Igor Sikorsky
Religion and Philosophy
Religion and philosophy played an important part in Igor Sikorsky’s daily life, so much so that he kept in his office at Sikorsky Aircraft four versions of the New Testament, an ancient Greek version of the Bible and other religious books. Igor Sikorsky and his family were also founding members and devoted parishioners of the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Stratford, Connecticut. The founding of St. Nicholas Church occurred in 1929, the same year that the Sikorsky Aviation company moved to Stratford, Connecticut.
St. Nicholas Church was founded in 1929 in Stratford, Connecticut. Igor Sikorsky was a founding member.
Igor Sikorsky was an avid astronomer and studied the heavens to fathom the immensity of our physical universe. His writings indicate that he marveled at the known characteristics of spacial bodies and invisible forces, and was mesmerized by its power and structure. He was knowledgeable about science, history, religion, mountain climbing, music and philosophy. The religious and humane characteristics of Igor Sikorsky is very apparent when you read the books he authored.
It should be noted that Igor Sikorsky lived through the horrific time period of the Russian Revolution, World War I and World War II. During this period, the evils of Communism, Nazism and the German Holocaust, Fascism and Japanese Imperialism were being perpetrated on the world population. During this tumultuous time period, over 200 million lives were lost and the nuclear age was spawned. Historically, it may have been the most disastrous period for the human race since recorded history. It is very apparent that Igor Sikorsky’s experiences during this time are reflected in his religious books, papers and lectures.
The Message of The Lords Prayer was written by Igor Sikorsky aboard the Steamship Europa September 17 to 18, 1938, during his visit to a Greek Orthodox Monastery in Solonika, Greece. He states in the preface of his book that “The Message Of The Lord’s Prayer” is comprised of a few brief sentences consisting of some sixty six words that are simple and can be understood by a child, but when one starts to think and to analyze them carefully, there gradually comes the realization of the overwhelming immensity of the message.
The Invisible Encounter was written in 1947, and makes a plea for spiritual rather than material power as the great need of the day. Mankind, he says, is now passing through a crisis of unprecedented depth and magnitude. The main cause can be traced to a deep inner dislocation in the moral and spiritual sphere of existence. The book discusses the nature of the great disturbance and its inner cause, and shows the way out. He discusses the nature of good and evil as discussed in biblical teachings and historical events. He discusses how mankind has continued to choose the material rather than the moral and righteous way to confront problems. He uses the analysis that if the world is to be controlled by spiritually dead men, it is as if an unconscious crew were placed at the controls of an airliner.
The Evolution of the Soul was a lecture written and presented by Igor Sikorsky at Plymouth Congregational Church , Lansing, Michigan on November 15, 1949. The lecture starts with his definition of the term “soul” as “The highest, potentially immortal component of human personality. It is part of our conscious being which reacts to such factors as respect for truth, compassion, good will, forgiveness, tolerance, love, and the like. The term can not be identified with the term intellect.”