The message of the Lord’s prayer

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleПослание молитвы Господней
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Saprykin, Dmitry
5. lemma category Theological works of scientists and engineers
6. Publication date 2005
7. lemma work Sikorskiy Igor [Author]. The message of the Lord’s prayer.
8. lemma manifestations Небо и небеса. Религиозно-философские работы выдающегося авиаконструктора. : Sky and heaven. Religious and philosophical works of the prominent aviator.
9. Keywords Bible - interpretations - The Lord's prayer
10. Citations
    1. https://azbyka.ru/razmyshleniya-o-molitve-gospodnej
11. Lemma body

    1. Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky – one of the greatest engineers of the XX century who was raised in Orthodox educational surrounding and overtly confessed Orthodoxy being a parishioner of Russian Orthodox Church, wrote a number of theological and philosophical works.

       The most essential of his theological works was a brochure named “The message of the Lord’s prayer”. This work was published twice in new translations into Russian during the last years. Interpretation of the “Our Father” prayer created by Igor Sikorsky is a holistic comprehension of the textual prayer. By means of his powerful brain and a talent of systematic scientific reasoning Sikorsky gives an interesting and deep analysis of the prayer structure. This analysis is based largely on the patristic tradition and the works of Russian religious philosophers. In accordance with the Orthodox tradition, Sikorsky includes in analysis the last phrase (“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever” – Mt.: 6,13), regarding it as an indefeasible part of the prayer.

       As obvious from the Introduction one of the most important goals of the work is theological comprehension and defense of science and engineering, including the activity of Sikorsky himself. As the author points out the majority of the early Christians were not much interested in natural history; meanwhile there were made some attempts to set science against the Revelation in the past. Nevertheless that “filial” relation to God which is established in the very beginning of the Lord’s prayer (invoking every believer to address God as a loving Father) proposes an interest to the God’s creation and helps, but not prevents a scientific interest to it.

       Sikorsky recalls an old and respected professor of the Marine Corps where he was getting his education who asked him whether he had read the books of his father, adding that son must be interested in his father’s creative work (Igor Sikorsky’s father Ivan Sikorsky was a worldly known Russian psychiatrist and psychologist). Thus a man considering the Creator to be his Father is called to investigate His creature, which constitutes the religious core of the Christians’ interest to science.

       In his work Sikorsky again and again addresses his experience as a scientist and engineer emphasizing otherness and preeminence of the “Heavenly engineer’s” (God’s) work comparing to various machines and mechanisms created by human engineers.

       Thus the personal experience of family education (Sikorsky’s relationship with the loved father) and the experience of engineer and scientist help, not hinder Sikorsky to deeper understand the sense of the prayer – a call to the Heavenly Father and the world Creator.