ABC of Orthodoxy Davydenkov change dogmas over time. Oleg Davydenkov: Dogmatic Theology

DOGMATIC THEOLOGY

[dogmatics], a section of theology aimed at revealing, substantiating and systematically expounding Christ. dogmas. As an independent theological science and academic discipline D. b. arose in the XVII-XVIII centuries. in the West as a result of the differentiation of theology, which took place in line with the general specialization of knowledge. At the same time, the term “D. b." Since in various Christ. In confessions, the volume of dogmas, their content and interpretation do not always coincide; appropriate epithets are used to indicate the confessional features of dogmatics, for example: pravoslav. D. b., catholic. D. b., Lutheran. D. b. etc. In Protestantism, D. b. often referred to as systematic theology. The main sections of D. b. are triadology, amartology, christology, soteriology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, sacramentology and eschatology.

The history of the Orthodox D. b.

Dogmas, according to the Orthodox doctrine, there are revealed truths. Accordingly, the only infallible source of Orthodoxy. D. b. recognizes the Divine Revelation, expressed in the Holy. Scripture and St. Traditions. Tradition is considered in the Orthodox. traditions in 2 inseparable aspects: “vertical” and “horizontal”, i.e., on the one hand, as a direct enlightening influence of the Holy Spirit in the Church and, on the other hand, as a historical transmission in it of the “law of faith” and the “law of prayer ". The "horizontal" aspect of Tradition has never been subjected to special codification in Orthodoxy. Nevertheless, it is possible to designate a certain list of church-historical sources that have Orthodoxy. t. sp. unconditional doctrinal authority and serving as the foundation for Orthodoxy. D. b. These are, first of all, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed and the dogmatic decrees (oros) of the 7 Ecumenical Councils, as well as the dogmatic definitions of the K-Polish Councils of 879-880, 1156-1157 and 1341-1351.

Along with dogmatic definitions stands the liturgical Tradition of the Church. “It can be said without exaggeration that the anaphora of the liturgies of St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom in its theological and dogmatic authority is in no way inferior to the dogmatic decrees of the Ecumenical Councils” (Vasily (Krivoshein), 2003, p. 84).

The authoritative source of the D. b. is also the patristic heritage as a whole. But, taking into account the multiplicity, diversity and unequalness of what was written by the fathers, Church Tradition never tried to codify c.-l. a certain corpus of patristic writings, which would fully comply with the principle of consensus patrum. Nevertheless, in Orthodoxy it is generally accepted that Christ can be correctly understood only on the basis of patristic thought. doctrine in its entirety and completeness. “The Ecumenical Councils began their dogmatic resolutions with the words “Following the Holy Fathers,” thereby expressing their conviction that loyalty to them in spirit is the main sign of Orthodox theology” (Ibid., p. 85).

Unlike Western Christ. Orthodox denominations. The Church does not attach decisive dogmatic significance to the following doctrinal monuments of antiquity: the so-called. Apostolic Creed, Athanasian Creed and Creed of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, - preserving their historical significance (see Art.).

The question of the sources of D. b. associated with the problem of the so-called. symbolic books of Orthodoxy. Churches, to which in Russian pre-revolutionary academic theology it was customary to attribute the “Orthodox Confession of Faith of the Eastern Catholic and Apostolic Church” (1662) and the “Message of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Church on Orthodox faith» (1723). However, according to Prof. N. N. Glubokovsky, “essentially, in Orthodoxy there are no “symbolic books” in the technical sense of the word. All talk about them is extremely conditional and corresponds only to Western religious schemes, in contradiction with the history and nature of Orthodoxy ”(Glubokovsky N. N. Orthodoxy in its essence // Orthodoxy: Pro et contra. St. Petersburg, 2001. P. 182-198) . The emergence of these confessions refers to the period of the decline of Orthodoxy. theology, when it “was forced to arm itself with Western scholastic theological weapons and ... this, in turn, led to a new and dangerous influence on Orthodox theology not only theological terms not characteristic of him, but also theological and spiritual ideas” (Vasily (Krivoshein), 2003, p. 46). Therefore, along with other confessions of faith and dogmatic decrees of the 16th and subsequent centuries, these texts cannot be considered as obligatory sources of Orthodoxy. D. b., “as not having a general church character in their origin, as usual low in terms of theological thought, and often breaking away from patristic and liturgical tradition and as bearing traces of the formal, and sometimes significant influence of Roman Catholic theology” (There same, pp. 82-83).

Tasks, method and structure of Orthodox D. b.

In the Orthodox tradition, the dogmatic teaching of the Church is not regarded as an abstract, purely theoretical knowledge. The Church does not theologise for the sake of theology itself, it does not create doctrinal systems for the sake of the systems themselves. “Christian theology, in the final analysis, is always only a means, only a certain body of knowledge that must serve an end that transcends all knowledge. This ultimate goal is union with God or deification, which the Eastern Fathers speak of” (Lossky V. Mystical Theology, p. 10).

At the same time, the right faith presupposes the dual unity of man's dogmatic consciousness and his spiritual life. True dogma is always ascetic and is born after. true spiritual feat, elevating to the heights of the knowledge of God. In turn, asceticism is dogmatic, that is, it is built in accordance with the theological experience of the Church, dogmatically expressed by St. secret spectators. The slightest damage to one of the aspects of this dual unity is inevitably reflected in the other. A false dogmatic attitude, if strictly followed, leads to distortions in the field of spiritual life. False, lovely spiritual experience becomes a source of false theological conclusions.

Thus, according to its purpose, D. b. is a sign system that gives a person the right perspective on the path to salvation, understood in Orthodoxy. traditions as deification. The most important characteristic of the D. b. is its soteriological orientation. D. b. It is built on a priori accepted divinely revealed truths, dogmas. However, the set of dogmas is not given in Revelation in the form of a specific list of theses. Therefore, the primary task of D. b. is to identify the actual dogmas from the many contained in the Holy. Scripture and St. Traditions of non-dogmatic (spiritual-moral, liturgical, church-historical, canonical, etc.) provisions, then interpret them in the spirit of an uninterrupted church tradition, and, finally, point out their soteriological significance.

In terms of their content, the dogmas are unchanged - in the process of church history, only changes in their terminological expression and clarification took place in accordance with the change in rational assimilation and the nature of the heresy that arose, which necessitated an answer. Therefore, for D. b. it is important to show the historical context in which the dogmas were comprehended and formulated in the language of concepts (see Art.).

D. b. was formed on the basis of the Creed, a more or less complete and detailed interpretation of which is the majority of ancient dogmatic-systematic works. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. first to Protestant. and Catholic, and then in the Orthodox. In theological science, dogma acquired a clear structure and began to be built in accordance with 2 main sections: “About God in Himself” (De Deo ad intra) and “About God outside” (De Deo ad extra), each of which was divided into subsections containing the respective chapters. The section "About God in Himself" was divided into 2 subsections: "About One God in Essence" and "About God Trinity in Persons". The section “About God Outside” included subsections: “About God the Creator”, “About God the Provider”, “About God the Savior”, “About God the Sanctifier”, “About God the Judge and the Giver”. Despite the adjustments made to this scheme by some dogmatists, on the whole it was generally accepted in Orthodoxy. D. b. XVIII - beginning. 20th century The exception was attempts at a conceptual presentation of dogmas, when the principle of systematization was not a definite structure for constructing dogmatics, but c.-l. a dogmatic idea taken as a key one, e.g. the idea of ​​the Kingdom of God in the dogmatic-apologetic lectures of archbishop. Innokenty (Borisov), the idea of ​​God's love in prof. A. D. Belyaeva, the idea of ​​the Sacrifice of Christ as an expression of His love in Fr. Pavel Svetlov.

D.'s relation. to other theological sciences

D. b. is inextricably linked with other church-scientific disciplines. Exegesis, Church history, patronology, and liturgics, based on the dogmatic consciousness of the Church, help in identifying the sources of D. b. and contribute to their correct interpretation. Asceticism, pastoral theology, moral theology, church law point to the practical application of the justified D. b. truths and their vitality. Comparative (accusatory) theology and, considering the dogma of the Orthodox. Churches in comparison, on the one hand, with non-Orthodox doctrine and, on the other hand, with non-Christ. worldviews, rely on D. b. and at the same time give him material for a more detailed understanding and interpretation of the dogmas. Besides, in D. b. individual achievements of secular sciences, especially philosophy, are also used. the terms and concepts of which found their application in Christ. theology.

Systematization of Christian doctrine in the ancient Church. Historical overview

Attempts at a systematic exposition and interpretation of divinely revealed dogmas were made already in the first centuries of church history. Elements of systematization are present in the writings of the early Christs. teachers - schmch. Justin the Philosopher, Athenagoras, schmch. Irenaeus of Lyon, St. Theophilus of Antioch, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and others.

The first systematic exposition of Christ. creed was op. Origen (late II-III centuries) "De principiis" (On the beginnings), in which he points to the sources of the Church's doctrine - Priest. Scripture and Holy Tradition, and then the main dogmas are sequentially considered - about the Presv. Trinity, about rational creaturely beings, their primitive state and fall, about the incarnation of God the Word, about the actions of the Holy Spirit, about the resurrection of the dead and the final Judgment. In the presentation of Christ. Origen did not avoid a number of significant mistakes: the recognition of the preexistence of souls and the inevitable final restoration of all rational beings, including the devil, to their original sinless state.

The next in time (4th century) systematic exposition of the doctrine of the Church are the "Catecheses" (Teachings of the catechumens) and "Catecheses mystagogycae quinque" (Teachings of the mysteries) of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. "Teachings of the catechumens" is a dogmatic interpretation of the creed of the Jerusalem Church addressed to the catechumens; the doctrine of the main sacraments of the Church - Baptism, Chrismation and the Eucharist. However, this work is more catechetical than dogmatic-theological. "Oratio catechetica magna" (Great catechetical oration) of St. Gregory of Nyssa is of great value in this respect. This presentation of the main Christ. dogmas are characterized by theological depth and philosophical persuasiveness. "Expositio rectae confessionis" (Exposition of divine dogmas) Theodoret of Cyrus (4th-5th centuries) clearly and concisely conveys the church teaching about the Pres. Trinity and Divine Names, then sequentially examines the entire history of God's economy - from the Creation of the world to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

In Zap. Churches the first experiences of a systematic exposition of Christ. creeds were undertaken by Blessed. Augustine (IV-V centuries) in the works "Enchiridion" (Guide to Lawrence, or On Faith, Hope and Love), "De doctrina christiana" (On Christian Doctrine), "De civitate Dei" (On the City of God). The treatises “De ecclesiasticis dogmatibus” (On church dogmas) by Gennady of Marseilles (5th century) and “De fide” (On faith, or On the rule of faith) by Fulgentius Ruspiysky (V-VI centuries) are also systematic.

All R. 8th century a voluminous work appeared prp. John of Damascus "Expositio fidei orthodoxa" (Exact statement of the Orthodox faith), which is a synthesis of patristic theology on key dogmatic issues. He is distinguished by harmony and consistency in the presentation of doctrinal truths, the accuracy of wording and the utmost fidelity of the Holy. Scripture and Holy Tradition. "Exact presentation" was in the Orthodox. Church the main dogmatic leadership (up to the New Age) and had on the development of Orthodoxy. theology significant influence. All later (XII-XV centuries) Byzantium. systematic expositions of church doctrine are inferior in depth to the work of St. John of Damascus and are of a compilation nature. These include: "Panoplia Dogmatica" (Dogmatic Full Armor of the Orthodox Faith) mon. Euphemia Zygaben, Thesaurus Orthodoxae Fidei (Treasury of Orthodoxy) by Nikita Choniates, Dialogus adversus omnes haereses (Dialogues of church bishops against atheists, pagans, Jews and all heresies about the one faith of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ) archbishop. Simeon of Thessaloniki.

History of D. b. in the Roman Catholic Church

In the ninth century in Zap. Churches (chiefly in discussions about Adoption, predestination, the Eucharist) a scholastic trend in theology began to take shape (, Raban Moor, Paschasius Radbert, Prudentius, Remigius, John Scotus Eriugena, Reims, Ratramn from Corby, etc.), which in the 11th century was developed in the works of Berengar of Tours, Lanfranc of Bek and others and finally, as a special method, formalized by Anselm of Canterbury and P. Abelard. In the XII century. the scholastic method was developed by Gilbert of Porretan, partly by Hugh of Saint-Victor, William of Champeaux. A distinctive feature of the theology of the scholastics was the desire for the conceptualization of dogmas and their detailed analysis using the categories of rational thinking. Extracted from revealed sources, the dogma was first affirmed as an initial thesis, then subjected to critical evaluation, so that in the end, through a reasonable interpretation, its new theological “discovery” was made. A logical connection was established between the various dogmas, uniting them into a formally consistent system. This approach involved the identification of the implicit truths of faith, which, being revealed through the intellect, received the name of theological conclusions. Thus, theology began to be perceived no longer as an experimental knowledge of God, the fruit of spiritual contemplation, but as one of the scientific disciplines, although the first in a number of others (see: Meyendorf. 2005. P. 107-112), - in this sense the word "theology" began to be used starting with Abelard.

In the formation of the Catholic D. b. The first important result of the scholastic method was Op. "Quatuor libri sententiarum" (Four books of maxims) by Peter Lombard (XII century), which is a clearly ordered presentation of the main themes of Christ. doctrines from the doctrine of God to the doctrine of the end of the world. Initially, a number of theological conclusions of Peter Lombard were sharply criticized, but at the IV Lateran Council (1215) they were completely freed from suspicion of heresy, his "Sentences" became the main textbook on theology in the Catholic. fur boots up to the Reformation.

The highest flourishing of scholasticism reached in the XIII - early. 14th century This was facilitated by 2 factors - the appearance of high fur boots and the revival in the West. Europe of interest in the philosophy of Aristotle. All R. 13th century a new form of scientific and theological systematization arose - summa theologiae. The main center of scholastic theology was the University of Paris. The most significant theologians of this period were representatives of the 2 largest monastic orders, Franciscan and Dominican. Franciscan theologians (and others) gravitated towards Ch. arr. to the traditional for the early medieval. app. theology to Platonic-Augustinian concepts. Dominicans (, Thomas Aquinas) - to the newly discovered Aristotelianism. The name of Thomas Aquinas is associated with a new direction in the west. theology - "Thomism"; a number of Thomistic theological developments received in the Catholic. Church dogmatic status. A peculiar synthesis of Augustinianism and Aristotelianism was created by the Franciscan John Duns Scotus.

All R. 14th century in university theology, the dominant direction was based on the philosophical concept of nominalism (William Ockham, Pierre d "Hailly, etc.). The most influential theologian was Ockham, who abandoned the principle of justifying faith through reason and thereby subjected to a radical reassessment of the foundations of previous scholastic systems. In addition In addition, Ockham revived the discussion on one of the key problems of Western theology - the question of the relationship between free will and grace, emphasizing the essential need for human merit for salvation. In response to Occamism, a number of theologians turned to strict Augustinianism. The most famous of them is Thomas Bradwardine, who in his polemical treatise "De Causa Dei contra Pelagium" (On the Divine Cause, against Pelagius) defended the absolute sovereignty of God, and, consequently, the idea of ​​predestination. Occam's soteriology, recognized in the Catholic Church by semi-Pelagianism, reached its logical conclusion in the works of G. Biel (XV century).

The late Middle Ages became the time of development in the West. Churches of the mystical current (Meister Eckhart, G. Suso, I. Tauler, J. van Ruysbroek, etc.), which arose as a reaction to the extreme rationalism of scholasticism and gave impetus to the theological movement, which was called the “new piety” (devotio moderna; G., Thomas a Kempis, J. and others).

Despite criticism from various quarters, Thomistic theology did not completely lose its position either in the late Middle Ages or in the Renaissance. On the eve of the Reformation, it was represented by a number of theologians (Anthony of Florence, Peter from Bergamo, Konrad Köllin), the most authoritative of which was Italian. Dominican Foma de Vio, known as card. Cajetan (XVI century).

The impetus for the development of the Roman Catholic. dogmatism was given by the Reformation. Individual theologians saw the reasons for the intellectual crisis that befell the Catholics. The Church, in the dominance of scholasticism and, starting from it, tried to create a new scientific and theological method, which would be built not on a rational-philosophical, but on an exegetical and church-historical basis (M. Cano, I. Maldonat). However, the dominant in the Catholic. theology XVI - 1st floor. 17th century became a contraverse direction, which saw its task in the exact formulation of Rome. doctrine as opposed to the new Protestant. teachings (I. Eck, I. Emser, I. Kohleus, K., I. Ditenberger, A. Pigge, G. Witzel, I. Fabry, P. Canisius, card. Gasparo Contarini, J. Seripando and others). The presentation of the dogmas here was of a polemical nature, the emphasis was on the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. Within the framework of this approach, the Catholic the doctrine was determined at the Council of Trent (1545-1563). Kard is recognized as the largest representative of contraverse theology. Robert, who wrote the voluminous Op. "Disputationes de controversiis fidei christianae adversus hujus temporis haereticos" (Discourses on controversial issues of the Christian faith, against the heretics of our time). However, in the same period in the Catholic. In the Church there was a pleiad of theologians, predominantly Spanish, who strove for a positive disclosure of dogmas and, in doing so, were guided by the classical scholastic systems. This current received the name of the second scholasticism (D. Banez, L. Molina, F. Suarez, G. Vazquez, and others).

All R. 17th century Dionysius Petavius ​​made a new attempt to overcome scholastic methods in theology. His Op. "De theologicis dogmatibus" (On dogmatic theology) contains 10 treatises: on God and His attributes; about the Trinity; about angels; about the creation of the world; about the Incarnation; about the sacraments; about laws; about grace; about faith, hope, love and other virtues; about sin, - which are united in 2 main sections - "About God in Himself" and "About God in His actions." To substantiate dogmas, Dionysius uses not abstract rational arguments, but the authority of St. Scriptures and Holy Traditions. Initially, the dogmatic method of Dionysius found only a few. weak imitators (A. Natalis and others), while the majority of Catholics. theologians still adhered to the traditions. scholastic approach (C. Frassen, J. B. Gonet, card. Ludovico Vincenzo Gotti and others). However, at the beginning 18th century "De theologicis dogmatibus" begins to attract close attention from a wide range of Catholics. dogmatists and influence them.

In the XVIII century. Catholic D. b. finally stands out as a special scientific and theological discipline (in Dionysius it is not yet separated from moral theology). Dogmatic systems are now being built in accordance with a clearly developed thematic structure on the basis of the biblical-exegetical and church-historical method, which involves referring to the primary sources of dogma - the Holy. Scripture, ancient creeds and conciliar decisions, patristics, definitions of church teaching. The presentation of the material itself is no longer so much dialectical as confessional-apologetic. Disclosure of doctrinal provisions does not begin with a question, as in scholasticism, but with an exact dogmatic formulation, taken as a fundamental thesis; then various authoritative confirmations are given to substantiate the thesis, and finally a theological conclusion is made. In accordance with this method, the dogmatic works of F. A. Gervaise, C. Vista, B. Stattler, and others were written.

In the 19th century a number of Catholic theologians refuse to use the Aristotelian-Thomistic categories and attempt to reveal Christ. creeds based on the philosophical currents of the New Age (K. F. Zimmer, F. K., A., G., G. Klee, F. von Brenner, F. K. Deeringer, F. A. Shtaudenmayer, etc.). This direction, which received the name "liberal theology", turned out to be in conflict with the official. the position of the See of Rome in the person of Popes Pius IX and Leo XIII, who in their conservative doctrinal policy relied on the theology of the ultramontanists who adhered to the neoscholastic direction (J. Perrone, F. J. Clemens, B. Jungman, etc.). In 1879, Pope Leo XIII, with the encyclical "Aeterni patris", proclaimed Thomism of the official. the Catholic system. theology and ordered to build education on its basis.

In the 1st floor. 20th century Catholic theology developed under the sign of the opposition of church teaching to new ideological trends, primarily to a major trend, which was called "Catholic modernism". Representatives of modernism (A. F. Loisy, E. Leroy, M. and others), based, on the one hand, on the developments of the Protestant. biblical criticism, and with others - from new natural science concepts, took the position of anti-dogmatism and anthropocentrism. In response, the Vatican continued to defend and consolidate the Catholic. doctrine approved by the Council of Trent and the Vatican Council I. The result of this policy was a new Roman Catholic. the dogma of the taking of the Virgin Mary into Heavenly Glory with soul and body, proclaimed by Pope Pius XII in the apostolic constitution "Munificentissimus Deus" (1950), which was based on the Mariological developments of M. Zhyuzhi. In general, the 20th century is marked in the Catholic. D. b. the search for new approaches in the interpretation and disclosure of dogmas (the so-called new theology in the works of K. Adam, E. Krebs, E. Pshivara, M. Schmaus, A. de Lubak, cards. Yves Congar, M. D. Chenu, J . , K. Rahner, H. W. von Balthasar and others). Adam, relying on historical and theological research, tried to bring dogma closer to the personal experience of experiencing God, interpreting it in accordance with the modern. trends in philosophy, psychology, phenomenology of religion. Rahner built his theological concept on the basis of the so-called. open, or theocentric, anthropology. De Lubac, card. Yves Congar, Danielou, von Balthazar in their developments resorted to the creative use of Eastern patristic ideas. A number of provisions developed by representatives of the "new theology" formed the basis for the decisions of the Vatican II Council.

Protestant D. b.

Initially, Protestantism, which proclaimed the principle of sola Scriptura, was characterized by a sharply critical attitude towards the total systematization of theology, characteristic of the Middle Ages. Catholicism. The early Protestants countered the dialectical sophistication of scholasticism with deliberate simplicity and conciseness in the presentation of their own teaching. Biblical Revelation, according to their approach, is not subject to rationalization, it must be reverently experienced by the heart. This is the nature of the first Protestant. summarizing theological op. "Loci communes theologici" (1521), written by F. Melanchthon. In his opinion, for the perception of the truths of St. The Scriptures are to be guided by spiritual experience alone (judicio spiritus) and avoid judgments of reason (judicio rationes).

However, the process of fragmentation that began in the reform movement was moved by the Protestant. theologians to greater dogmatic precision. Various currents of Protestantism in accordance with the specifics of their own interpretation of the Holy. The scriptures gradually took shape in special denominations, the basis of which became the so-called. symbolic books - detailed confessions of faith or catechisms that fulfill their role. But soon there was a need for a theological clarification of the provisions contained in the symbolic books themselves, which prompted the Protestant. theologians to the creation of voluminous works of a dogmatic nature, in which the doctrine they professed was substantiated and consolidated in ever more rigorous forms.

This trend was manifested in the 2nd (1535) and especially in the 3rd (1543) editions of Melanchthon's Loci communes theologici, in which the element of rationalization and systematization was significantly strengthened. All major Lutherans. theologians 2nd floor. 16th century (W. Striegel, N. Zelnecker, A. Chemnitz) were already confidently following the path outlined by Melanchthon. In the 17th century process of dogmatization of the teachings of the Reformation ended in the Protestant. orthodoxy, whose representatives, on the basis of formulations taken from symbolic books and accepted as doctrinal premises, with the help of scholastic methodology, built detailed dogmatic systems. The most significant of them are Compendium locorum theologicorum (1610) by L. Hutter, 20-volume Op. "Loci theologici" (Jena, 1610-1622) by I. Gerhard, "Theologia didactico-polemica" (1685) by I. A. Quenstedt, "Institutiones theologicae dogmaticae" (1723) by I. Buddey.

Reformed dialectic, the first experience of which is the work of J. Calvin "Institutio christianae religionis", as a whole developed in the same direction. The most prominent Reformed dogmatists of the 16th century were T., R. Heerbout, F. Turretini; their dogmatic systems represent the characteristic patterns of the Protestant. scholastics.

In con. XVII - beginning. 18th century a reaction to the extreme rationalism of the orthodox trend was pietism, whose ideologists (F. Ya. Shpener, A. G. Franke) called for a return to the sources of the gospel faith, as they understood it, and focused on religion. feeling, personal piety, contemplative perception of the Holy. Scriptures. The pietists did not create any works that could be attributed directly to the area of ​​​​D. theology.

In con. 18th century dominant direction in the Protestant. theology becomes rationalism. In accordance with the spirit of the era, theologians of this trend (W. A. ​​Teller, E. L. T. Henke, J. K. R. Eckermann) considered the individual human mind as the highest criterion in evaluating and revealing biblical truths. Christ was perceived by them only as the greatest of the teachers of mankind, Christianity was reduced to the level of natural religion. Rationalism was criticized by representatives of the so-called. supranaturalistic direction (S. F. N. Morus, G. K. Storr), who defended the supernatural beginning of Christ. faith and the suprarational character of Christ. creeds. However, among the Protestant theologians of the 1st floor. 19th century there were also supporters of a compromise between these currents, who believed that the supernatural truths of faith do not contradict the human mind and, moreover, can be derived from it (F. W. F. von Ammon, K. G. Bretschneider).

In the XIX - early. 20th century Protestantism was dominated by liberal theology, the characteristic features of which are non-confessional interpretation of the dogma, its rethinking in the spirit of German. classical philosophy (I. Kant, J. G. Fichte, F. W. J. Schelling, G. W. F. Hegel, F. Jacobi, L. Feuerbach), adogmatism, moralizing, scientific explanation of supernatural biblical facts, criticism of the historical Christianity, etc. Within the framework of this trend, a tradition of biblical criticism was formed (the New Tübingen theological school). The founder of liberal theology is considered to be F. Schleiermacher, who systematically expounded his views in the book. "Christian Faith" (1821). Such diverse theologians as K., F.K. , K. E. Luthardt), representatives of which professed strict confessionalism and adhered to dogmatic accuracy. The most significant reformed dogmatists of the same time were A. Ebrard, A. Schweitzer. In addition, a number of major Lutherans. it is quite difficult to correlate dogmatists with k.-l. direction or school (I. A. V. Neander, D. Schenkel, H. Kremer, I. Kh., A. Koehler, etc.).

All R. 20th century dominance in the Protestant. theology took the so-called. neo-orthodoxy, which, however, did not represent a single theological trend; rather, it was a tendency inherent in a number of major theologians who belonged to various Protestants. confessions. All of them were united by the rejection not only of liberal theology with its historical-critical method, but also of scholasticism. A peculiar manifesto of neo-orthodox Protestantism is considered to be the book of the doorman. Reformed K. Barth "The Epistle to the Romans" (1919). The principles of neo-orthodoxy were shared to one degree or another by F., E. Tourneysen, Ch. Kh., E. K. Hoskins, A. T. S. Nyugren, G. E., R. and others. The tradition is also associated with this direction. Protestant. existentialism (Bultman, P. Tillich), based on the ideas of S. Kierkegaard, M. Heidegger and others.

From Protestant. dogmatic writings of the 20th century. the most famous are the 13-volume "Church Dogmatics" by Barth, "Systematic Theology" by Tillich, "Dogmatics" by Brunner, "Systematic Theology" by L. Berkoff, as well as the works of W. Pannenberg, J. Moltmann, O. Weber, H. Tilike, D Blesh, A. Kuiper, G. Bavinck, G. K. Berkauwer, C. Hodge and others.

Orthodox D. b. new time

The formation of the Orthodox church science is connected with the foundation in 1631 of the Metropolitan. Peter (Grave) 1st in Orthodoxy. Church of the scientific and theological school in modern. meaning (since 1632 a collegium, since 1701 an academy). D. b. at that time it was not yet singled out as a special academic discipline and until 1711 it was taught by studying separate theological and polemical treatises written in lat. language based on the characteristic of the Catholic. dogmatic writings of the XV-XVI centuries. The scholastic method, in accordance with which the revealed truths were considered as abstract concepts, were divided into many particular provisions and subjected to detailed analysis using real and imaginary objections, and then confirmed by dialectical arguments. The most significant theologians of the Kiev-Mohyla school, along with Peter (Mohyla), were Met. Sylvester (Kossov), abbot. Isaiah (Kozlovsky), archbishop. Lazar (Baranovich), archim. Ioanniky (Galyatovsky). This period includes 2 courses of theology preserved in the manuscript: the 1st, compiled according to the “Sum of theology” by Thomas Aquinas, was taught in 1642-1656; The 2nd belongs to Ioasaf Krokovsky, who read it in 1693-1697.

In the XVIII century. method of teaching theology in Russian. Theological schools were changed in accordance with the nature of the new Protestant. and Catholic dogmatic systems. The first experience of this kind was lectures on theology by Archbishop. Feofan (Prokopovich), read by him at the Kyiv Academy (1711-1716). Dividing theology into dogmatic and moral, he laid the foundation for Orthodoxy. dogmatics as an independent ecclesiastical science. Based on his lectures, he created the 1st in Orthodoxy. Church system D. b. Finish her writing archbishop. Feofan did not have time - this was done by his successors, Archimandrites David (Nashchinsky), Nikodim (Pankratiev), Kassian (Lekhnitsky) and Metropolitan. Samuil (Mislavsky), after she was in the 2nd half. 18th century was adopted as the main guide at the Kyiv Academy; published by Mr. Samuil (Mislavsky) in 1782. Focused on the dogmatic writings of the Lutherans. Theologians of the 17th century, primarily on Gerhard's "Loci theologici", the dogmatic system of Feofan (Prokopovich) is divided into 2 parts - "About God in Himself" and "About God outside". In the 1st part, the doctrine of God is one in essence and threefold in Persons, in the 2nd - about God the Creator of the visible and invisible world and about the Providence of God, general (in relation to all creation) and particular (in relation to fallen man ). This structure of the division of dogmatics, despite the fact that some Orthodox. theologians (Archbishop Gideon (Vishnevsky), Bishop Kirill (Florinsky), Christopher (Charnoutsky) and others) still continued to follow the methodology of the 17th century; dogmatic science c con. XVIII and before the beginning. 20th century generally accepted. The closest successors of Archbishop. Theophan were archim. Joakinf (Karpinsky), archbishop. Sylvester (Lebedinsky), archbishop. George (Konissky), bishop. Theophylact (Gorsky) (his course of D. B. served as a teaching guide at the MDA in the last quarter of the 18th century) and Bishop. Irenaeus (Falkovsky) (in 1802 he published an abbreviated version of the dogmatic system of Feofan (Prokopovich) under the title "Theologiae christianae compendium", which served as a textbook in the early 19th century).

In the 2nd floor. 18th century Russian becomes the language of scientific theology for the first time. The first experience was the work of Met. Platon (Levshin) "Orthodox Teaching, or Abbreviated Christian Theology" (1765); written on the basis of lessons taught to the heir to the throne, bud. imp. Paul I, is distinguished by conciseness, clear language, and the absence of excessive formalism. The writings of archim. Macarius (Petrovich) "Churches of the Eastern Orthodox Teaching" (1763) and Hierom. Juvenaly (Medvedsky) "Christian theology" (1806) have an introductory, catechetical character and do not meet all the requirements of dogmatic-theological systematization.

In the 19th century the direction of development of D. b. in Russia it was determined by a number of officers. church documents (Synopsis of theological sciences (1812), Charter of academies and seminaries (1814), Rules for teaching seminary sciences (1838)), adopted with the aim of reforming the system of spiritual education. According to the requirements contained in them, D.'s teaching would be. should have been in Russian. language in accordance with a single plan, method and direction. As a result, several training courses (most of them remained in manuscript), the most significant of which are "Dogmatic Theology" by Prot. Peter Ternavsky (1838), "The dogmatic theology of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church, with the addition of a general introduction to the course of theological sciences" archbishop. Anthony (Amfiteatrova) (1848, had 7 reprints and for 20 years was a normative textbook on D. b. for seminaries), "A Guide to the Study of Christian Orthodox Dogmatic Theology" by Metropolitan. Macarius (Bulgakov) (1869). Along with these brief dogmatic manuals, in the same period, 3 voluminous systems of dogmatics appeared in Russia: “Orthodox-dogmatic theology” by Met. Macarius (Bulgakov) (5 volumes, published in 1849-1853), "Orthodox dogmatic theology" archbishop. Philaret (Gumilevsky) (2 vols., published in 1864) and "The Experience of Orthodox Dogmatic Theology with a Historical Exposition of Dogmas" by Bishop. Sylvester (Malevansky) (1878-1891).

"Orthodox dogmatic theology" by Met. Macarius became the 1st in Russian. theology as an attempt at scientific classification and mutual unification of accumulated dogmatic material (Glubokovsky, 2002, p. 7). It is distinguished by a clear structure, logical harmony and clarity of presentation. Met. Macarius is close to the orthodox or church-apologetic method of zap. dogmatic systems of the 17th century. As a thesis in Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, a brief formulation of the dogma is used, in most cases taken from Metr. Peter (Tombs) or "Epistle of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Church on the Orthodox Faith". Then the thesis is confirmed by biblical and patristic quotations and substantiated by arguments from reason.

The dogmatic system of the archbishop. Philaret (Gumilevsky) was built in accordance with the rational-philosophical method of Western Christ. dogmatists XIX century - in particular, the influence of the Catholic. dogmatic systems of G. Klee and F. von Brenner (Malinovsky N., prot. 1910, p. 124). “Written in a philosophical-critical spirit, [it] devotes much space to the apologetic-rational explanation and justification of dogmas” (Iustin (Popovich), 2006, p. 57). However, the archbishop Filaret, there is a desire for historical coverage of dogmas.

Ep. Sylvester (Malevansky) was entirely guided by the historical dogmatic method, preference for which was given in the new "Charter of the Theological Academies" (1869). He traced how dogmas, being in their inner content the unchanging divinely revealed truths, from the formal side develop and are refined in a historical perspective.

In the beginning. 20th century a 4-volume "Orthodox Dogmatic Theology" by Prot. Nikolai Malinovsky (1910); the work did not bring anything essentially new to the development of Russian. dogmatic science, since it was focused on dogmatic systems already existing in Russia and was of a compiling nature.

Separate dogmatic themes were developed by Met. Anthony (Khrapovitsky), archbishop. (later Patriarch) Sergius (Stragorodsky), archim. (later archbishop) Hilarion (Troitsky), prof. A. I. Vvedensky, prot. Pavel Svetlov, prot. John Orfanitsky, P. P. Ponomarev, A. D. Belyaev, M. M. Tareev, A. I. Chekanovsky, D. V. Znamensky, A. M. Tuberovsky, N. V. Petrov, V. I. Ekzemplyarsky , B. M. Melioransky, V. I. Nesmelov and others.

In the XX century. in Russian theology. emigration in the coverage of dogmatic issues dominated by the conceptual approach. Prot. Sergius considered church dogmas in connection with the religious and philosophical idea of ​​Sophia. Prot. Nicholas, as a starting point for his theological developments, used the principles of the so-called. Eucharistic ecclesiology. Prot. Georgy Florovsky, archpriest. John Meyendorff, V. N. Lossky called for a creative revival of patristic dogmatic consciousness. P. N. Evdokimov, Prot. Boris Bobrinsky, S. S. Verkhovskoy and others.

In Russia since the 50-60s. 20th century D. b. began to revive thanks to the work of Fr. Liveria Voronova, prot. Petr Gnedich, V. D. Sarychev and others.

In Greece, Serbia, Romania, dogma as a scientific and theological tradition began to take shape only at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. From the Greek The most famous dogmatists are Z. Rosis, H. Andrutsos, K. Diovuniotis, I. Karmyris, P. Trembelas. In the Serbian Church at the beginning. 20th century the dogmatic manuals of Fr. Savva Teodorovich, L. Raich, archpriest. Milos Andjelkovich, prot. S. M. Veselinovich; in present time of general recognition in Orthodoxy. world received a 3-volume "Dogmatics of the Orthodox Church" archim. Justin (Popovich). The largest Romanian 20th century theologian is prot. Dumitru Staniloae, author of the dogmatic collections "Orthodox Christian Teaching" (1952) and "Textbook of Dogmatic and Symbolic Theology" (1958).

Lit .: Anthony (Amphitheaters), archbishop. Dogmatic theology of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church, with the addition of a general introduction to the course of theological sciences. St. Petersburg, 18628; Filaret (Gumilevsky), archbishop. Orthodox dogmatic theology. Chernigov, 1864. Ch. 1-2; he is. Review; Macarius (Bulgakov), Met. Orthodox dogmatic theology. SPb., 1868; he is. A Guide to the Study of Christian Orthodox Dogmatic Theology. M., 1898; Belyaev A.D. Divine Love: The Experience of Revealing the Most Important Christs. dogmas from the beginning of Divine love. M., 1880; he is. Dogmatic theology // PBE. 1903. T. 4. S. 1126-1150; Vvedensky A. I. Comparative evaluation of the dogmatic systems of Metropolitan. Macarius (Bulgakov) and Bishop. Sylvester (Malevansky) // CHOLDP. 1886. Prince. 2/4. pp. 127-352; he is. To the question of the methodological reform of the Orthodox. dogmatists // BV. 1904. No. 6. S. 179-208; Sylvester (Malevansky), bishop. Theology. 1892. T. 1. S. 1-172; Hall F. J. Introduction to Dogmatic Theology. N.Y., 1907; Malinovsky N.P., prot. Orthodox dogmatic theology. Serg. P., 1910. T. 1; he is. An essay on Orthodox dogmatic theology. Serg. P., 1912; Hilarion (Troitsky), archbishop. Remarks, amendments and additions to "Orthodox dogmatic theology" by Fr. N. P. Malinovsky. Serg. P., 1914; he is. Theology and freedom of the Church: (On the tasks of the liberation war in the field of theology) // BV. 1915. No. 3. S. 98-134; Florovsky. Ways of Russian theology; Congar Y. A History of Theology. Garden City (N. Y.), 1968; Lossky V. Mystical theology. 1991; he is. dogmatic theology. 1991; McGrath A. Theological thought of the Reformation: Per. from English. Od., 1994; Muller D. T. Christian dogmatics: Per. from English. Duncanville, (Tech.), 1998; Felmi K. H. Introduction to modern Orthodox theology: Per. with him. M., 1999; Lortz J. History of the Church, considered in connection with the history of ideas: Per. with him. M., 2000. T. 1-2; Meyendorff I., Protopres. Byzantine theology: Per. from English. Minsk, 2001; he is. Rome, Constantinople, Moscow: East. and the theologian research M., 2005; Glubokovsky. 2002. S. 6-19; Lisovoy N. N. Review of the main directions of Russian theology. academic science in the XIX - beg. XX century // BT. 2002. Sat. 37. S. 6-127; Gnedich P., prot. The dogma of redemption in Russian theology. science of the last 50th anniversary (1st half of the XX century) // Ibid. pp. 128-151; Vasily (Krivoshein), archbishop. Symbolic texts in the Orthodox Church. Kaluga, 2003; Justin (Popovich), St. Sobr. creations. M., 2006. T. 2: Dogma Pravosl. Churches.

Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Introduction

Before embarking on a course in dogmatic theology, it is useful to ask the question: what is theology? How do Holy Scripture and the Fathers of the Church understand the essence and purpose of theology?

The words "theologian", "theology", "to theologize" - are they found in the text of Holy Scripture? - Not. A remarkable fact: on the one hand, we are talking about the fact that the source of our dogma is Holy Scripture, and at the same time, these terms themselves - “theologian”, “theology”, “to theologize” - are not found either in the Old Testament or in the Testament New.

The term "theology" itself is an ancient Greek term, the Greeks called theologians those who taught about the gods.

In Christianity, there are two possible interpretations of the term "theology". First, theology can be understood as the word of God about Himself, as well as about the world He created. In this case, theology turns out to be identical in content to Divine Revelation. The second, more common, meaning of this word is the teaching of the Church or some particular theologian about God. In essence, such a teaching is nothing more than evidence of the comprehension by one or another author of the Divine Revelation.

In the ancient Church, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity was actually called theology. The remaining parts of the doctrine (about the creation of the world, about the incarnation of God the Word, about salvation, about the Church, about the Second Coming, etc.) belonged to the area of ​​Divine economy or Divine economy (οίκονομία) in Greek. - the art of managing the house; οίκος - house, νόμος - law), that is, the activities of God in creation, Providence and salvation of the world.

Today, theology is understood as the totality of religious sciences, among which there are basic, comparative moral, pastoral, but theology in the proper sense of the word is dogmatic theology.

A few words about the very term "theologian". How honorable the title of “theologian” was in ancient times is shown by the fact that among the host of saints of the Orthodox Church, only three saints of God were awarded this high title. Firstly, this is John the Theologian, the author of the fourth Gospel, who laid the foundations for the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and was the link that connects Divine Revelation with patristic theology. Secondly, this is St. Gregory the Theologian, who defended the Orthodox doctrine of the Holy Trinity during the fierce trinitarian disputes of the 4th century and sang the Holy Trinity in his poetic works. And, finally, Simeon the New Theologian, an ascetic who lived at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries, who, on the basis of personal experience sang in his "Divine hymns" the union of man with the Triune Deity.

Thus, there are not too many theologians in theology. The very word "theology" in the Christian lexicon does not appear immediately. Even the apostolic men and apologists of the second century were wary of it, because it reminded them of the philosophical speculations of pagan thinkers. The first to introduce the word "theology" into the Christian lexicon was Athenagoras of Athens, an apologist of the second half of the 2nd century. With this term he designated the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. This word was finally fixed in the Christian dictionary a little later, mainly due to the Alexandrian theological school, such representatives as Clement of Alexandria and, in particular, Origen (1, 1).

However, the holy fathers, using the term "theology", often used it in a sense that is markedly different from the one in which we understand it today. For example, Evagrius of Pontus, an author of the 4th century, writes: “If you are a theologian, then you will pray truly, but if you truly pray, then you are a theologian.”

Saint Diadochus of Photiki (5th century) said that theology “gives the soul the greatest of gifts, uniting it with God with an indestructible union.”

In some of the holy fathers one can find real hymns to theology, for example, Peter of Damascus calls theology the highest of the eight degrees of spiritual contemplation, the eschatological reality of the future age, which allows us to emerge from ourselves in ecstatic rapture.

Thus, for the holy fathers, theology means something more than it means for us. Although the holy fathers were not alien to the modern understanding of this word, that is, understanding under theology of a systematic exposition of Christian doctrine using the abilities of the human mind, since the mind is a gift of God and should not be denied, but such an understanding was secondary.

First of all, theology was understood as a vision of God the Trinity, which implies not only the work of the human mind, but also the full participation of the human person. Therefore, it must include both the ability of intuitive spiritual comprehension, what in patristic language is called the Greek word "νοΰς" ("mind"), and the participation of the human heart (καρδία), naturally, in the biblical and patristic, and not in the anatomical sense of this the words. It can be said that among the holy fathers, “theology” (θεολογία) is practically a synonym for the word “theory” (θεωρία), contemplation, which implies direct communication with the living God, and, therefore, an inseparable connection with prayer.

Another essential aspect of the patristic teaching on theology is that theology must necessarily be an integral part of man's total service to God. Genuine theology is not speculative schemes and textbooks, genuine theology is always alive, therefore it is always liturgical, mystical, doxological.

“This is a gift from God, the fruit of the inner purity of the spiritual life of a Christian. Theology is identified with the vision of God, with the direct vision of the personal God, the personal experience of the transfiguration of the creature by uncreated grace. Theology is not a theory of the world, a metaphysical system, but the expression and formulation of the experience of the Church, not an intellectual discipline, but experiential communion, communion” (cited in ).

Although the word “theology” does not appear in Holy Scripture, we can nevertheless find many passages in the Bible that speak of the nature of theology. Let us dwell on five biblical texts that allow us to partially understand what the essence of theology is.

1. In. 1:18: “No one has ever seen God; The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed.

UDC 27-284(075.8)

Russian Orthodox Church IS 12-217-1541

Editor-in-Chief Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov

Scientific review and text preparation

Archpriest Boris LevU.leliKO

Scientific rt: lactor P. Yu. MSHlKov

Worked on the book:

Deacon Pave Yermilov, A. S. Nebolsil

I. I. U. Litchev, A. R Foksh"

daVydnkovV O., "mouth.

D13 Dogmatic BOGOS, lOvie: Study Guide / Archpriest

Oleg Davydenkov. - M.: IZ, "l, - in PSTGU, 2013. - 622 p.

IS BN 978-5-7429-()768-8

Book I was prepared on the basis of a course of lectures by CHIPIVSHIKHS51 by the author at the Orthodox St. Tikhonor Theological Institute of St. George, and then at the Orthodox St. Tikhonovsky Humanitarian University

those for more than a spot for the past few years. Content

The training course offered to the attention of readers covers all the main sections of the dogmatic doctrine of the Orthodox Church.

Archpriest Oleg Davydenkov's book continues the tradition of Russian

classical dogmatic THOUGHT XIX __ about the beginning of xx HUNDRED years; at the same time, it also takes into account the most important results of the work of Orthodox theologians of the 20th century.

INTRODUCTION

Before proceeding to the study of the course of dogmatic

whom theology, it is useful to ask in () the question: what is theology? How did Holy Scripture and the Church Fathers understand the essence and purpose of theology?

It should be noted that the terms "theologian", "theology", "to theologize" themselves do not occur in the Sacred PIS(:lNII. Probably, the reason for this is that

the ancient Greek term "theology," (8. Such severity of the Holy Fathers is explained by the fact that the mistake

ki in theology can have very serious consequences.

holy Gregory the Theologian directly calls the false theologian

blasphemy against God, “but blasphemy is not theologizing, but

Alienation from God"4.

For this reason, St. Gregory warns those

who embarks on this unsafe path: "To be philosophic

not everyone can talk about God - yes! not to everyone. This is purchased

cheap and not creeping on the ground! I will add

more: \SOUTHERN philosophizing is not always, not .

Word 27, ! 1. (Next: John,." teacher LeSTl3ia.)

; Gregory the Theologian, St. Word 34, to those who came from Egypt / /

Gregory B (goslov), St. Collection of creations. vol. 1, p. 497.

Introduction

us To this end, people who have tested themselves, who have spent their lives

contemplation, and above all purified, at least about

shayut, and the soul, and TeJIO. For the impure, maybe not

safe and touch the clean, as for weak eyesight

sunbeam" J.

Every theologian is called to join this I1UT sa

purification, the path of KC:ttarsis, for “the perfection of purity is

the beginning of theology. According to St. Gregory Bogoslo

to the theologian “it must be CKo; rbKO it is possible, pure, so that with

the light was acceptable...”3. What does this path include? P

ude ucero, of course, repentance, which means not only from

mind (the literal meaning of the Greek word !l["TC!,\1 but also the judgment of a person over himself, leading to a radical

personality renewal.

Rev. John of the Ladder teaches that “no repentance for

with God about the correction of life. Repentance could not

as Protestants believe, a single instantaneous act

Repentance is an ongoing process, it is both the starting point of our movement towards God, and something that should be

to act 11 people throughout the earthly life, which is not

leave until the last breath. A person who wants to become a God of God should strive to become like Sisoy, who, despite his obvious holiness for those around him, dying, said: “Truly, I don’t know about this

did I even lay a beginning" for yet51?

Theology is impossible even without what is in the Holy Fathers

literature is called the word, ~ asceticism "(aOXll01<;), т. е. неп

bench ascetic effort in the widest sense

this word. Engagement in theology

eventually become a theologian... - keep the commandments and

I Gregory Horosjlov, St. Word 27, against Evnomnan and about God, the first I.JI preliminary / / Gregory the Theologian, holy. sobra

TI:IOre~JII. T. 1. S. 386.

1 Joshlll, Rev. Jlestvitsa. S. 250. Word 30, 20.

) Gregory the Theologian, St. Word 28, on theology second / / Gr

riy the Theologian, St. Collection of creations. T. 1. S. 391.

I Joafl, Rev. Ladder. P. 70. Word 5, 1.

5 Ancient patericon, from; south according to GJfaBaM. M.,] 899. FROM.

Ch. 20, 6.

OUTSIDE

go out of command. For deeds, like steps, lead to

contemplation"" .

Finally, there can be no true theology without prayer. According to the teaching of the Church Fathers, theology and prayer are closely connected with each other. Genuine God

Words are always associated with prayer, glorification of God, the desire of a person to “become an anthem” to the glory of God.

St. Diadochus says that theology is "a certain fiery

by changing our mind illuminates and through this makes it a companion of ministering spirits... and in the souls of men... by arranging godly

songs, this divine bride-guide Jlnitsa sings loudly

majesty of God"2, and St. Isaac the Syrian instructs: "To the word

the sacraments contained in Divine Scripture, do not proceed without prayer and asking for help from God, but say: "give me, Lord, strength." Consider prayer as the key to true understanding

spoken in the Divine Scriptures.

It is obvious that the language of the Holy Fathers is very different from the language like a modern Christian. You can often hear how

a man who revealed his ignorance in matters of theology (after a remark was made to him), almost with pride

declares: "You know, I'm not a theologian", But the theologian is the one who is PRAYING. This thought Evagrius should warn Christ tian from such statements, for in reality they say in this way: “I do not pray and do not even strive

to that".

4, Hesychia. According to St. fathers cannot be GENUINE his theology without inner silence and silence of the heart.

In Ps. 45:11 says: Stop and know that I am God. The word "stop" in the Greek text of the psalm corresponds

oholsya "n; (plural imperative from the verb ohola ~ w). This verb was used in antiquity in various senses, among other

I Gregory the Theologian, St. Word 20, on the appointment of bishops and the dogma of the Holy Trinity / / Gregory BOGOSJIOV, removed. Collection creative

ny. T. 1. S. 305.

2 Diadoch Photikiuski, blessed. Movement word. 67 // Welcome

love. T. 3. S. 45.

3 Isaac Sirin, pr. Word 85 // Even in the saints of our father Abba Isaac the Syrian Ascetic Words. Moscow: Rule of Faith, 1993.

Introduction

why it could have meant "to spend time in conversations with

and philosophers, to be a listener and a student "".

Indeed, true theology is not a TOJIbKO conversation

God, but also listening to God, which presupposes the silence of St. Gregory the Theologian asks the question: “When is it possible [to engage in theology?” And he answers: “When we are our own

weary from external mud and rebellion ... For you really need

stop to understand God (Ps. 45:11 »> 2.

These kinds of thoughts \10gut seem unexpected

which is a theoretical occupation, something akin to philosophy,

hesychasm is associated with Christian mysticism, with

the highest peaks. But in reality, in the tradition of the Orthodox Eastern Church, the opposition

theology and mysticism never existed. Theology and mysticism are by no means opposed

on the contrary, () do not support and complement each other. First

impossible without the second: if mystical experience is a personality

manifestation of a common faith, then theology is a common dive

understanding of what can be experienced by everyone, Outside and

mud preserved by the whole Church, personal experience would be less

all certainty, all objectivity; it would be

a mixture of true and false, real and Ij) LUSOR, uh

would be ""v1TRUTH" In the bad C \ 1YSL ~ of this word, C friend

hand, the teaching of the Church would have no effect

on the soul of a person, if it somehow did not express inside

his experience of truth, given in a different "measure" to each in

tearing. So, there is no Christian mysticism without theology

what is more essential, there is no theology without mysticism.

But who among us has the courage to engage in theology

Or call yourself a theologian? Let's ask a question and

I Weisman A.D. Greek-Russian Dictionary. SPb., 1882. Kol. 121

1211. 2 Gregory the Theologian, St. Word 27, Against the Eunomians and O God

vii first or llpreliminary, noe // Gregory the Theologian, St. Assembled

creations. vol. 1. S. 386. .

3 Lossky V. N. Essay on the mystical boislonia of the EASTERN Tsevi / / Lossky V. N. Essay on the mystical god; Juvia of the Eastern Hierarchy

in and. dogmatic theology. M .: Center "SEI", 1991. S. 9-10. Cl.a.J

Lossky V. N. Outline of the MI,; theological theology of the Eastern Church.)

INTRODUCTION

gomu: can BOGOS;10vie be an academic discipline, pre

filed in alaka, emia and at the university? Is it possible at all arrange exams in theology, objectively assess the knowledge of students?

Indeed, this is not an idle question, because theology requires a great responsibility from a person

Metropolitan Callistus DIOK.Jli everyone who wants to be more

divides into three categories. The first is the saints, that is, those who have reached the fullness of personal experience of communion with God; this is

theologians in the true sense of the word. Relative to the second

those who do not have such fullness but trust the OllbITY of the saints.

Such people can also be good theologians, so

say second-level theologians. Finally, to the third

Vladyka Kallistos categorizes those who have no experience, and experience (; the saints do not trust. They are bad theologians

we, or, simply, I "OPOP5l, not theologians at all1.

And although MOST of us are far from holiness, nothing

does not prevent us from striving for sainthood and being theologians in the second sense of the word. We can trust saints and

testimonies about how they lived and how they taught.

What is the purpose of such a theology? Sts. fathers who

whom we consider our teachers in theology, usually

began to theologize not 110 of their own free will, but under the influence of external circumstances. Almost all St. fathers Orthodox Church- these are ascetics, software.iJ, vizhniki, in life

nye plans to (the second) usually did not include writing textbooks and scientific papers. At Sts. fathers even found the opinion that

that it is impossible to theologize on the heights of the spirit. According to Rev. Dial.oh, engage in proper theology

can only be skinny, when a person is inherent in "average measures

ness in spiritual arousal”2.

Archim. Sophronius (Sakharov) conveys the words prefi in this way.

I SM. : Callist DiOIClian, en. Theological education in Scripture and St. fathers. S. 151.

Metropolitan Callist notes that this classification of theologians does not belong to him personally, but to St. Gregory Palamas, however, does not give any reference to the works of Thessalon, the Ician saint.

2 Diadochus of Photiki, blessed. Movement word. 8 // kindness. T. 3. S. 11.

Introduction

Silouan of Athos, his teacher:,< Можно С увереннос­ тью сказать, что никто из святых не стал бы искать словесно­

expression of his spiritual experience and would forever remain

in silence... if he had not faced the task of teaching his neighbor; if love did not give rise to hope that at least someone, at least one DUTlla ... would hear the word and,

repentance, Сllasstsyu) 1.

In addition to the task of teaching others, there is another task,

which is even more relevant today,

only to teach another, to pass on your experience to him, but also to protect

tify the experience of the Church from various RO. · SH distortions.

As we can see, both of these tasks SHALL be practical.

Theology does not exist to multiply

state knowledge, but for solving very specific problems

life and the Church. According to V. N. Lossky, “Christian

godliness in the end is always only (; redemption, only

a certain body of knowledge that should serve that

goal, "but transcends all knowledge. This ultimate goal is

union with God, or deification, of which the

exact fathers.. .. Christian theory matters in the highest

practical... »2. The ultimate goal of GODDESS is not just the acquisition of some amount of knowledge about God (although, of course, one should not conclude from this that the acquisition

this knowledge is not necessary at all), but bringing a person

to living communion with God, to that fullness of vision where words

become OUTLETS I UNIMIS.

for those who are just beginning the study of theology,

All in all, there are many DIFFERENT misunderstandings and questions.

Naturally, these questions are necessary) (imo to remove, search for them

answers, because a double minded person

all their ways (James 1:8). However, it must be borne in mind that

ways of rational knowledge, theological questions never

not CMOI "YT be fully resolved. Fallen man (eternal)

the mind is arranged in such a way that no matter how much we answer

his questions, he will always put a re. "1, us but

new and new questions, demanding more and more from us

I Sofroniy (Sakharov), archim. CTapeu Silvanus. Paris, 1952. S. 82.

Lossky V. N. Essay on the theological theology of the Eastern Church

in and. P. 10.

INTRODUCTION

"clarifications" of our faith, all of its precise FORMULATIONS using

mud, thus leading us away from the true spiritual life

nor by turning it into a purely intellectual exercise.

Therefore, it would be appropriate to end the introductory chapter of the CJIO by you the Destroyer: I will see you again, and your heart will grow, and no one will find your joy in you; and in that day you will not ask Me for anything (John 16:22-23).

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

INTO DOGMATIC THEOLOGY

Article from the encyclopedia "Tree": site

Dogmatic theology (dogmatics)- a branch of theology aimed at revealing, substantiating and systematically expounding Christian dogmas

As an independent theological science and academic discipline, dogmatic theology arose in the 17th-18th centuries in the West as a result of the differentiation of theology, which took place in line with the general specialization of knowledge. At the same time, the term "dogmatic theology" itself arose. Since in various Christian denominations the volume of dogmas, their content and interpretation do not always coincide, appropriate epithets are used to indicate the confessional features of dogmatics, for example: Orthodox dogmatic theology, Catholic dogmatic theology, Lutheran dogmatic theology, etc. In Protestantism, dogmatic theology is often also referred to systematic theology. The main branches of dogmatic theology are triadology, anthropology, amartology, Christology, soteriology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, sacramentology, and eschatology.

History of Orthodox dogmatic theology

Unlike the Western Christian denominations, the Orthodox Church does not attach decisive dogmatic significance to the following doctrinal monuments of antiquity: the so-called. Apostolic Creed, Athanasian Creed and Creed of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, - preserving their historical significance.

The question of the sources of Orthodox dogmatic theology is connected with the problem of the so-called. symbolic books of the Orthodox Church, to which in Russian pre-revolutionary academic theology it was customary to include “The Orthodox Confession of Faith of the Eastern Catholic and Apostolic Church” (1662) and “The Epistle of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Church on the Orthodox Faith” (1723). However, according to Prof. N. N. Glubokovsky, "essentially, in Orthodoxy there are no" symbolic books "in the technical sense of the word. All talk about them is extremely conditional and corresponds only to Western religious schemes, in contradiction with the history and nature of Orthodoxy" . The emergence of these confessions refers to the period of the decline of Orthodox theology, when it "was forced to arm itself with Western scholastic theological weapons and ... this, in turn, led to a new and dangerous influence on Orthodox theology not only of theological terms that were not characteristic of it, but also of theological and spiritual ideas" (Vasily (Krivoshein). 2003, p. 46). Therefore, along with other confessions of faith and dogmatic decrees of the 16th and subsequent centuries, these texts cannot be considered as obligatory sources of Orthodox dogmatic theology, "as not having a general church character in their origin, as usually low in terms of theological thought, and often breaking away from patristic and liturgical tradition and as bearing traces of the formal and sometimes significant influence of Roman Catholic theology" (Vasily (Krivoshein). 2003, pp. 82-83).

Tasks, method and structure of Orthodox dogmatic theology

At the same time, the Orthodox faith presupposes the dual unity of man's dogmatic consciousness and his spiritual life. True dogma is always ascetic and is born after. true spiritual feat, elevating to the heights of the knowledge of God. In turn, asceticism is dogmatic, that is, it is built in accordance with the theological experience of the Church, dogmatically expressed by the holy seers. The slightest damage to one of the aspects of this dual unity is inevitably reflected in the other. A false dogmatic attitude, if strictly followed, leads to distortions in the field of spiritual life. False, lovely spiritual experience becomes a source of false theological conclusions.

Thus, according to its purpose, dogmatic theology is a sign system that gives a person the right perspective on the path to salvation, understood in the Orthodox tradition as deification. The most important characteristic of Orthodox dogmatic theology is its soteriological orientation. Dogmatic theology is built on a priori accepted divinely revealed truths, dogmas. However, the set of dogmas is not given in Revelation in the form of a specific list of theses. Therefore, the primary task of dogmatic theology is to identify the actual dogmas from the multitude contained in the Holy. Scripture and St. Traditions of non-dogmatic (spiritual-moral, liturgical, church-historical, canonical, etc.) provisions, then interpret them in the spirit of an uninterrupted church tradition, and, finally, point out their soteriological significance.

In terms of their content, the dogmas are unchanged - in the process of church history, only changes in their terminological expression and clarification took place in accordance with the change in rational assimilation and the nature of the heresy that arose, which necessitated a response. Therefore, for dogmatic theology, it is important to show the historical context in which dogmas were comprehended and formulated in the language of concepts.

Dogmatic theology was formed on the basis of the Creed, a more or less complete and detailed interpretation of which is the majority of ancient dogmatic-systematic writings. In the 17th-18th centuries, first in Protestant and Catholic, and then in Orthodox theological science, dogma acquired a clear structure and began to be built in accordance with two main sections: “On God in Himself” (De Deo ad intra) and “On God outside "(De Deo ad extra), each of which was divided into subsections containing the corresponding chapters. The section "About God in Himself" was divided into two subsections: "About One God in Essence" and "About God Trinity in Persons". The section "About God Outside" included the subsections: "About God the Creator", "About God the Provider", "About God the Savior", "About God the Sanctifier", "About God the Judge and the Giver". Despite the corrections made to this scheme by some dogmatists, on the whole it was generally accepted in Orthodox dogmatic theology of the 18th - early 17th century. century. The exception was attempts at a conceptual presentation of dogmas, when the principle of systematization was not a certain structure for constructing dogmatics, but some dogmatic idea taken as a key one, for example. the idea of ​​the Kingdom of God in the dogmatic-apologetic lectures of archbishop. Innokenty (Borisov), the idea of ​​God's love in prof. A. D. Belyaeva, the idea of ​​the Sacrifice of Christ as an expression of His love in Fr. Pavel Svetlov.

The relation of dogmatic theology to other theological sciences

Dogmatic theology is inextricably linked with other church-scientific disciplines. Exegesis, Church history, patrology, liturgics, based on the dogmatic consciousness of the Church, help in identifying the sources of dogmatic theology and contribute to their correct interpretation. Asceticism, pastoral theology, moral theology, homiletics, church law point to the practical application of the truths substantiated by dogmatic theology and their vitality. Comparative (accusatory) theology and apologetics, considering the doctrine of the Orthodox Church in comparison, on the one hand, with heterodox doctrine and, on the other hand, with non-Christian worldviews, are based on dogmatic theology and at the same time provide him with material for a more detailed understanding and interpretation of dogmas. In addition, individual achievements of secular sciences, especially philosophy, are used in dogmatic theology, many terms and concepts of which have found their application in Christian theology.

Systematization of Christian doctrine in the ancient Church

Attempts at a systematic exposition and interpretation of divinely revealed dogmas were made already in the first centuries of church history. Elements of systematization are present in the writings of early Christian teachers - schmch. Justin the Philosopher, Athenagoras, schmch. Irenaeus of Lyon, St. Theophilus of Antioch, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and others

The first systematic presentation of the Christian doctrine was the work of Origen (late II-III centuries) "De principiis" (On the principles), which indicates the sources of the doctrine of the Church - St. Scripture and Holy Tradition, and then the main dogmas are sequentially considered - about the Most Holy Trinity, about rational creaturely beings, their primitive state and fall, about the incarnation of God the Word, about the actions of the Holy Spirit, about the resurrection of the dead and the final Judgment. In expounding the Christian doctrine, Origen did not avoid a number of significant mistakes: the recognition of the preexistence of souls and the inevitable final restoration of all rational beings, including the devil, to their original sinless state.

The next in time (4th century) systematic exposition of the doctrine of the Church are "Catecheses" (Teachings catechumens) and "Catecheses mystagogycae quinque" (Teachings of the mysteries) of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. The catechumenical teachings are a dogmatic interpretation of the creed of the Jerusalem Church addressed to the catechumens. However, this work is more catechetical than dogmatic-theological. "Oratio catechetica magna" (Large catechetical) St. Gregory of Nyssa is of great value in this respect. This presentation of the main Christian dogmas is characterized by theological depth and philosophical persuasiveness. "Expositio rectae confessionis" (Exposition of divine dogmas) Theodoret of Cyrus (4th-5th centuries) clearly and concisely conveys the Church's teaching on the Holy Trinity and the Divine Names, then consistently examines the entire history of God's economy - from the Creation of the world to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

In the Western Church, the first attempts at a systematic exposition of the Christian doctrine were undertaken by Blessed. Augustine (IV-V centuries) in the works "Enchiridion" (Guide to Lawrence, or On Faith, Hope and Love), "De doctrina christiana" (On Christian Doctrine), "De civitate Dei" (On the City of God). The treatises "De ecclesiasticis dogmatibus" (On church dogma) by Gennady of Marseilles (V century) and "De fide" (On faith, or On the rule of faith) by Fulgentius Ruspiysky (V-VI centuries) are also systematic.

History of dogmatic theology in the Roman Catholic Church

A distinctive feature of the theology of the scholastics was the desire for the conceptualization of dogmas and their detailed analysis using the categories of rational thinking. Extracted from revealed sources, the dogma was first affirmed as an initial thesis, then subjected to critical evaluation, so that in the end, through a reasonable interpretation, its new theological "discovery" was made. A logical connection was established between the various dogmas, uniting them into a formally consistent system. This approach involved the identification of the implicit truths of faith, which, being revealed through the intellect, received the name of theological conclusions. Thus, theology began to be perceived no longer as an experimental knowledge of God, the fruit of spiritual contemplation, but as one of the scientific disciplines, although the first among others - in this sense, the word "theology" began to be used, starting with Abelard.

In the formation of Catholic dogmatic theology, the first important result of the scholastic method was Op. "Quatuor libri sententiarum" (Four books of maxims) by Peter Lombard (XII century), which is a clearly ordered presentation of the main topics of Christian doctrine from the doctrine of God to the doctrine of the end of the world. Initially, a number of theological conclusions of Peter of Lombard were sharply criticized, but at the IV Lateran Council (1215) they were completely freed from suspicion of heresy, his "Sentences" became the main textbook on theology in Catholic universities until the Reformation.

The impetus for the development of Roman Catholic dogma was given by the Reformation. Some theologians saw the causes of the intellectual crisis that befell the Catholic Church in the dominance of scholasticism and, starting from it, tried to create a new scientific and theological method that would be built not on a rational philosophical, but on an exegetical and church-historical basis (M. Cano, I. Maldonat). However, the dominant trend in Catholic theology of the 16th - the first half of the 17th century was the contraverse direction, which saw its task in the precise formulation of the Roman doctrine as opposed to the new Protestant teachings (I. Eck, I. Emser, I. Kohleus, K. Vimpina, I. Ditenberger, A. Pigge, G. Witzel, I. Fabry, P. Canisius, cards Gasparo Contarini, J. Seripando and others). The presentation of the dogmas here was of a polemical nature, the emphasis was on the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. Within the framework of this approach, the Catholic doctrine was determined at the Council of Trent (1545-1563). Kard is recognized as the largest representative of contraverse theology. Robert Bellarmine, who wrote the voluminous Op. "Disputationes de controversiis fidei christianae adversus hujus temporis haereticos" (Discourses on controversial issues of the Christian faith, against the heretics of our time). However, in the same period in the Catholic. In the Church there was a pleiad of theologians, mostly Spanish, who strove for a positive disclosure of dogma and were guided by the classical scholastic systems. This current is called second scholasticism(D. Banez, L. Molina, F. Suarez, G. Vazquez and others).

Protestant dogmatic theology

Along with these brief dogmatic manuals, three voluminous systems of dogmatics appeared in Russia during the same period: "Orthodox-dogmatic theology" by Met. Macarius (Bulgakov) (5 volumes, published in 1849-1853), "Orthodox dogmatic theology" archbishop. Philaret (Gumilevsky) (2 vols., published in 1864) and "The Experience of Orthodox Dogmatic Theology with a Historical Exposition of Dogmas" by Bishop. Sylvester (Malevansky) (1878-1891).

"Orthodox dogmatic theology" by Met. Macarius was the first attempt in Russian theology to scientifically classify and unite the accumulated dogmatic material. It is distinguished by a clear structure, logical harmony and clarity of presentation. Met. Macarius is close to the orthodox or church-apologetic method of Western dogmatic systems of the 17th century. As a thesis in the "Orthodox Dogmatic Theology" a brief formulation of the dogma is used, in most cases taken from the "Confession of the Orthodox Faith" by Metropolitan. Peter (Graves) or "Epistle of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Church on the Orthodox Faith". Then the thesis is confirmed by biblical and patristic quotations and substantiated by arguments from reason. The shortcoming of the work is that the author could not free himself from the bonds of scholasticism. For him, a dogma is a complete theoretical formula that must be logically substantiated and forcibly accepted. Hence the dryness and lifelessness of the essay, the tightness of the evidence.

The dogmatic system of the archbishop. Filaret (Gumilevsky) was built in accordance with the rational-philosophical method of Western Christian dogma early. XIX century - in particular, the influence of the Catholic dogmatic systems of G. Klee and F. von Brenner is noticeable here. According to Justin (Popovich), "Written in a philosophical-critical spirit, [it] devotes a lot of space to the apologetic-rational explanation and justification of dogmas". However, the archbishop Filaret, there is a desire for historical coverage of dogmas. According to prof. N. N. Glubokovsky, Archbishop Filaret failed to show the movement of Eastern theological thought. At the same time, in comparison with the Dogmatics of Metropolitan Macarius, this work is a significant step forward as it is deeper in content.

At the beginning of the century, the 4-volume "Orthodox Dogmatic Theology" by Prot. Nikolai Malinovsky (1910); the work did not introduce anything essentially new into the development of Russian dogmatic science, since it was focused on the dogmatic systems already existing in Russia and was of a compiling nature.

Sergius Bulgakov "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" has received universal recognition in the Orthodox Church. An addition to this work is "Dogmatic Theology" - a course of lectures by V. Lossky, published posthumously by his students. The author, without going into the history of theological disputes, was able, in a brief and at the same time very capacious presentation, to show the depth and unity of the theological thought of the holy fathers of different eras. The whole dogmatic system of V. Lossky was based on the doctrine of the Divine energies of St. Gregory Palamas. This work is perceived as a living testimony of Orthodoxy. In a relatively small course, of course, it was impossible to elucidate all questions of dogmatics equally fully. The author touches on some important dogmatic topics only in passing (for example, the doctrine of the Sacraments). In this essay, the influence of the previous works of Fr. George Florovsky and less - "Dogmatika" Bishop Sylvester.

In Russia, starting from the 1950s and 60s, dogmatic theology began to revive thanks to the works of Fr. Liveria Voronova, prot. Petr Gnedich, V. D. Sarychev and others.

In Greece, Serbia, Romania, dogma as a scientific and theological tradition began to take shape only at the turn of the 19th and centuries. Of the Greek dogmatists, the most famous are Z. Rosis, H. Andrutsos, K. Diovuniotis, I. Karmyris, P. Trembelas. in the Serbian Church at the beginning of the 20th century. the dogmatic manuals of Fr. Savva Teodorovich, L. Raich, archpriest. Milos Andjelkovich, prot. S. M. Veselinovich; in present At that time, the three-volume "Dogmatics of the Orthodox Church" by archim. Justin (Popovich). The largest Romanian theologian of the 20th century is Fr. Dumitru Staniloae, author of the dogmatic collections "Orthodox Christian Teaching" (1952) and "Textbook on Dogmatic and Symbolic Theology" (1958).

Literature

• Anthony (Amphitheaters), archbishop. Dogmatic theology of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church, with the addition of a general introduction to the course of theological sciences. St. Petersburg, 18628;
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• Hall F. J. Introduction to Dogmatic Theology. N.Y., 1907;
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• Hilarion (Troitsky), archbishop. Remarks, amendments and additions to "Orthodox dogmatic theology" by Fr. N. P. Malinovsky. Serg. P., 1914;
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• Gnedich P., prot. The dogma of redemption in Russian theology. science of the last 50th anniversary (1st half of the XX century) // Ibid. pp. 128-151;
• Vasily (Krivoshein), archbishop. Symbolic texts in the Orthodox Church. Kaluga, 2003;
• Justin (Popovich), St. Sobr. creations. M., 2006. T. 2: Dogma Pravosl. Churches.
• Davydenkov O., priest. Dogmatic Theology: A Course of Lectures. Parts I and II. M.: St. Tikhon's Theological Institute, 1997:
• http://www.sedmitza.ru/lib/text/431669/ (electronic version)
• Alipy (Kastalsky-Borozdin), archim., Isaiah (Belov), archim. Dogmatic Theology: A Course of Lectures. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 2002:
• http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/bogoslovie/dogmaticheskoe-bogoslov...ij/ (electronic version)
• Macarius (Bulgakov), Met. Orthodox dogmatic theology. SPb., 1868
• Mikhail Pomazansky, archpriest. Orthodox dogmatic theology in a concise exposition. - Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, 1963; - Platinum, California, 1992
• Mikhail Pomazansky, Protopresbyter. Orthodox Dogmatic Theology. - Klin: Christian Life Foundation, 2001; - M., Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, Publishing House "Dar", 2005; - Klin: Christian Life Foundation, 2015:
• https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Mihail_Pomazanskij/pravoslavnoe-d...ie/ (electronic version)
• Ξεξάκης Γ. Νικόλαος. Ορθόδοξος Δογματική. Τόμος Α΄ Προλεγόμενα εις την Ορθόδοξον Δογματικήν. (Xeksakis Nikolaos. Orthodox Dogmatics. Volume 1: Introduction to Orthodox Dogmatics). – Αθήνα 2000, 2006.
• Ξεξάκης Γ. Νικόλαος. Ορθόδοξος Δογματική. Τόμος Β΄ Η Θεολογία του ομοουσίου. (Xeksakis Nikolaos. Orthodox Dogmatics. Volume 2: Consubstantial Theology) - Άθήνα: Εννοια, 2006.
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• http://www.pravenc.ru/text/178718.html (material used partially)
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• http://azbyka.ru/otechnik/bogoslovie/dogmaticheskoe-bogoslov...7_5 (electronic version on the portal ABC of Faith

  Prof. N. N. Glubokovsky. Russian theological science in its historical development and the latest state. - Warsaw, 1928. - S. 6.

Introduction

Before embarking on a course in dogmatic theology, it is useful to ask the question: what is theology? How do Holy Scripture and the Fathers of the Church understand the essence and purpose of theology?

The words "theologian", "theology", "to theologize" - are they found in the text of Holy Scripture? - Not. A remarkable fact: on the one hand, we are talking about the fact that the source of our dogma is Holy Scripture, and at the same time, these terms themselves - “theologian”, “theology”, “to theologize” - are not found either in the Old Testament or in the Testament New.

The term "theology" itself is an ancient Greek term, the Greeks called theologians those who taught about the gods.

In Christianity, there are two possible interpretations of the term "theology". First, theology can be understood as the word of God about Himself, as well as about the world He created. In this case, theology turns out to be identical in content to Divine Revelation. The second, more common, meaning of this word is the teaching of the Church or some particular theologian about God. In essence, such a teaching is nothing more than evidence of the comprehension by one or another author of the Divine Revelation.

In the ancient Church, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity was actually called theology. The remaining parts of the doctrine (about the creation of the world, about the incarnation of God the Word, about salvation, about the Church, about the Second Coming, etc.) belonged to the area of ​​Divine economy or Divine economy (οίκονομία) in Greek. - the art of managing the house; οίκος - house, νόμος - law), that is, the activities of God in creation, Providence and salvation of the world.

Today, theology is understood as the totality of religious sciences, among which there are basic, comparative moral, pastoral, but theology in the proper sense of the word is dogmatic theology.

A few words about the very term "theologian". How honorable the title of “theologian” was in ancient times is shown by the fact that among the host of saints of the Orthodox Church, only three saints of God were awarded this high title. Firstly, this is John the Theologian, the author of the fourth Gospel, who laid the foundations for the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and was the link that connects Divine Revelation with patristic theology. Secondly, this is St. Gregory the Theologian, who defended the Orthodox doctrine of the Holy Trinity during the fierce trinitarian disputes of the 4th century and sang the Holy Trinity in his poetic works. And, finally, Simeon the New Theologian, an ascetic who lived at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries, who, on the basis of personal experience, sang in his "Divine Hymns" the union of man with the Triune Deity.

Thus, there are not too many theologians in theology. The very word "theology" in the Christian lexicon does not appear immediately. Even the apostolic men and apologists of the second century were wary of it, because it reminded them of the philosophical speculations of pagan thinkers. The first to introduce the word "theology" into the Christian lexicon was Athenagoras of Athens, an apologist of the second half of the 2nd century. With this term he designated the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. This word was finally fixed in the Christian dictionary a little later, mainly due to the Alexandrian theological school, such representatives as Clement of Alexandria and, in particular, Origen (1, 1).

However, the holy fathers, using the term "theology", often used it in a sense that is markedly different from the one in which we understand it today. For example, Evagrius of Pontus, an author of the 4th century, writes: “If you are a theologian, then you will pray truly, but if you truly pray, then you are a theologian.”

Saint Diadochus of Photiki (5th century) said that theology “gives the soul the greatest of gifts, uniting it with God with an indestructible union.”

In some of the holy fathers one can find real hymns to theology, for example, Peter of Damascus calls theology the highest of the eight degrees of spiritual contemplation, the eschatological reality of the future age, which allows us to emerge from ourselves in ecstatic rapture.

Thus, for the holy fathers, theology means something more than it means for us. Although the holy fathers were not alien to the modern understanding of this word, that is, understanding under theology of a systematic exposition of Christian doctrine using the abilities of the human mind, since the mind is a gift of God and should not be denied, but such an understanding was secondary.