Metaphysical attributes in natural theology Archpriest Fyodor Golubin

The article presents a historical-philosophical and historical-theological analysis of the main topics of natural theology in the philosophical heritage of Archpriest Fyodor Golubinsky, professor of the Moscow Theological Academy (1798–1854). This research examines the doctrine of Divine attributes, which is one of the key sections of natural theology. This teaching by Golubinsky serves as the basis for the next section of his system devoted to Divine Providence, therefore, the study of the doctrine of the properties of God is necessary for a full understanding of the apologetic heritage of the professor. The focus of the research is on metaphysical divine attributes, they are common to theistic religious traditions. The article refers to pre-revolutionary spiritual and academic education, the study of which is necessary for a better orientation in the domestic educational space. A study of the legacy of Archpriest Fyodor Golubinsky confirms that the topic of Divine attributes has traditionally been taught in both dogmatic and rational theology. This underlines the importance of integrating philosophical and theological aspects in the training of the clergy, which, in turn, can have an impact on modern theological discourse and its development. The work uses general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, comparison, systematic approach, etc.), as well as special (historical-theological and historical-philosophical). It should be noted that spiritual and academic natural theology remains almost unexplored when various topics of rational theology are actively being developed in the modern scientific space. Being an extraordinarily erudite teacher and scientist, Golubinsky integrated Orthodox religious experience into a wide theological and philosophical context, enriching domestic humanitarian and theological spaces with many fundamental Christian provisions, while preserving the methodology of natural theology. This article highlights the main sources that influenced the formation of his teaching on the metaphysical properties of God. The article highlights the strengths of the professor's constructions, in particular, in the context of substantiating the attribute of simplicity, about which active discussions are underway in the modern scientific space. The need for further research on this issue is emphasized.