Author Georgi Lozanov:
Prof. Gradev, what are Christian values and to what extent are they canonically defined?
Prof. Vladimir Gradev: The word canon originally meant the reed stick around which the papyrus was wound and then acquired the meaning of a rule, a norm. The canon is the texts recognized as Holy Scripture. The New Testament contains the great truth that Christianity teaches: God is love. From it derive both authentically Christian values: to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself, not because you are both lovable, but because God has loved us as we are - sinful, proud, cowardly, etc. The neighbor is every other person with whom we enter into a relationship – familiar and unfamiliar, our own and our own, friend and even enemy, because all people are equal before God and He loves us all in the same way. All other values and achievements of Christian civilization are built on the equality of all people before God, and historically this gradually leads to the equal rights of all people, precisely because they are equal before God. This is the great value tradition of Christian civilization.
"Tradition is the living faith of the dead"
To what extent do Christian values coincide with the so-called traditional values and is there reason for Russian propaganda to see a threat in today's Western society?
Prof. Vladimir Gradev: Tradition is the historical sequence between past and present, their organic development, in which each generation matures thanks to those who preceded it. In short, tradition is the living faith of the dead and should not be confused with traditionalism, which is the dead faith of the living. In today's Russia, it is clearly and distinctly about the propaganda of traditionalism, propaganda that trumpets that everything - even the war in Ukraine - is done in the name of traditional values, and in the same spirit, the law against domestic violence is being repealed, which the rulers clearly perceive as a traditional value of Russian society. Instead of solving the real problems of Russian society, it is much easier to launch propaganda against the liberal values of the West, which they call decadent, just as Soviet propaganda once slandered rock and roll, Coca-Cola and private property. The Kremlin authorities today instrumentalize Orthodoxy, turning it into a national ideology, just as the Soviet authorities previously used Marxism: yes, the content is different, but the form and goals of indoctrination remain the same. And liberal values are actually the original Christian values, because it is at their foundation that the Christian idea of the equality of all people among themselves, since they are equal before God, is based.
Are the sanctions that Donald Trump has taken against universities and charitable organizations such as USAID or World Vision International a protection of traditional values?
Prof. Vladimir Gradev: Universities are an integral part of Christian civilization. They arose in "old Europe" six centuries before the creation of the USA as autonomous institutions of knowledge, as they are to this day in the democratic world. It is precisely this autonomy that is their traditional value and strength, and it is on it that the American government is now encroaching. The main pretext is that universities like Harvard supposedly tolerated anti-Semitism. At the same time, Trump and his associates, especially Vice President Vance, actively support far-right parties in Europe, in which anti-Semitism is an ideology and practice. Trump has been trumpeting all along that his main value is freedom of speech, and now his administration is requiring foreign students applying for a visa to provide access to their social media profiles, and the main reason for refusal is the presence of critical comments about Trump on them. This, together with the closure of charitable organizations, which you note, as well as the closure of the radio "Voice of America", is causing enormous harm, first and foremost, to America itself, which is itself throwing into the mud the halo that made it unique and truly great.
"Love God and neighbor" is still valid today
Do the Ten Commandments belong to Christian values and to what extent are they valid for modern man?
Prof. Vladimir Gradev: Yes, they retain their validity as Christianity views them in the light of "Love God and neighbor". That is why Saint Augustine can exclaim: "Love and do as you will". If you truly love God, you will also love your neighbor and in everything you do, this love will guide you, if not, then you have exchanged true love for the deceptive love of earthly goods.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine clearly violates the sixth commandment – Thou shalt not kill, and corruption the eighth – Thou shalt not steal, is it not necessary for the church to take a stand?
Prof. Vladimir Gradev: Of course it is necessary, but the Russian Orthodox Church legitimizes and blesses the war, and the Bulgarian Patriarchate today, instead of showing "sisterly", as it should, to the Russian Patriarchate that it is perverting the teachings of Christ and has become a servant of the prince of this world, is behaving like its servant. I have not heard and do not know that the patriarch or anyone from the Holy Synod has spoken specifically about corruption or the plagues in the justice system, and so they have become, alas, a tradition and norm for our society.
Is the church interested in the "origin of money" and can it accept the generosity of murderers and thieves or of a government that patronizes them?
Prof. Vladimir Gradev: Undoubtedly, the church should be interested in this and not accept such donations. But it is not only visibly guided by the old pagan principle that money "does not smell", but also praises mafias and corrupt politicians as benefactors, makes them archons, etc.
Does the assistance that the state provides for the construction and restoration of churches increase its democratic quality? Do you have the impression that the rapprochement of the state with the church is more typical of dictatorships than of democracies?
Prof. Vladimir Gradev: The church is separated from the state, but this does not mean that there should be no dialogue and cooperation between them. The problem arises when the relationship between the state and the church is reduced to another pagan rule: I give to you so that you give to me, I finance you so that you legitimize me, bless you, praise me.
We can teach children virtues. The question is what kind of virtues.
Can virtues be taught in school and what can the subject "Virtues and Religions" envisaged by the Ministry of Education and Science include?
Prof. Vladimir Gradev: Yes, they can. The question is how and with what real result. You and I were constantly educated from kindergarten to university in communist virtues, leading among which was atheism. This did not make us atheists or builders of a bright future, on the contrary. The only result was that it filled us with disgust and intolerance for the communist system. Now the key issue is not to get the same effect, which is very likely, considering who and how they approach the topic. That is why I said during a working meeting with the Minister of Education that we should not forget that "Inferno", where all the vices and sins are described, is the most interesting part of Dante's "Divine Comedy" and we should not underestimate the students who, especially in adolescence, think, search, and often rebel. I also noted that Christian education is given in the family and the church, that it has meaning only as part of church life and is inseparable from prayer, receiving the sacraments, participating in worship services, etc. The task of the church is to introduce and educate in Christianity, and if it transfers this main function of its to the state, it turns Christianity into a political religion or ideology, as is happening today in Russia. Children in school could be taught virtues, but not that they should not lie, steal, etc., because Grandfather God is watching them and will punish them, as the "promoters" of the subject generally present it. This will have the negative effect I spoke about. However, I believe that the result could be different if the basic value of Christianity is also taken into account here: "Love your neighbor as yourself" and children are raised in a spirit of friendship among themselves, of mercy and care for the weaker, the elderly, the disabled, in love for every living being - flowers and trees, birds and animals, in care for nature and the environment in which they live. This is done not with moralizing lessons, but with games for the younger ones, practices and discussions for the older ones. Only in this way can the subject "Religion and Virtues" could be beneficial for students, and for the whole society.
You are from Varna – what were the moods in the city immediately after the arrest of the mayor? And why, in your opinion, was it such a demonstrative violation of human rights?
Prof. Vladimir Gradev: A month ago, Mayor Blagomir Kotsev was the first to react to the death, following a rough police arrest, of Yavor Georgiev with the words: "He sought help, and found his end". Then, thousands of young Varna residents took to spontaneous protests, in which the mayor also joined. Kotsev's brutal arrest was even more disgusting because it was clumsily presented as legal, when one can only reasonably assume that we, the taxpayers, will have to pay again when Bulgaria is once again convicted by the European Court of Human Rights for violating basic human rights. But there were no spontaneous reactions to the ongoing outrage. The protests are organized by the mayor's political supporters, and outraged citizens are also participating in them. (ed. note: the interview was conducted before last night's protests in Sofia, Varna and other cities) The general mood in the city can be expressed by Bruegel's painting "The Fall of Icarus". Somehow, the association between the fate of the young mayor, who dared to dismantle the system of corruption and addictions that has ruled the city for years, and that of the young man who dared to fly high into the sky comes naturally. In the picture, the sunset beautifully illuminates the bay, everything is charming, except for a few splashes in the sea, splashed by the fallen Icarus, whose legs are still sticking out of the water. And the fisherman in front of him remains focused on his fishing and other people continue to calmly go about their business, not noticing or indifferent to what is happening around them.
Prof. Vladimir Gradev is a philosopher, cultural scientist, theorist of religion, Ambassador of Bulgaria to the Holy See in the Vatican from 2001 to 2006.