2. Отношение к святоотеческой традиции

St. Nikita acts as a strict guardian of church tradition, therefore, in his treatise there are a lot of borrowings and direct quotes from the Fathers of the Church, which is by no means a shortcoming or evidence of the author’s “meanness”, according to some modern critics, but, on the contrary, indicates a pious desire to preserve continuity with the centuries-old patristic heritage. This approach is generally characteristic of Byzantine theology of the Middle Ages. Thus, in a letter to Gregory the sophist, he emphasizes: “For we do not dare to say anything on our own, but in all divine and human affairs we are in harmony with the fathers and teachers before us, teaching everything like we did with them, observing in this matter the order of the Lord to the apostles, who says: “teaching them to observe everything that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), and besides knowing that it is scary or from ourselves to add anything else to Gospel teaching and say what the eyewitnesses of the Word, teaching the Church of Christ, did not say, or take away from the teaching of the Gospel and the Apostles and omit (at least) one commandment of Christ received, or teach differently than they taught the faithful, as Christ and our God says: He who has violated “one of my least commandments... will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19), and another time to his beloved disciple: "And I also testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book: and if anyone takes away anything from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away from him the measure of the tree of life and the share in the holy city and in what is written in this book" (Rev. 22:18-19)" (letter 5.10). In general, for St. Nikita, the authority of this or that church teacher depends on how close he is to the source of Divine Revelation. For example, speaking about the Apostle Paul and Dionysius the Areopagite, Rev. Nikita points out: “Since in fact, as you see, those who serve the Word do not doubt at all about them (angels), let us join (them), not because we neglect the divine Father Gregory - reject it, it is impossible for us to even imagine! - but because they have the seniority of theology, for they are taught by the Word of God and from Him are introduced more definitely into the mysteries of both the divine and the human” (letter 4.2). And he gives preference to the opinion (about angels) of Dionysius the Areopagite over St. Gregory the Theologian, because considers him a disciple of the Apostle Paul himself, who directly adopted spiritual knowledge from him. “Because we have been accurately taught by those who have observed the ranks and powers and illumination of them (the angels); We need to join them completely, who are more ancient servants of Christ, than with the divine Father Gregory. Who are they? Paul, who ascended to the third heaven and observed all the sights there “and heard ineffable words” (2 Cor. 12:4), and Dionysius the Areopagite, his disciple, whom Paul ordered to write down what he saw, and the ineffable things that he heard from those initiates into the mysteries of Revelation, which he expresses when he writes to Timothy” (letter 4.1). The letter to Nikita Koronidsky contains quotes from the treatise “On the Heavenly Hierarchy” by Dionysius the Areopagite, chapters 4.3 and 10.2–3 (letter 4.1). The influence of the “Corpus Areopagitikum” is also manifested in the use of the term “into the darkness of theology” - ει ς γνόφον θεωρίαις (“On Paradise”, ch. 55). The largest number of citations and references are to St. John of Damascus, whom he reveres as a "faithful and divinely inspired man, and one who knows distinctly divine things better than we do" (letter 4.2). Thus, the chapters of the treatise on the peculiarities of the divine nature (chap. 39–41) and on the economy of the Incarnate (chap. 42–45) are almost verbatim quotations from the “Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith” by St. John of Damascus (chap. 14, 46, 47). Moreover, the very possibility of such theology for a person is another proof of his involvement in divine life. Thus, he writes: “And all of these (the divine fathers) theologized, unmistakably and safely, with pure contemplation about the peculiarities of the divine nature. In the same way they theologized about the economy of the Incarnate One, contemplating again with pure contemplation” (chap. 42). Let us list other quotations from St. John of Damascus without indicating his name. In the treatise “On Paradise” these are chapters: 3, 6. 11, 14, 15, 22, 32, 34 - these contain excerpts from the description of paradise according to Damascus. In a letter to Gregory the sophist, St. Nikita once again emphasizes that everything he said about paradise is not his own invention, but “this is exactly what the truly holy fathers believe, since it is accepted similar to what we said about paradise, and by the divine father John of Damascus, according to chapter 45 of his interpretations 19, in which he reflects on paradise” (letter 6.3). Discussing the treatise “On Paradise,” Rev. Nikita defends his position, repeatedly referring to the authority of St. John of Damascus. The name of Saint John is mentioned in letters 4.2, 4.3 and 5.10, when talking about the mental powers and indescribability of God, for example: “And the wisest Father John of Damascus is a witness to this opinion in chapter 14 of his books “On the Place of God” 20, in which he claims that the Divinity is indescribable, and in chapter 40 21, in which he discusses with inspiration about heaven and about the forces in him; if you wished to turn to him, you yourself would get rid of all doubt” (letter 5.10). A similar indication of the authority of St. John of Damascus and in the case of proof that Adam's body was created simultaneously with the soul, in letter 4.9. Repeatedly mentions Rev. Nikita and the name of St. Gregory the Theologian. For example, in chapters 33 and 34 of the treatise, when it comes to natural contemplation and mystical theology. The content of many chapters of the treatise is consonant with the 38th Word of St. Gregory the Theologian. In the letter to Nikita Koronidsky there is a reference to the treatise “On the Structure of Man” by St. Gregory of Nyssa, whose theology influenced St. Nikita is great. Never Rev. Nikita does not mention the name of Rev. Maximus the Confessor. However, speaking about feelings, he uses the usual for the reverend. Maxim the dialectic of the antithesis of pleasure-suffering (chapter 21). He also uses the doctrine of logoi by St. Maxima. “For through the knowledge of beings he cognizes the logoi of Providence, through judgment he creates an accurate division of beings, unmistakably distinguishing what is best and what is worst, what is the creative cause and what is created” (chap. 33). The influence of St. John Climacus is also not explicitly indicated, but in the chapters devoted to practical philosophy, Rev. Nikita talks about the ladder of virtues. Obviously, this is “The Ladder” by Rev. John. In terms of analogies, “Word 25:31” by Rev. John Climacus: “Humility is the door of the Kingdom of Heaven” 22. This echoes almost verbatim the position of the treatise by St. Nikita about the two gates of heaven, of which the one leading to heaven is humility. Special mention should be made of Rev. Simeon the New Theologian. There is also no mention of his name in the treatise, but his presence is felt on every page, as the student follows his teacher in everything. The treatise “On Paradise” is not without polemical notes. In chapter 35, Rev. Nikita calls Origen, Didymus and Evagrius heretics who fell away from Orthodox dogmas through their own arrogance and slander. In chapter 47 he examines the Christological errors of Arius, Manes and Nestorius. The accusation of Nestorianism was also directed at the sophist Gregory (letter 7.3). Letter 4.9 criticizes Origen's doctrine of the pre-existence of souls. Regarding the quoting of Holy Scripture, Rev. Nikita adapts the text to his statements, sometimes changes the grammatical structure of the sentence, sometimes uses other terms. In chapter 22 of the treatise “On Paradise,” he explains the meaning of the commandment given in Paradise, continuing his speech on behalf of God. Sometimes entire chapters are made up of a combination of quotes, for example, in the letter to Gregory the Sophist, this is chapter 6.6. Most often Rev. Nikita turns to the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. Thus, the following statement of the apostle especially influenced the theology of the monk: “solid food is characteristic of the perfect, whose senses are trained by skill to distinguish between good and evil” (Heb. 5:14), - this thought serves as a constant background for his reflections in the treatise and letters. This is chapter 25, or in the Russian edition chapter 11 of the second book. (St. John of Damascus. An accurate exposition of the Orthodox faith. Book 2. Ch. 11 (25). About paradise. M.; Rostov-on-Don, 1992. P. 146–150) St. John of Damascus. Exact summary... Book 1. Chapter 13. P.108–113 (PG94.560) This is Chapter 20, or in the Russian edition Chapter 6 of the second book. Right there. pp. 123–128(PG94.880). Ladder Rev. John. St. Petersburg, 1995. P.174