Seraphim Rose
Encyclopedia
Seraphim Rose, born Eugene Dennis Rose (August 13, 1934 - September 2, 1982), was an American hieromonk
of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
who co-founded the St. Herman of Alaska
Monastery in Platina, California
. He also translated Orthodox Christian
texts and authored several polemic
al works. His writings are credited with helping to spread Orthodox Christianity
throughout the West; his popularity equally extended to Russia
itself, where his works were secretly reproduced and distributed during the Communist era, remaining popular today.
Rose's opposition to Orthodox participation in the ecumenical movement, and his advocacy of the contentious "toll house teaching
" led him into conflict with some notable figures in 20th century Orthodoxy
, and he remains controversial in some quarters even after his sudden death from an undiagnosed intestinal disorder in 1982. However, many other Orthodox Christians hold him in high esteem, venerating him as a saint
in icon
ography, liturgy
and prayer
though he has not been formally canonized
by any Orthodox synod
.
Rose's monastery (as of 2010) is currently affiliated with the Serbian Orthodox Church
, and continues to carry on his work of publishing and Orthodox missionary activity.
. His father was Frank Rose, a World War I
veteran who operated the city's first "Karmel Korn Shop" together with his wife Esther Rose
, Eugene's mother. In addition to being a businesswoman, Esther was a California artist who specialized in impressionist renderings of Pacific coast scenes. Raised in San Diego, Eugene would remain a Californian for the rest of his life. His older sister was Eileen Rose Busby
, an author, MENSA
member, and antiques
expert; his older brother was Frank Rose, a local businessman. Rose was also an uncle of scientist and author J. Michael Scott
, true crime author and journalist
Cathy Scott
, and Cordelia Mendoza
, antiques expert and author.
Though Rose was described by one biographer as a "natural athlete" in his youth, he never engaged seriously in sport. Baptized in the Methodist church when he was 14 years old, Rose later rejected Christianity for atheism
. After graduating from San Diego High School
, Rose attended Pomona College
, where he studied Chinese philosophy
and graduated magna cum laude in 1956. Afterwards Rose studied under Alan Watts
at the American Academy of Asian Studies before entering the master's degree program in Oriental languages at the University of California, Berkeley
, where he graduated in 1961 with a thesis entitled Emptiness' and 'Fullness' in the Lao Tzu.
In addition to a remarkable gift for languages, Rose was also known for possessing an acute sense of humor and wit. He enjoyed opera, concerts, art, literature, and the other cultural opportunities richly available in San Francisco, where he settled after his graduation and explored Buddhism
and other Asian philosophies.
, and met a Chinese
Taoist scholar, Gi-ming Shien. Shien emphasized the ancient Chinese approach to learning, valuing traditional viewpoints and texts over more modern interpretations. Inspired by Shien, Rose took up the study of ancient Chinese
so that he could read early Tao
texts in their original tongue. Through his experiences with Shien and the writings of Guénon, Eugene was inspired to seek out an authentic, grounded spiritual tradition of his own. Though he had previously focused on Eastern religions, Rose's spiritual journey ultimately led him back to Christianity and into the Russian Orthodox Church, partly as a result of his friendship with Jon Gregerson, a Californian of Finnish
ancestry whom Rose met in the summer of 1955 while attending Watts' academy.
In 1956 Rose came out as a homosexual to a close friend from college, after his mother discovered letters between him and Walter Pomeroy, Rose's friend from high school. Rose ceased his homosexual activities after he accepted Orthodoxy, eventually ending his relationship with Gregerson, who had become his partner prior to his conversion to Orthodoxy.
, as a serious and studious convert. In 1963, Archbishop John blessed Rose and his new friend Gleb Podmoshensky, a Russian Orthodox seminarian, to form a community of Orthodox booksellers and publishers, the "St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood". In March 1964, Rose opened an Orthodox bookstore next to the ROCOR cathedral on Geary Boulevard in San Francisco, which was under construction at the time. In 1965 the brotherhood founded the St. Herman Press publishing house, which still exists.
Increasingly drawn to a more reclusive lifestyle, Rose's community ultimately decided to leave the city for the northern California wilderness, where Rose and Podmoshensky became monks in 1968 and transformed the Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood info a full-fledged monastic community. Rose's parents provided the down payment for a mountaintop near the isolated hamlet of Platina
, where Rose and some friends built a monastery named for St. Herman of Alaska. At his tonsure
, in October 1970, Rose took the name "Seraphim" after St. Seraphim of Sarov. He wrote, translated and studied for the priesthood in his cell, a simple one-roomed cabin with neither running water nor electricity
, where he would spend the rest of his days. He was ordained in the spring of 1977 by Bishop Nektary of Seattle, spiritual son of St. Nectarius of Optina
, the last of the great Optina staretzy.
In his ministry, Rose spoke frequently of an "Orthodoxy of the Heart
", which he saw as increasingly absent in American ecclesiastical life. He also spoke of the need for warmth and kindness of the spirit, especially when dealing with those with whom one disagreed, an increasing problem in American Orthodoxy and its conflict between so-called "traditionalists" and "modernists". One can be firm, Rose insisted, without having to compromise basic Christian
teachings on lovingkindness, longsuffering
, and mercy
toward others.
, and they were circulated widely as samizdat
within the Soviet Union
, although they were not formally published until after the fall of the Communist regime. He was also one of the first American Orthodox Christians to translate major works of several church fathers
into English.
and saints. According to this teaching (which is widely accepted in certain portions of the church, but has never been officially accepted by any ecumenical Council of the Orthodox Church as a whole), every human soul
must pass through a series of these stations after death as part of their initial judgment
by God
, where they will be accused of specific sins and possibly condemned to hell.
Orthodox theologians, including Archbishop Lazar Puhalo, Dr. Stanley Harakas and Dr. Alexander Kalomiros among others, have claimed that certain ideas in Rose's book are heretical
, and that many of the Church Fathers have been misinterpreted or misquoted to support it. Archbishop Puhalo claimed that the "toll-house theory" is specifically Gnostic
in origin. These accusations were later declared to be wrong by the Holy Synod of the Russian Church Abroad, which emphasized that little has been revealed to the Church on this subject, and hence all controversy on this subject should cease. To his credit, Biship Puhalo also indicated that he considered Rose a "true ascetic", and that he respected Fr. Seraphim's monastic life and good intentions even if he vemently disagreed with his teaching on this particular subject.
Other contemporary Orthodox thinkers, such as St. John Maximovitch, Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Fr. Michael Pomazansky
, and Bishop Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan reject Puhalo's interpretation, and affirm the reality of the toll houses. Rose tried to prove by citations that numerous saints, such as Athanasius the Great, John Chrysostom
, Macarius of Egypt
, Theophan the Recluse
, Seraphim of Sarov
, Ignatius Brianchaninov
and various other Orthodox church fathers
, had acknowledged and accepted the Orthodoxy of the toll-houses. He endeavored to answer his detractors in his "Answer to a Critic", published as an appendix to The Soul After Death.
Another question concerned whether the Moscow Patriarchate, that portion of the Russian Orthodox Church within Soviet Russia, still possessed "grace". Although some Orthodox Christians asserted that the so-called "red" church had forfeited legitimacy by cooperating with the communist government, Rose disagreed. While wholeheartedly disapproving of the close relations between the Moscow church and the country's communist masters, Fr. Seraphim insisted that it was still legitimate, and possessed of valid sacraments.
Rose also waded into the ongoing debate between Biblical creationism
and evolution
, asserting in Genesis, Creation and Early Man that Orthodox patristics exclusively supported the Creationist viewpoint. This idea was vehemently attacked by other Orthodox theologians, who asserted that while man's existence is not accidental by any means, there is no official church doctrine as to the precise process God used in creation, nor the length of time that it might have required.
for treatment. When he arrived at the hospital
, he was declared to be in critical condition
and fell into semi-consciousness. After exploratory surgery was completed, it was discovered that a blood clot had blocked a vein supplying blood to his intestine
s, which had become a mass of dead tissue. He slipped into a coma
after a second surgery, never regaining consciousness. Hundreds of people visited the hospital and celebrated the Divine Liturgy
regularly in its chapel, praying for a miracle to save Rose's life. Prayers were offered for the ailing hieromonk from places as far away as Mt. Athos, Greece
, the spiritual heart of Orthodox monasticism. Rose died on September 2, 1982.
Rose's body lay in repose for several days in a simple wooden coffin
at his wilderness monastery. Visitors claimed that Rose's body did not succumb to decay and rigor mortis
, remaining supple and even allegedly smelling of rose
s. Several miraculous events, healings and apparitions of Rose have been reported around the world, commencing soon after his death. A cause for Fr. Seraphim's canonization was begun soon after his burial, and the title "Blessed" is now popularly attributed to him. He currently awaits canonization into sainthood by an Orthodox synod
, and his grave at St. Herman's monastery has become a popular site for pilgrimage
s.
. While all of the brothers are currently American, many speak Russian
. Their primary emphasis continues to be the printing of books, which has been the major activity of the brotherhood since its inception. In addition, the monastery has assisted with the guardianship and education of local youths with behavioral or learning problems, which has earned Rose's brotherhood significant respect among the locals. Visitors come to the monastery year-round but especially on September 2, the anniversary of Rose's death.
Hieromonk
Hieromonk , also called a Priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism....
of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia , also called the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, ROCA, or ROCOR) is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church....
who co-founded the St. Herman of Alaska
Herman of Alaska
Saint Herman of Alaska was one of the first Eastern Orthodox missionaries to the New World, and is considered by Orthodox Christians to be the patron saint of the Americas.-Biography:Saint Herman was born in the town of Serpukhov in the Moscow Diocese around 1756...
Monastery in Platina, California
Platina, California
Platina is a small unincorporated community of 200 people in Shasta County, California, approximately and equidistantly 40 miles west of Redding and Red Bluff. Its ZIP Code is 96076. Wired Telephone Numbers follow the pattern 530-352-xxxx.-History:...
. He also translated Orthodox Christian
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
texts and authored several polemic
Polemic
A polemic is a variety of arguments or controversies made against one opinion, doctrine, or person. Other variations of argument are debate and discussion...
al works. His writings are credited with helping to spread Orthodox Christianity
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
throughout the West; his popularity equally extended to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
itself, where his works were secretly reproduced and distributed during the Communist era, remaining popular today.
Rose's opposition to Orthodox participation in the ecumenical movement, and his advocacy of the contentious "toll house teaching
Aerial toll house
Aerial toll houses refers to a controversial teaching held by some Eastern Orthodox Christians, about the immediate state of the soul after death. According to this doctrine, "following a person's death the soul leaves the body, and is escorted to God by angels. During this journey the soul passes...
" led him into conflict with some notable figures in 20th century Orthodoxy
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
, and he remains controversial in some quarters even after his sudden death from an undiagnosed intestinal disorder in 1982. However, many other Orthodox Christians hold him in high esteem, venerating him as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
in icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
ography, liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
and prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
though he has not been formally canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
by any Orthodox synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
.
Rose's monastery (as of 2010) is currently affiliated with the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
, and continues to carry on his work of publishing and Orthodox missionary activity.
Early life
Eugene Rose was born on August 13, 1934, in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. His father was Frank Rose, a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran who operated the city's first "Karmel Korn Shop" together with his wife Esther Rose
Esther Rose
Esther Elvira Rose , an American painter, worked in oils, collage, silkscreen and watercolors.-Biography:Esther Holbeck, whose parents arrived at Ellis Island, separately, from Sweden and Norway, was born in Two Harbors, Minnesota, and at 20 married Frank Rose, an amateur photographer and a sports...
, Eugene's mother. In addition to being a businesswoman, Esther was a California artist who specialized in impressionist renderings of Pacific coast scenes. Raised in San Diego, Eugene would remain a Californian for the rest of his life. His older sister was Eileen Rose Busby
Eileen Rose Busby
Eileen Rose Busby was an author and antiques expert who was featured on HGTV's Appraise It! show.-Early life:...
, an author, MENSA
Mensa
Mensa meaning table in Latin, may refer to:*Mensa International, an organization for people with high IQs*Mensa , a southern star constellation*Mensa , a term used by geologists to refer to an extraterrestrial mesa...
member, and antiques
Antiques
An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...
expert; his older brother was Frank Rose, a local businessman. Rose was also an uncle of scientist and author J. Michael Scott
J. Michael Scott
Dr. J. Michael Scott, a senior scientist, distinguished emeritus professor, environmentalist and author, was born in 1941 in San Diego, California.-Education:A graduate of San Diego County's Helix High School, Dr...
, true crime author and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Cathy Scott
Cathy Scott
Cathy Scott is an American true crime writer and investigative journalist, born and raised in San Diego, United States growing up in nearby La Mesa, California...
, and Cordelia Mendoza
Cordelia Mendoza
Cordelia Mendoza is an antiques expert, volunteer, San Diego retailer, and author. Her volunteer work began at age 13 when she and her twin sister, Cathleen Scott, were named and represented the San Diego County Heart Association for a year as the Heart Fund Twins, after Mendoza successfully...
, antiques expert and author.
Though Rose was described by one biographer as a "natural athlete" in his youth, he never engaged seriously in sport. Baptized in the Methodist church when he was 14 years old, Rose later rejected Christianity for atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
. After graduating from San Diego High School
San Diego High School
San Diego High School is an urban public educational complex comprising six small schools located on the southern edge of Balboa Park, in San Diego, California. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District. It is the oldest high school in the San Diego Unified School District and one of the...
, Rose attended Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
, where he studied Chinese philosophy
Chinese philosophy
Chinese philosophy is philosophy written in the Chinese tradition of thought. The majority of traditional Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States era, during a period known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought", which was characterized by significant intellectual and...
and graduated magna cum laude in 1956. Afterwards Rose studied under Alan Watts
Alan Watts
Alan Wilson Watts was a British philosopher, writer, and speaker, best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience. Born in Chislehurst, he moved to the United States in 1938 and began Zen training in New York...
at the American Academy of Asian Studies before entering the master's degree program in Oriental languages at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he graduated in 1961 with a thesis entitled Emptiness' and 'Fullness' in the Lao Tzu.
In addition to a remarkable gift for languages, Rose was also known for possessing an acute sense of humor and wit. He enjoyed opera, concerts, art, literature, and the other cultural opportunities richly available in San Francisco, where he settled after his graduation and explored Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and other Asian philosophies.
Spiritual search and homosexuality
While studying at Watts' Asian institute Rose discovered the writings of French metaphysicist René GuénonRené Guénon
René Guénon , also known as Shaykh `Abd al-Wahid Yahya was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having written on topics ranging from metaphysics, sacred science and traditional studies to symbolism and initiation.In his writings, he...
, and met a Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
Taoist scholar, Gi-ming Shien. Shien emphasized the ancient Chinese approach to learning, valuing traditional viewpoints and texts over more modern interpretations. Inspired by Shien, Rose took up the study of ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
The earliest known written records of the Chinese language were found at a site near modern Anyang identified as Yin, the last capital of the Shang dynasty, and date from about 1200 BC....
so that he could read early Tao
Tao
Dao or Tao is a Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'...
texts in their original tongue. Through his experiences with Shien and the writings of Guénon, Eugene was inspired to seek out an authentic, grounded spiritual tradition of his own. Though he had previously focused on Eastern religions, Rose's spiritual journey ultimately led him back to Christianity and into the Russian Orthodox Church, partly as a result of his friendship with Jon Gregerson, a Californian of Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
ancestry whom Rose met in the summer of 1955 while attending Watts' academy.
In 1956 Rose came out as a homosexual to a close friend from college, after his mother discovered letters between him and Walter Pomeroy, Rose's friend from high school. Rose ceased his homosexual activities after he accepted Orthodoxy, eventually ending his relationship with Gregerson, who had become his partner prior to his conversion to Orthodoxy.
Orthodoxy
In 1962, partly as a result of Jon Gregerson's influcence, Rose was received into the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in San Francisco. He quickly distinguished himself to the prelate of San Francisco, St. John MaximovitchJohn of Shanghai and San Francisco
Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco also John the Wonderworker was a noted Eastern Orthodox ascetic and hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia who was active in the mid-20th century...
, as a serious and studious convert. In 1963, Archbishop John blessed Rose and his new friend Gleb Podmoshensky, a Russian Orthodox seminarian, to form a community of Orthodox booksellers and publishers, the "St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood". In March 1964, Rose opened an Orthodox bookstore next to the ROCOR cathedral on Geary Boulevard in San Francisco, which was under construction at the time. In 1965 the brotherhood founded the St. Herman Press publishing house, which still exists.
Increasingly drawn to a more reclusive lifestyle, Rose's community ultimately decided to leave the city for the northern California wilderness, where Rose and Podmoshensky became monks in 1968 and transformed the Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood info a full-fledged monastic community. Rose's parents provided the down payment for a mountaintop near the isolated hamlet of Platina
Platina, California
Platina is a small unincorporated community of 200 people in Shasta County, California, approximately and equidistantly 40 miles west of Redding and Red Bluff. Its ZIP Code is 96076. Wired Telephone Numbers follow the pattern 530-352-xxxx.-History:...
, where Rose and some friends built a monastery named for St. Herman of Alaska. At his tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
, in October 1970, Rose took the name "Seraphim" after St. Seraphim of Sarov. He wrote, translated and studied for the priesthood in his cell, a simple one-roomed cabin with neither running water nor electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, where he would spend the rest of his days. He was ordained in the spring of 1977 by Bishop Nektary of Seattle, spiritual son of St. Nectarius of Optina
Optina Monastery
The Optina Hermitage is an Eastern Orthodox monastery for men near Kozelsk in Russia. In the 19th century, the Optina was the most important spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church and served as the model for several other monasteries, including the nearby Shamordino Convent...
, the last of the great Optina staretzy.
In his ministry, Rose spoke frequently of an "Orthodoxy of the Heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
", which he saw as increasingly absent in American ecclesiastical life. He also spoke of the need for warmth and kindness of the spirit, especially when dealing with those with whom one disagreed, an increasing problem in American Orthodoxy and its conflict between so-called "traditionalists" and "modernists". One can be firm, Rose insisted, without having to compromise basic Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
teachings on lovingkindness, longsuffering
Patience
Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the...
, and mercy
Mercy
Mercy is broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts.The concept of a "Merciful God" appears in various religions from Christianity to...
toward others.
Works
Using a hand-cranked printing press at his Geary Boulevard bookstore, Rose founded the bimonthly magazine The Orthodox Word in January 1965; this periodical is still published (on modern presses) today. He also composed and published dozens of other titles, including God's Revelation to the Human Heart, Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future, and The Soul After Death; all remain in print. He translated and printed Fr. Michael Pomazansky's Orthodox Dogamtic Theology, which remains a text for clerical students and laymen alike. Rose translated his books into RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, and they were circulated widely as samizdat
Samizdat
Samizdat was a key form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents from reader to reader...
within the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, although they were not formally published until after the fall of the Communist regime. He was also one of the first American Orthodox Christians to translate major works of several church fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
into English.
Controversies over theological opinions or "theologoumenon"
Although most of Rose's works were widely received within the Orthodox community, a few raised controversy. The most notable of these was The Soul After Death, which purports to describe certain alleged "aerial toll houses" described by various Church FathersChurch Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
and saints. According to this teaching (which is widely accepted in certain portions of the church, but has never been officially accepted by any ecumenical Council of the Orthodox Church as a whole), every human soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
must pass through a series of these stations after death as part of their initial judgment
Judgment
A judgment , in a legal context, is synonymous with the formal decision made by a court following a lawsuit. At the same time the court may also make a range of court orders, such as imposing a sentence upon a guilty defendant in a criminal matter, or providing a remedy for the plaintiff in a civil...
by God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, where they will be accused of specific sins and possibly condemned to hell.
Orthodox theologians, including Archbishop Lazar Puhalo, Dr. Stanley Harakas and Dr. Alexander Kalomiros among others, have claimed that certain ideas in Rose's book are heretical
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
, and that many of the Church Fathers have been misinterpreted or misquoted to support it. Archbishop Puhalo claimed that the "toll-house theory" is specifically Gnostic
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
in origin. These accusations were later declared to be wrong by the Holy Synod of the Russian Church Abroad, which emphasized that little has been revealed to the Church on this subject, and hence all controversy on this subject should cease. To his credit, Biship Puhalo also indicated that he considered Rose a "true ascetic", and that he respected Fr. Seraphim's monastic life and good intentions even if he vemently disagreed with his teaching on this particular subject.
Other contemporary Orthodox thinkers, such as St. John Maximovitch, Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Fr. Michael Pomazansky
Michael Pomazansky
Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky was a Russian theologian.He was born in the village of Korist, in the province of Volhynia. His father was Archpriest Ioann Pomazansky who was the son of Father Ioann Ambrosievich. Fr. Michael's mother, Vera Grigorievna, was the daughter of a protodeacon and later...
, and Bishop Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan reject Puhalo's interpretation, and affirm the reality of the toll houses. Rose tried to prove by citations that numerous saints, such as Athanasius the Great, John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
, Macarius of Egypt
Macarius of Egypt
Macarius of Egypt was an Egyptian Christian monk and hermit. He is also known as Macarius the Elder, Macarius the Great and The Lamp of the Desert.-Life:...
, Theophan the Recluse
Theophan the Recluse
St. Theophan the Recluse, also known as "Theophan Zatvornik" or "Theophanes the Recluse" , is a well-known saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. He was born George Vasilievich Govorov, in the village of Chernavsk. His father was a Russian Orthodox priest. He was educated in the seminaries at...
, Seraphim of Sarov
Seraphim of Sarov
Saint Seraphim of Sarov , born Prokhor Moshnin , is one of the most renowned Russian monks and mystics in the Orthodox Church. He is generally considered the greatest of the 19th century startsy and, arguably, the first...
, Ignatius Brianchaninov
Ignatius Brianchaninov
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov is a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. He was born Demetrius Alexandrovich Brianchaninov, to a wealthy landowning family. He was educated at Pioneer Military School in St. Petersburg. Although successful in his studies he was deeply dissatisfied with the lay life...
and various other Orthodox church fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
, had acknowledged and accepted the Orthodoxy of the toll-houses. He endeavored to answer his detractors in his "Answer to a Critic", published as an appendix to The Soul After Death.
Another question concerned whether the Moscow Patriarchate, that portion of the Russian Orthodox Church within Soviet Russia, still possessed "grace". Although some Orthodox Christians asserted that the so-called "red" church had forfeited legitimacy by cooperating with the communist government, Rose disagreed. While wholeheartedly disapproving of the close relations between the Moscow church and the country's communist masters, Fr. Seraphim insisted that it was still legitimate, and possessed of valid sacraments.
Rose also waded into the ongoing debate between Biblical creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
and evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, asserting in Genesis, Creation and Early Man that Orthodox patristics exclusively supported the Creationist viewpoint. This idea was vehemently attacked by other Orthodox theologians, who asserted that while man's existence is not accidental by any means, there is no official church doctrine as to the precise process God used in creation, nor the length of time that it might have required.
Death
After feeling acute pains for several days while working in his cell in August 1982, a reluctant Rose was taken by fellow monks to Mercy Medical Center in ReddingRedding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
for treatment. When he arrived at the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, he was declared to be in critical condition
Critical Condition
Critical condition is a medical state.Critical Condition may also be:* Critical Condition , an episode of the television series Sex and the City* Critical Condition , a 1987 comedy film...
and fell into semi-consciousness. After exploratory surgery was completed, it was discovered that a blood clot had blocked a vein supplying blood to his intestine
Intestine
In human anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the pyloric sphincter of the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine...
s, which had become a mass of dead tissue. He slipped into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
after a second surgery, never regaining consciousness. Hundreds of people visited the hospital and celebrated the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
regularly in its chapel, praying for a miracle to save Rose's life. Prayers were offered for the ailing hieromonk from places as far away as Mt. Athos, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, the spiritual heart of Orthodox monasticism. Rose died on September 2, 1982.
Rose's body lay in repose for several days in a simple wooden coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
at his wilderness monastery. Visitors claimed that Rose's body did not succumb to decay and rigor mortis
Rigor mortis
Rigor mortis is one of the recognizable signs of death that is caused by a chemical change in the muscles after death, causing the limbs of the corpse to become stiff and difficult to move or manipulate...
, remaining supple and even allegedly smelling of rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s. Several miraculous events, healings and apparitions of Rose have been reported around the world, commencing soon after his death. A cause for Fr. Seraphim's canonization was begun soon after his burial, and the title "Blessed" is now popularly attributed to him. He currently awaits canonization into sainthood by an Orthodox synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
, and his grave at St. Herman's monastery has become a popular site for pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s.
St. Herman's Monastery today
The St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina is now a part of the Western America diocese of the Serbian Orthodox ChurchSerbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
. While all of the brothers are currently American, many speak Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. Their primary emphasis continues to be the printing of books, which has been the major activity of the brotherhood since its inception. In addition, the monastery has assisted with the guardianship and education of local youths with behavioral or learning problems, which has earned Rose's brotherhood significant respect among the locals. Visitors come to the monastery year-round but especially on September 2, the anniversary of Rose's death.
Biographical Resources
- Not of This World: the Life and Teaching of Fr Seraphim Rose ISBN 0-938635-52-2. An extensive biography written by monk Damascene Christensen - now out of print.
- Father Seraphim: His Life and Work ISBN 1-887904-07-7. Significantly revised and expanded version of the above.
- Letters from Father Seraphim ISBN 1-879066-08-4. Correspondence with Fr. Alexey (now Hieromonk Ambrose) Young, Rose's spiritual son.
- Seraphim Rose: The True Story and Private Letters ISBN 1-928653-01-4. A biography of his life, his letters and his works, by author Cathy Scott, Father Seraphim's niece.
External links
- Death to the World Magazine Online Orthodox publication; contains some of Fr. Seraphim's writings.
- Death to the World Website Online collection of writings by and inspired by Rose.
- 'Emptiness' and 'Fullness' in the Lao Tzu Master's thesis by Eugene Rose, University of California, Berkeley, 1961.
- Genesis and Early Man: The Orthodox Patristic Understanding Reply to pro-evolution speech given by Orthodox theologian Dr. Alexander Kalomiros.
- Liturgical Resources Collection of photos, articles and icons of Rose, together with prayers composed to him.
- Lives of a Saint Biographical article on Fr. Seraphim from Pomona College Magazine, Spring 2001.
- Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age. Book written by Fr. Seraphim Rose. Published by St Herman Press, 1994.
- Online Biography and Books Offers online version of Not of This World, a 1000-page biography of Rose now out of print, together with other works.
- Orthodox Wiki: Seraphim Rose Orthodox Wiki Encyclopedia article on Seraphim Rose.
- Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia Unofficial icon of Fr. Seraphim Rose.
