FILARET GUMILEVSKIJ. — Archbishop of Chernigov (1805-66), b. Konobjevskij, called h. muilevskij from the Latin humilis, on account of his small stature and humility.
After brilliant ecclesiastical studies he became a monk, taking the name of F. in honor of F. Drozdov, then metropolitan. He taught ecclesiastical history, Holy Scripture, moral and pastoral theology at the ecclesiastical academy of Moscow; he later became archimandrite and rector of the Academy. In 1841 he became bishop of Riga, where he propagated his doctrine among the Protestant peasants; in 1848 of Kharkov and in 1859 archbishop of Chernigov. He was one of the most learned and erudite prelates of his time. He founded the journal of the Ecclesiastical Academy entitled The Works of the Holy Fathers in Russian Tradition, with added ecclesiastical commentary (these additions form the journal proper, which, from 1891, was replaced by the Soglasovskij Vestnik, i.e., “Theological Messenger”). He was one of the most prolific ecclesiastical writers of Russia, though not free from the ordinary defects of polygraphs; 159 of his works are counted. Among the most important: Compendium of Russian Ecclesiastical Literature (2 vols., Kharkov and St. Petersburg 1859-61; 3rd ed. St. Petersburg 1884); Historical Teaching on the Holy Fathers (3 vols., St. Petersburg 1859); History of the Russian Church (up to the year 1827 [4th ed. Chernigov 1862-63]), which long served as a manual but is now outdated; Orthodox Dogmatic Theology (2 vols., Chernigov 1864; 3rd ed. St. Petersburg 1882), the theological masterpiece of the author. He also wrote on the hymn-phrases and hymns of the Greek Church, on Russian saints, on the Epistle to the Galatians and on the doctrine of St. John concerning the Word, and published 6 volumes of sermons, homilies and orations.