THE THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL BASE OF THE INTELECTUAL MODEL OF THE ANCIENT RUS’ FEUDALISM

Abstract

The article is devoted to the theoretical and methodological aspects of the study of the author’s hypothesis concerning the intellectual model of ancient feudalism based on original interpretations of such classic concepts as «feudalism» and «the intellectual model». It is assumed not declarative, but the actual application of the principle of hìstorism, namely the opinion on the phenomena of the Christian Middle Ages, the Old Rus’ and feudalism and connecting with them in fact from the standpoint of the middle ages, and not using extrapolation in the past concepts and categories of mainly nineteenth – beginning of the twentieth century. According to our hypothesis, the medieval feudal system is a social system, established through the efforts of secular and spiritual elite, following the example of the Church hierarchy, as well as secular variant of several Christian sacraments, above all the Priesthood and the Eucharist.
In our opinion, the first theoretical-methodological problem of development of system of conformity and adequacy of theological terminology, which used medieval authors of the Catholic and Orthodox segments of medieval Christian civilization and modern secular scientific terminology used in historical science. In addition, it is important to consider such historical features of the Old Rus’ State, like its creation by biblical samples, as well as creating a social structure according to the example of the so-called Celestial Hierarchy. You also need to bear in mind the conscious orientation primarily on samples of the Old Testament, in particular, for example, according to the Will of God, the distribution of the territory of the Holy Land between the sons of Jacob, modeled on what territory Rus’ divided between the sons of Yaroslav the Wise, in addition, the Division of the Rus’ between the Yaroslav and Mstislav (1024-1036) was similar to the Division of the Holy Land in Israel and Judah. It is worth to add, that are important for the strengthening of statehood were precedents of the Era of the Holy Fathers, in particular the reuse of burial of the Gentiles by Christian rite, if they died while defending Christians (e.g., burial of Oleg and Jaropolk by Yaroslav the Wise). Demonstration are some examples of elections of Kyiv metropolitans by bishops of Rus’ without the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople (Ilarion, Clement), which correspond to the norms of the Gospel.