People who lives in our times do not treat the Antichrist seriously. They can’t because they watch more dangerous monsters in television and in news. But in the ancient times, when the Fathers of Church built a theological doc-trine, the Antichrist was treaten more seriously. In the first ages of Christianity, people were far from dismissive attitude towards this opponent of Christ, who is mentioned in Holy Bible. Questions that Christians have asked themselves over a thousand five hundred years ago are still valid today too, even if they are fed to the fore when it comes to the critical challenges facing the Catholic Church. The aim of the article is a presenttion some interpretation issues of antichrist, with particular emphasis on the Fathers of the Church, by discussing the state of reflection in later centuries.
The aim of this article is to briefly present a defence of Christian art, more precisely icons, in the first half of the eighth century. This movement reached its peak with John of Damascus. Although some ancient writers had already commented on the subject of Christian art before the public appearance of John of Damascus, the Syriac Theologian became an especially ardent defender of holy images and tried to vindicate their presence in Christian churches on the basis of the Holy Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church. This article outlines how the monk of Mar Saba uses the Holy Scriptures and Tradition in the Three Discourses against those who decry holy images. He quotes the Scriptures quite frequently, both the Old and New Testaments. So, of course, do his opponents. Therefore, the Syriac monk had to find another pillar to support his point of view. Tradition, represented almost exclusively by the Eastern Fathers, became his sure foundation. John’s approach reveals his inner conviction that he is called to present the uncorrupted truths of the faith, which in their fullness every Christian can find precisely in the Holy Scriptures and the teaching of the Church Fathers.
The study aims at an analysis on the concept of ownership in the selected Church Father's works. The authors focus on the work of Saint Jerome Saint Basil of Caesarea, Ambrose and Augustine, presenting the concept of ownership in the middle ages.
Reflections which concern using metaphysics in the teaching of the Church Fathers are highly important, because this relationship is deeply rooted in their exegesis. The relationship was negated specifically by the Reformation, which insisted that biblical language was allegedly replaced by pagan Greek philosophy. In fact, the Church Fathers were not only working on metaphysics itself but also they modified its classical form, producing some kind of new ontology, which is helpful in more precise theological depiction of Trinitarian God. On that basis they had initiated a new interpretation of metaphysics, showing a new perspective in looking at theological issues, such as creation, the mystery of human being, or Mariology.
The patristic writers variously enumerated the ages of human life. Some counted ten, some seven, six, five or four. They took number symbolism or the opinions of ancient authors as their starting point, but in their formulation the ages of human life concern not just the physical, intellectual or moral development of man but, often, also his spiritual development. They defined stages in the development of faith or love that can be described in terms analogous to those used for defining man’s age. Moreover, the patristic authors did not usually conclude their enumeration with old age. Human life passes ultimately into the age of rest (the seventh age) or into eternity (the eighth age), which has no end. Irenaeus of Lyon used the concept of the ages of life in proving that Jesus lived about fifty years. There were, in his opinion, theological arguments for such a mature age. Christ became one of us in order to accomplish the redemption and He therefore had to know all the ages of normal human life: not just birth, childhood and youth, but also maturity and old age. But the chronological and exegetical arguments Irenaeus gives are rather stretched. The most profound description of the ages of man was given by Augustine. He makes an original parallel with the seven days of creation and the seven ages of the history of the chosen people.
The study deals with the specific common iconography of the Four Great Western Church Fathers in the Czech Middle Ages in the wider ecclesiastical historical context. Development of the cult of the Four Great Western Church Fathers, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Jerome and St. Gregory the Great, arrived after the year 1295, when Pope Boniface VIII. proclaimed them to the Doctors of the Church. The visual depictions of the Church Fathers on art monuments became a visible expression of this artificially created cult. Between medieval Bohemian Art monuments survived to nowadays 14 common depictions of the Church Fathers from the middle of the 14th century to the beginning of the 16th century. The images of the Four Great Western Church Fathers were the personification of the Holy Church, therefore they were portrayed as high Church dignitaries. Saint Ambrose usually as a bishop with the mitre, St. Augustine as a bishop with the mitre, St. Jerome as a cardinal with the cardinal’s hat and St. Gregory the Great as a pope with the tiara.
The article outlines the main directions of the evangelization of the Church Fathers in the 5th and 6th centuries and the numerous obstacles which they encountered in their pastoral ministry. The spreading of pagan practices, magic and all kinds of superstitions were still visible even among the baptized people. Another problem they had to face, no less difficult to overcome, was a moral dissolution, as well as rampant alcoholism. Hence their sermons so often featured merciful God, ready to forgive every person. They also pointed some ways to deepen one’s faith. Thus they tried to form a Christian society, guided by the spirit of the Gospel in every sphere of life.
The purpose of this study is a description the rhetorical structure of John Chrysostom s seventh homily on Philippians in relation to the kenosis hymn. The analysis aims to identify and characterize individual structures within the homily. This is done with a view to highlighting the delibrate usage of rhetorical argument as an instrument for biblical text analysis in the construction of Chrysostom s sermon. The study includes two sections. The first one is a theoretical introduction to St. John s style, followed by investigation into the origin of the homily. The subject matter of Chrysostom s work is also discussed. The second part of the article is a thorough description of the structure of John s text. The chapter is a detailed and systematic analysis of elements showcasing the author s rhetorical skills.
This article is dedicated to the phenomenon of charisms in early Christianity. In the second half of the second century, Christianity began to institutionalize, but charismatic gifts were still present. This can be seen especially in evangelization and missionary activity. The two great Church Fathers of this period, Justin and Irenaeus, emphasize the value of Christian exorcisms for the development of Christianity and draw attention to the universality of spiritual gifts, citing a whole list of charisms in their writings such as the gift of knowledge, counsel, power, teaching, visions, miracles, speaking in other tongues, prophecy, foreseeing the future, presenting divine mysteries, healing, raising the dead, as well as the charismatic offices of prophets and exorcists. On the other hand, Montanus, Priscilla, and Maximian perpetuated the tendency to use charisms without following the established order of the liturgy, against which Eusebius made his first objection. In Montanism, one can see an attempt to restore prophets to a central role in the ekklesia, although they seem to have achieved the opposite.
The relationship with God allows man to find the sense of life. Christianity is a humanism – it positions man in the very centre of the world according him the highest place – of the being created after God’s image. The revelation of God’s Love endows man with a new way of enriching himself and others. Thus the desire for happiness gains a new perspective of the divine longing for good.Happiness which Christ promises exceeds the limits of our imagination. It is inconceivable and incomprehensible to those living on earth. Heaven is beyond every word, beyond our conception for it bears the meaning which man cannot fully understand. It is the most supreme happiness, absolutely perfect and complete which no one has ever known.A Christian has to achieve in his life something more than the worldly aims. Whoever limits their life to the earth, focuses only on enjoying and using this life to the full; squeezing from it the last drop heedless of the needs of others.
Reflections which concern using metaphysics in the teaching of the Church Fathers are highly important, because this relationship is deeply rooted in their exegesis. The relationship was negated specifically by the Reformation, which insisted that biblical language was allegedly replaced by pagan Greek philosophy. In fact, the Church Fathers were not only working on metaphysics itself but also they modified its classical form, producing some kind of new ontology, which is helpful in more precise theological depiction of Trinitarian God. On that basis they had initiated a new interpretation of metaphysics, showing a new perspective in looking at theological issues, such as creation, the mystery of human being, or Mariology.
PL
Sono molto importanti le riflessioni sull’uso della metafisica nell’insegnamento dei Padri della Chiesa, perché questo legame è molto radicato nell’esegesi fatta da loro. Questa è stata contestata soprattutto in ambito della Riforma che sosteneva che il linguaggio biblico fosse una derivazione della filosofia greca pagana. Padri della Chiesa non solo hanno lavorato sulla metafisica stessa, ma hanno anche modificato la sua forma classica, elaborandola in un certo modo come una nuova ontologia. Questo ha aiutato molto nella descrizione teologica di Dio Trino e Uno in modo molto più preciso. Su questa base hanno interpretato molto più in profondità tante questioni teologiche, facendole vedere in una nuova luce, ad es. l’opera della creazione, il mistero dell’uomo e la mariologia.
Autor stara się jednocześnie przedstawić zachodzące w tym względzie podobieństwa i różnice pomiędzy Ojcami wschodnimi a zachodnimi. W artykule autor skupia się na okresie od początku piśmiennictwa patrystycznego aż do czasów św. Augustyna (+ 430), to znaczy na okresie, w którym chrześcijaństwo ściśle związane było z myślą starożytną, wykluczywszy jakikolwiek wpływ średniowiecza.
In his article, the author considers the main patristic sources and works of Orthodox saints, that were crucial in the formation of a well-known Orthodox theologian and spiritual seeker of the XX century the Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov. He also reaches his writings, as well as the works and memoirs of contemporaries, to show what was the archimandrite’s relationship to the heritage of the Holy Fathers, and which texts were most relevant to him. The author pays special attention to the role of the elder Silouan, Sakharov’s spiritual mentor, who formed his patristic theology vision.
UK
W swym artykule autor analizuje podstawowe źródła patrystyczne i dzieła świętych prawosławnych, które wpłynęły na kształt myśli znanego prawosławnego teologa i pisarza ascetycznego XX wieku – archimandryty Sofroniusza Sacharowa. Sięga też do jego pism, jak również dzieł i wspomnień współczesnych mu pisarzy, po to by ukazać, jaka była relacja archimandryty do dziedzictwa Świętych Ojców, oraz które teksty były dla niego najbardziej istotne. Szczególną zaś uwagę poświęca autor roli starca Sylwana, który był przewodnikiem duchowym Sacharowa i ukształtował jego patrystyczną wizję teologii.
Is the method of tracking scriptural references to determine the influence of a biblical book on the Fathers of the Church sufficient? Or, would it be more appropriate to expand our methodological resources by taking the convergence of different types of elements into account ? This article seeks to demonstrate the complementary nature of these methods through the example of the reception of the Book of Amos by four Fathers of the Church. The list of quotations by Justin Martyr, Ireanaeus, and Origen is used to perceive how they appeal to and interpret the Book of Amos, as well as the particular status they grant it. In addition to this initial method, a semantic and stylistic analysis of Basil of Caesarea’s Homily VIII reveals supplementary forms of the reception of Amos and thus indicates the important influence of the prophet on this Father and Doctor of the Church.
FR
Artykuł dotyczy recepcji księgi proroka Amosa u pisarzy chrześcijańskich jak Justyn, Ireneusz, Orygenes i Bazyli. Gdy chodzi o pierwszych trzech Autorka posługuje się metodą przytaczania i analizy cytatów z księgi Amosa, które znajdują się w dziełach tychże teologów. W takim przypadku wystarczy posłużyć się indeksem biblijnym, aby tego rodzaju cytaty odnaleźć. Jednakże Autorka stwierdza, że samo przytaczanie cytatów może okazać się niewystarczające, gdyż w niektórych pismach patrystycznych są aluzje do poszczególnych ksiąg biblijnych, nawet gdy nie ma wprost cytatów. Takie właśnie aluzje były zasygnalizowane w homiliach Bazylego Wielkiego: Homilia in illud: Destruam horrea mea (Luc 12, 18) oraz Homilia dicta tempore famis et siccitatis. Aluzje do proroka Amosa polegają na podobieństwie w sposobie omawiania poszczególnych zagadnień.
This study aims to capture the dynamics of the recent biblical studies in the Orthodox and Western, especially Protestant, theological areas. Both the Orthodox biblical theology and the Western biblical theology are streamlined by research, which can be inspired by each other´s experience. Thus, the Orthodox biblical studies are recently shaped in receiving and developing an exegetical method, and in this sense may appeal to the Western experience, especially the historical-critical method. On the other hand, the Western biblical scholars are concerned with bringing into the present the meaning of biblical texts or their update, in a direction close to the Orthodox biblical experience. The solution to these concerns can be rediscovered in the mutual completion with ecumenical connotations.
The word "interest" was defined by the Latin word usura from Classical Times. Even canon law, which rejected the charging of interest on the basis of the arguments of mora-legal rules contained in the writings of the Old and New Testament and their interpretations in the works of the Church Fathers, used this substantive from the beginning. In this account usura, in the sense of taking more than was initially lent when applying the institution of a loan, was forbidden. This was the reason for criticizing and blaming the Catholic Church for its reaction and for slowing down economic development, namely not only on the part of economic theorists. Several researchers state, however, that this prohibition was not consistently enforced by the ecclesiastical courts, discussing actually a dead letter in this case. The main goal of this article is to point out the enforcement of the prohibition of the charging of interest by means of rules of Medieval canon law.
The Fathers of the Church, apart from problems of a doctrinal nature, gave their opinions on homosexual acts. They did not devote separate works to them, rather they were occasional voices, which does not mean that this problem did not exist and was ignored in the early Christian Church. The evaluation of homosexual acts most frequently appeared in patristic literature in relation to comments on biblical texts that mentioned such behaviours and has always been negative. Moreover, this subject occasionally occurs in monastic rules, in which homosexuality was unequivocally condemned. The present paper analyses these texts of the early Christian writers Eastern and Western Church that provide moral evaluations of homosexual acts.
PL
Pisarze wczesnochrześcijańscy, oprócz poruszania problemów natury doktrynalnej i egzegetycznej, wypowiadali się także na tematy etyczne, a wśród nich dokonywali oceny aktów homoseksualnych. Nie poświęcili im osobnych dzieł, raczej były to głosy okazjonalne, co nie oznacza, że w Kościele pierwszych wieków problem ten nie istniał i go bagatelizowano. Najczęściej ocena aktów homoseksualnych pojawiała się w literaturze patrystycznej w związku z komentowaniem tekstów biblijnych, w których tego rodzaju zachowania były wspominane, i zawsze była zdecydowanie negatywna. Temat ten występuje także w regułach zakonnych, w których jednoznacznie homoseksualizm był potępiany. W artykule zostaną zanalizowane teksty wybranych pisarzy Kościoła wschodniego i zachodniego, w których dokonują oni oceny moralnej aktów homoseksualnych.
In the existing literature on patristic Mariology, relatively little research has been done on the pastoral preaching of the Fathers of the Church due to the smaller number of such statements contained in their works. The early Christian writers, in the period of the formation of doctrine, including that of Mariology, in the face of the struggle against heresies, paid more attention to dogmatic solutions than to pastoral issues. In this paper, therefore, the image of Mary that these authors present for the imitation of the faithful is presented on the basis of selected representative works of early Christian authors related to everyday life and pastoral concerns. The texts of Origen, Jerome, Cyril of Jerusalem, John of Damascus, Zeno of Verona, Peter Chrysologus, Chromatius of Aquileia, allow us to see that in addition to the dogmatic dimension of their works there are also in them pastoral exhortations, of which the most important is one – to lead daily life of faith in imitation of Mary.
PL
W dotychczasowej literaturze dotyczącej mariologii patrystycznej, stosunkowo mało miejsca poświęcano badaniom nad przepowiadaniem pastoralnym Ojców Kościoła, co było skutkiem mniejszej liczby takich wypowiedzi Ojców Kościoła. Pisarze wczesnochrześcijańscy bowiem, w okresie formowania doktryny, także tej w zakresie mariologii, w obliczu walki z herezjami, więcej uwagi poświęcali rozstrzygnięciom dogmatycznym niż kwestiom pastoralnym. W niniejszym zatem artykule opierając się na wybranych, reprezentatywnych dziełach autorów wczesnochrześcijańskich, związanych z codziennym życiem i troską duszpasterską, został ukazany obraz Maryi, jaki autorzy ci prezentują do naśladowania swym wiernym. Teksty Orygenesa, Hieronima, Cyryla Jerozolimskiego, Jana Damasceńskiego, Zenona z Werony, Piotra Chryzologa, Chromacjusza z Akwilei pozwalają zobaczyć, że oprócz wymiaru dogmatycznego ich wypowiedzi, są w nich również obecne ekshortacje duszpasterskie, z których najważniejsza jest jedna – życie wiarą na wzór Maryi.
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.