Nestled within the vast pages of Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov lies an artful story within a story. Set in late 15th or early 16th century Seville, Spain, it narrates Jesus's return to Earth, clashing not with a Roman governor, but with an aged Cardinal of the Roman Church, The Grand Inquisitor, who orders his arrest.
Jesus, imprisoned, silently listens to the Grand Inquisitor, a figure who, while appearing as a benevolent guardian, chastises him. The Inquisitor questions Jesus's return, expressing that his miracles cause unrest, as people prefer the certainty and sustenance provided by the Church over the challenges of freedom and individual responsibility. He argues that the Church has replaced Jesus in guiding the people, offering structure instead of the burdens of liberty.
The climax is marked by Jesus's response - a compassionate kiss, prompting the Grand Inquisitor to release him with a warning never to return. “Go, and come no more . . . come not at all, never, never!” This encounter critiques institutional power and its authoritarian tendencies, portraying the Inquisitor's choice of authority over Jesus as a warning against centralized power.
The narrative layer reveals subtle insights into human nature, freedom and the tension between spiritual truth and worldly power. The Grand Inquisitor, a metaphor for a church more concerned with temporal power than spiritual guidance, reflects a shift from serving the ecclesiastical community to cherishing control and opulence.
This transformation mirrors a larger one within Western Civilization, which itself is contending with existential crises and ideological challenges. A left-leaning cabal of financiers and bureaucrats, perceived by some as Marxist, is seen as orchestrating a transformation toward an irreligious, autocratic global order, opposing traditional Western values.
Faced with the evil and brokenness of the world, leftism responds not by turning toward God, nor by first seeking to tame the evil of one’s own heart, but by seeking power. Call it critical theory, anticolonialism, or just old-fashioned Marxism — the promise of leftism is that power, properly redistributed from the oppressors and to the oppressed, can be used to remake the world.1
Leftism, viewed here as a distortion of religion, attempts to address world evils not through spirituality but through power redistribution, aiming to reshape the world. This perspective suggests that in the international context, the Cabal’s vision of a new global order faces competition from a non-Anglocentric rival, indicating the shift towards a multipolar world order. This emerging force challenges established paradigms, hinting at a multipolar Novus Ordo Seclorum - a ‘New Order of the Ages’ - beyond the traditional Western-centric perspective.
Holy Rus - Belarus, Ukraine and Russia
The dual concepts of ‘Holy Rus’ and Moscow as the ‘Third Rome’ are deeply ingrained in Russia's spiritual psyche and historical narrative. These intertwining notions serve as the metaphysical bedrock, blending Russian Orthodoxy with a robust sense of national identity.
This new national identity is foundational to a tableau that is crucial in comprehending Russia's perception of itself and its positioning within the intricate web of global geopolitics.
This tableau draws us into an introspective voyage, contrasting the archetypal mindsets of the Western and Eastern worlds, a journey that reveals the palpable architectural dichotomy between the soaring Gothic cathedrals of the West, with their sky-piercing spires in a relentless quest for the mystical divine, contrasted with the Eastern Byzantine basilicas, crowned with domes that embody the presence of the sacred here on Earth.
The Gothic architecture is emblematic of the Western ‘I’ - a symbol of the individual's introspective quest and subjective experiences. In contrast, the Byzantine dome reflects the Eastern ‘We’ - a shared experience of the divine, enlaced with communal reality and shared spirituality.
This essay delves into the theological underpinnings and historical evolution of ‘Holy Rus’ and the ‘Third Rome,’ examining their contemporary expressions, particularly through the lens of Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin's ideology.2 It further assesses the impact of these concepts on Russia's geopolitical maneuvers in Ukraine and the overarching Eurasian context.
We do not intend to romanticize Russia or to act as her apologist, but rather to apprehend her psyche and illuminate a metaphysical struggle in which she is implicated — a metastable yet profound confrontation between civilizations.
This struggle is characterized by a perception of Western Civilization as an empire in its twilight, juxtaposed against the dawning of a new Eurasianism, embodied in the concept of 'Holy Rus.' This emerging concept represents the reawakening of an ancient ethos into the modern world.
‘Holy Rus’ envisions the Russian nation and its people as custodians of Orthodox Christian tenets and moral values. This concept took root as Russia embraced Christianity from Byzantium in the 10th century, weaving a spiritual identity that has been continuously reinforced through pivotal historical milestones, including the Mongol invasions and the Byzantine Empire's eventual decline.
Throughout the centuries, Russian Orthodoxy has endowed Mother Russia with a sense of transcendent destiny and divine mission, deeply imbuing a spiritual imperative into her national consciousness. This legacy has not only shaped the nation's past but continues to influence both its present and future trajectories in the global arena.
The Third Roman Empire
The notion of Moscow as the ‘Third Rome’ emerged in the wake of the fall of Constantinople in 1453. This compelling concept posits Moscow as the heir apparent to the spiritual mantle of ancient Rome and Byzantium, envisioning it as the burgeoning epicenter of Orthodox Christianity. Here, Moscow is not merely a city but a symbol, a beacon assuming the role of safeguarding and leading the true Christian faith.
This idea, deeply embedded in Byzantine intellectual tradition, was cultivated and articulated by Russian monks and theologians. They envisioned Russia as the natural successor to Byzantium's rich spiritual heritage, a conviction that has profoundly influenced Russian self-awareness. The ‘Third Rome’ doctrine weaves through the tapis of Russian history, endowing it with a sense of divine destiny and a pivotal role in the religious narrative of the world.
In contemporary times, Dugin, a figure shrouded in controversy for his philosophical and political theories,3 has reinvigorated these ancient concepts, melding them seamlessly with his vision of Eurasianism. Likened to a ‘modern-day Rasputin’ due to his considerable sway over Russian politics, Dugin casts Russia in the role of the Katechon - a term drawn from Christian eschatology that refers to a restraining force holding back the Antichrist.4 There is, however, no consensus among Christian theologians regarding the identify of the restraining force.
Dugin's brand of Eurasianism champions the emergence of a Russocentric geopolitical sphere, directly challenging the ideals of Western liberalism. He positions Russia as a civilization upholding traditional values, a bastion against the tide of modern secularism. His philosophy lends an eschatological dimension to Eurasianism, spiritizing Russia's geopolitical endeavors with what he perceives as a divinely orchestrated purpose.
The Russian Orthodox Church's stance on the conflict in Eastern Ukraine illustrates the complex and sometimes fraught nexus between spiritual doctrine and geopolitical ambition. The Church's support of the conflict underscores the influence religious beliefs play in shaping Russia’s national strategy and foreign policy, reflecting the ongoing give-and-take between faith and power in the realm of international relations.
According to this view, after Rome in the Catholic-Orthodox schism lost the right to be considered the center of Christianity, that right was transferred to Constantinople. After Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, as Philotheus of Pskov wrote in 1511 — Moscow became the ‘Third Rome.’ In order to understand the main spiritual root of contemporary Russian aggression in the light of the idea of the ‘Holy Rus,’ it is necessary to understand that the Russian political [and religious] leadership does not see this war as a conflict with Ukraine, but with the entire West, symbolized by NATO.5
Along with Vladimir Putin and Aleksandr Dugin, Ivan Ilyin, a Russian philosopher, writer and political theorist, has significantly influenced the development of the ‘Holy Rus’ ideology, which views Russia as a unique spiritual and civilizational entity. His contributions were rooted in a mix of religious philosophy, nationalism and conservative thought.
Ilyin’s ideas have experienced a resurgence in contemporary Russia, particularly among Russian conservatives and nationalists. His vision of Russia as a unique spiritual and moral beacon has shaped modern interpretations of the ‘Holy Rus’ ideology.
The interweaving of ‘Holy Rus’, the concept of the ‘Third Rome’ plus contemporary Eurasianism, reflects Russia's ongoing struggle to reconcile its rich spiritual heritage with its geopolitical ambitions, highlighting the significant impact of religious and historical consciousness on current global affairs.
In referencing contemporary world events, we extend the scope of this essay beyond the Ukrainian-Russian conflict to encompass broader geopolitical tensions, including the Israeli-Hamas conflict and the eschatologically significant Gog-Magog War, in which Magog is now thought to point to Turkey.
The once popular association between Magog and Russia has mostly fallen out of favor among scholars. Now there is near unanimous agreement in scholarly Bible commentaries and Bible atlases that Magog, Meshech and Tubal were all located in what is now modern Turkey.
This essay’s broad-based perspective challenges traditional myopic Western perceptions and acknowledges the potential emergence of a Eurasian Empire, led by Moscow, from the ashes of current global turmoil. It underscores Russia's historical familiarity with empire and suggests the possible return to such a status. Such an eventuality would alter the current geopolitical landscape with an infrequently considered version of a New World Order in Western thought.
This scenario posits a transformative shift, with Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church reasserting themselves as a dominant geopolitical force. Such a development would not only reshape the contours of international relations, but also challenge the prevailing Western-centric model of secular global politics. It implies a resurgence of Russian influence, extending beyond its immediate borders into a more expansive Eurasian domain.
Russia’s re-emergence as a formidable Christian empire, if realized, would represent a stark departure from the post-Cold War era, where Western hegemony has gone largely uncontested and is now waning. Some correctly observe that the demise of the West is sine qua non for a Global World Order.
Among Western foreign policy analysis, a deeper understanding of Russia's historical, cultural and spiritually inspired motivations is imperative. In navigating this complex and evolving landscape, Western policymakers and strategists would benefit from a more nuanced and foresighted approach, recognizing the potential implications of a resurgent Russia within a multipolar world order.
Although traditionally dismissed by Western foreign policy experts, theological and eschatological factors should be included in their calculus. It would force policy specialists to broaden their strategic horizons, considering a range of outcomes that diverge from conventional expectations. In recognizing metaphysical influences, they can better prepare for and possibly influence a future where the balance of power shifts in dramatically unexpected ways.
Dugin’s articles frequently appear in this Substack:
“Alexander Dugin’s Fourth Political Theory is based on concepts such as social justice, diversity, solidarity, national sovereignty and traditional values.”
Alexander Dugin: This is not a war with Ukraine. It is a confrontation with globalism as an integral planetary phenomenon. It is a confrontation on all levels - geopolitical and ideological. Russia rejects everything in globalism - unipolarity, Atlantism, on the one hand, and liberalism, anti-tradition, technocracy, Great Reset in one word, on the other. It is clear that all European leaders are part of the Atlanticist liberal elite.
And we are at war with exactly that. Hence their legitimate reaction. Russia is now being excluded from the globalist networks. It no longer has a choice: either build its world or disappear. Russia has set a course to build its world, its civilization. And now the first step is being taken. But sovereign in the face of globalism can only be a large space, a continent-state, a civilization-state. No country can withstand complete disconnection for a long time.
Russia is now creating a field of global resistance. Its victory would be a victory for all alternative forces, both right-wing and left-wing, and for all peoples. We are, as always, starting the most difficult and dangerous processes.
But when we win, everyone takes advantage of them. That is the way it is meant to be. We are now creating the preconditions for real multipolarity. And those who are ready to kill us now will be the first to take advantage of our feat tomorrow. I almost always write things that later come true. This will also come true.
Sinners always inevitably create hell on earth - the wages of sin are quite literally death. A "culture" of death now patterns and controls every aspect of human culture - the death-saturated values of Pentagon based military-industrial-"entertainment"/propaganda complex now controls the destiny of life on Earth (both human and non-human).
Does the all pervasive Indivisible Living Divine Reality have a will?
The Indivisible Living Divine Reality pervades every minute fraction and the paradoxical slices and dimensions of space-time.
Who chooses such a person or persons to serve and on what basis?
Being merely ideas about the nature of Reality all religious and theological ideas reduce The Living Divine Reality to the mortal human scale only. They are thus used to justify all of the inevitable horrors created by institutional religionists.
Do you by any chance know that the director of the Federalist Society is a member of Opus Dei and that First Things is closely associated with Opus Dei too. First Things also openly pretends that the Catholic church as defined by them is the only source of Truth in the world. And that all other religious world-views, including that of Protestant Christianity are in serious error and therefore, in one way or another have to be converted to the "one true way".
This site describes the in-and-outs of the totalizing way promoted by Opus Dei
http://www.odan.org
Various Islamic apologists also erroneously claim that Islam is the only True and final "religion". Islam being the supposed "final" revelation.
There is of course no such thing as a holy country, or empire.
Jesus gave an explicit criticism of such via his very angry criticism of both the ecclesiastical and political establishments of his time and place.
Only individuals one-at-a-time can be in any sense holy. Such holiness has been manifested all over the world throughout human history, in the case of Illuminated Saints, Yogis, Mystics and Sages.
Speaking of reshaping the world, especially in the case of America that is exactly what this outfit intends to do if it gains the necessary political power to do so. It has a very detailed manifesto of what it intends to do. If re-elected Donald Trump would empower this project.
http://www.project2025.org
It is funded by at least 72 deep-pockets right-wing think tanks (etc). Most/all of which are closely associated with right wing back-to-the-past Christian true-believers. And very much associated with both the money-lenders of our time and place, and the ecclesiastical establishment too as promoted by such outfits as First Things, and the Federalist Society too.
I