Archbishop Averky Condemns Imiaslavie (Name-Worship)

The Holy Archbishop Averky of Jordanville condemns Name-Worship (Imiaslavie)

168. Q: What is the heresy of name-worshipers?

ANSWER: This is a distortion of the teachings of the significance of the Name of God, based on wrong, too literalist understanding of some passages of Scripture, and the sayings of the pastor of blessed memory, St. John of Kronstadt in his diary: “My Life in Christ.” The heresy that arose at the beginning of this century, on Mt. Athos among the ignorant fanatically-minded monks. The essence of this heresy is the statement that the Name of God is God Himself.