Introduction to Orthodox Theology

“Edification on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” (Eph. 2:20) “If I tarry, let me know how to live in the house of God, since the Church of God is alive, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” (1 Tim. 3:15) “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but tempt the spirits that are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1John 4:1) § 1. Subject of introduction to science. § 2. The concept of Orthodox theology § 3. Subject and parts of the introduction to Orthodox theology § 4. Source, manual and method of introduction to Orthodox theology § 5. Historical review of other concepts about the introduction to Orthodox theology The subject for introduction to science is usually assigned to preliminary concepts about it, that is, such concepts that cannot be part of the science itself, but are essentially related to it and are necessarily presupposed by it. Therefore, one should only determine, with possible accuracy, the essence of a known science, and everything will be determined by itself, what can be included in its composition, and what should be considered first in the introduction. § 2. The concept of Orthodox Theology Under the name Orthodox 1 Theology 2 we mean a systematic exposition of the Christian faith or religion, based on the Word of God: St. Scriptures and St. Traditions, under the leadership of the Orthodox Church. We say - systematic presentation: this is a common feature of Orthodox Theology, according to which it belongs to the class of sciences, and without which it could not be called a science. Exposition of the Christian faith: this is a particular feature of Orthodox Theology, by which it differs from all sciences and especially from all non-Christian theologies. An Exposition of the Christian Faith Based on the Word of God: St. Scriptures and St. Traditions, under the leadership of the Orthodox Church: this is an even more common feature of Orthodox Theology, distinguishing it not only from all non-Christian theologies, but also from non-Orthodox Christian theologies. For there are Christian societies that recognize, although also the Word of God or Divine revelation, the source of the faith and theology they profess, but only internal revelation, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, extremely humiliating the Holy Spirit. Scripture and not accepting St. Traditions (Quakers, Illuminati, etc.); there are others who recognize one St. as such a source. Scripture without accepting St. Traditions (Lutherans, Reformed), and there are others who, although they accept St. Scripture and St. Tradition, but only according to the understanding of its local church (Roman Catholics), and not the truly Catholic, Orthodox Church, which alone was established by the Lord himself, and therefore alone can be the infallible guardian and interpreter of His revelation. § 3. Subject and parts of the introduction to Orthodox Theology Having decomposed the presented concept of Orthodox Theology in this way, we obtain three particular concepts: a) the concept of the subject of Orthodox Theology and the Christian Faith; b) the concept of the sources of Orthodox Theology of St. Scripture and St. Tradition, according to the understanding of the Orthodox Church; And c) the concept of the Form of Orthodox Theology as a system. It is in these three concepts that the subject and parts of the introduction to Orthodox Theology are defined: for what is actually defined is that which cannot be part of this science, but is essentially related to it and is necessarily presupposed by it. Any science should only be a justification, the implementation of the concept established about it. Consequently, the scope of Orthodox Theology can include no more or less objects, as their exact definition requires. We said, firstly, that Orthodox Theology is an exposition of the Christian faith: and in science itself we will see the justification of these words, we will see the truths of the Christian faith one after another, their detailed disclosure, confirmation, defense... But what is meant by the name of the Christian faith; what is its essence; what is its origin and dignity? Questions that are very important and inevitable in the study of this faith; but those that Orthodox Theology itself can no longer consider, remaining completely faithful to its definition, but, obviously, assumes that they have been decided in advance. They said, secondly, that Orthodox Theology should be an exposition of the Christian faith, based on the Word of God - St. Scriptures and St. Tradition, under the leadership of the Orthodox Church: this is actually what will happen. The dogmas of faith, the laws of morality and, in general, the entire Christian teaching will be presented only on the basis of Divine sources, and in the form in which this teaching is contained and taught by the Orthodox Church. But what is Divine revelation or the Word of God; that, in particular, St. Scripture and St. Tradition; what is their importance as sources and what is their basis, and should the Orthodox Church really be our teacher in the matter of faith? More questions that are natural and inevitable when studying the Christian faith; but again those that Orthodox Theology presupposes have already been decided in advance, but cannot decide on its own, as a result of the definition given to it. They said, thirdly, that Orthodox Theology must be a systematic presentation of the Christian faith: and this last requirement will be fulfilled. We will see the general and particular division of the Theological Sciences, their arrangement in a certain order, their consideration by a certain method. But what is a system of Theology? why is it divided into such and not other parts; Why is each of these parts assigned this and not another object, this and not another arrangement, this and not another method?.. It would be unfair for us to expect an answer to these questions from the science of Orthodox Theology itself, knowing its definition: it obviously presupposes that they have already been decided in advance. Consequently, the complete composition of the introduction to Orthodox Theology should consist of three parts: 1) from the teaching about the subject of Orthodox Theology; 2) from the teaching about the sources of Orthodox Theology; and 3) from the doctrine of the system of Orthodox Theology. § 4. Source, manual and method of introduction to Orthodox Theology 1) The source for all parts of the introduction to Orthodox Theology should be the Word of God itself, i.e. St. Scripture and St. Traditions preserved and taught by the Orthodox Church. For where does the first part borrow the doctrine of the Christian Faith, its essence, properties and Divine origin; where does the second borrow the doctrine of the sources of Christian faith and theology; Where does a third person borrow a complete and separate concept of the subject of Orthodox Theology, i.e., the Christian Faith, a concept on which the entire systematic construction of the Theological Sciences should be based - if not from the Christian Revelation, preserved and taught by the Church? But - 2) Considerations of common sense and historical research should be a necessary aid in this case. This is necessary in the first two parts: because the Christian Faith, as a Divine revelation, and the Orthodox Church of Christ, as a Divine institution on earth, are historical events, and the task of the first two parts of the introduction to Orthodox Theology is not only to define and explain the concepts of the Christian Faith and its sources (here is only a preliminary part of the matter); but primarily - to confirm and defend all these concepts from the objections of freethinkers, to prove that the Christian faith indisputably originated from God, and that the sources of Orthodox Theology must certainly be recognized as St. Scripture and St. Tradition, and, moreover, not otherwise than according to the understanding of the Orthodox Church. With such a study, of course, it would no longer be enough to limit ourselves to Christianity’s testimonies about itself, when one also asks about it whether it is truly Divine, and, therefore, whether its teaching and testimony about itself deserve all our faith. Moreover, this would not be enough for our opponents, who openly arm themselves against the divinity of the Christian faith and the dignity of its sources. Here, following the example of the ancient defenders of Christianity, we must call upon common sense and impartial history for help: only their voice can have the power of persuasion for people who do not submit to the faith. The participation of reason is also necessary in the third part of the introduction to Orthodox Theology: because to build systems of sciences in general, therefore, a system of theological sciences, to divide and subdivide them into parts is the work of our reason with its logical Forms and laws. 3) The method of the first two parts of the introduction to Orthodox Theology should be both positive and negative. Their task, when revealing each truth, on the one hand, is to present the truth positively and show the foundations on which it is affirmed, and on the other hand, to critically examine the very objections that are made against it and against its foundations, and then move on to considering another truth, a third, etc. However, it should be noted: a) that it is enough to pay attention only to modern objections, and not to those that have long since fallen out of use, having been refuted a hundred times; b) that among the modern ones it is enough to survey only the most important and supposedly strongest, with the fall of which, naturally, all the others must fall; c) in general, as much as possible, avoid word debates and scholastic subtleties, which make science dry, boring and lifeless; and best of all, it is better to present the positive evidence of this or that truth in such a way that it is then easy to refute all the objections made against it 3 . And the method for presenting the third part of the introduction can be threefold. It is possible to present in it, after some preliminary concepts about Theology as a system, only a systematic plan of the Theological Sciences and a brief overview of them in their general connection with each other; it is possible, in addition, when distinguishing the theological sciences, to set out the history of each science; Finally, we can add an outline of the literature of each science, following its history. We will follow mainly the first method: because it is determined by the very subject of this part of the introduction to Orthodox Theology; and we will use the remaining methods only partially, indicating, during the delimitation of the Theological Sciences, the main sources and aids for each, in the light of its history and literature. It is more decent and useful to review the complete history and literature of the Theological sciences in a private introduction to each science, before a detailed presentation of it, as most teachers of Theology do. § 5. Historical review of other concepts about the introduction to Orthodox Theology It must be admitted that, in our view of the introduction to Orthodox Theology, we have somewhat deviated from those, although also different, concepts that domestic theologians had about this subject. Some of them presented in the introduction to Theology only the briefest encyclopedia, which revealed concepts about the essence of Theology, its subject, purpose, composition and division, sometimes indicating ways to study this science. Similar introductions are usually found in Theological textbooks, for example: in the textbook of the Kiev Academy of 1696 4, in the experiments in Theology - Archimandrite Iakinthos Karpinsky 5, the Right Reverend Sylvester Lebedinsky 6 and others. Others, in addition to the short encyclopedia, tried to place in the introduction to Theology a study about the principles of Theology, such as: about the importance of St. Scriptures, St. Traditions, ecumenical councils, St. fathers, etc. Such treatises were the first to be placed among us in his introduction to Theology by the Reverend. Feofan Prokopovich 7 , and in his footsteps are the Eminences Sylvester Kulyabka, Georgy Konissky 8 and Irinei Falkovsky 9 . Still others, finally, a few, add to all this, at the beginning or end of the introduction to Theology, studies about faith in general, about revelation and, in particular, about the divinity of the Christian faith. These are, for example, the Reverend. Theophylact 10 and Archpriest Ternovsky 11. We also agree with these latter in almost everything: only we proposed to supplement the teaching about the sources of Orthodox Theology with a special treatise stating that they should be used in Orthodox Theology only in accordance with the understanding of the Orthodox Church, and that, therefore, she should be our teacher in the matter of faith. Why we chose this particular view of the introduction to Orthodox Theology: this has already been shown above. And why didn’t they choose any other one from among those mentioned? Let us note regarding this: a) that one encyclopedia cannot be an introduction to Orthodox Theology, but is only an introduction to Theology as a science; b) that the studies added to the encyclopedia about the foundations and principles of Theology, i.e. St. Scripture, St. Tradition, the importance of ecumenical councils and St. fathers, without preliminary research about faith and revelation, and the particulars about the Divine origin of the Christian faith and the infallible magisterium of the Church, cannot be satisfactory: because they themselves do not have proper foundations and principles; c) that, finally, an introduction to Theology, where in a short encyclopedia there are studies about faith in general and especially Christian, as well as about the principles of Theology, but there is no study about the Orthodox Church as a teacher of faith, the essence of introductions is not into Orthodox Theology, but only into Christian or revealed Theology in general: such introductions are incomplete for us. We consider it necessary to add that the subjects that we accepted as an introduction to Orthodox Theology are also included in the introduction in the “Long Christian Catechism of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church,” which is a brief Orthodox Theology and should serve as a model for us. Orthodox - ὀρθόδοξος, in word production (from ὀρθῶς θοχέω, I think correctly) and in word usage in the Christian world, means the same thing as someone who thinks correctly about the objects of faith, a correct believer, a true believer, as opposed to the word (ἑτερ ό δοξος; (from ἑτέρως θοχέω, otherwise I think) thinking incorrectly about faith, non-believer, non-Orthodox or heterodox, as our ancestors sometimes expressed (see Description of the early printed books of Count Teleshov, p. 88, Moscow 1829). Theology - θεολογία among the ancient teachers of the Church had several different meanings. In etymological terms, it meant for them: a) the word God - λόγον περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ; b) the word from God - λόγον ὰπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ or God's word: that is why everything holy was called Theology. Scripture, and the Old Testament - the old Theology (δεολογίαν πολαιὰν), and the new - the new Theology (θεολογίαν νέαν); theologians called all the writers of both testaments, prophets and apostles; c) word to God or for God - λόγον πρὸς τὸν Θεόν: in this sense, Θεολογία expressed the attribution and reward of Divine honor to someone, especially the recognition and confession of the Divinity of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. This means that according to all these, taken together, by their etymological sign, “Theology is the word of God about God for the glory of God.” In the substantive sense, in the language of the ancient teachers of the Church, Θεολογία meant: a) the teaching not only about God and His properties, but also about Divine things and everything related to the worship of God; b) the doctrine of God itself, His being and properties; c) in particular, the doctrine of St. Trinity; d) in even more detail - about the Divinity of Jesus Christ. In the latter sense, they are named primarily after the Theologian: of all the saints. The Apostles - John, who, according to the expression of blessed Theophylact, began with Theology (άπὸ τ ῇ ς Θεολογίας ἤ ρξατο ...), and wrote his Gospel with the goal that we believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God or God the Word (John 20, 31 ); and of all the church teachers - Gregory of Nazianzus, as he defended with special force the Divinity of the Word (δεότητα τοῦ Λόγου) against the Arians. It is obvious that all the objective meanings of the word - Θεολογία can be summed up under two: “Theology was called, firstly, the teaching about God itself, and secondly, the teaching about God and everything related to God.” (The very sayings of the Holy Fathers, numerous and varied, for proof of what has been said here, see Switzer - in Thesavr. Ecclesiastic, under the words: θεολογἐω, θεολογία, θεολόγος). In the first sense, the name Theology befits only the first part of the current Christian Dogmatics; in the latter - the whole science of the Christian Faith, as, indeed, they began to use it in schools from the 12th century. Nowadays, Theology refers to the entire body of sciences that have the Christian Faith as their subject. We considered it necessary to adhere to this last remark especially when compiling the notes now published, in which objections to truths and refutations of objections are mostly omitted, or, more correctly, presented, if possible, in a positive form. The notes, as everyone agrees, should only be a program and an abbreviation of what the pupils have heard or have already heard from their mentor during his oral readings in the proper extent - and, therefore, should contain only the beginnings and sufficient hints by which the pupils could easily recall what they heard in the classroom. See in the History of the Kyiv Academy, page 69. St. Petersburg. 1843. Compendium Orthodoxae Theologicae doctrinae... Lips. 1786. Compendium Theologiae classicum didactico-polemicum... Moscow, 1806. He has Prolegomenä de definitione, objecto, causa, partitione, metliodo le principiis Theologiae. Cm. Christ. Orfchod. Theolog. in Acad. Kioviensi a Theoph. Procopovicz, vol. I. Libs. 1782. See their notes in the History of the Kiev Academy pp. 139–142. Christ. Orthod. Dogmatico-Polem. Theolog. compendium... ab Irineo Fakovski. tom. I, cap. I-XIII. Moscow, 1802. Orthod. Orient. Ecclesiae dogmata, sev doctr. Christ, de credendis, Petropoli, 1818, §§ 1–23: Articulus praeliminaris-de principiis ac fundamentis Christ, religionis. He placed such a general introduction to Theology at the beginning of his Dogmatics, ed. 1838 and 1843 You might be interested in: