ИОСИФ ВОЛОЦКИЙ, МИТРОПОЛИТ ЗОСИМА И СУДЬБА 12 СЛОВА «ПРОСВЕТИТЕЛЯ»
JOSEPH VOLOTSKY, METROPOLITAN ZOSIMA AND THE 12TH WORD OF ENLIGHTENER

Summary/Abstract: Joseph Volotsky is famous for his struggle against heretics “Judaizers”. But the reasons, why he had started this campaign, are not obvious. I had proved that Joseph Volotsky didn’t take part in struggle against heretics during the first stage (1487–1490) and Epistle about Holy Trinity doesn’t belong to him. I have added new argument in this article. Consequently the first Joseph’s writings which had mentioned heretics were those against anonymous Metropolitan-defilier. Joseph had sent them to abbot Euphymius, brother Vassian and Nifont, Suzdal Bishop. Joseph had written Metropolitan’s name in the “Enlightener” – Zosimus, Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia. According to my conclusions the line of events is this one: 1) Zosimus was recommended by archpriest Alexey, Judaizer; 2) Abbot Euthymius and Joseph’s brother Vassian started campaign against Metropolitan Zosimus accusing him of sodomy; 3) Joseph Volotsky found out Zosimus’ sodomy from Euphymius and Alexey’s heresy from Gennady, Archbishop of Novgorod; 4) He combined these two facts and concluded that Judaizer heresy was evil and the cause of brother’s sufferings; 5) Then Joseph wrote three epistles against Zosimus in support of his brother and Enlightener against all heretics where Zosimus is one of 4 main characters; 6) But Josephits rejected accusations against Zosimus and remade the “Enlightener” in three separate ways: 6.1) Joseph’s nephew Dositheus (Toporkov) had rejected the idea of the 12th Discourse and thorn it out from the “Enlightener” in 1500s. 6.2) Metropolitan Simon had accepted the sodomy accusation and had rejected the idea of Zosimus’ heresy. This point of view prevailed from 1500s up to 1530s. 6.3) Nifont (Kormilitsyn), the third abbot of Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery, had rejected both accusations and had completely remade the “Enlightener”.So Zosimus is the key to whole second antiheretical campaign at the beginning of the 16th century. It was conflict with Zosimus that was the reason why Joseph had written his “Enlightener”. And it was accusation in heresy against Zosimus that was the reason why Josephites had completely remade the “Enlightener”.

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