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Tradition and the Church Fathers Pre-Servant’s Course

Tradition and the Church Fathers Pre-Servant’s Course . 02.05.2013. TRADITION. Tradition – “the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example or by writing from one generation to another. ” 1 John 1:1-5. TRADITION.

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Tradition and the Church Fathers Pre-Servant’s Course

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  1. Tradition and the Church Fathers Pre-Servant’s Course 02.05.2013

  2. TRADITION • Tradition – “the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouthor by exampleor by writing from one generation to another.” • 1 John 1:1-5

  3. TRADITION Orthodox spirituality is meant to be passed down from generation to generation. Christ gave Apostlespreached The Fathers’ writings help us to distinguish between the important and the superficial in everything we read or hear. Their experience is a common tradition for all of us. Church Fathers and Ecumenical Councilspreserved, protected and reaffirmed past traditions

  4. TRADITION • Church PREDATED the writing and compilation of Scripture and serves as the authority of Holy Tradition • The Christians lived their FAITH and had an EXPERIENCE with God • Protected the faith from FALSE teaching Orthodox = Tradition-Scripture

  5. TRADITION How can I trust tradition? • Consensus patrum • John 16:13-15

  6. TRADITION EVIDENCE OF TRADITION IN BIBLE 2 Thessalonians 2:15 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Genesis 14:18-20 Psalm 44:1 2 Timothy 2:2 2 Timothy 3:8 Jude 9 Jude 14-15

  7. WHO IS A CHURCH FATHER? “For in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, I have begotten you” 1 Cor 4, 15 • In ancient times, the term “Father” was applied to a teacher because teachers are fathers of their students • Initially the term applied to the office of bishop but then extended to all the ecclesiastical writers of the Church as long as they represented the tradition of the Church • As a result, PATROLOGY– study of the Church Fathers’ lives and teachings – originated • Church Fathers are called the “Doctors of the Church” because they taught the doctrines of the church

  8. WHO IS A CHURCH FATHER? Four necessary qualifications to be recognized as church father ANTIQUITY Lived within the time period of the first to the 5th century HOLINESS Lived a life posterity can imitate in order to attain the early church’s spirit (life has to imitate his faith) & ORTHODOXY Examined church life w/o deviation from orthodox doctrines CHURCH ACCEPTANCE Writings remained consistent with the church’s beliefs and doctrines

  9. CHURCH FATHERS BY LANGUAGE Greek regarded as the original language EAST • But superseded by the following languages in the East • Syriac • Coptic • Armenian WEST • Displaced by Latin in the West

  10. CHURCH FATHERS BY TIMELINE Three ecumenical councils the Church accepts occurred in this time period as the fathers defended church doctrine from heresies Came into personal contact with the apostles or received instructions from their disciples APOSTOLIC FATHERS GOLDEN AGE FATHERS 100 AD 300 AD 200 AD 400 AD 0 AD 431 AD – Council of Ephesus APOLOGETIC FATHERS Defended the faith against paganism and Judaism 381 AD – Council of Constantinople 325 AD – Council of Nicea

  11. APOSTOLIC FATHERS THEMES • Saw the second coming of Christ as imminent • Revealed a deep longing for Christ • Provided a unified doctrine that Christ is the Son of God, who is pre-existent, and who collaborated in the creation of the world STYLE • Pastoral in character • Closely related in style and content to the New Testament writings, especially to the Epistles of the Apostles • Served as connecting links to the time of revelation and the time of tradition and as very important witnesses to the faith

  12. APOSTOLIC FATHERS LOCATION • Authors belonged to many different regions of the Roman Empire – Asia Minor, Syria and Rome EXAMPLES • St. Clement of Rome St. Ignatius of Antioch St. Polycarp of Smyrna

  13. APOLOGETIC FATHERS THEMES • Challenged paganism and Judaism and the slanderous statements that the Church was a peril to the State • Stated the Christian faith was a dominant force for the maintenance and welfare of the world • Exposed the deception and immoralities of pagan religions and demonstrated that the Christian alone has a right understanding of God and universe • Defended the unity of God, monotheism, divinity of Christ and resurrection of the body • Rebutted philosophers claims for they relied on human reason and contained errors and Christianity possessed absolute truth • Closely related to Greek rhetoric – mainly dialogue STYLE

  14. APOLOGETIC FATHERS LOCATION Alexandria, Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem EXAMPLES • St. Justin the Martyr St. Melito of Sardis

  15. GOLDEN AGE FATHERS THEMES • Faced three major heresies – Arianism (against Christ divinity), Ifnomianism (denied the Holy Spirit as God) and Nestorianism (rejected the Oneness of Christ) • Defended the doctrines of the Church and the proper way to interpret Scripture • Dogmatic books or letters – developed creeds to affirm the faith; some are dialogue, others in thesis format, while still others were in letters or sermons, commentaries STYLE

  16. GOLDEN AGE FATHERS LOCATION Widely Spread through Asia Minor, Europe with Alexandria being the seat of high learning EXAMPLES • St. Athanasius St. Cyril St. Chrysostom

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