Holy Tradition Research Articles

Orthodoxy and interreligious dialogue

The interreligious dialogue has a very important place in all the meeting agendas from all over the world, regardless the topic addressed. Having a concrete dynamic, this kind of theological problematic follows the general spiritual movement of communities and their unresolved necessities. Although the interreligious dialogue has an old history, it developed today on the basis of actual issues of violence and disagreements between peoples. Therefore, because religion has an essential place in the life of human communities from all over the world, the dialogue with people of other faiths and ideologies must be necessarily promoted. In this context, the Orthodox Church representatives participated at many meetings in the purpose to promote and sustain the interreligious dialogue, bringing in actuality their bi-millenaries theological experience, based on the Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. From the orthodox point of view, the liberty is the greatest gift which God has give to man and also a free world cannot exist without love between people. This love has its fundament and purpose in the Holy Trinity.

Осмысление православной культуры посредством системного подхода

The article reveals the semantic ideas of Orthodox culture, discovered by considering it as an independent sys-tem. Orthodox culture in the general system of Russian culture can be considered as a special subsystem with its own laws of existence. In turn, this subsystem “from the inside” appears as a dynamic system. In it, the phe-nomena of Orthodoxy turn out to be structural elements (components) interconnected in a certain way. The ide-ological foundations of the Orthodox faith are revealed, diversely reflected by elements from the subsystems of Orthodoxy – spiritual (priority), material, artistic. Using the example of some phenomena of Orthodoxy, it is sub-stantiated that the main source of semantic content for the material and artistic subsystems of Orthodox culture are the structural components of the spiritual subsystem – these are “Holy Tradition” and “Holy Scripture”. In order to achieve a holistic understanding of the phenomena of Orthodox culture, in their philosophical under-standing, it is proposed to establish a semantic connection between all components of the unified cultural sys-tem of Orthodoxy.

The Importance of the Holy Scripture within the Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church

This paper examines the views of Orthodox canonists on the relationship between the Holy Scripture and Canon Law in current academic research. It explores two general positions within Orthodox Canon Law: one that considers the Holy Scripture as a fundamental source of Canon Law, and another that postulates a conflict between the principles of love and grace found in Scripture and the legal aspects of Canon Law. The first position categorizes the Holy Scripture as divine written law, while the Holy Tradition is seen as divine unwritten law. The sources of law are further classified into fundamental, historical, and practical sources. The division of Canon Law also includes distinctions such as divine or natural Church Law, common law versus law, and old law versus new law. The text references various canonists and their works to support these classifications. It highlights the understanding of contemporary Orthodox canonists who continue to recognize the Holy Scripture as a source of divine written law, emphasizing the importance of formulating human laws by divine justice. In general, it is emphasized that all the canons of the Church included in the fundamental collection, being regarded as an essential part of the Patristic tradition and the synodal manifestation of the Church, can be understood as manifestations of the ecclesial experience across time and space, guided by the divine grace of the Holy Spirit, and as a continuation of biblical rules and norms.

Sources for Christian Bioethics: The Orthodox Discourse on Sin

AbstractThe article discusses ways of developing bioethical guidance in the Orthodox Christian discourse. Here, “ethical” refers to what contributes to holiness, “un-ethical” refers to sin as what hinders man’s foundational calling to holiness. To explore the development of guidance for emerging bioethical issues, we use the “therapeutic” understanding of treatment for sin in two senses. (1) It refers to the spiritual means provided by the “hospital” of the Orthodox Church for healing the fallenness of human nature in general; and (2) it helps identify in particular cases both what counts as transgression of unconditional boundaries (defining what is illicit for everyone) and what is advisable in order to help particular persons to choose rightly within the area of the “more or less licit” (or “permissible”). Sources of the Orthodox faith that frame the general understanding of the boundaries between the permissible and the impermissible reflect the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church framing her Sacred (Holy) Tradition. In Holy Tradition, prayers, as communion with God, occupy a central position. This is why Orthodox moral reasoning, and thus also Orthodox bioethics, takes the form of liturgical bioethics. Penalties of excommunication determine hard boundaries that believers should not overstep: when crossing such boundaries, they enter on a spiritually dangerous path that completely distracts them away from God. Many minor sins, by contrast, have not been codified in Canons. They are not taken to remove the sinner completely from contact with the Lord. Within this realm of actions, it depends on a person’s spiritual maturity whether such actions are classified as sinful. Thus, an act can be counted merely as a small offense if committed by a beginner, while that same act can become a grave sin for an advanced believer. Due to acceleration of the technological progress, Orthodox recourse to Holy Tradition encounters ever-new challenges. There are bioethical issues that had not surfaced at the time of the Fathers of the Church. Today, Bishops gathered at a local council can supply the guidance lacking on a newly emerging bioethical problem. Even if ratified only by such local councils, the resulting decrees can also be regarded as the expression of the Holy Spirit working within a local Church and conveying His guidance. The article illustrates this source of Christian bioethics by reference to how the Russian Orthodox Church orients and develops its position on the ethics of reproductive technologies.

Patriarch Kirill’s Praetorian Guard: Sorok Sorokov as Radical Outreach for “Holy Tradition”

The central focus of this article is an in-depth analysis of the interplay between Patriarch Kirill’s ideology of “Holy Tradition” and the movement Sorok Sorokov, which we consider Kirill’s praetorian guard, in charge of “maintaining the order for patriarchal services”—services which include humanitarian and military assistance in Russian offensives, the punishment of non-traditional priests, and the on-site guards of patriarchal projects within the wider scope of Russkiy mir. More importantly however, and due to this privileged position, Sorok Sorokov acts as a radicalizing outreach for Patriarch Kirill’s “Holy Tradition” in the digital space. To demonstrate this relationship, we employ a mixed methods approach in line with digital humanities methodology. To achieve this, we have developed telegram API and web scraping tools as well as utilized exploratory data analysis, natural language processing, and critical discourse analysis. Our preliminary conclusions are that: (1) Sorok Sorokov does indeed function as a radical extension of Patriarch Kirill’s Holy Tradition and (2) that Sorok Sorokov operates as an illiberal service provider for the Russian Orthodox Church in social contexts that Patriarch Kirill cannot directly address such as war and radical, national politics.

Cosmology of Saint Victorinus of Poetovio: from the Creation of Light to the Creation of Adam

This article reveals the cosmology, or the doctrine of the creation of a little-known holy father and, possibly, the first martyr of the Pannonian province of the Roman Empire – Saint Victorinus of Poetovio (c. 230 - 303/304), the author of the first Latin Six Days. Victorinus, in his original writings - the treatise "On the Creation of the World" and the interpretation of "On Revelation", using various exegetical methods, for example, allegories and typologies - paid particular attention to the meaning and purpose of creation, the first, fourth, fifth and sixth days of creation. As for the second and third days of creation, you need to be an attentive reader in order to find the necessary information in the treatise "On the Creation of the World". At the same time, it should be borne in mind that Victorinus of Poetovio, as a supporter of binitarianism, taught that there is a single God the Creator, or God the Father and God the Son. However, this does not mean that Victorinus did not know anything about the Holy Spirit, since in the treatise "On the Creation of the World" and the interpretation "On Revelation", He is repeatedly mentioned, starting with the events associated with the incarnation of the Son of God into the world. As a result, we learn that the world, or the universe, was created by God in six days from nothing and for the glorification of His greatness by the primordial man, or the first people, the primordial and other angels, as well as animals. In addition, the uniqueness of this Six Days lies in the fact that Victorinus of Poetovio, when writing it, used not only the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition but also repeatedly resorted to the author's innovation.

The Role and Position of the Orthodox Church in the Current Era

When we consider the role of the church in the modern world, we also need to contemplate the relationship that exists between the church in God's Kingdom. Churches should not be considered as simply being institutions residing in various denominations but should rather be viewed as entities in the service of the Creator. As such they are essentially transcendent over any man-made institution and are inevitably bound to be responsive to the word of God as manifested in Holy Scriptures, Holy Traditions and daily living, and are expected to do His will until God’s Kingdom comes. The church offers us an epiphany the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ – and of the Kingdom of God and it allows us to go back in time to the life of Jesus Christ as the God-man (Theanthropos), who is totally faithful to the Father. Not only does the church look backwards, but it also anticipates futuristic revelation. The manner in which the church and the world are interrelated is ultimately determined by the relationship of each to Gods Kingdom. The Orthodox Church today as always, strongly asserts the truth of freedom in Christ through its evangelisation, mission, theology, devotional and pastoral endeavours. It teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church established by Jesus Christ in His Great Commission, and that all bishops are essentially the successors of Christ's apostles. Thus, the church upholds practices held by the original Christian faith, as they have been passed down to us via Holy Tradition and she has a life-giving role to play in a highly distressed world.

Conceptualization of the Church Legal Order in the Modern State

The article analyses the church legal order as a component of the general social legal order. It is determined that the unique nature of ecclesiastical law and ecclesiastical legal order is the basis for a new reading of the problem of the relationship between the spiritual and legal principles of society. With the help of a set of modern methodological approaches, the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition, codes of canons and social concepts of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, works of theologians, national legislation and international legal acts, sociological data, press materials are analyzed. The ecclesiastical legal order, and the general social one, is combined with spirituality in that the sphere of the spiritual includes all the intellectual and moral forces of man, his desire for freedom and order. Comprehending the spiritual origins of law and the legal order, the authors assume that they are, above all, spiritual value. The functioning of the church legal order is an argument in opposition to those doctrinal positions that derive the legal order from the law and legality, and emphasises the appeal to the law as its real and reliable basis. Therefore, the concepts of legal order and church legal order are correlated as interrelated, but at the same time different phenomena. Legal regulation of church relations has a dual nature. It is carried out both by legal acts of the church and by the legislation of the state. Such a double dependence creates a vulnerability of the church legal order to the nature and quality of secular law. The subjective structure of the church legal order is also ambivalent. In Ukraine, as in a multi-confessional society, a separate (autonomous) church legal order is inherent in each denomination. Relationships, differences between denominations, interaction or contradictions between them in one way or another affect the state of the church legal order in society, including – the general legal order

A Declaration on the “Russian World” (Russkii Mir) Teaching

Abstract On March 13, 2022 (Sunday of Orthodoxy), Orthodox theologians and scholars from around the world issued an unprecedented theological declaration that draws on both the Barmen Declaration (1934) and the Synodikon of Orthodoxy, and is directed against the ethnophyletist and nationalist “Russian world” ideology that serves as the religious underpinning for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This ideology, fundamentalist in character, was developed by Patriarch Kirill (Gundiaev) of Moscow and both Putin and Patriarch Kirill repeatedly reference it in their active support of the Russian invasion. Having briefly outlined the Russian world ideology, the Declaration identifies the ideology’s main propositions, which are declared “heretical” from an Orthodox theological perspective. By contrast, the Orthodox scholars systematically outline affirmations drawn from Scripture and the Holy Tradition of Orthodox Christianity. Finally, the declaration calls all to be mindful of the theological principles outlined in their decisions in church politics.

The Biblical Theme in the Historical Monographs of Georgy P. Fedotov

The article stresses that Georgy P. Fedotov's systematic reference to the Bible enabled him in his historical monographs (Abelard, St. Filipp Metropolitan of Moscow, Saints of Ancient Russia, Spiritual Poems ) to reconstruct the spiritual reality of past eras and symbolically perceive the present. Fedotov intended to know The Gospel in History, Russian religiosity, exploring it on the material of hagiographies of saints, spiritual poems, folk faith, apocrypha, and prologues. Fedotov considered the history of Russian culture in terms of a "living chain," an integral phenomenon existing due to the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition. However, "The sacred tradition of the Church is included in the general stream of historical tradition, all complex, always muddy, human weaving truth and falsehood." Fedotov raised the question of the relationship between scientific criticism and biblical exegetics: how can we reconcile exegetics of sacred texts, which assume that the Bible is an inspired book, and historical criticism, which by its very nature cannot share such a position, being aimed at comprehending objective historical reality? He solved it convincingly practically through hermeneutic religious analysis of hagiographic monuments and spiritual verses. In his Spiritual Poems Fedotov explores folklore material compared to biblical texts, hagiographies, and apocrypha, to comprehend the peculiarity of religious "Weltanschauung" and popular orthodoxy. In spiritual verses, there was a transformation of biblical images (Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Last Judgment) under the influence of folk faith with pagan features. In folklore texts, Fedotov reveals how Christ, from savior and redeemer, turns into a king and dreadful judge. The image of the Mother of God merges in the popular consciousness with the image of the mother earth, suffering from people. Eschatological prophecies are based on impressions from icons, frescoes, and lubok pictures. Fedotov's historical monographs illuminate various aspects of Russian religious consciousness regarding Holy Scripture, considering dogmatic biblical exegetics and historical criticism. All the mentioned facts allow us to assert that Fedotov was the leading secular biblical scholar of the Russian diaspora.

The Journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, from the Baptism to becoming the Son of God and from the Earthly to the Heavenly Kingdom from the Point of View of Allegorical Interpretation

The article discusses two historical events taken from texts from the Holy Scripture – the Old and the New Testaments, and a spiritual view on human soul, as found in the Holy tradition of the Orthodox church: they support the thesis that, according to the method of allegorical interpretation, the three evidences point to three inner stages through which human soul passes in its transition to a holistic spiritual development: from the act of the Holy Baptism to the entry into the Kingdom of God.

Библейское Слово в трудах религиозных мыслителей (С. Л. Франк, Г. П. Федотов, Н. С. Арсеньев)

During the years of the revolution and the Civil War S. L. Frank, G. P. Fedotov, N. S. Arseniev were professors at Saratov University, but this is not all that unites them. In emigration these religious thinkers taught at various research-training, cultural-educational and spiritual centers of Europe, both Russian and foreign. The article reveals their personal experience of referring to the Biblical Word, exegesis of biblical texts based on Orthodox theology and biblical criticism. Frank wrote about the Word that created the world and the incarnate Word. In the book Collapse of the Idols (1923) he appeals to his reader with quotations from the New Testament, expressing the eternal and absolute. In the Holy Scriptures, he finds a match for his “basic intuition” of being. He bases his book Light in the Darkness (1949) on The Gospel of John, expressing the Christian attitude towards evil and criticizing all kinds of Utopianism. Frank’s idea that a man is destined to suffer to obtain salvation is also derived by him from the New Testament. Fedotov’s programmatic proposal on biblical studies is the article Orthodoxy and Historical Criticism (1932). He posed “the question of the limits of criticism in biblical exegesis”. Fedotov goes to the “pure basis of the Holy Tradition”, combining criticism of the historical school, “dogmatic loyalty to Orthodoxy” and “warm attitude” to Western Christianity. In the book Spiritual Poems (1935) the thinker explores folk beliefs in spiritual verses considering how biblical images (the Mother of God as “suffering mother and intercessor,” Christ the Almighty) and eschatological prophecies transform in them.The spiritual experience of the apostles John and Paul, their mysticism is the central attraction of Arseniev’s exegetical interests. He reinterprets the pre-Christian concept of the Logos and comes to the Christian understanding of the Word of God: Logos of the Old Testament prepares the hearts of men for the incarnation of the Son of God.

Comparative analysis of the principles of Civil Procedural Law and Ecclesiastical Procedural Law in Romania

Principles represent general rules, basic concepts, which serve to underpin and prepare the legal framework for the development of a complex trial or synthesize a social and juridical experience, thereby assuring a balance and a relation between the rights and the obligations of a person and of society as a whole. The principles of civil procedural law manifest themselves in the form of basic juridical concepts. These determine the forms and methods of juridical regulation of procedures for examining and resolving litigation brought before the civil courts. The fundamental canonical principles of Orthodoxy are comprised, on the one hand, of the universal constitution of the Church, mirrored in the collection of holy canons, and on the other hand, of the Church’s long and constant practice and tradition, become canon law custom. These principles consist both of natural and, especially, supernatural revelation, in the form of the truths of faith included in the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Tradition and in the objective conditions of the natural life of society. Both the general principles of civil law and those of canon law represent the solid basis of the general system of law, a structure on which the whole juridical architecture is built, meant to assure not only correct and coherent legislation, but also a balanced and transparent justice, via a unitary and consistent judicial practice or jurisprudence.

Angels and Angelology: The Ministering Spirits and Elect ‘sons of God’

Jesus Christ is central to Christianity as God and Saviour and He taught concerning the existence of angels, so as Orthodox Christians we ought to embrace the belief in angels. This article approaches the themes from a mainly Orthodox perspective and contends that angels are important, not only as part of a prescriptive Biblical world-view, but also as creatures serving God. Angelology or the study of angels such as this one, is part of systematic theology and is a key category of theology in Orthodoxy and Catholicism. It is metaphysical in that it studies being and all reality in the physical and spiritual realms. Angels as God’s agents, are considered from a biblical vantage point and the teachings of early Church Fathers who believed that God fashioned the angels long before He created the observable world. It is clear from Holy Scripture that angels protect people under the authority of the creator. Angels are non-corporeal despite manifesting at times in human form. They are messengers and ambassadors of the Most High. Their core function is to devote their existence to doing God’s will and they are assigned various missions on earth. They play a crucial role in reconciling fallen humanity with God as they praise Him and call on people to worship and adore Him. Angels are ordered in specific ranks in which diverse roles are played by them. As Orthodox adherents we believe they have been with us since the very creation and have helped to guide the Church as the ‘Bride of Christ’ who is its head. Angels will play an essential role when Christ returns at the Second Coming. People can be elevated above angels by responding to God’s saving work and may even get to judge angels. There are also fallen angels, headed by Lucifer, thus they are not infallible. Either way, angels form part of a significant component of divine revelation and should never be ignored. Angels should not be worshipped but rather venerated for their excellence as ministering spirits and servants of the Most High. According to Orthodoxy, human beings in the Christian faith need to make the Holy Bible, Holy Tradition and teachings of the early Church Fathers, their authority on all matters of spirituality and seek the support of the Paraclete. In African traditional cosmology (ATC) there is a shared spiritual belief in ancestors, which is also worth briefly touching on. A study such as this then serves to widen our understanding of God, and how He operates in His Creation.

СУЩНОСТЬ И СОДЕРЖАНИЕ ПРАВОСЛАВНОГО ФУНДАМЕНТАЛИЗМА: РЕЛИГИОЗНЫЙ АСПЕКТ

The article contains a theoretical analysis of the Orthodox fundamentalism conception, which has popularity in modern Russia and still hasn’t had a clear definition in its theological understanding. In the introduction of the article, the author defines the origins of «fundamentalism», «religious fundamentalism» and «Orthodox fundamentalism». Author, bases on analysis of the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition, declares that the fundamental ideas, which have already had deep roots in the Western Christian church since the Reformation and Counter-Reformation dispute, in Orthodox tradition had their origin only at the beginning of the 20th century as a response to atheistic attitudes. The main reason of this was the priority of the Holy Tradition over the Holy Scriptures, which, on the one hand, is not homogeneous because of the cultural diversity of the Orthodox churches, and on the other hand, because of the structure of the Holy Tradition as a constantly supplemented «eternal, ageless memory» of the Church. In case of the Russian Orthodox Church, fundamental ideas were represented as the decisions of the Local Church Cathedral of 1917-1918 in order to return to the Ecumenical Church of the first centuries of Christianity.

Apologetic and educational tasks of Orthodox theology in regards to F. M. Dostoevsky’s spiritual insights (on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birth)

The article attempts to define the most important tasks of modern Orthodox theology by analyzing the spiritual insights of the great Russian writer and philosopher F. M. Dostoevsky. The thinker wrote about the need to educate the Russian people in a Christian spirit in order for them to fulfill their worldwide mission. Russian university theology today is being formed in the conditions of worldview, ideological and religious pluralism. Differentiation of theological science and education on the basis of confessions is optimal in the current situation according to the author of the article. For Orthodox theology, the theoretical and methodological foundation should be, first of all, Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, the richest experience of Eastern Christianity transmitted to Ancient Rus by Byzantium, patristic works and the works of a great many brilliant Orthodox theologians. Also, the spiritual and intellectual achievements of Russian religious philosophers, who, not without mistakes, strove to transfer the richest heritage of Orthodox thought into the secular language should be included. The analysis of Dostoevsky’s literary works, diaries, and notebooks, one of the most distinctive representatives of Russian metaphysics, determined the conclusion of the author of the article that for modern Orthodox theology, the most important tasks are apologetic and enlightenment. They are aimed at protecting the Christian faith from the multitude of myths that developed during the period of apostasy. In addition, these tasks are meant to cultivate knowledge about Orthodoxy and other traditional religions for Russia, both among young people and the older generations.

THE FACT OF CREATION AND THE LIMITS OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

Although scientific research is in full bloom regarding, for instance, the environment, the fact of creation cannot be ignored either, even if some scientists deny it, while others ascertain it, albeit from perspectives, however, foreign to the patristic vision specific of the Orthodoxy. Consequently, the limits of cosmology are structured as well by Christian theology, which shows that the study of the world, guided by laws of physics in a limited framework, is carried out inside the creation affected by the consequences of the primordial sin, so that the reality of the world before sin is known only to those who reach spiritual perfection and holiness, therefore, from an eschatological perspective, since they, too, go through the moment of separation of the soul from the body, waiting for the general resurrection. Therefore, a new way of being is affirmed in the Orthodox Church, by the personal experience of each believer, which is a transformation on the personal and cosmic level, according to Jesus Christ’s resurrected body, which means the reality of a new physics, which concerns both the beginning of the universe, but also its new dimension, at the Lord’s Second Coming, when heaven and earth will be renewed by transfiguration. Regarding the existence of the universe, the differences are given by the perceptions of two cosmologies. Thus, the theonomous cosmology highlights man’s purpose on earth, the necessity of moral and spiritual life, and the transfiguration of creation, explaining God’s presence in His creation, but also His work in it, namely the transcendence and the immanence in relation to the creation. The autonomous cosmology engenders the evolutionist theory, which leads to secularism and, consequently, to the gap between the contemporary man’s technological progress, and his spiritual and moral regress. Today, more scientists are turning their attention also to the data of the divine Revelation, the way it makes itself known by its organs, the Holy Scripture and the Holy Tradition, in the one Church, which will mean a deepening of the dialogue between science and theology in favour of the man from everywhere and from the times to come.

Do's and don'ts

It is an interesting and refreshing fact that every human society is conventionally structured and subsequently sustained by certain rules and regulations whether written or unwritten by which both social and religious life is regulated. In the religious arena, the holy writ or tradition serves as a functional apparatus in order to attain and guarantee religious order, righteousness, and holiness. Conceptually, Ori Oke means Prayer Mountain, one which is secluded from interruption for the purpose of solitary prayer and worship of the transcendental God. Thus, every Ori Oke (prayer mountain) in Ilorin metropolis is identified and associated with rules and practices which have been a sine-qua non for orderliness, harmony, purity, and security. However, non-compliance with the rules and regulations has been a major problem confronting some attendees and as well as a source of worry to insiders. This, as a matter of fact, elicits lots of concern from troubled members who are alarmed at the extent of violations at odd hours and in unexpected places thereby leading to a critical question of the roles of instruction in Ori Oke. The thrust of the paper is, therefore, to examine the theological and historical aspects to show the indispensable role of Christian traditions or holy writ in the sustainability of peace, orderliness, purity, inclusion, and continuity. The paper adopts a historical-liturgical and expository approach leading to the fact that vigilance and extra care must be employed by Ori Oke caretakers in order to get rid of unholy practices in the holy land.

Духовно-нравственный смысл и значение символических образов в процессе распространения христианского вероучения как традиция, воспринятая христианскими мыслителями от античного философского наследия

This scientific research discusses the historical and philosophical consideration of the spiritual and moral meaning and significance of symbolic images in the process of spreading the Christian faith. The purpose of this work is to identify the main symbolic traditions perceived by Christian thinkers from the ancient philosophical heritage. Of particular interest is the opportunity to trace and analyze in the historical and philosophical context the main correlation strategies of symbolic images, and their new meanings, inherited from ancient philosophical thought. In this regard, it seems important to focus on the main and most vivid meanings of Christian symbolism, in particular, in its applicability to anthropological problems. The theoretical and practical significance of the scientific research is to identify the features of Christian symbolism, perceived from the ancient symbolic tradition, and their correlation with the spiritual and moral social and personal requirements of society in the process of spreading the Christian faith. While studying this problem, the author uses general logical methods of theoretical knowledge and methods of scientific research: comparative analysis and synthesis, generalization, analogy and a systematic approach. As a result of this scientific research, the author shows the special meaning of the ancient symbol, as well as the importance and relevance of its reception. It also demonstrates the use and filling ancient symbolic images (in specific situations) in the Holy Scripture and the Holy Tradition of the Christian Church with new meanings in the process of spreading the Christian doctrine and spiritual and moral improvement of a person.

TEOLOGIE PATRISTICĂ ŞI NEOPATRISTICĂ? PERIOADELE PATROLOGIEI ÎN VIAŢA BISERICII

Many debates take place around the concepts of patristic theology and neopatristic theology, and also concerning the neopatristic or new patristic synthesis syntagms, all of them having as a substratum the issue of accepting or not limits for the patristic period. To avoid the netting of a lay science, Patrology has a permanent theological character and has no limits in history, just as the Holy Tradition of the Church is without limits. This fact is due to the situation that the Holy Fathers are not just authentic bearers of the Holy Tradition, but also its creators, in the sense of dynamic continuers of the spiritual and dogmatic heritage of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Accepting a terminus point for the patristic period would trigger many consequences, such as doubting the work and the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church, ranking, in a manner, however, not met in the Church life, the illumination by the Holy Spirit of the Holy Fathers from different epochs etc. The Church has not understood, however, the work of God as a limited reality, but as a dynamic one, present in its living and spiritually healthy limbs. The meeting with the Holy Church Fathers, present in all its epochs, is transforming and empowering, so that patristic theology represents in the Church a unitary and indivisible fact.