What is religion and Orthodoxy. The main tenets of Orthodoxy
1. Orthodoxy
Prot. Mikhail Pomazansky:
Orthodoxy - faith and worship of God ... the true teaching of Christ, preserved in the Church of Christ.
The word Orthodoxy (from the Greek “orthodoxy”) literally means “correct judgment”, “correct teaching”, or “correct glorification” of God.
Metropolitan Hierofei (Vlachos) writes:
The term "Orthodoxy" (Greek orthodoxy) consists of two words: right, true (orthos) and glory (doxa). The word "doxa" means, on the one hand, belief, teaching, faith, and on the other hand, doxology. These values are closely related. Correct teaching about God includes correct praise of God, for if God is abstract, then prayer to this God will also be abstract. If God is personal, then prayer takes on a personal character. God has revealed the true faith, the true doctrine. And we say that the doctrine of God and everything that is connected with the salvation of the individual is the Revelation of God, and not the discovery of man.
Orthodoxy is not only a creed, but also a special way of life of a person in the Orthodox Church, which, as a result of communion with God, transforms his whole life and his soul.
St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) answers the question like this:
“What is Orthodoxy?
Orthodoxy is true knowledge of God and worship of God; Orthodoxy is the worship of God in spirit and in truth; Orthodoxy is the glorification of God by true knowledge of Him and worship of Him; Orthodoxy is God's glorification of man, the true servant of God, by bestowing on Him the grace of the All-Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the glory of Christians (John 7:39). Where there is no Spirit, there is no Orthodoxy. ... Orthodoxy is the teaching of the Holy Spirit, given by God to people for salvation.
Professor SPDA Glubokovsky N.N.:
Orthodoxy ... is a "right confession" - orthodoxy - because it reproduces in itself the entire intelligible object, sees itself and shows it to others in the "correct opinion" of all subject richness and with all its features. ... It considers itself right, or the true teaching of Christ in all originality and integrity ... Orthodoxy preserves and continues the original apostolic Christianity by direct and uninterrupted succession. In the historical course of Christianity throughout the universe, this is the central stream, coming from the very “fountain of living water” (Rev. 21:6) and not deviating along its entire length until the end of the world.
Prot. Mikhail Pomazansky writes about the "powers and spiritual wealth of Orthodoxy":
“High in prayer, deep in contemplation of God, joyful in achievement, pure in joy, perfect in moral teaching, full in the ways of God’s praise—Orthodoxy…”
Priest Sergiy Mansurov. Essays from Church History
Orthodoxy - one of the three main directions of Christianity - has historically developed, formed as its eastern branch. It is distributed mainly in the countries of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Balkans. The name "Orthodoxy" (from the Greek word "orthodoxy") is first encountered by Christian writers of the 2nd century. The theological foundations of Orthodoxy were formed in Byzantium, where it was the dominant religion in the 4th-11th centuries. Holy Scripture (the Bible) and sacred tradition (the decision of seven Ecumenical Councils of the 4th-8th centuries, as well as the works of major church authorities, such as Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John of Damascus, John Chrysostom) are recognized as the basis of doctrine. It fell to these Fathers of the Church to formulate the basic tenets of the creed.
In the Creed adopted at the Ecumenical Councils of Nicea and Constantinople, these foundations of the doctrine are formulated in 12 parts or terms:
"I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, Who was born from the Father before all ages: Light, from Light, God is true from God is true , born, uncreated consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was. For us, for the sake of man and for our salvation, who descended from heaven and incarnated from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And rose in the third day, according to Scripture. And ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And the packs of the coming with glory judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Spirit of the Holy Lord, the Life-Giving One, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son we worship and glorify the one who spoke the prophets. In one holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the future age. Amen."
The first member speaks of God as the creator of the world - the first hypostasis of the Holy Trinity.
In the second - about faith in the only begotten Son of God - Jesus Christ.
The third is the dogma of the Incarnation, according to which Jesus Christ, while remaining God, at the same time became a man, having been born of the Virgin Mary.
The fourth member of the Creed is about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This is the dogma of redemption.
The fifth is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The sixth refers to the bodily ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven.
In the seventh - about the second, coming coming of Jesus Christ to the earth.
The eighth article of the Creed is about faith in the Holy Spirit.
In the ninth - about the attitude towards the church.
In the tenth - about the sacrament of Baptism.
In the eleventh - about the future general resurrection of the dead.
In the twelfth member - about eternal life.
In the further philosophical and theoretical development of Christianity, the teaching of Blessed Augustine played a significant role. At the turn of the 5th century, he preached the superiority of faith over knowledge.
Reality, according to his teaching, is incomprehensible to the human mind, since behind its events and phenomena the will of the almighty Creator is hidden. Augustine's teaching on predestination said that anyone who believes in God can enter the sphere of the "elect" who are predestined for salvation. For faith is the criterion of predestination.
An important place in Orthodoxy is occupied by sacramental rites, during which, according to the teachings of the church, a special grace descends on the believers. The Church recognizes seven sacraments:
Baptism is a sacrament in which a believer, when the body is immersed three times in water with the invocation of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, acquires a spiritual birth.
In the sacrament of chrismation, the believer is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, returning and strengthening in spiritual life.
In the sacrament of communion, the believer, under the guise of bread and wine, partakes of the very Body and Blood of Christ for Eternal Life.
The sacrament of repentance or confession is the recognition of one's sins before a priest who releases them on behalf of Jesus Christ.
The sacrament of the priesthood is performed through episcopal ordination during the elevation of one or another person to the rank of clergyman. The right to perform this sacrament belongs only to the bishop.
In the sacrament of marriage, which takes place in the temple at the wedding, the marital union of the bride and groom is blessed.
In the sacrament of unction (unction), when the body is anointed with oil, the grace of God is called upon the sick, healing the infirmities of the soul and body.
One of the three main branches of Christianity (along with Catholicism and Protestantism). It has spread mainly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. It was originally the state religion of the Byzantine Empire. Since 988, i.e. For more than a thousand years, Orthodoxy has been the traditional religion in Russia. Orthodoxy shaped the character of the Russian people, cultural traditions and way of life, ethical norms (rules of conduct), aesthetic ideals (patterns of beauty). Orthodox, adj - something that is related to Orthodoxy: an Orthodox person, an Orthodox book, an Orthodox icon, etc.
Great Definition
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ORTHODOXY
one of the directions of Christianity, along with Catholicism and Protestantism. It began to take shape from the 4th century. as the official religion of the Byzantine Empire, completely independent from the moment of the division of the Christian church in 1054. It did not have a single church center, subsequently several independent Orthodox churches took shape (currently there are 15), each of which has its own specifics, but adheres to a common system of dogmas and rituals . Holy Scripture (Bible) and Holy Tradition (the decisions of the first 7 Ecumenical Councils and the works of the Church Fathers of the 2nd-8th centuries) form the religious basis of P.. The basic principles of P. are set out in the 12 points of the creed adopted at the first two ecumenical councils in Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381). The most important postulates of Orthodox doctrine are the dogmas: the trinity of God, the incarnation, redemption, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Dogmas are not subject to change and refinement, not only in content, but also in form. The clergy is recognized as a mediator endowed with grace between God and people. P. is characterized by a complex, detailed cult. Services in P. are longer than in other Christian denominations. An important role is given to holidays, among which Easter occupies the first place. See also Russian Orthodox Church, Georgian Orthodox Church, Polish Orthodox Church, American Orthodox Church.
Unlike Catholicism, which mortified Christianity and turned it into a decorative screen for sin and vice, Orthodoxy has remained a living faith, open to every soul, up to our time. Orthodoxy offers its members a wide scope for learned theologising, but in its symbolic teaching it gives the theologian a foothold and a scale to which it is necessary to conform, in order to avoid contradiction with the "dogmas" or with the "faith of the Church", any religious reasoning. So, Orthodoxy, unlike Catholicism, allows you to read the Bible in order to extract more detailed information about faith and the church from it; however, in contrast to Protestantism, it considers it necessary to be guided in this by the interpretative works of Sts. Church Fathers, by no means leaving the understanding of the word of God to the personal understanding of the Christian himself. Orthodoxy does not elevate the doctrine of the human, which is not in the Holy. Scripture and Holy Tradition, to the degree of God-revealed, as is done in Catholicism; Orthodoxy does not derive new dogmas from the former teaching of the Church through inference, does not share the Catholic teaching on the higher human dignity of the person of the Mother of God (the Catholic teaching on Her "immaculate conception"), does not ascribe to the saints super-due merits, all the more does not assimilate divine infallibility to a person, even if he was the Roman pontiff himself; The Church in its entirety is recognized as infallible, inasmuch as it expresses its teaching through the Ecumenical Councils. Orthodoxy does not recognize purgatory, teaching that satisfaction for the sins of people to the truth of God has already been brought once and for all by the suffering and death of the Son of God; accepting the 7 Sacraments, Orthodoxy sees in them not only signs of grace, but grace itself; in the Sacrament of the Eucharist he sees the true Body and true Blood of Christ, into which bread and wine are transubstantiated. Orthodox pray to the saints who have died, believing in the power of their prayers before God; honor the incorrupt remains of saints and relics. Contrary to the reformers, according to the teaching of Orthodoxy, the grace of God acts in a person not irresistibly, but in accordance with his free will; our own deeds are reckoned to our merit, though not in themselves, but by virtue of the assimilation by the faithful of the merits of the Saviour. While disapproving of the Catholic doctrine of ecclesiastical authority, Orthodoxy recognizes, however, the ecclesiastical hierarchy with its grace-filled gifts and allows the laity to participate in the affairs of the church. The moral teaching of Orthodoxy does not give relief to sin and passions, as does Catholicism (in indulgences); it rejects the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone, requiring every Christian to express his faith in good works. In relation to the state, Orthodoxy does not want to rule over it, like Catholicism, nor to submit to it in its internal affairs, like Protestantism: it strives to preserve complete freedom of activity, not interfering with the independence of the state in the sphere of its power.
Great Definition
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What is Orthodoxy? We all hear: the Russian Church, the Church of Constantinople - but what is Orthodoxy as such? I, as a theologian, will not try to give a picture of the historical development of Orthodoxy, but will try to answer the directly posed question: what is it.
The very term "Orthodoxy" is quite ancient: it appeared at the end of the third - the beginning of the fourth century, due to the emergence of new, heretical movements that gave rise to those disputes that continue to this day. It was at that time, in order to express the direction of Christianity that comes from the beginning, that the term Orthodoxy appeared - "orthodoxy".
I will give one Buddhist parable that everyone knows, but its meaning is not the one I want to say. The elephant is felt by several blind men from different sides, and each gives his own definition of an elephant: one feels the leg: “Ah, this is a palm tree!” Another hit the tail: "Ah, it's a snake." The third ran into a fang: "This is a plow." The fourth reached for his ears: "The elephant is a burdock." The fifth touches the torso: "This is a barrel." Each of them conveys his own experience of knowledge, real, not fantastic, the experience of experiencing through the feelings of the reality that he is trying to realize. Completely different ideas about the same thing.
Theosophists draw completely different conclusions from this, and in Hinduism this idea is widespread: the Deity is unknowable, and everyone creates his own idea on the basis of narrow, blind experience. But I would like to say about a different vision: the blind feel, and they have a false experience, because they do not see. What if someone saw? The one with the eyes?
It is good when a person has received his sight and seen, but what if this vision is not there? And if the blind get together and start discussing, who is the elephant? After all, they all have a real experience of experiencing this. Which of them is right? Put it all together? All the same, nothing will work out - to lay down a palm tree with a snake - one can only smile at such a reality.
Once Christianity was a single religion, now we don't even know how many confessions there are. In America, I once said: "You have dozens of them" - they answered me: "You are mistaken, professor: there are hundreds of them." Each of us is convinced in our understanding of the truth of Christianity, in our understanding of the Bible. The same question arises that was before the blind: by what criterion can one judge? Which of us is right, and how to find that holistic vision of this object, about which we all talk, often argue, and sometimes enmity towards each other flares up? One Bible? - Yes. One Bible? – No: as many as there are confessions. This is what distinguishes our directions, that everyone has his own vision of the Holy Scriptures, his own understanding of specific passages of Scripture. Often disputes about this are devoid of healthy ground. Where are the criteria for correct understanding?
Only by resolving this issue, we could try to create a complete picture of what we call Holy Scripture, what we understand by Christianity. What characterizes Orthodoxy in this case? Orthodoxy answers this question in the following way: who could best understand the apostolic writings? “Probably the disciples of the apostles. They were successors both in humanity - they communicated with them, and in spirit, for in baptism, as we read in Acts, they immediately received special gifts of the Holy Spirit, which made it possible for them to understand what was written by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is the author of Scripture, and true understanding can only come from that same Spirit.
Therefore, the first who could give an objective understanding of the writings of the apostles were the disciples of the apostles. They are called apostolic men. We already find literature from them - a whole series of writings.
They have their disciples to whom they passed on the understanding given to them by the Spirit of God. This is how the thread of the initial understanding of the Revelation that was given to us in Jesus Christ, which was then written down by the apostles and preached throughout the world, gradually develops. There is a line of succession. How to trace this line? It's very simple: you need to read them - we read the writings of the apostles, the writings of the apostolic men, then - their disciples.
An interesting thing: if at first we see a complete correspondence between the writings of the apostles and the apostolic men, then further, apparently, the Spirit becomes somehow less effective in people. In some people it manifests itself in full force, which is characterized by their deeds, in others it manifests itself less. In the third, we do not see the spirit at all. It is no coincidence that Christ said in the Gospel: “By this they will know that you are My disciples, that you have love for one another.” What is the mark of believers? - "In My name they will cast out demons, cleanse lepers, speak foreign languages, even if they drink something mortal (poisonous), it will not harm them."
When I read these lines, I think: what a non-believer I am! I don't have any of these signs. Has everyone become disbelievers? Christ said - I must believe Him.
So, the first thing that characterizes Orthodoxy is the appeal to this thread, which comes directly from the apostles, is transmitted through the disciples and goes further, the study of it. In theology, this thread that goes through the centuries has a name: consensus patrum- consent of the fathers. Here a very important, profound thing is hidden for us: at first the Spirit acted in full measure in the apostles and their disciples, but then it began to fade away, and if we turn to later times, then according to the words of one of our theologians of the 19th century, an aristocrat, a deep thinker, recently canonized, Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), who wrote such that when I quote to the guys, I stumble over one word and say: “here is a fuzzy pen”: “There are academies, there are theological schools, there are candidates, masters, - but then I stumble - doctors of divinity: laughter and nothing more. And ask another of them, try it: it turns out that not only does he not have a spirit - he does not have faith, he doubts: was there Christ, and was it not an invention? Doctor of theology - but he does not believe in Christ!
Faith with the head alone, the recognition of Holy Scripture without a corresponding life emasculates a person, faith is lost. "And the demons believe and tremble."
What does the term mean consensus patrum? – When we try to find out what the teaching of Christianity is on this or that issue, then we turn to no one, even if he was a doctor three times, – we turn to the most authoritative, about whom the Church says that he was distinguished by the height of moral life.
Secondly, we do not take all the opinions that were in the history of Christianity, but those that were among the most authoritative, and most of the fathers had them. Why does Orthodoxy appeal to them? Because when the majority of the fathers, the most prominent people in the Church, speak unanimously on this issue, then we can conclude that this is not the personal opinion of Ivan, Stepan, but this is the transmission of that tradition, which, thanks to the Spirit of God, operates constantly and directly in the Church of Christ . This makes it possible to unambiguously understand the most fundamental issues, the basic truths of Orthodoxy. Lots of different opinions, but consensus patrum. This line can be traced: turn back a century, another century - and we see: it goes straight from the apostles and the apostolic men.
This is the basic point, the foundation on which the Orthodox understanding of the Holy Scriptures, the basic moral values, and the principles of spiritual life are built. What is the essence of Christianity, how does it differ from all religions? If we simply say that Christ is the God-man, we will be laughed at, they will say: we have had many gods in history. Revelation? - Buddha also opened as much as you want.
Who were the founders of all religions? - Teachers. They reminded people, revealed to them those truths that were forgotten by people, spoiled, distorted. A prophet comes and reminds people of these truths. Is this the function of Christ? Then instead of Him, John the Baptist could have said everything. The moral preaching of Christ, even the Sermon on the Mount, which Mahatma Gandhi so admired and saw in it all of Christianity, any of the prophets could have said it.
The essence of Christianity is in the Sacrifice that Christ made, no one could bring it, except for the God-man. Expiatory Sacrifice. A person can suffer for a person - so what? And the redemptive sacrifice concerns all mankind, from the beginning of the former. No one could do it and will not do it until the end of human history. This distinguishes Christianity from all other religions.
Here we find another specific feature of Orthodoxy. There are two main directions in understanding this Sacrifice of Christ. One of them, developed with great force, is called legal understanding of the sacrifice of Christ. The second understanding can be called moral- this is a very imperfect term, I take it conditionally, for lack of a suitable one. These two strong trends also characterize two large branches of Christianity: the juridical is characteristic of Catholicism, while the moral is specific to Orthodoxy.
In the legal understanding, the essence of the feat of Christ is seen in the following: the first man, Adam, endlessly offended God with his sin, thereby he fell away from God and was subjected to a curse. The sacrifice of Christ is redemptive, like a ransom: Christ suffers for everyone, brings satisfaction to God the Father. In this way, the believer is freed from punishment for all sins.
The basic concepts of Roman Catholic theology are the concepts satisfaction And merit. The sacrifice of Christ is considered in terms of our human relations: you can pay for someone, redeem a person who has committed a crime. As in the Old Testament: gouged out an eye - pay so much, killed a slave - pay so much. That is, the relationship between man and God is considered on the basis of legal relations.
The Orthodox understanding of the Sacrifice of Christ is characterized differently: the sin of the first man is not an insult to God, for what creature can offend the all-good, all-perfect Deity? If a person could offend God, and God would be angry at every insult, then God would be the most unfortunate creature in the world - every moment we would offend Him. The moral concept says (I'll draw a picture): imagine the Red Sea, there are corals, it's beautiful. A diver is lowered from the ship, he is connected by a hose through which oxygen is supplied. Beauty in the Red Sea - suddenly a command from the ship: get up, that's enough. He: how is enough? This is such bliss! He takes a knife, crosses the hose, and bliss begins - water rushes over him. He completely forgot that through this hose life is given to him, air, without which he cannot live. Up there is the source of his life. Irreversible processes take place with him.
Approximately this picture happened to a man during the fall. What is disobedience to God? - Get away from me, I myself understand, I myself am a god! The connection between man and God was severed. Irreversible processes began in the whole person. It is this fall into sin, both in the legal interpretation and in the moral one, that is called original sin. Only Orthodoxy says that there has been a distortion of human nature, and not just an insult to God, this distortion is now affecting the entire consciousness and activity of man in the most detrimental way. Mind, heart, body have become antagonists when it comes to goodness.
This is a fact - no dogmatic teaching is even needed. Let's remember the Apostle Paul: "Not that good that I want, but that I hate, that I do." Where did such slavery to passions come from? It is because of the damage to human nature. The damage is at the genetic level, therefore descendants are born from Adam with a damaged, upset soul, heart and body - death has entered a human being.
It becomes clear why no one could heal a person. Even if we admit that it is possible to heal oneself by living a holy life, it is impossible to heal others. This is the essence of the Sacrifice of Christ, that He, perceiving our fall, according to the words of the Apostle Paul, “became sin for us”, heals our nature through suffering. “God made the captain of our salvation through suffering” (Hebrews). Makes perfect. Whom? Christ? - What blasphemy! Christ took a mortal body, suffering, He wept for Lazarus, shouted on the Cross: “God, my God, have you left me?” Through suffering, He restored this human nature to Himself.
From here we understand what the sacrament of baptism is: if by nature we are born from each other in a purely biological way and independently of our will and consciousness, then a great process takes place here: “Whoever has faith will be saved.” It depends on the person himself whether he will eventually be born or unborn. In baptism, this seed of the new man is planted, thanks to which a person receives the beginning of eternal life in himself.
The moral understanding of the Sacrifice of Christ does not come down to legal relations: who should pay how much to whom - no, in Christ the healing of human nature takes place, and each of us, accepting the sacrament of baptism with faith, as the Lord said, receives a grain, a seed - not the whole apple tree! - this new person. From here it becomes clear why one baptized saint becomes, another becomes a scoundrel, and the third becomes neither this nor that. What we will do with the seed, our faith - whether we will water it, fertilize it, take care of it - depends on the person.
In the pyramids of Egypt, wheat seeds were found that were about three thousand years old. We tried to sow them - sprouted! For three thousand years they did not give fruit - the grain lay fruitlessly. Appropriate conditions are required.
From the legal and moral understanding of the Sacrifice of Christ flow two completely different ways and understanding of the Christian life, an understanding of what is needed for a person so that he fully receives the salvation that Christ brought. In the legal approach - like in a bank, a bank account: I helped the old woman bring it - glory to Thee, Lord, a good deed has been done, it is supposed to be in the bank, the interest is growing.
Why did this concept of satisfaction and merit cause such protest, why did the Reformation begin? Why was Luther angry? Because bargaining with God, a Catholic will tell you how much salvation costs: so much and so much for every sin. I tell students: crawl around the Trinity Cathedral so many times - and everyone shines with delight: that's it, merit! And not enough of their merits: there is a thesaurum bonorum - treasury of the good, and the Pope can pass it on to others, especially in the holy year, which now happens every 25 years. I once got on it, I was in all the basilicas, the Pope was - I come to the academy: kiss my shoe! I'm a saint now! Rascals, no one kissed.
The juridical concept is connected with these settlement matters, it looks not at the human soul, not at the passions, not at the struggle with oneself, not at the commandments of Christ, but how to avoid punishment and bring corresponding satisfaction to God. Hence the purgatory appeared: they came up with the huge heads of doctors of theology, however, only heads planted in brine, without a heart. The man repented, his sins were forgiven, but he did not have time to bring satisfaction. Where to put him? You can’t go to heaven - he didn’t bring satisfaction, you can’t go to hell - he repented. The concept of purgatory is being created, where a person brings satisfaction in order to go to heaven later.
The Reformation began with this: with indulgences, with this sale, with the bargaining of paradise. “As soon as the coin rings in my copper basin, the soul will immediately jump out to heaven.” Remember these words of Tetzel?
Orthodoxy looks at the Sacrifice of Christ differently - it is the healing of the human nature damaged by years in Christ, healing through suffering. This healing can be acquired not formally, not magically, not automatically, but "who has faith and is baptized." "The kingdom of God is in need, and he who forces himself delights him." From this understanding of the Sacrifice of Christ follows the understanding of the spiritual life of a Christian.
Why did Adam fall? What's happened? In our Orthodox textbooks, this process is sometimes depicted in such a way that one is amazed. It seems that the Lord God did not even know that this would happen, he gasped. The serpent offered, Eve plucked, Adam ate, and the Lord God did not even imagine, and the story went at random. This is, of course, a child's picture. The Lord knew whom He was creating and foresaw everything from the beginning to the end of history.
Everything was created “very good”, and Adam was the pinnacle of creation, the pinnacle of beauty, crowned with glory and all knowledge, he gave names to everything that exists. He had everything, did not have only one thing, and could not have: he did not have an experimental knowledge of who he, Adam, is without God. He who lives in wealth does not imagine what he is if all wealth is taken away from him. “A well-fed man is not a friend to a hungry man.”
The famous rocket builder Korolev said: he once served time where he needed to. They are holding a meeting in a luxurious office, his friends are wealthy people, and suddenly a mouse jumped out of the corner! The reaction was immediate - several people fell off their easy chairs and rushed to catch and strangle this mouse ... The mouse escaped safely, everyone sat down, and Korolev says: “You know, friends, when I was sitting where I needed to, we lived in terrible conditions, bread - it was a great joy for us, we lived in a terrible famine. And a mouse sometimes appeared in this chamber, and knowing this, we left crumbs from our unfortunate piece of bread and put them there, and then everyone enjoyed it, watched how the mouse eats these crumbs. Now look what happened before our eyes: contented, well-fed, living in abundance rushed to strangle this mouse. What happened to us? It was a good lesson for the youth.
This is exactly what happened to Adam: he was in abundance of all good things, it was that unimaginable for us, to which mankind aspires. But he could not understand that only in God he is so rich, in God he is a deity, and without God he is nothing. St. Philaret (Drozdov) well said: "Man hangs over the abyss of his non-existence." Adam did not know this experimentally, hence the crafty thought arose: I am like God. This is where the wall between man and God came from.
If we imagine salvation as a return to the state of the original Adam, then isn't it dangerous? What is the guarantee that there, having received glory and power, and all knowledge, we will not again say that we are like gods? The first people, with the perfection of their nature, were not yet unfallen. They could fall, there was nothing else that would block the path to sin in man himself, the path of opposing himself to God.
Here arises the most important problem in Christian soteriology, the science of salvation. What is the way, what are the means, the acquisition of what state - non-falling state - is this possible, and what does it mean? Orthodox soteriology is built on the following foundation: what does the Sacrifice of Christ speak about?
There is a term in theology kenosis- humiliation. Humility. God the Word, having incarnated, humbled Himself to the limit, which is impossible to conceive. No wonder the apostle Paul wrote: “We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to the Jews, madness to the Greeks.” God humbles himself to an extreme measure, through this measure a redemptive sacrifice is made, through it the rebirth of human nature takes place. This indicates a great path for every person. In the same way, a person can come to salvation, to a state of non-falling.
What does humility mean in relation to a person? Not at all what secular, superficial, empty literature writes about. What does she mean by humility? - Some kind of rubbish: downtroddenness, humility, passivity - either a person, or chaff. How do I know who I am spiritually? In the physical it is very easy: substitute the weights - and we will find out.
But spiritually, the Gospel is of the greatest importance: this is the mirror, the human norm, the image of Christ, His commandments. Look in the mirror, compare yourself. Shame is a caricature. He says: love even enemies, but I don’t love friends. I can’t do anything good: I sat down at the table - overeat, went out into the street - my eyes are like frying pans in all directions, they touched me - so I will show where the crayfish hibernate. They awarded my friend - so I turned green with envy. Therefore, I have been given a great test so that I can know who I am, these are the commandments of the Gospel. Only forcing myself to carefully fulfill the commandments will show me who I really am. And it turns out that I am poor, naked and miserable - I can do nothing. This shows me my soul: once I abstained, and then again I fall into condemnation. At every step, every minute: feelings, desires, cunning, hypocrisy…
No wonder Dostoevsky, through the mouth of the prince, declared that if something that lives in my soul were revealed - not only what I would never reveal to people, even friends and neighbors, not only what I hide from myself - then something like this would go the stench that it would be impossible to live in the world. This is the way I can see myself for who I really am.
This vision gives me the greatest benefit: I no longer lift my nose up, but “Lord, have mercy on me.” I really am terrible. This state is humility, a true vision of oneself, sober, without rose-colored glasses. Just as a drowning person calls for help, so here a person begins to turn to Christ. I see the help of God when I turn to Him. Prayer becomes not just a formal recitation, it is the cry of a drowning man. This is where Christianity begins for man. Christ is the Savior, He is needed by those who really perish.
Envy, vanity, gluttony torment me, not anyone else. I begin to understand the words of Christ: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." Until I see myself, I do not force the commandments - I am healthy. Theoretically, I know that I am a fallen being, I can’t do anything, God saves me, haha, hehe.
No, another picture here: I see that passions are illnesses. Here is my Savior, who helps me, in any appeal to Him. The Savior is needed by the perishing, and not by the one who lies on the bank, and he needs the Giver of blessings: both, and the other, and the third. Christ says: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Whoever opens it enters. That's when saving, healing faith begins.
So: the foundation on which a correct understanding of the Holy Scriptures is built.
Then: the essence of any religion is the doctrine of salvation.
The Christian understanding of salvation lies in the Sacrifice of Christ.
Two understandings of the Sacrifice of Christ: legal and moral.
And how this Orthodox, moral understanding of Christianity can be realized in the real spiritual life of each of us.
Questions:
– You spoke about spiritual continuity, which is clearly revealed in Orthodoxy. To what extent does the appeal to spiritual authorities correlate with a personal, living appeal to God?
– I must say frankly my impression: Christianity is degrading. Everywhere and everywhere. Orthodoxy is not at all what one would like to see it. And this is not just my opinion. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) writes about the state of monasteries, about spiritual life, about understanding faith - he sheds bitter tears. This is a universal process.
Therefore, when we talk about this thread, of course, we do not have that spirit, nor that burning, jealousy, purity that we would like to have. We speak of this as a kind of golden age, from which, alas, we have moved far enough away. We still maintain a connection: we believe them, turn to them, adhere to them, but this connection is weakening.
– You said that the essence of Christianity is in the Sacrifice of Christ, in feat: after all, feat, the deed determines the personality, or does the personality determine the deed? Personally, I think that what matters most to us is the person of Christ, which determines what He did.
– That is why Christianity is called so because we believe in Christ, in what He did. I agree with you, but when we start to look: what is the most important, why did He come? After all, every business is determined by the goal, through the goal we understand the essence of the matter. God the Word was incarnated for what purpose? - The salvation of man. That is why I say that the essence of Christ's work is not in the teaching of moral truths, but in His Sacrifice, through which we receive salvation.
– When we talk about the theories of morality and redemption, we find in various places in the Bible justifications for one or another theory. Maybe the Gospel writer was just trying to find images that would be understandable to a person living at that time, what happened?
– You are right: the whole atmosphere of the Roman Empire was the atmosphere of the slave system. And the Old Testament religion is the religion of the law, it is the same legalism. It is not surprising that the apostles addressed their contemporaries in a language they could understand. Therefore, the repeated use of this term is redemption. But when we touch on the central concept that expresses the very essence of the work of Christ, we find a whole series of terms: redemption, justification, adoption, salvation. Term redemption caused by time, epoch, it does not convey the essence of that feat, about which it is said: "God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son."
We are not talking about buying and selling - from whom to buy? One of the Fathers of the Church, Gregory the Theologian, has a wonderful thought: “To whom was the sacrifice made? Devil? How blasphemous to think of it! For the Creator to bring a ransom for His creature, and even the fallen one. Father? But does the Father love less than the Son? He did not even accept Isaac, who was being sacrificed, but gave a ram in his place.
If we proceed from the context of the Gospel that God is love, then it is clear that we are not talking about a ransom, and at the same time the apostle uses this term to give a hint of what Christ did.
Where is modern theology heading now? What you need to go back and reread is understandable, but what should you do now so as not to stagnate?
- One of our theologians of the 20th century said a very interesting phrase: "Forward - to the fathers."
What did Christ come for? - For the sake of salvation. Why did you create the Church? - For the sake of salvation. Why did he give the gospel? - For the sake of salvation. Why does theology exist? – It is only doctors of theology who have turned theology into an entertaining game: how many angels can fit on a needle. The essence of theology comes down to one thing, and it is not theology if it does not deal with this: it must show how one must believe, how one must live, what means must be used in order to receive the salvation for which Christ came. When theology begins to engage in all sorts of speculative things, it returns to paganism, and not to theology.
Term theology It also has a pre-Christian origin: it is used by Aristotle, anyone who wrote about the gods was called theologians: Hesiod, Homer, Orpheus. So it is now: those who went through a theological school, answered fours or fives, wrote a work about God - a candidate of theology. Not without reason did I cite the thought of Ignatius (Bryanchaninov): "Doctor of theology - but he does not believe in Christ!" What is the use of this theology?
Theology should strengthen the faith - this path is before us, but what is its efficiency? I will shut up about this.
–You said that the Catholic understanding led to the term purgatory, and Orthodox prayers for the dead are not some kind of semblance?
- Probably not prayers, but the doctrine of ordeals. Yes, quite often they mix these completely different things. Where did purgatory come from? You won’t send to hell, because you repented, you won’t throw it into heaven, because you didn’t bring satisfaction. And ordeal is a state of mind when it is placed in front of specific passions. A great struggle of the soul takes place - if it has mastered some kind of passion here, that it has become a slave of this passion, then there, in the face of God and passion, the struggle and fall begins. Here we walk in the dark: we don’t feel God, and we don’t see the underworld, but everything opens up there. Suffering in which the soul is either there or there. And purgatory - served his sentence and that's it: if you didn't crawl around the church three times - sit in a frying pan.
– When the fathers explained the doctrine, they were in their own conditions, and we are now in completely different historical conditions. How can you now connect the teaching that was related to one issue, when now we are asking very different questions?
Everything is back to normal. If we now look at what is happening in the ecumenical world, it will turn out that the problems that once stood many centuries ago are now emerging in all their strength. You will not find a single phenomenon in the life of the ancient Church, which was condemned as heresy, which would not exist at the present time. See how many syncretic different sects. In France, according to statistics, 84% of Christians, but a third of them do not believe that Jesus Christ is God. The third part does not believe that He has risen. How many fathers write about it. Problems recur, many springing directly from our old man.
Therefore, if we see that there is a rich experience of reflection on this or that issue, then we take from there so as not to reinvent the wheel. But a number of new problems arise: these problems are much more difficult to comprehend, because we do not have a precedent, we do not have that experience, developments. But we have to do these things.
– And such an existential theology, when God reveals Himself in people’s lives – and at the same time, in Orthodoxy, some go to the monastery, go away from life, from society…
This reproach is heard throughout history. In part, it is justified: there are people who are naturally inclined to solitude, to special attention to themselves, but there are very active, lively people. And to change their places in life - it will be absurd. To each his own, but not everyone can correctly assess their capabilities. Monasticism is an attempt to renounce everything, to give everything in order to engage in spiritual life, but not everyone has all the talents for this. Very often, a person who does not have the relevant data, embarking on the path of monastic life, can easily turn into a caricature of a monk, and then this is a disaster.
–A person who has returned to the state of sinlessness - will there be a new attempt?
“The fact of the matter is that Adam did not have this non-falling state. A non-falling state is a state when a person sees himself and understands that without God he is not capable of anything good. We have the morning prayer of Macarius the Great, who was called the "earthly god": "God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done no good before Thee." This vision of oneself gives a person the possibility of eternal unfallen communion with God. Burnt in milk, they blow on the water.
–How did these two theories develop in Protestantism: legal and moral?
– Three main terms exist to describe what Christ did, corresponding to the three branches of Christianity. Catholicism has redemption, Orthodoxy has salvation, and Protestants—I know this well, because I participate in all dialogues with Lutherans—justification. This is the specificity of the Protestant understanding. Luther tried to correct the Catholic understanding: why is the merit of Christ only enough to correct original sin? Why so few? Christ suffered for all sins - the logic is absolutely fair.
Luther, and then Melanchthon, the "Augsburg Confession", the "Apology" of this confession, in other symbolic books, in the "Small Catechism" it is said that the sin of the believer is not imputed to sin. This idea deserves the most serious analysis. Luther writes strange words: “If before that a person was in fear and trembling, then from now on, having received the news of salvation, he is a rejoicing child of God.” That's it, you don't need anything anymore.
Here is the danger of perceiving that God does everything, nothing is needed anymore. I returned from Finland, we had a big discussion with the Lutherans about freedom there. One of the aspects of the discussion was as follows: "Man's freedom in the matter of man's salvation." The Lutherans said with great insistence that man has no freedom in the matter of salvation, no existential freedom. I was forced to ask them a question directly: “If a person has no freedom in the matter of salvation, and God does everything, then a terrible thing is prescribed: then God is guilty of the death of all who do not inherit eternal life, for He did not give people faith, He is to blame that they were not saved."
Have you read the article Lecture by Professor Osipov: What is the essence of Orthodoxy? Read also.
In 395, the Roman Empire fell under the onslaught of the barbarians. As a result, the once powerful state broke up into several independent entities, one of which was Byzantium. Despite the fact that the Christian Church continued to remain united for more than six centuries, the development of its eastern and western parts followed different paths, which predetermined their further break.
Separation of two sister churches
In 1054, the Christian Church, which had already existed for a thousand years by that time, split into two branches, one of which was the Western Roman Catholic Church, and the other, the Eastern Orthodox, with its center in Constantinople. Accordingly, the doctrine itself, based on Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, received two independent directions - Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
The formal schism was the result of a long process that included both theological disputes and attempts by the popes of Rome to subjugate the Eastern churches. Nevertheless, Orthodoxy is in full measure the result of the development of the general Christian doctrine, which began in apostolic times. She considers the entire sacred history from the giving of the New Testament by Jesus Christ to the moment of the Great Schism as her own.
Literary sources that carry the foundations of the dogma
The essence of Orthodoxy comes down to the confession of the apostolic faith, the foundations of which are set forth in the Holy Scriptures - the books of the Old and New Testaments, as well as in the Holy Tradition, which includes the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, the works of the Church Fathers and the lives of the saints. This should also include liturgical traditions that determine the order of the celebration of church services, the performance of all kinds of rites and sacraments, which includes Orthodoxy.
Prayers and hymns for the most part are texts taken from the patristic heritage. These include those that are included in church services, and those that are intended for private (home) reading.
The Truth of Orthodox Teaching
According to the apologists (followers and preachers) of this doctrine, Orthodoxy is the only true form of confession of the Divine teaching, given to people by Jesus Christ and further developed thanks to his closest disciples - the holy apostles.
In contrast to it, according to Orthodox theologians, the rest of the Christian denominations - Catholicism and Protestantism with all their offshoots - are nothing but heresies. It is appropriate to note that the very word "Orthodoxy" is a tracing paper from Greek, where it literally sounds like "correct glorification." It is, of course, about the glorification of the Lord God.
Like all Christianity, Orthodoxy formulates its teaching in accordance with the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, of which there have been seven throughout the history of the Church. The only problem is that some of them are recognized by all denominations (varieties of Christian churches), while others are recognized only by one or two. For this reason, the Symbols of Faith - the presentation of the main provisions of the dogma - sound differently for everyone. This, in particular, was one of the reasons why Orthodoxy and Catholicism took different historical paths.
A document expressing the foundations of the faith
Orthodoxy is a creed, the main provisions of which were formulated by two Ecumenical Councils - Nicaea, held in 325, and Constantinople, in 381. The document adopted by them was called the Nicene-Tsaregrad Creed and contains a formula that has survived in its original form to this day. It should be noted that it is she who mainly divides Orthodoxy and Catholicism, since the followers of the Western Church adopted this formula in a slightly modified form.
The Orthodox Creed consists of twelve members - sections, each of which concisely, but at the same time succinctly and exhaustively sets out the dogma adopted by the church on a particular issue of dogma.
The Essence of the Doctrine of God and the Holy Trinity
The first member of the Creed is dedicated to salvation through faith in the One God the Father, who created heaven and earth, as well as the entire visible and invisible world. The second and together with him the eighth confess the equality of all members of the Most Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, point to their consubstantiality and, as a result, to the same worship of Each of Them. The equality of all three hypostases is one of the main dogmas that Orthodoxy professes. Prayers to the Most Holy Trinity are always addressed equally to all Her hypostases.
Doctrine of the Son of God
The subsequent members of the Creed, from the second to the seventh, are dedicated to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In accordance with Orthodox dogma, He has a dual nature - Divine and human, and both parts of it are combined in Him not together, but at the same time not separately.
According to Orthodox teaching, Jesus Christ was not created, but was born of God the Father even before the beginning of time. It should be noted that in this statement, Orthodoxy and Catholicism disagree and take irreconcilable positions. He acquired his earthly essence, incarnated as a result of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary through the mediation of the Holy Spirit.
Orthodox understanding of Christ's sacrifice
The fundamental element of Orthodox teaching is faith in the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ, brought by him on the cross in the name of the salvation of all people. Despite the fact that all of Christianity speaks of it, Orthodoxy understands this act in a slightly different way.
As the recognized fathers of the Eastern Church teach, Jesus Christ, having taken human nature, damaged by the original sin of Adam and Eve, and embodying in it everything inherent in people, except for their sinfulness, cleansed it with his torment and delivered it from the curse. By the subsequent resurrection from the dead, He set an example of how human nature, cleansed from sin and reborn, is able to withstand death.
Having thus become the first person to gain immortality, Jesus Christ opened the way for people, following which they can avoid eternal death. Its stages are faith, repentance and participation in the celebration of the Divine sacraments, the main of which is the communion of the flesh and blood of the Lord, which has been taking place since then during the liturgy. Having tasted the bread and wine, converted into the body and blood of the Lord, a believing person perceives a part of His nature (hence the name of the rite - communion), and inherits eternal life in Heaven after his earthly death.
Also in this part, the ascension of Jesus Christ and His second coming are declared, after which the Kingdom of God will triumph on earth, prepared for all professing Orthodoxy. This should happen unexpectedly, since only the One God knows about the specific dates.
One of the contradictions between the Eastern and Western churches
The eighth article of the Creed is entirely dedicated to the life-giving Holy Spirit, who proceeds only from God the Father. This dogma also became the cause of theological disputes with representatives of Catholicism. According to them, God the Father and God the Son equally exude the Holy Spirit.
Discussions have been going on for many centuries, but the Eastern Church and Russian Orthodoxy in particular take an unchanging position on this issue, dictated by the dogma adopted at the two Ecumenical Councils discussed above.
About Heavenly Church
In the ninth part, we are talking about the fact that the Church, established by God, is essentially one, holy, catholic and apostolic. Some explanation is required here. In this case, we are talking not about an earthly administrative-religious organization created by people and in charge of conducting worship services and performing the sacraments, but about a heavenly organization, expressed in the spiritual unity of all true followers of Christ's teachings. It was created by God, and since for Him the world is not divided into the living and the dead, its members are equally those who are healthy today and those who have long completed their earthly journey.
The heavenly Church is one, because God Himself is one. She is holy, as she was sanctified by her Creator, and is called apostolic, since her first ministers were the disciples of Jesus Christ - the holy apostles, whose succession is passed down in the priesthood from generation to generation up to our days.
Baptism - the way to the Church of Christ
According to the eighth member, one can join the Church of Christ, and therefore inherit eternal life, only after passing the rite of Holy Baptism, the prototype of which was revealed by Jesus Christ himself, once plunging into the waters of the Jordan. It is generally accepted that the grace of the other five established sacraments is also implied here. The eleventh and twelfth members, which complete the Creed, declare the resurrection of all dead Orthodox Christians, and their eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
All of the above commandments of Orthodoxy, accepted as religious dogmas, were finally approved at the Second Ecumenical Council of 381 and, in order to avoid distortion of the dogma, remain unchanged until our days.
Today, more than 226 million people profess Orthodoxy on the globe. With such a wide coverage of believers, the teaching of the Eastern Church is inferior to Catholicism in the number of its followers, but surpasses Protestantism.
The ecumenical (universal, embracing the whole world) Orthodox Church, traditionally headed by the Patriarch of Constantinople, is divided into local, or, as they are otherwise called, autocephalous churches. Their influence is limited to the boundaries of any one state or province.
Orthodoxy came to Rus' in 988 thanks to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, who drove out the darkness of paganism with his rays. Today, despite the formal separation of religion from the state, proclaimed almost a century ago, his followers are the vast majority of believers in our country, and it is on him that the basis of the spiritual life of the people is built.
The day of Orthodoxy, replacing the night of unbelief
The religious life of the country, revived after decades of nationwide atheism, is gaining momentum every year. Today, the church has all the achievements of modern technological progress at its disposal. For the promotion of Orthodoxy, not only printed publications are used, but also various media resources, among which the Internet occupies an important place. One example of its use in order to improve the religious education of citizens is the creation of such portals as "Orthodoxy and the World", "Tradition.ru", etc.
Nowadays, work with children is also taking on a wide scale, especially relevant in view of the fact that few of them have the opportunity to join the basics of faith in the family. This situation is explained by the fact that parents who grew up in the Soviet and post-Soviet period were themselves brought up, as a rule, atheists, and do not even have the basic concepts of faith.
In order to educate the younger generation in the spirit of Orthodoxy, in addition to the traditional Sunday school classes, the organization of various events is also used. These include children's holidays that are gaining popularity, such as "Orthodoxy Day", "Light of the Christmas Star", etc. All this allows us to hope that soon the faith of our fathers will gain its former power in Russia and become the basis of the spiritual the unity of its people.
