Russian Orthodox Church Rejects Claims of Shared Faith With Islam

The head of the Synodal Missionary Department of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Savva (Tutunov), has stated that the religious views expressed by Akhmat special forces commander Apti Alaudinov are unacceptable for Orthodox Christians.

According to the archbishop, the idea that Muslims and Orthodox Christians believe in the same God cannot be reconciled with Orthodox theology.

Church Doctrine and Theological Boundaries

"An Orthodox Christian who accepts this "ideology' enters into direct contradiction with Orthodoxy,” Savva said.

He explained that the disagreement concerns fundamental theological issues, including the Orthodox understanding of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Savva stressed that while Alaudinov has every right to express his beliefs as a Muslim, Orthodox doctrine cannot accommodate such interpretations.

At the same time, the archbishop emphasized that cooperation in defending the country does not require theological compromise.

"There is no need for imaginary confessional overlap in order to fight the enemy together and defend the Fatherland. Unity on the battlefield and in joint work does not mean unity of faith or preaching,” he said.

Support for Claims of Heresy

Savva also recalled statements by Patriarch Kirill, who has repeatedly warned that Orthodox believers must not sacrifice the purity of their faith or the moral teaching of the Church.

The archbishop said his remarks also support his deputy, Sergey Fufaev, who recently presented an academic and apologetic report analyzing a book written by Alaudinov.

"This teaching represents a mixing of Islamic and Christian ideas that leads to a radical distortion of the fundamental foundations of Orthodox faith, that is, to heresy,” Fufaev concluded.

Fufaev identified several elements he described as heretical, including claims that Muslims and Christians believe in the same God, share the same understanding of Jesus Christ, and accept the idea that Jesus would lead troops against the Antichrist.

Alaudinov Responds to Critics

Alaudinov rejected the accusations and dismissed the criticism. He argued that only the Patriarch or an official synodal body can express the official position of the Church.

He suggested that critics who disagree with his views should focus on military service rather than theological debate.

"You can write your own book with your own ideas. And if you want to propose an alternative ideology, come to the special military operation, form your own unit, and go into battle yourselves,” Alaudinov said.