Ancient church fathers. Who are the “Church Fathers”? From the Rules of the VI Ecumenical Council

Church Fathers St. Ambrose (c. 339–397) in 374, not yet baptized, was elected bishop of Milan (Mediolana). Together with Augustine and Jerome, he helped defeat the Arians in the West. An implacable fighter against paganism, St. Ambrose got the Emperor Gratian to remove the Altar of Victory

I. Greek Church Fathers

I. Greek Church Fathers

II. Latin Church Fathers

§161. Apostolic Church Fathers

Church Fathers about Christ

“Church Fathers” about Christ The Christian Church at first did not recognize any rites, believing that they were characteristic only of “paganism”. However, gradually she began to develop her own rituals, using precisely the "pagan" rituals, but connected them with her tales of

The traditional name of the leaders of the Christian Church of the 2nd VIII centuries, who created its dogma and organization. The main church fathers in Catholicism Ambrose of Mediolansky, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory I the Great, in Orthodoxy Athanasius of Alexandria, ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Holy Fathers) the traditional name of the leaders of the Christian Church of the 2nd-8th centuries, who created its dogma and organization. The main fathers of the Church in Catholicism are Ambrose of Mediolan, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory I the Great, in Orthodoxy Athanasius of Alexandria ... Historical Dictionary

Church fathers- ("holy fathers"), the traditional name of the leaders of the Christian church of the 2nd-8th centuries, who created its dogma and organization. The main church fathers in Catholicism are Ambrose of Mediolansky, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory I the Great, Athanasius in Orthodoxy ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Church fathers- ("Holy Fathers") the traditional name of the leaders of the Christian Church of the 2nd VIII centuries, who created its dogma and organization. The main fathers of the Church in Catholicism are Ambrose of Mediolan, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory I the Great, Athanasius in Orthodoxy ... Encyclopedic Dictionary "World History"

The traditional name of the leaders of the Christian Church of the 2nd-8th centuries, who created its dogma and organization. The main church fathers in Catholicism Ambrose of Mediolansky, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory I the Great, in Orthodoxy Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

See Patristics. Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary. 2010 ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

Church Fathers- (Holy Fathers) those of the Church writers whose works are recognized by the Church itself as the most accurate expression of the teachings it keeps. When they speak of the Fathers of the Church, they usually mean great theologians, such as, for example, Saints Ignatius ... Orthodoxy. Reference dictionary

A term used to designate early Christian writers who developed a doctrine based on Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. Thanks to these authors, the church adopted the philosophy and culture of the Greco-Roman world, assimilating its healthy elements, and ... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

Three Saints Fathers of the Church (in Orthodoxy, Holy Fathers) is an honorary title used since the end of the 4th century in relation to a group of outstanding church leaders and writers of the past, whose authority had a special weight in the formation of dogma, compilation ... ... Wikipedia

Traditional name the most prominent figures of Christ. churches 2-8 centuries, which created its dogma and organization. Ch. O. c. in Catholicism Ambrose of Mediolan, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory the Great, in Orthodoxy Basil of Caesarea, Gregory the Theologian, John ... ... Soviet Historical Encyclopedia

Books

• Church Fathers. From Clement of Rome to St. Augustine, Ratzinger Joseph (Pope Benedict XVI). Pope Benedict XVI's book is a collection of texts that he performed in public on Wednesdays from March 2007 to February 2008. In each of these weekly meetings, Dad introduces us ...

At the Third Ecumenical Council, the writings of the Alexandrians were read - Peter, Athanasius, Theophilus; Attica of Constantinople; The Cappadocians - two Gregory, Basil and Amphilochius; Latins - Cypriana and Ambrose. At the Fourth Ecumenical Council, in addition to them, they turned to Augustine, Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Ilarius of Pictavia.

The Fifth Ecumenical Council, by its third act, approved a special “list of Fathers”, to which the participants in the Council promised to adhere to everything that “ they set out about the right faith and about the condemnation of heretics". The list includes Athanasius, Basil, Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Ambrose, Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Proclus of Constantinople, Leo the Great, Augustine, Ilarius, Theophilus of Alexandria.

Let's take a closer look at the listed Fathers.

Basil of Caesarea, friend of Gregory the Theologian and brother of Gregory of Nyssa, one of the Great Cappadocians. He came from a noble Christian family that gave the Church many martyrs, saints and theologians.

Basil the Great started out as a rhetorician but became a bishop. Together with Gregory the Theologian, he received an excellent education in the best cultural centers of Antiquity (Caesarea, Constantinople, Athens).

Basil the Great receives a more important "education" on his travels to monastic monasteries in Cappadocia, Palestine and Egypt, after which he organizes his ascetic community. There Basil the Great writes a monastic charter, which is extremely authoritative for all of Christianity (in it he raises cinematography above idiorhythmy: community is the union of love, and love is everything) and together with Gregory compiles a compilation of Origen's creations (the compilation was called "philokalia" - philanthropy, a word that played a significant role in the history of Orthodoxy).

If the “younger” Gregory was more of a philosopher, the “elder” a contemplator, then Basil the Great took the place of organizer in the Cappadocian circle. Basil the Great took on the role of the leader of the Orthodox in those turbulent times of dogmatic disputes, complicated by the intervention of the empire (the authorities took the side of the Arians).

Basil the Great went down in history for many merits: for the fight against heresies, for his monastic charter, and much more. It was thanks to Basil the Great that the Symbol of Faith acquired its modern form and, more importantly, thanks to him, the Church found the necessary terminology to describe the dogma of the Trinity.

The Cappadocians, and especially Basil the Great, were faced with the task of adequately describing the unity and difference of Persons in the Trinity - this main dogma on which the whole thought and life of the Church rests: Basil described it as the difference between ousia and hypostasis, nature and personality. It was in these disputes, precisely in the writings of Basil the Great, that mankind gained the opportunity to talk about personality, that is, for the first time in history, a person was able to talk about himself (because he was able to talk about God - about the Trinity God). Personality and communication of individuals began to be understood as fundamental concepts of philosophy.

One of the three Fathers whom the Church has called "theologians." Friend and ally of Basil the Great. A man of a lyrical, even melancholic nature, Gregory the Theologian, against his will (at the insistence of his father and Vasily), stood at the center of the events of those years. Having achieved the victory of Orthodoxy at the Second Ecumenical Council (which proclaimed the deity of the Holy Spirit), Gregory the Theologian finally found a quiet life and ended it in writing mystical and autobiographical poems and verses.

In the Trinitarian theology of the Church, the Nazian theologian occupies the main place - no one has written about the Trinity so penetratingly, so beautifully, so poetically, but also so precisely and theologically perfected as he did.

Gregory Nazianzus considered the preaching of the Divinity of the Holy Spirit to be the mission of his whole life: “ we have never preferred anything and could not have preferred the Nicene faith, but with God's (help) we hold on and will hold on to this faith, clarifying only what was vaguely said there about the Holy Spirit, for then this question did not arise yet". Gregory the Theologian in a speech about his consecration: “ let all of us be governed by the Spirit, to whom we have given ourselves and the head, anointed with the oil of perfection in the Almighty Father, the Only Begotten Word and in the Holy Spirit, (which is) God. For how long should we hide the lamp under a bushel and deprive others of the perfect Deity? Isn't it already fitting to put (the lamp) on the candlestick so that it shines on all churches and souls and the entire fullness of the universe, so that (faith in the Divinity of the Spirit) is not imaginary and only inscribed in the mind, but so that it is openly proclaimed? For this is precisely the most perfect manifestation of theology in those who have been rewarded with such grace through Jesus Christ himself.».

Gregory the Theologian, Nazianzen, more than all other Cappadocians spoke about the contemplation of the Most Holy Trinity. Unlike his friend Basil the Great, even in the field of theology, he always remained an organizer, always descending to concepts, striving to build the Church, strengthening with clear terminology the path that a person's thought should follow, Gregory the Theologian, even when he discusses and discusses, constantly ascends to contemplation ...

The “Father of the Fathers,” as he is called, among the teachers of the Church occupies a unique place as a philosopher par excellence. One of the Great Cappadocians, younger brother of Basil the Great. At the beginning he was going to become a lawyer, but at the insistence of his brother he becomes a bishop (Vasily's peculiar tool in the fight against the Arians is to appoint as many Orthodox bishops as possible). For the Nicene faith he was sent into exile. One of the central participants in the Second Ecumenical Council.

Gregory of Nyssa completed such works of Vasily as "The Six Days" and "Against Eunomius". A decisive role for Gregory of Nyssa was played by his family - brother Vasily and sister - St. Macrina, with whom he was very close. Interestingly, he is one of the few married bishops we know of. One of the main polemicists with the then heresies.

Here it is impossible to describe the entire scope of the thought of Gregory of Nyssa, but let's say the main thing - Gregory of Nyssa, like no one else, was able to describe the path of man to God, the path of infinitely dynamic, the path that is the Kingdom promised by Christ, a life that has no end. He completed the Cappadocian Triadology, an example of Trinitarian thinking. Human being - desire, dynamic presence, human - " living free mirror"Designed to reflect God. A person saved by Christ, eschatologically transformed into an eternal ecstasy, an endless Song of Songs (epectasis - "prostration" - the word of Apostle Paul from the Epistle to the Philippians was understood by Gregory of Nyssa as the main thing in man, man is a movement towards something).

Dimwitted researchers often accused Gregory of Nyssa of Platonism, without noticing that he radically turned it upside down. Among other things, this can be seen in his teaching about the Whole Adam, who is not an abstract idea of ​​man, but the concrete fullness of all people from Adam to the last, unfolding in time (history), Christ, the New Adam, headed the fallen humanity and leads it to Eschaton. Hence, the teaching of Gregory of Nyssa about Apocatastasis is understandable: if humanity is a pleroma, a concrete unity, in the image of the Trinity, then all must be saved. Whatever not to say about this, but one way or another, Apocatastasis is the main dream of the Church, its goal: God wants everyone to be saved. Gregory, however, gave an ingenious conceptualization of this dream, combining anthropology, historiosophy, eschatology, Christology and triadology into one whole.

He was the first to clearly formulate apophatic theology: the darkness of Mount Sinai is the highest mode of communion with God, the Light-bearing Darkness (even Gregory the Theologian believed that the darkness of Mount Sinai was a curtain from the crowd).

Gregory of Nyssa was the first who ascribed "infinity" to God, in general, the first who understood "infinity" as a positive concept - before him, in Greek thought, "infinity" was only "bad", it was understood as a property of matter.

Close to the Great Cappadocians, associate of Basil the Great. Member of the First Ecumenical Council.

The theology of Amphilochius of Iconium is based on a biblical basis and is distinguished by a vivid expressive language. In exegesis, Amphilochius of Iconium strove for historical realism: his main task is to revive the historical image of Christ.

From a soteriological standpoint, he builds a Christology that anticipates the Chalcedonian one. Introduced into theology the term "way of being" as a synonym for hypostasis, the very term "hypostasis" was first used in Christology. In general, the theology of Amphilochius of Iconium is distinguished by the clarity and clarity of language and thought.

A monk who dreamed that the world would become a huge monastery - a community of brothers, held together by love (“ I often prayed that the need for monasteries would be over, and such good order also came in the cities that no one would ever need to flee into the desert. [...] That is precisely what perverted the entire universe, that we think that only monastics need a great severity of life, while others can live carelessly", - says John Chrysostom).

He chose to serve in the world, became famous in Antioch as a preacher (hence the nickname Chrysostom), was invited to Constantinople by the metropolitan bishop. There Chrysostom arranges a whole charitable system: hospitals, shelters, etc. Chrysostom exposes the well-being of the “Christian society”, reminds of the era of persecution: “ security is the greatest of persecutions against piety, worse than any persecution. No one understands, does not feel danger - safety gives rise to carelessness, relaxes and lulls souls, and the devil kills the sleeping"- relevant words for our era as well - do we preserve the memory of the Soviet persecution?

Chrysostom fought against the secularization of the Church, its assimilation to the world, its transformation into a structure of power: “ Christians in particular are forbidden to correct those who fall into sin by violence, - he said, - our war does not make the living dead, but the dead alive, for it is full of meekness and humility ... I drive not by deed, but by word, and I am not persecuting heretics, but heresy ... endure persecution, not persecution, be persecuted, not persecuted. So Christ also conquered crucified, and not crucifying, not striking, but accepting the blows».

By his uncompromising struggle against the vices of the authorities, the clergy and the whole of society, the protection of the poor, in short, the bold and radical implementation (personal, social, political) of the evangelical ideals of St. John Chrysostom made himself powerful enemies: the Empress and the Alexandrian Pope, who removed him from the Constantinople see and sent him into exile, where John Chrysostom died. Here, as nowhere else, the paradox of the Christianization of the world is visible: the great righteous man was persecuted by the "Christian" empire and the "Christian" clergy: true Christians are always persecuted.

John Chrysostom is primarily a teacher of a righteous life, a renewed life in the Church, in Jesus Christ. Chrysostom, like no one, showed the identity of dogmatic and moral life: life in good as life in Christ. Chrysostom's sermon is also relevant for us, because for the first time it sounded in noisy, big cities, where “Christians”, who had forgotten about the era of persecution, fought for money and power, and the Church seemed dead ...

Archbishop of Constantinople. He was one of the opponents of Chrysostom, testified against him at the Cathedral under the Oak. However, it was he who returned the name of Chrysostom to the diptychs, extinguishing the church schism. He was one of the first who contributed to the establishment of a special veneration of the Mother of God in Constantinople. Atticus used the name "Theotokos" before its approval at the Council of Ephesus - where his works were read. St. Proclus of Constantinople was the secretary of Atticus. Four letters have survived from him.

The disciple of John Chrysostom and Atticus is a brilliant writer and preacher. Proclus of Constantinople fought against the Nestorian heresy, his brief definition of the Orthodox faith (in the context of anti-Nestorian polemics) is known: “ We confess not a deified person, but an incarnate God". Introduced the Trisagion into the service. The theology of Proclus of Constantinople is mainly devoted to Mariology and Christology.

Patristic heritage is a direct continuation of the teachings of Christ and the apostles. The Scriptures of the Church Fathers appear to be an integral part of Orthodox Tradition. Who are the Fathers and Teachers of the Church? How are they different from ordinary theologians?

Church Fathers(Greek Ἐκκλησιαστικοί Πατέρες; in Orthodoxy Holy Fathers) - the founders of church doctrine and theologians of the past, whose authority had a special weight in the formation of dogma, the compilation of the canon - a list of the Holy Books of the Bible (the separation of inspired books from apocryphal), hierarchical organization, and the worship of the Church. The word "father" in this case is used in a figurative sense, denoting a mentor or teacher of truth.

In Catholicism and Orthodoxy, the same ascetics are referred to the Church Fathers, but there is a difference in the level of their veneration. It is impossible to list all the Church Fathers. Let's name only those "recognized fathers" who were solemnly announced at the 3rd, 4th and 5th Ecumenical Councils as church authorities: Peter, Athanasius, Theophilus of Alexandria, Basil the Great, Atticus of Constantinople, Gregory the Theologian, Gregory of Nyssa, Amphilochius Iconium, Cyprian of Carthage, Ambrose of Mediolan, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Ilarius of Pictavia and Augustine.

From the earliest times of the existence of Christianity, they were highly respected and were presented as instruments of the Holy Spirit. However, their teaching, in most cases, is not placed by the Church on a par with the writings of the prophets and apostles and is considered as human works, and the judgments of individual Church Fathers are viewed as private opinions of highly authoritative theologians.

It is believed that the Church Fathers are distinguished from ordinary theologians by: absolute adherence to the teachings of the Church (the truth of the teachings), the holiness of life, recognition of the Church and antiquity... All of these criteria are borrowed from traditional Catholic patristics. However, in the Orthodox Church antiquity is not a prerequisite for the activity of the Fathers of the Church. For the Orthodox Christian, the Father of the Church is equally the Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyons, who lived in the 2nd century, and St. Theophan the Recluse, who lived in the 19th century. " Our Church teaches that Divine Revelation is not limited to any chronological framework., - indicates prot. John Meyendorff. - The Holy Spirit works through people of all times, and the Church “recognizes” in people its “holy fathers” not because of antiquity, but, guided by its inner intuition, on the basis of which Tradition is formed". To say that there can be no more Holy Fathers anymore means to affirm that the Holy Spirit has left the Church.

Moreover, it is assumed that Church Fathers May Be Wrong in Anything(and this is inevitable in the absence of a consensus on many issues), but nevertheless they should be honored as Fathers and their works should be studied, because the opinion expressed by the Father of the Church and not condemned by a council falls within the boundaries of what is permissible and possible, but cannot be considered universally binding for Orthodox believers. As for the correctness of the teaching, clarifications are needed here. The Fathers of the Church were the spokesmen for Church Tradition, and in this sense their writings are a kind of standard, “an accurate presentation of the Orthodox faith”: we are guided by their teaching, we check our views and judgments against them. However, in the patristic writings, one should distinguish what was said by their authors on behalf of the Church and what expresses the general Church teaching, from private theological opinions (the so-called theologumen). The philosophical and theological teaching of the Church Fathers, as well as the section of theological science that studies this teaching, is called patristics or patrology.

Theologumen- a theological opinion that is not universally binding for all Christians. The theologumen is not just a private opinion or reflection of an individual author: he denotes a teaching more or less accepted by the Church Fathers. But it does not have the binding character of a conciliar definition. If the theologumen was condemned at a church council, then he turns into heresy.

Regarding holiness, it should be said that personal holiness does not always ensure the theological impeccability of the judgments of one or another author. Myself the fact of canonization of this or that saint does not mean indispensable elevating everything he wrote and said to the rank of patristic theology.

The criterion for the truth of the teaching of the Church Fathers was formulated by Athanasius the Great: “ This is the true teaching and this is the sign of true teachers, as the fathers conveyed: to confess one and the same thing among themselves and not to enter into disputes either with each other or with their fathers.... ". At the same time, the consent of the Fathers, in order to be obligatory for Christians, must concern the points of teaching, which, according to the recognition of the Fathers themselves, have the character of Revelation. On other issues, even those related to theological sciences, their judgments are not considered binding.

Also, the authority of the Church Fathers does not always extend to all of their writings... Only those works of theirs that were solemnly adopted at the ecumenical councils are accepted in their entirety. The works written in a state of publicity (like the eulogy of Gregory the Wonderworker to Origen) or in a dispute with the defenders of Orthodoxy (for example, Theodorite of Kirsky versus Cyril of Alexandria) do not have dogmatic authority. In this respect, only the Teachers of the Church enjoy particular privilege.

Church teachers

In relation to those outstanding church writers who are not awarded by the Church the title of Fathers of the Church, but are known for their high qualities, exceptional education, ascetic life and are respected in the Church, a particularly honorary title is used Church teacher("Great universal teacher").

The Greek Church knows only three great Ecumenical Teachers - Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

The total number of Teachers of the Church venerated in the Catholic Church is 35, including four women. The most important of them ("the prince of philosophers") is considered Thomas Aquinas, to whom the attempt to create a system of rational proofs of the existence of God belongs.

In the Orthodox Church, the name “Teacher of the Church” does not have a stable and strictly defined meaning. Sometimes it is applied, as a particularly honorary title ("great universal teacher"), to the most famous of the Church Fathers (Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom); for the most part, it is used in relation to the most prominent of the church writers who have not been awarded the honorary title of "Church Fathers" by the Church, but are known for their high qualities, exceptional education, ascetic life and are respected in the Church, although not among the saints (for example, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Jerome, Augustine, Theodorite of Cyrus), and in their meaning are close to the Fathers, standing in close connection with them.

It should be noted that among Protestants the Church Fathers do not have special authority, and are considered as historical witnesses of the ancient church faith, valuable for their erudition and antiquity. Objections to their dogmatic authority are based on their potential for sin and the rare attainability of consensus patrum.

The Consensus Patrum Principle

The classical definition of the principle of "consent of the fathers" (Consensus patrum) was given in the 5th century. Rev. Vikentiy Lyrinsky: “But only those fathers should endure the judgments who, living, teaching and abiding in faith and in catholic communion holy, wisely, constantly, were vouchsafed either to rest in Christ in faith, or to die blessedly for Christ.

And they should be believed according to the following rule: that only either all of them, or the majority of them unanimously accepted, supported, transmitted openly, often unshakably, as if by some preliminary agreement of the teachers among themselves, then be considered as certain, true and indisputable; and what was thinking about who, whether he was a saint or a scientist, whether a confessor or a martyr, did not agree with everyone or even in spite of everyone, then refer to opinions as personal, secret, private, different (secretum) from the authority of a common, open and popular belief; so that, leaving the ancient truth of the universal dogma, according to the impious custom of heretics and schismatics, with the greatest danger regarding eternal salvation, we do not follow a new delusion of one person. "

It is this “consent of the fathers” that makes them authoritative exponents of the Holy Tradition. And “Tradition is the Spirit of Christ, which animates the Church and constitutes her inner essence. Like the human body, revived by the soul, the Body of Christ is revived by the Spirit of Christ who lives in Him. "

Naturally, patristic creations do not encompass the entirety of Church Tradition, but represent only a part of it, along with the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, divine services, church customs, etc. In addition, the works of the holy fathers are monuments of church writing.

Contemporary theologians

Saint Gregory the Theologian said: “ Not everyone can philosophize about God ... People who have tested themselves, who spent their lives in contemplation, and first of all purified, at least purify, the soul and body are capable of this.».

The works of the Fathers of the Church, especially Greek patristics, are, in the opinion of almost all theologians, exemplary theology. Modern theologians may have their own, private opinions that differ from the opinions of other theologians, they can speak from themselves, but their personal voice should never sound in isolation or apart. Contemporary Orthodox theology must be a further development of the Tradition of the Church Fathers.

The eminent Orthodox theologian, Archpriest Georgy Florovsky, believed that the conceptual apparatus of theology should be developed in the mainstream of modernity, while remaining within the system of concepts of Greek patristics. He opposed any attempts to reformulate dogmas to suit modern trends and stressed the importance of patristic works for modern theology. So, for example, the modern theologian, professor of the Moscow Academy of Sciences A.I. Osipov is an example in an understandable presentation of Christian dogmas and the foundations of the Orthodox faith. Thanks to his lectures, people discover what Christianity, Orthodoxy, and God are.

One of the most famous contemporary Orthodox theologians, Bishop Callistos of Diocleus (Ware), said in one of his interviews: “In our day, theologian certainly needs an academic education. However, this is not enough. The theologian must be a member of the Church who speaks from within the Church. The theologian must be able to use all the tools that academic research offers him, but he must also be rooted in the life of the Church. In my perception, a theologian is one who often partakes of the Holy Mysteries. In the 4th century Evagrius of Pontic argued that "theologian is the one who prays." Perhaps his perception of a theologian was relatively different from our modern understanding, but his words are still relevant, since there is a connection between theology and prayer. This is what the theologian should express in his life. "

Conclusion

The Bishop of Diocleus Callistus (Ware), mentioned above, says: “ An Orthodox Christian must not only know the Fathers and quote them: he must enter into their spirit and acquire a “patristic mind”. He must view the Fathers not only as a legacy of the past, but as living witnesses and contemporaries.».

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) considers the relevance of patristic theology to be a necessary attribute of every Father of the Church in any era. “The Church Fathers were the spokesmen of the Christian faith for their contemporaries: they wrote in the language of their era, used the conceptual apparatus available to their environment, but at the same time they expressed those truths that never become obsolete, shared experiences that are always relevant. Many who today come into contact with the creations of the Fathers of previous centuries are amazed at how modern they are. The language of this or that Church Father may be archaic, certain scientific views on which he relied may be outdated, but the main message of patristic theology, its spiritual structure, its dogmatic and moral core - all this remains equally relevant for our contemporary and for a man of antiquity. "

The Holy Fathers, more than any sin, feared falling into heresy. There were many theologians who balanced on the brink of heresy or crossed this line, but, as a rule, only those who deliberately opposed their opinion to the conciliar reason of the Church remained beyond the threshold of the Church. If the theologian, obeying the church voice, admitted his mistakes, the Church returned to him all the fullness of her confidence. Therefore, fearing heresy, the Church Fathers were not afraid of mistakes, knowing that infallibility is not characteristic of anyone except the Church itself in all its fullness, and that the Church itself will correct every mistake and make up for any incompleteness. As you know, there is only one God without sin. Therefore, we must not forget that the Fathers of the Church were people: in their life there could be falls, misdeeds, etc., but by their feat of repentance, prayer and good deeds they redeemed them before the Lord and the Church unanimously recognizes them as saints.

Thus, we can say that the Father of the Church is the theologian who, possessing personal holiness and keeping faithful to the Tradition of the Church, at the same time speaks a language accessible to his contemporaries, without fear of answering the burning questions of our time. The Father of the Church verifies all his theological judgments with the opinion of the Church, focusing on Church Tradition as the main criterion of truth.

Prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

Who are the church fathers?

Who are the church fathers and did they faithfully adhere to Bible teachings? What should serve as a solid foundation of Christian truth for followers of Jesus Christ?

Church Fathers. Defenders of Bible Truth?

Whether you consider yourself a Christian or not, their views may have greatly influenced your understanding of the God of the Bible, Jesus, and Christianity. One of them was called Chrysostom, the other - the Great.

They are also called "the highest embodiment of the life of Christ." Who are we talking about? About ancient spiritual thinkers, writers, theologians and philosophers, under whose
influenced to a large extent formed "Christian" thinking. We are talking about the church fathers.

“The Word of God is not only the Bible,” says Demetrios Konstantelos, professor of theology of the Greek Orthodox Church. “Holy Spirit,
revealing the meaning of God's word cannot be chained to the pages of a book. "

What else can serve as a reliable source of God's revelation? In his book Comprehension of the Teachings of the Greek Orthodox Church, Konstantelos
states: “Sacred tradition and Holy Scripture are two sides of the same coin” (Understanding the Greek Orthodox Church).

Sacred traditions are mainly based on the teachings and writings of the church fathers. These were outstanding theologians and "Christian" philosophers who lived in the 2nd-5th centuries AD. NS.

To what extent have they influenced the development of modern "Christian" thought? Did they adhere to Bible teachings accurately? What should be the solid foundation of Christian truth for a follower of Jesus Christ?

What does the story say?

In the middle of the 2nd century A.D. NS. professing Christianity defended their faith both from attacks from Rome and from various kinds of heresies. However, this was an era when theological opinions were vying with each other.

Religious debate over the "divinity" of Jesus and the nature and operation of holy spirit has not only generated intellectual controversy.

Violent disputes and irreconcilable contradictions regarding "Christian" beliefs have moved into the sphere of politics and culture, sometimes pouring out into
riots, uprisings, civil strife and even wars.

Historian Paul Johnson writes: “[Apostate] Christianity sprang from the chaos, controversy, and schism that continue to be at its core. [...] In the districts
central and eastern Mediterranean in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD NS. countless religious ideas have emerged. They tried in every possible way to approve and
to distribute. [...] From the very beginning there were many types of Christianity, between which there was very little in common. "

In that era, many writers and thinkers appeared who considered it their duty to interpret the "Christian" teachings using philosophical terms.

To flatter the educated, newly converted "Christians," these literary theologians relied heavily on Greek and Jewish
literature.

Beginning with the time of Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 AD), who wrote in Greek, such Christians have learned to weave the philosophical heritage of Greek culture into their teachings in a particularly sophisticated way.

This trend culminated in the writings of Origen (circa 185-254 CE), a Greek philosopher from Alexandria.

In his essay "On the beginnings" Origen first tried to explain the basic teachings of "Christian" theology from the point of view of Greek philosophy.

The Council of Nicaea (325 AD), whose purpose was to explain and confirm the concept of the "divinity" of Christ, was an important milestone that gave a new impetus
the development of "Christian" dogma.

The Council of Nicaea marked the beginning of a new era, during which general councils of the church sought to provide more and more precise definitions of religious dogmas.

Writers and orators

Eusebius of Caesarea, whose activity dates back to the period of the first Council of Nicaea, was a contemporary and supporter of the emperor Constantine.

For about 100 years after the Council of Nicaea, theologians, mostly writing in Greek, formulated the doctrine of the Trinity through long and bitter controversy, which became the main teaching of Christendom.

The main participants in the Council were Athanasius, the assertive Bishop of Alexandria, and three other church representatives from Cappadocia (Asia Minor): Basil the Great, his brother Gregory of Nyssa and their mutual friend Gregory Nazianzen.

The writers and preachers of that era achieved unprecedented eloquence. Gregory Nazianzen and John Chrysostom (Chrysostom), who wrote in Greek,
Ambrose of Mediolan and Augustine of Hipponius, who wrote in Latin, were outstanding orators, mastering this most valued and widespread art of the time. Augustine was then the most authoritative writer.

His theological writings have largely shaped today's "Christian" thinking. One of the most prominent literary men of the time was Jerome, who helped to translate the Bible known as the Vulgate from the original languages ​​into Latin.

Cyril of Alexandria - Father of the Church

One of the most controversial figures among the church fathers was Cyril of Alexandria (c. 375-444 CE). Church historian Hans von
Kampenhausen describes him as “a dogmatic, unrestrained and cunning man, intoxicated by the grandeur of his calling and extremely proud
his dignity ".

He also adds: “He recognized as correct only that which served to assert his power and position ... He was not at all embarrassed by his own
cruelty and lack of principle. "

While Cyril was bishop in Alexandria, in his rivalry with the bishop of Constantinople, he did not disdain either bribes, or libel, or slander. It is believed that he was involved in the brutal murder of the famous teacher of philosophy Hypatia in 415.

About the theological writings of Kirill Kampenhausen wrote: “On the initiative of Kirill, questions of faith began to be resolved not exclusively on the basis of the Bible,
but on the basis of suitable statements or a series of statements of recognized celebrities. "

However, important questions arise: Did the church fathers faithfully adhere to the Bible? Are their teachings fully consistent with the Scriptures? Is it possible
to say with confidence that their labors help to gain accurate knowledge about God?

Teachings from God or from people?

In his recently published book "Hellenism - the basis of Christianity," Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox Church Methodius of Pisidia pointed out that
Greek culture and philosophy served as the basis for modern "Christian" thinking.

In this book, he unambiguously admits: “Almost all famous church fathers extolled the Greek worldview, borrowing it from the ancient
works of ancient Greek classics and trying with its help to understand and accurately define Christian truths "(" The Hellenic Pedestal of Christianity ").

For example, take the idea that the Father, Son, and holy spirit represent the Trinity.

After the Council of Nicaea, many church fathers became ardent followers of the Trinity. Their writings and interpretations have played a decisive role in making the Trinity a key teaching in Christendom. However, does the Bible speak of the Trinity? No.

Where did the church fathers get this teaching from? One dictionary notes that, according to many, the Trinity is "a false teaching, borrowed from pagan religions and introduced into the Christian faith" ("A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge").

And The Paganism in Our Christianity says: “The origin [of the Trinity] is completely pagan” (John 3:16; 14:28).

Or take, for example, the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, according to which a certain substance is separated from the human body after his death and continues to live.

Once again, the church fathers helped to ensure that this idea was included in a religion in which there was no teaching about the soul that continues to live after the death of a person. The Bible clearly states that the soul dies: “The soul that sins, that soul will die” (Ezekiel 18: 4).

What was the foundation of the faith of the church fathers in an immortal soul? The “New Catholic Encyclopedia” says: “The Christian concept of an incorporeal soul created by God, which takes up residence in the body at conception and makes a person a single living being, is the product of a long search for Christian philosophy.

It was only under the influence of Origen that the idea of ​​a disembodied soul took root in the East, and under the influence of St. Augustine - in the West, and also formed
a philosophical understanding of its nature ... [The teachings of Augustine] ... borrowed a lot (including flaws) from Neoplatonism. "

The magazine "Presbyterian Life" noted: "The doctrine of the immortality of the soul came from ancient Greek mysterious cults and was later developed by the philosopher Plato."

The Firm Foundation of Christian Truth

Even after this brief review of the historical record of the church fathers and the origins of their teachings, the question arises: Should true Christians base their faith on the teachings of the church fathers? What does the Bible say about this?

First of all, it should be mentioned that Jesus Christ himself urged not to call anyone with the religious title "father":
earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven ”(Matthew 23: 9).

To call any religious leader the title "father" is contrary to Christian principles in the Bible.

The writing of God's Word was completed in about AD 98. NS. by the apostle John. Therefore, true Christians do not need to look for any of the
people are a source of information from God.

They consider it unacceptable to "eliminate the commandment of God by tradition" human. Replacing the Word of God with human traditions means spiritual death. Jesus warned: “If a blind man leads a blind man, then both will fall into a pit.” - Matthew 15: 6, 14.

Do Christians need a source of spiritual revelation other than God's Word, the Bible? No.

The biblical book of Revelation urges us not to add anything to the words of the Holy Scripture: “If anyone adds anything to them, God will inflict plagues on him that are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18).

Christian truth is found in God's Word, the Bible (John 17:17; 2 John 1-4; 2 Timothy 3:16). And an accurate understanding of this truth cannot be achieved by studying the philosophy of this world.

Speaking of those who try to explain God's revelation with the help of human wisdom, it is appropriate to recall the questions posed by the Apostle Paul: “Where is the wise man? where is the scribe? where is the co-questioner of this age? Hasn't God turned the wisdom of this world into madness? " (1 Corinthians 1:20).

Moreover, the congregation of true Christians is “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

Leadership brothers keep the doctrine taught in the congregation clean, not allowing any falsehood to enter. --2 Timothy 2: 15-18, 25.

They also prevent congregations from being influenced by false prophets and “false teachers who introduce destructive heresies” (2 Peter 2: 1).

After the death of the apostles, the church fathers allowed misleading inspired words and “doctrines of demons” to take root in the congregation
Christians (1 Timothy 4: 1).

The consequences of such apostasy are clearly visible in Christendom today. His beliefs and traditions have nothing to do with Bible truth.

The Cappadocian Fathers

“The Orthodox Church ... especially venerates the writers of the 4th century, in particular those who are called the“ three great hierarchs ”- Gregory Nazianzen (the Theologian), Basil the Great and John Chrysostom,” the monk Callistus notes in his writings. Did these church fathers base their teachings on Scripture?

About Basil the Great in the book "Fathers of the Greek Church" it is said: "From his writings it is clear that all his life he firmly adhered to the ideas of Plato,
Homer, as well as historians and rhetoricians, which inevitably influenced the style of his writings. […] Basil remained a “Greek” (“The Fathers of the Greek Church”).

The same can be said about Gregory Nazianzen. “In his opinion, the best evidence of the victory and excellence of the church is in complete borrowing
traditions of ancient culture ".

Professor Panagiotis Christou writes about these three church fathers: “Although they sometimes warned against being carried away by 'philosophy and empty deception'
[Colossians 2: 8] in order to somehow harmonize their words with the commandment of the New Testament, at the same time they were absorbed in the study of philosophy and other
similar disciplines and even advised others to study them. "

Clearly, these Church teachers felt that Bible teachings were insufficient to validate their ideas.

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