD (read as pi-eych-di). PhD - Doctor of Philosophy. However, in essence it is not identical to the degree in Russia. The latter assumes an even higher level of results

The degree "PhD" is differentiated depending on the specialty in which the applicant can defend his work. In Russia there are 23 branches for awarding such titles. For example: candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, candidate of philological sciences. But there are a lot of specialties. You can be a candidate in legal, veterinary, biological, military, geological-mineralogical, geographical, historical, pedagogical, political, medical, psychological, sociological, technical, pharmaceutical, philosophical, agricultural, chemical, economic sciences. In addition, there is such a title as candidate of architecture, art history, cultural studies.

The degree "Candidate of Philosophy" should not be confused with the Western interpretation mentioned above - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Walking along the scientific path, the applicant must understand the goal for which he is ready to go through many difficult stages to obtain a “PhD” degree. It is worth understanding that this title is not a guarantee of great material benefits in the future. At least the return won't be quick. At first, this is an increase of about 10-15% of the salary. It is appropriate and truly significant for further study at a university, participation in a competition for the scientific title of associate professor or professor, or work at the department.

Writing a dissertation is a complex, painstaking, multi-stage process. First of all, it is necessary to create a new, original intellectual product - the result of scientific activity. Next, you should organize the protection process. It usually involves many people: a supervisor, opponents, experts, reviewers, editors, consultants, etc. It is important to note that having decided to engage in science, you need to be prepared to some extent for material investments. We are in no way talking about purchasing and not independently performing specific stages of work.

However, often conducting real large-scale research that would be truly beneficial and have practical significance requires certain resources. For example, conducting experiments, experiments, by their very methodology, can be expensive.

It's no secret that organizational issues related to the defense itself, especially in the final period, may also require some financial investments. However, everything here is very individual, depending on the established traditions of the university, the council, and circumstances.

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky. Photo: Orthodox St. Tikhon's University/Alexander Filippov

Russian science has reached another milestone. The first candidate of theological sciences appeared in the country. He became Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky, dean of the theological faculty of the Orthodox St. Tikhon University, RIA Novosti reports. The specialist prepared a dissertation on the topic “Solving the problems of Russian theology of the 18th century in the synthesis of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow.” It is interesting that the dissertation candidate stated, among other things, his “experience of faith and life as a theologian,” that is, personal insights and revelations, as a source of scientific knowledge.

The defense took place at the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius. 21 of the 22 present members of the Joint Dissertation Council in Theology voted for the award of an academic degree. The dissertation council is headed by a scientist from the Moscow Patriarchate - Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.

RIA Novosti notes that the dissertation abstract received four positive and five negative reviews. According to critics, the author's scientific method is “based on the personal experience of faith and the life of a theologian,” which is not acceptable.

For example, the head of the laboratory for the Study of Information Processes at the Cellular and Molecular Levels at the Institute of Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences Yuri Panchin wrote the following in his review:

The applicant states that the “scientific-theological method” used is constituted by: 1) a specific (unique) subject and source of theological knowledge; 2) the personal experience of faith and life of the theologian implied by them; 3) a set of rational operations characteristic of all humanities”…. We believe that this approach contradicts the norms of scientific research, including those adopted by the system of state certification of scientific workers of the Higher Attestation Commission (HAC). The main thing we teach undergraduates and graduate students in our research laboratories is not to accept on faith any untested, unverifiable, or unfounded assumptions. And we also teach that in science there are no absolute authorities and data obtained through insight and revelation... It is important for us that the use of a theologian’s “personal experience of faith and life” discriminates against researchers and specialists conducting scientific examination in state institutions and commissions, who do not have the required experience of faith...
Is my “personal experience of believing” in Santa Claus as a child sufficient to meet this requirement?

(according to the text broadcast, during the reading of this review, at the words “Santa Claus,” those present began to look at each other indignantly)

He was joined by fellow philosopher, Doctor of Philosophy Valery Savrey from Moscow State University: “Negative reviews do not carry any value. Only reviews from those who specialize in the areas of knowledge being analyzed can have scientific value. There are five signs of a true expert, and biologist critics do not live up to them,” he said.

Defense of a candidate's thesis in theology within the walls of the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral School named after Cyril and Methodius in the center of Moscow, June 1, 2017. Photo: Pavel Kotlyar/Gazeta.Ru

The defense of Khodzinsky's Ph.D. thesis aroused unusually great public interest. About 70 people were present in the hall - representatives of the church, the scientific community and the media. There was a security guard at the entrance to the hall. The scientist himself was not very ready for such attention: “You know, I now think that I will never participate in such an event again. It costs a lot of blood,” said Pavel Khondzinsky. However, he expressed hope that in the near future other theologian-scientists who “in Soviet times wrote on the table, thinking that perestroika would come and so much could be published, would be able to defend their dissertations, but this did not happen.” Now they have this opportunity.

In October 2015, the Presidium of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Education and Science approved a passport for the scientific specialty “theology”. The fundamental difference between theology and religious studies is that a theologian studies religion not from the outside, but from the inside - therefore it is a completely special scientific discipline. An atheist cannot be a candidate of science in theology, just as a person who has never listened to music cannot be a musicologist (Khondzinsky’s argumentation).

In 2016, dissertation and expert councils were created and the defense of works on theology became possible. The first dissertation council was created on the basis of Moscow State University, RANEPA, the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies and the Orthodox St. Tikhon's University for the Humanities.

Now representatives of the Muslim community are expressing complaints, because defense of the works is possible only according to Orthodox theology.

Until recently, it was impossible to become a doctor of theological (or theological) sciences in Russia. Of course, academic degrees were awarded by dissertation scientists by the councils of theological academies and universities of the Russian Orthodox Church, but they had no legal force on the territory of the Russian Federation.

However, in September last year, by decision of the Higher Attestation Commission (HAC) of Russia, theology became a new scientific specialty, receiving the code “26.00.01”. And on May 30, the first joint council for the defense of dissertations for the academic degree of candidate and doctor of science in the specialty “theology” was created in the Ministry of Education and Science. And now, within an absolutely legal framework, you can defend your scientific work on theology and receive a scientific degree of candidate or doctor.

An expert council on theology is currently being formed within the Higher Attestation Commission. And earlier, an agreement on the creation of a joint dissertation council in theology was signed by the rectors of RANEPA, Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after Saints Cyril and Methodius (OCAD) and the Orthodox St. Tikhon's Humanitarian University (PSTGU).

In Russia, about 50 state and non-state universities are accredited in the specialty “theology”. This year, about 200 students will graduate at the bachelor's level and about the same number of master's degrees. It is still unclear how many of them will choose graduate school. But the dissertation council in theology is ready to accept scientific papers.

The council has the authority to accept works for defense, review them and make recommendations, the council explained to Izvestia.

Debates about whether theology is a science or not have been going on since 1991, when the government first included theology in the list of scientific specialties and then excluded it.

“I express my personal opinion as a Doctor of Philosophy and an academician of the Academy of Education,” says Oleg Smolin, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Education. - From my point of view, there is no and cannot be secular theology as a science. Science can be religious studies and other disciplines that study religion. I fully understand, for example, that St. Tikhon’s University successfully brings the word of God to the masses with the help of modern technologies. But I don’t understand at all when a theology department opens at a nuclear university. Lomonosov repeated the idea of dual truth back in the 18th century. Its meaning is extremely simple: theologians have nothing to do in science, and scientists should not engage in theology. Everyone must do their job.

Meanwhile, the emergence of a dissertation council in theology will make life easier for scientists whose work did not fit into the framework of philosophy or the history of religion.

I am deputy chairman of the dissertation council on philosophy of religion and religious studies at RANEPA. Religious studies in Russia are classified as philosophical sciences, as well as historical ones, says the religious scholar, professor of the department of national and federal relations at the Institute of Civil Service and Management of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, head of the Interuniversity Department of Religious Studies, Ethnocultural Studies and Problems of Eurasian Integration of the Moscow Orthodox Institute of St. John the Theologian Russian Orthodox University William Schmidt. - And due to the specifics of our council, we have traditionally accepted work that was at the intersection of sciences. For example, cultural studies, sociology, political science, law. Sometimes they were difficult to qualify as philosophical works because the religious discourse indicated that this was the subject area of theology. But there was no theology, so candidate and doctoral theses were returned for revision. And some rejected it altogether.

Schmidt encountered this situation personally when, in 2000 at Moscow State University, and then in 2007 at the Russian Academy of Civil Art, he defended his thesis and doctoral dissertation on the legacy of Patriarch Nikon.

Some doctors of science made claims against it - they believed that the theological component was strengthened in the work. And they said: “Why should we defend it in philosophical sciences, even if the subject area is religious studies?” recalls Schmidt.

As experts in the field of theology and religious studies emphasize, we are talking not only about Christian theology, but also Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, etc.

There is no just theology - theology is always specific and corresponds to one or another religious tradition, explains Schmidt.

According to experts, the level of theologians in Russia is now extremely low, since criteria have not yet been formed.

Oleg Smolin believes that clergy may well receive an academic degree. But not theologically.

It seems to me that if a clergyman wants to have a secular academic degree, he can defend himself, for example, in church history. Or on some other topics, but within the framework of secular sciences, and not in theology, says the deputy. - Because if, say, an atheist, a religious figure and an agnostic come together during the defense of a dissertation, then, most likely, Kant’s formula will triumph. And it sounds something like this: there are three main proofs of the existence of God, but none of them is scientifically proof. Therefore, to each his own.

However, William Schmidt is convinced that this is not entirely correct, since theologian and religious scholar are different scientific specialties. Today the question of giving theology the status of a scientific branch is being discussed.

Yes, these sciences have different objects of study. Religious studies does not study the problems of God. And theology does just that. The ultimate object of theology is God and his manifestations in the world. And religious studies deals with religion as a social phenomenon, a phenomenon,” says Schmidt. - But to non-specialists it seems that this is one and the same thing.

Currently, a total of just over 50 people are studying in graduate schools of religious universities with a degree in theology. And now each of them has the opportunity to become a candidate of science.

In theology, after a long struggle, included in the list of scientific disciplines in Russia, the first candidate's dissertation "Resolution of the problems of Russian theology of the 18th century in the synthesis of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow" was defended. The RG correspondent met with the first candidate of science in theology, dean of the Theological Faculty of the Orthodox St. Tikhon University and graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky.

Secular public opinion is still almost certain that science and religion are mutually exclusive. Did you have to go through resistance during your PhD?

Yes, there was resistance, but not on the substance of the text. Negative reviews of the dissertation were written by... biologists. But they found themselves “off topic,” and when they tried to say something about the content of the dissertation, they failed.

Basically, the controversy was caused by the question “Can theology be considered a science?” After all, in order to be a theologian - and I write about this both in my dissertation and in my abstract - you need personal experience of faith. Apart from this necessary premise, theology as a science is not really very different from any other human science. And the very attitude towards a personal attitude towards the subject being studied is not alien to other sciences, especially those related to the field of art. After all, no matter what art we talk about, it cannot but be experienced emotionally. This means that any study of art, any assessment of whether this or that painting or sonata is beautiful or unsuccessful, also presupposes some kind of personal (emotional) experience. It's the same in theology. The only difference is that we are not talking about an aesthetic, but about a spiritual experience.

But a philologist is not obliged to write poetry. Meanwhile, the theologian must believe.

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: Yes, a philologist may not write poetry, but he must love words - after all, philology is “love of words.” Because if he doesn't love poetry, he won't understand anything about his subject. Just like a person without hearing will not be able to study musicology. I, too, “don’t write poetry,” that is, I don’t pretend to be on a par with the great theologians, but I study the texts they created. A theologian is also engaged in analysis, history, and systematization of texts, like other humanists. First of all, of course, the texts of the holy fathers, but not only them.

The theologian needs personal experience of faith. Apart from this essential premise, theology is not very different from any other human science.

Let's return to the "attack of biologists" on your dissertation, was it inspired?

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: There was a “preliminary agreement.” It’s not like people who don’t know each other accidentally read the dissertation, and suddenly the same thing occurred to them. I know that a mailing was sent in which everyone was called upon to “come out to fight pseudoscience” and, by bombarding the dissertation with negative reviews, disrupt the defense. They warned: it doesn’t matter what to write, the main thing is that the review is negative; there's nothing to be ashamed of...

And what happened?

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: Five reviews have been received. They were read out for an hour and a half. But there was a lot of confusion in their content. One of the authors of the review, for example, blamed me for not paying attention to the negative attitude towards St. Philaret, who was supposedly popularly called Filka, and the manifesto he composed on the liberation of the peasants was “Filka’s letter.” But the expression “Filka’s letter” appeared in the 16th century, as Ivan the Terrible, acting like a fool, called the letters of Metropolitan Philip (Kolychev). And no one among the people knew that the manifesto on the liberation of the peasants was written by Saint Philaret (Drozdov), since the manifesto was signed in the name of the sovereign. So some kind of joke came out...

In a church environment, when someone says about himself, “I am a theologian,” he is usually asked with irony, “Fourth?” Because three holy fathers are considered real theologians - Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. Well, everyone else is treated with skepticism.

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: Absolutely right, which is why I emphasize that I was awarded the degree of candidate of theology. And although theology literally means theology, I differentiate these concepts a little. Theology is, after all, what we also call the Tradition of the Church. These are, first of all, the texts of the Holy Scriptures, the works of the holy fathers, the decrees of ecumenical councils, etc. All this can be called the “big” theology of the church. And scientific theology - theology - is a kind of “small” theology that studies, codifies, systematizes the “big”.

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: The question “Theology is a science?” caused controversy. Photo: Sergey Pronin / PSTBI

How do you look at the origins of the world and combine scientific hypotheses about it with the church view?

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: There are two fundamentally different views on this issue. The world was created by God - out of nothing. Or - the world has always existed and will always exist on its own. It is clear that from a Christian point of view there is no alternative to the first point of view, but non-Christians can, of course, choose the second for themselves. It is important to emphasize that neither one nor the other can be either confirmed or refuted scientifically. Scientific hypotheses are nothing more than hypotheses, they change all the time, so, it seems to me, it is simply incorrect to raise the question of reconciling the truths of Revelation with a hypothesis. The great physicist Niels Bohr noted that with the help of a sufficiently detailed hypothesis, everything can be explained (at the same time, it will not necessarily correspond to the truth). Of course, every person has the right not to believe that Revelation is Revelation, but to believe in hypotheses - well, according to the old German saying, everyone dies on his own. In addition, the biblical account of the creation of the world is not a scientific treatise, and it is at least strange to make corresponding demands on it.

In questions about the origin of man and the origin of language, which theories does theology give preference to?

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: The point of view of Revelation is that man is not a simple derivative of previous forms of animal life. When he appeared, a special Divine act took place. One of the consequences of this act was the gift of speech, which Saint Philaret considered almost the most important component of the image of God in man.

Many insist: science is an experiment with a repeatable result. Are there such repeatable results in theology?

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: Well, everyone, for example, knows that Mozart is a brilliant composer. And this is a repeatable result for everyone who listens to his music. But to a person who suddenly doesn’t like Mozart, we cannot prove with any experiments and their results that Mozart is a brilliant composer.

Science is impossible without discovery? What is the novelty and discovery of your scientific work?

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: Its novelty lies in the fact that, based on the theological heritage of St. Philaret (Drozdov), I propose a different concept of the development and significance of the Russian theological tradition, which, it seems to me, is important for today. The fact is that people are accustomed to looking at the so-called “synodal period” (XVIII - early XX centuries) with skepticism, however, it deserves attention if only because it was at this time that the Russian Church entered the situation of “new times” ", in the "era of modernity", which posed very difficult questions, some of which are still facing us today. It is clear that this situation was transmitted to us from Europe, and Western theology was also looking for answers to the same questions, but doctrinal and mental differences with the West did not allow Russian theology to simply use ready-made “recipes.” And the significance of Russian theologians of the Synodal era lies in the fact that they were able to find their own solution to these problems common to the entire Christian world. In general, these problems can probably be reduced to two: how is the sacred presence of the Church possible in the secular world; how is it possible to combine personal Christianity with the fulfillment of the duties of a citizen in a secular society where there are no forms of everyday Christian life. That is, how to remain a Christian in a non-Christian world without leaving the world. Saint Philaret was one of those who gave answers to these questions of the time, and he himself was great precisely because he managed to preserve a deep inner spiritual life in the secular bustle that surrounded him. He succeeded in this, among other things, because he looked at every task entrusted to him as his obedience to Christ. Why not an example for us?

How did your defense go?

Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky: Ultimately, everything was resolved successfully. The dissertation council spoke in my favor: out of 22 votes, 21 votes were cast in favor.

The Joint Dissertation Council for the new scientific specialty “theology” began to consider the dissertation for the degree of candidate of philosophical sciences of Pavel Khondzinsky on March 3, 2017. His work became the first work on theology in Russia admitted for defense by the state dissertation council. A week before the defense of the dissertation, a heated discussion erupted on social networks, not about the topic of the dissertation, but about the fact that a candidate of science degree can be awarded in the specialty “theology.” The defense of the dissertation took place on June 1, 2017 at the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral School named after Saints Cyril and Methodius in Moscow.

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In January 2015, the Higher Attestation Commission approved theology as a scientific discipline. Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Philosophical Sciences at the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies named after the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius. His supervisor was Nikolai Pavlyuchenkov, Candidate of Philosophy, Associate Professor of the Department of Religious Studies at the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University. The official opponents were Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of the Department of Philosophical Anthropology and Public Communications of the Institute of Human Philosophy of the Russian State Pedagogical University. A. I. Herzen Alexander Korolkov and Candidate of Philosophy, Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science, Sociology and Philosophy of the Bashkir Academy of Public Administration and Management Artem Solovyov.