• The ABC of Faith- Fundamentals of the Orthodox Faith. Symbols, fundamental concepts, Sacraments, divine services, all of this is shown in detail and lucidly commented on in this educational film. The "ABC" will be indispensable for those who make their first steps in the church and are looking for answers to questions: how to light candles, be baptized, write notes; how the temple is arranged and what happens during services and Sacraments. But the film will be no less interesting for those who are already living the church life. The chapter "Divine Services" examines in detail the main service - the Liturgy. The filming of the episcopal Liturgy in the altar is unique.
• The law of god- Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy

Orthodox interpretation of the Bible:

• Explanatory Bible or a commentary on all the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments - Alexander Lopukhin
• Interpretations of Blessed Theophylact of the Bulgarian Books of Holy Scripture

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The Church's Concern for the Purity of Christian Teaching - about the essence of Orthodox dogma

From the first days of its existence, the Holy Church of Christ tirelessly cared for her children, her members, to stand firm in pure truth. "There is no greater joy for me than to hear that my children are walking in truth," writes St. ap. John the Evangelist (3 John, v. 4). "I wrote briefly to assure you, comforting and testifying that this true grace of God, in which you stand," writes St. ap. Peter (1 Peter 5:12).

St. ap. Paul tells about himself that he, having been in the sermon for 14 years, went to Jerusalem, according to revelation, with Barnabas and Titus and offered there, and especially the most famous, the gospel preached by him, whether he was not in vain asceticism and asceticism (Gal. 2: 2). "I command you to keep the commandment purely and shamelessly ... Stick to the pattern of sound doctrine," he repeatedly instructs his disciple Timothy (1 Tim. 6: 13-14; 2 Tim. 1:13).

The true path of faith, always carefully guarded in the history of the Church, was from time immemorial called direct, right-wing, Orthodoxy (orthodoxy). The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy to present himself before God “a worthy worker, not ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (directly cutting with a chisel, 2 Tim. 2:15). In early Christian writing, it is constantly spoken about the observance of the "rule of faith," "the rule of truth." The very term "Orthodoxy" was widely used even in the era before the Ecumenical Councils, in the terminology of the Ecumenical Councils themselves and by the Church Fathers, both Eastern and Western.

Along with the direct, right path of faith, there have always been dissidents (in the words of St. Ignatius the God-bearer), a world of greater or lesser delusions among Christians, or even entire wrong systems, striving to invade the Orthodox. Because of the search for truth, divisions have occurred among Christians.

Getting acquainted with the history of the Church, as well as observing modernity, we see that the errors, hostile to Orthodox truth, appeared and appear under the influence of other religions, under the influence of philosophy, according to the weakness and inclinations of the fallen nature, seeking the right and justification for these weaknesses and inclinations.

Delusions take root and become stubborn most often from the pride of people, from the defenders, from the pride of thought.

In order to preserve the right path of faith, the Church had to forge strict forms for expressing the truth of faith, to build a fortress of truth to reflect influences alien to the Church. The definitions of truth announced by the Church from the days of the apostles are called dogmas. In the Acts of the Apostles we read about Apostle. Paul and Timothy: "Passing through the cities, they conveyed to the faithful to observe the ordinances decreed by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem" (Acts 16: 4; here we mean the decrees of the Apostolic Council described in Chapter 15 of the Book of Acts). The ancient Greeks and Romans called "dogma" orders that were subject to exact execution. In the Christian sense, "dogmas" are opposed to "opinions" - unstable personal considerations.

Sources of dogmas

What are the dogmas based on? - It is clear that dogmas are based not on the rational considerations of individuals, even if they were the fathers and teachers of the Church, but on the teaching of Holy Scripture and the Apostolic Holy Tradition. The truths of faith contained in them give the fullness of the teaching of faith, called by the ancient Church fathers "conciliar faith," the "catholic teaching" of the Church. The truths of Scripture and Tradition, harmoniously merging into one whole, define the "conciliar consciousness" of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Holy Bible

The name of Holy Scripture means the books written by Sts. Prophets and apostles under the influence of the Holy Spirit and therefore are called divinely inspired. They are divided into books of the Old and New Testaments.

The Church recognizes 38 books of the Old Testament; combining some of them into one book, following the example of the Old Testament Church, she reduces their number to 22 books, according to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. These books, included in their time in the Jewish canon, are called "canonical." They are joined by a group of books "non-canonical," that is, not included in the Jewish canon, written after the conclusion of the canon of the Old Testament sacred books. The Church also accepts these last books as useful and edifying. She appointed them in ancient times for edifying reading not only in homes, but also in churches, which is why they were called "ecclesiastical." The Church contains them in the same code of the Bible with the canonical books. Some of them are so close in dignity with the divinely inspired that, for example, in Canon 85 of the Apostles, the three Maccabean books and the book of Jesus the son of Sirach are listed along with the canonical books and it is said about all together that they are "honored and holy," but this only says about the respect of the ancient Church for them, the difference between them has always been preserved.

The Holy Scripture recognizes 27 canonical books of the New Testament. Since the sacred books of the New Testament were written in different years of the Apostolic time and were sent by the apostles to different places in Europe and Asia, and some of them did not have a specific purpose in one or another geographical point, then collect them into one code, it could not be an easy matter, and it was necessary to be strictly careful so that in their circle there were no books of the so-called apocryphal, most of them compiled in heretical circles. Therefore, the fathers and teachers of the Church of the first centuries of Christianity were especially careful when recognizing books, even if they bore the names of the apostles.

Often the Fathers of the Church included in their lists some books with a reservation, with doubt, and therefore did not give a complete list of sacred books. This exemplifies their caution in holy work; they did not rely on themselves, but waited for the common voice of the Church. The local council of Carthage in 318 lists all the books of the New Testament without exception. St. Athanasius the Great no doubt calls all the books of the New Testament, and in one of his works he ends the list with the following words: "This is the number and name of the canonical books of the New Testament! These are, as it were, the beginnings, anchors and pillars of our faith, because they were written and transmitted by the apostles themselves. Christ the Savior, who were with Him and were taught by Him. " Also St. Cyril of Jerusalem lists the New Testament books without the slightest remark about any difference between them in the Church. The same complete enumeration is found in Western Church writers, for example. at Augustine's. Thus, the complete canon of the New Testament books of Holy Scripture was confirmed by the conciliar voice of the whole Church.

Sacred Tradition

Sacred Tradition in the original exact sense of the word is a tradition that comes from the ancient Church of the apostolic times: it was called in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. "Apostolic tradition."

It must be borne in mind that the ancient Church carefully guarded the inner life of the Church from the uninitiated, her sacred sacraments were secrets guarded from non-Christians. When they were performed - at baptism, at the Eucharist - outsiders were not present, their order was not recorded, but transmitted orally; and in this secretly preserved there was an essential aspect of the faith. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (4th century) presents this especially clearly to us. While giving lessons to persons who have not yet finally decided to become Christians, the saint prefaces the teachings with the following words: “When the catechumens are taught, if the speaker asks you what the teachers said, then do not retell anything to the one standing outside. For this is the secret and the hope of the century to come. Observe the secret of the Creator. Yes, someone will tell you something: what kind of harm if I find out? Then he adds: “... we conclude the whole teaching of faith in a few verses that must be remembered word for word, repeating among ourselves, without writing it down on paper, but writing in memory in the heart, being careful not to let any of the catechumens hear what was conveyed to you. .. "And in the words of his written down, to those approaching Baptism and to those present at the same time, he gives such a warning:" someone who has not already become a Christian, otherwise you will give an answer to the Lord. And if you write down this announcement, then add a warning to it. "

St. Basil the Great (4th century) gives a clear concept of the Holy Apostolic Tradition in the following words: “Of the dogmas and sermons observed in the Church, we have some in writing, and some have received from the Apostolic tradition, by succession in secret. others have the same power for piety, and no one, even those who are ignorant of church regulations, will contradict this.For if we dare to reject unwritten customs as unimportant, then we will certainly damage the Gospel in the most important thing, and from the apostolic preaching we will leave an empty name without For example, let us first of all mention the first and most common: so that those who trust in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ should be overshadowed by the image of the cross, who taught by the Scriptures? Or to the East to turn in prayer, which Scripture taught us? of the saints left us in writing? For we are not content with the words that the Apostle and the Gospel mentions, but before them and afterwards we pronounce others as having great power for the sacrament, having received them from the unwritten teaching. According to what Scripture do we bless both the water of baptism, and the oil of the anointing and the one who is baptized? Is it not according to a silent secret legend? What else? The very anointing with oil, what is the written word that has taught us? Where does the threefold immersion of a person and other things related to baptism come from, to deny Satan and his angels, from which Scripture is taken? Was it not out of this unpublished and ineffable teaching, which our Fathers kept in silence inaccessible to curiosity and inducing silence, that they were thoroughly taught to guard the sanctuary of the sacraments by silence? For what would be the decency of Scripture to proclaim the doctrine of that which is not baptized and is not permissible to look? "

From these words of Basil the Great we conclude: firstly, that the Holy Doctrine Tradition is that which can be erected to the beginning of the Church, and secondly, that it is carefully preserved and unanimously recognized by the Fathers and teachers of the Church, in the era of the great Fathers of the Church and the beginning of the Ecumenical Councils.

Although St. Vasily gives here a number of examples of oral Tradition, but he himself here takes a step towards writing this oral word. By the era of freedom and the triumph of the Church in the 4th century, in general, the entire tradition receives a written record and is now preserved in the monuments of the Church, constituting an addition to the Holy Scriptures.

We find the sacred ancient Tradition: in the most ancient monument of the Church - "The Rules of the Holy Apostles;" in the symbols of faith of the ancient local churches; in the ancient Liturgies; in the oldest acts concerning Christian martyrs. These acts of martyrdom were not previously used by believers, as after their preliminary consideration and approval by the local bishop, and were read at public meetings of Christians also under the supervision of the primates of the churches. In them we see the confession of the Most Holy Trinity, the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, examples of the invocation of the saints and faith in the conscious life of those who have reposed in Christ, etc .; in the ancient records of the history of the Church, especially in the history of Eusebius Pamphilus, which contains many ancient ritual and dogmatic legends, for example, about the canon of the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments; in the works of the ancient fathers and teachers of the Church.

The Apostolic Tradition preserved and guarded by the Church, thereby, that it is kept by the Church, becomes the Tradition of the Church itself, it belongs to it, is witnessed by it and, in parallel to the Holy Scripture, is called by it "Holy Tradition."

The testimony of Holy Tradition is necessary to ensure that all the books of Holy Scripture are committed to us from the time of the apostles and descend from the apostles. It is needed:

1. for a correct understanding of certain passages of Holy Scripture and for opposing its heretical interpretations;

2. to establish the dogmas of the Christian faith in view of the fact that some truths of faith are expressed in Scripture quite definitely, while others are not completely clear and accurate and therefore require confirmation by Holy Apostolic Tradition.

3. In addition to all this, Holy Tradition is valuable in that we see from it how the entire structure of the church system, the canons of worship and rituals is rooted and based in the structure of the life of the ancient Church.

The conciliar consciousness of the Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church of Christ is the body of Christ, a spiritual organism, whose Head is Christ. It has a single spirit, a single common faith, a single and common, catholic, catholic consciousness, guided by the Holy Spirit, but affirmed in its judgments on specific, definite foundations of Holy Scripture and Holy Apostolic Tradition. This catholic consciousness is always inherent in the Church, but it is expressed in a more definite way at the ecumenical councils of the Church. From deep Christian antiquity, local councils of individual Orthodox churches were convened twice a year, in accordance with the 37th canon of St. Apostles. Also, many times in the history of the Church there have been cathedrals of regional bishops, of a wider scope than individual churches, and, finally, cathedrals of bishops of the entire Orthodox Church, East and West. The Church recognizes seven such councils - Ecumenical.

Ecumenical councils accurately formulated and approved a number of basic truths of the Christian Orthodox faith, protecting the ancient teaching of the Church from distortions of heretics. Ecumenical councils also formulated and obliged to universal uniform implementation of numerous laws and rules of general church and private Christian life, called church canons. Ecumenical councils finally approved the dogmatic definitions of a number of local councils, as well as dogmatic statements compiled by some of the Church Fathers (for example, the confession of faith of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, Bishop of Neocaesarea, the canon of St. Basil the Great, etc.).

It must be remembered that the councils of the Church made their dogmatic definitions after a careful, exhaustive and complete examination of all the passages of Holy Scripture concerning the question posed, testifying at the same time that the universal Church understood the given instructions of Holy Scripture in this way. Thus, the denominations of the councils express the harmony of Holy Scripture and the conciliar Tradition of the Church. For this reason, these definitions themselves became, in turn, a genuine, indestructible, authoritative basis on the data of Holy Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, the universal and Holy Tradition of the Church.

Of course, many truths of faith are so clear directly from Holy Scripture that they have not been subjected to heretical reinterpretations and there are no special definitions of councils about them. Other truths are confirmed by councils.

Among the dogmatic conciliar definitions, the ecumenical councils themselves recognize the Nicene-Ceregrad symbol of faith as the primary and fundamental, forbidding anything to change in it, not only in thoughts, but also in its words, or add or subtract anything (decree 3 of the Ecumenical Council, repeated by 4, 6, and 7 cathedrals).

Determinations of the faith of a number of local councils, as well as some statements of the faith of St. The Fathers of the Church, recognized as guiding for the whole Church, are listed in the second canon of the sixth ecumenical (Trul) council. They are cited in the "Book of the Rules of the Holy Apostle, the Holy Councils of the Ecumenical and Local and the Holy Father."

Dogma and Canon

In ecclesiastical terminology, it is customary to call dogmas the truths of Christian doctrine, the truth of faith, and canons are prescriptions relating to the church system, church government, the duties of the church hierarchy, clergymen and the duties of every Christian arising from the moral foundations of the evangelical and apostolic teachings. Canon is a Greek word, literally: straight pole, a measure of exact direction.

Mikhail Pomazansky, Protopresbyter

Dogmatic theology. - Wedge:

Christian Life Foundation, 2001

Before embarking on this complex, but rather interesting topic, let's first understand what a dogma is. This word c means “decision”, “opinion” or “ruling”. Basically, the term "dogma" is mainly used in Christianity, means something unchanging and indisputable, is determined and approved by the Church and is not subject to any criticism or doubt. Dogma refers to the theological, divinely revealed truth, which contains the teaching about God and His economy.

What is dogma

Christian dogmas are reviewed and established at (meetings of the higher clergy), of which there were only seven in more than two thousand years. Conscious abandonment, a different interpretation or rejection of dogmas is called heresy, which often became the cause of religious conflicts. Dogmatic teachings include disciplines such as the Law of God and the Catechism. They contain the main religious dogmas, which we will talk about a little later.

The dogmas were established in apostolic times, Christ revealed to people all the necessary creeds for the salvation of the human soul. Dogmas cannot arise suddenly and be innovations. Divine teaching is not as theoretical as it is practical, and therefore incomprehensible to the mind that is not cleansed of sinful passions.

Christian dogmas

As mentioned above, the dogmatic basis of Christianity was formed in the era of the Ecumenical Councils as a response to the spread of various kinds of heretical movements, especially in the 3rd-4th centuries. Each established dogma set up a barrier, cut off false understandings and directions of heretical teachings.

Continuing the topic “What is a dogma?”, It should be noted that the essence of all divine teachings was already contained in the Holy Scriptures, and at first there was no need to raise them into the framework of a dogmatic system. But then the human mind nevertheless showed the need for an understandable and logical interpretation of the doctrine that was not dogmatically formalized at that time and in some places was difficult to perceive. In the first centuries, this led to the creation of philosophical and theological schools.

The emergence of schools and books

Mainly two of them stood out: Alexandria and Antioch. It was in them that the first heresies began to emerge. To detect and then eradicate, Ecumenical Councils began to be convened, at which heretical statements were denounced and the doctrinal truths of Christian Revelation were established in the form of brief definitions.

Time passed, and already in the 4th century St. Cyril of Jerusalem created the "Catechetical Instruction", where he revealed the true meaning of the Creed and the main sacraments of the Christian Church.

Literally after some time, St. Gregory of Nyssa, where the important experience of his dogmatic research was presented.

By the 5th century, Bishop and theologian Theodorite of Cyrus had compiled a textbook entitled "Reduction of Divine Dogmas." At about the same time, in the West, he wrote the book "A Guide for Lavretius", which is very much like the Catechism.

An experience

However, one of the best works of the 1st millennium is considered to be the treatise "The Source of Knowledge" by John Damascene, especially the third part of this textbook entitled "An Accurate Statement of the Orthodox Faith."

In the IV century, the Eastern Fathers of the Church began to call dogmas not all truths contained in Revelation, but only those that relate to the field of faith. Thus, St. Gregory of Nyssa divided his own theological teaching into precise dogmas and a moral part. However, the gospel is not a collection of moral precepts. Even the highest morality does not give strength to fulfill its prescriptions. Only with the assistance of the grace of God can a person become truly spiritually and morally better and begin to do good. “Without Me you can do nothing,” said Christ.

The dogmas of the Orthodox Christian faith

The main dogma of Orthodoxy is reduced to the veneration of the One Trinity: - Mind, God the Son - the Word and God the Holy Spirit - Spirit. And Twins: Jesus Christ-God and man. This is taught by the basic religious dogmas for which - the law is not subject to any doubt. There are twelve of them in total.

The dogmas of the religion of Orthodox Christianity:

• About the Holy Trinity.
• About the fall.
• On the Atonement of Mankind from Sin.
• About the Incarnation of Christ.
• About the Resurrection of Christ.
• About the Ascension of Christ.
• About the Second Coming of the Savior and the Last Judgment.
• On the unity, conciliarity and continuity of doctrine and priesthood in it.
• About the general resurrection of people and the future life.
• About the two natures of Christ.
• About two wills and actions in Christ.
• About veneration of icons.

Conclusion

The simplest manifestation of faith is prayer, and even the shortest and simplest it presupposes a dogmatic content. Deep and heartfelt trust in the Lord is guarded by dogmas, just as wine is guarded by the walls of a cup. And if you think that the cup is not wine and its walls are something superfluous, then you can immediately be left without wine.

Perhaps now there will be no difficulty in the question of what dogma is. However, the main thing is to learn what the Lord requires from every person: “deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me”. Where "deny yourself" means "give up your sinfulness and your self." A person can achieve this if, in the name of Christ, he begins to crucify sin in himself and around him, dies to sin and death, in order to come to life for his sinless Savior and enter His Kingdom of Heaven.

Is there a complete written statement of the dogmas of the Orthodox Church, how many of them, by whom and when they were formulated, and in which books this issue is covered. This interested me because I have often come across indications of the dogmatic or canonical nature of this or that issue. And if the issue with the canons was partially resolved after reading the “Rules of the Holy Apostles”, “Rules of Ecumenical Councils”, “Rules of Local Councils”, “Canonical Epistles of the Holy Fathers”, then the question of dogmas remained unclear for me. Are there other dogmas besides: THE SYMBOL OF FAITH, one hundred and fifty saints, the father of the Second Ecumenical Council, Constantinople; DOGMATO of two natures in one person of our Lord Jesus Christ, Six hundred and thirty saints, father of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, Chalcedonian; DOGMATA About two wills and actions in our Lord Jesus Christ, one hundred and seventy saints, father of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, Constantinople; DOGMATA on veneration of icons, Three hundred and sixty-seven saints, father of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, Nicaea? In addition, I wanted to know if work was carried out on the codification of canon law in the Orthodox Church, by analogy with the Catholics' code of canon law?

The priest Afanasy Gumerov, a resident of the Sretensky Monastery, answers:

The dogmas are divinely revealed truths about God and the economy of our salvation, accepted by the Church as indisputable and obligatory. Their source is Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. The Lord revealed the truths necessary for faith and salvation through the prophets and apostles gradually over many centuries. They are given in sacred biblical texts of law-positive, teaching, historical and prophetic content. Therefore, with the birth of the Church, the need arose for their disclosure in theological categories and concepts, for systematization and explanation. This work was begun by the holy fathers and teachers of the Church (Origen, Saints Cyril of Jerusalem and Gregory of Nyssa, Blessed Theodoret, etc.). The work of the Monk John Damascene "An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith" (VIII century; Russian edition: St. Petersburg, 1894;, reprint: M., 1998; Creations, M., 2002) was an outstanding event in the full systematization of dogmatic teaching. This work continued for the following centuries.

Of the domestic authors, the fundamental work in the field of dogmatic theology belongs to the Metropolitan of Moscow Macarius (Bulgakov; 1816 - 1882) "Orthodox Dogmatic Theology" (St. Petersburg, 4th ed., 1883; vols. 1 - 2; reprint: M., 1999 ). In recent years, several works have been published in this area: Mikhail Pomazansky, Protopresbyter, Dogmatic Theology, Moscow, 2001; archim. Alipy (Kastalsky-Borozdin), archim. Isaiah (Belov), Dogmatic Theology, Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 2002, etc.

In the Orthodox Church, work on the codification of church-legal material has been carried out since the first centuries of Christian statehood. Collections were formed that included not only canons, but also state laws on church affairs (epitomes - extracts or summaries). These collections were named Nomokanons (Greek nomos - law; kanon - canon, statute). The most famous and authoritative is the "Nomokakon in the XIV Titles" of the Patriarch Photius of Constantinople (IX century). It has two parts. The first part is a codified collection of canons. It has 24 titles, each of which is divided into chapters. The division principle is subject and thematic. The chapters contain references to canons and state laws. The second part of the Nomokanon is Syntagma (Greek syntagma - built together, connected). It contains the texts of the canons.

Experience shows that knowledge of dogmas and canons allows you to protect yourself from the influence of dangerous thoughts and people. By the way a person speaks about them (not to mention whether he observes or not) it becomes clear whether he is in fact an Orthodox person. Even if outwardly everything is fine with him, but the attitude is the most careless, "creative", then sooner or later it turns out that this is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Dogmas speak about God in relation to man and about man in relation to God. The canons regulate the life of the Church and Christians in the sense of a disciplinary legal and moral sphere. The canon (in the sense of ecclesiastical law) is the fundamental ecclesiastical law in force in the entire Orthodox Church.

In the idea of ​​the canon there is always a constant dogmatic moment. However, in the literal sense, the canon reflects the passing circumstances of the life of the Church.

The canons cannot be canceled, but their legal norms are not absolute. Moreover, in the rules themselves you can find an indication of flexibility. The canon may no longer apply in connection with who the relationship it regulates has disappeared. At the same time, the rule of the canon can serve as a guideline: for example, an indication of the age of the deaconess that does not exist today (40 years) forms the basis of reasoning about the age of a woman appointed to existing church positions.

The canons, even if they are no longer applied, in any case remain the criteria of church legislation and the basis of church legal consciousness. The Canon is a pointer to the correct orientation in the actual problems of church life.

Church knowledge can be divided into four areas:

• dogmas - clear church definitions;
• canons - regulations for the life of the Church and Christians;
• liturgical tradition regulating the liturgical life of the Church;
• Orthodox asceticism is the experience of communion with God, the basic laws of spiritual life and a deep ascetic apparatus, designed to help build an Orthodox personal form of spiritual life.

Dogmas about God and His general attitude to the world and man, for example:

1. God exists.

1. original (does not come from anyone or anything, has existence in Himself), unchangeable (“I am the Lord, I do not change” (Mal. 3: 6)), eternal (does not depend on time), immeasurable and omnipresent (see, for example, Psalm 139) - the so-called. apophatic properties based on the denial of certain qualities inherent in the final creature;
2. possesses Divine intelligence and wisdom, omniscience. God is holy (that is, he is guided by the idea of ​​one higher good). God is almighty (Genesis 17, Luke 1:37) and is all-blessed, good, merciful. God is love. And, at the same time, God is just.

1. God is the Creator of the world. God created the world out of nothing. God created the world with reason and wisdom, will and word. There was no time before God. God created a perfect world.
2. God is the Provider of the world, i.e. cares about the world, preserves it and rules it.

Dogmas about God, Trinity in Persons, for example:

1. God is one in essence, but threefold in persons - Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Trinity consubstantial and indivisible (Three independent Persons possessing all perfections, but not three Gods, but God).
2. The three Persons of the Trinity differ in personal characteristics: the Father is not born of anyone, the Son is born of the Father, the Holy Spirit comes from the Father.

Dogmas about God as Creator and Provider, to the spiritual world, for example:

1. good angels - ministering spirits who serve God, nations, individuals, churches;
2. evil spirits - fallen angels, live in the air, constantly looking for how to destroy a person. The Lord permits and limits their activities.

Dogmas about the attitude of God, as Creator and Provider, to man, for example:

1. Man was created in the image and likeness of God.
2. Only three persons in the entire history of mankind have occurred in a special way - Adam, Eve and our Lord Jesus Christ. All others were descended from Adam and Eve.
3. Man consists of a soul and a body.
4. The soul is the highest, spiritual, independent, intelligent, conscious, free, immortal essence.

Dogmas about God the Savior and His special relation to the human race, for example:

1. The sin of the forefathers (Adam and Eve) is on all their descendants, i.e. all people. This is a universal, original sin.
2. Consequences of the Fall: rupture of communion with God, loss of grace, spiritual death, darkening of the mind, perversion of the will, a tendency towards evil rather than good, distortion of the image of God.
3. All creation through the fall of man broke off communion with God, and is suffering to this day (Rom. 8:22).
4. The Lord, through his Son, was pleased to save people. The Son accomplished this salvation. The Holy Spirit, by His assistance, accomplishes the work of salvation in the hearts of people.

Dogmas about Christ the Savior, for example:

1. The Lord Jesus Christ is the true God.
2. The Lord Jesus Christ is a true, but sinless Man, born in a supernatural way, from the Virgin Mary by the action of the Holy Spirit.
3. We are all redeemed by His death and resurrection.
4. Jesus Christ conquered and destroyed hell.
5. Having conquered death by His resurrection, Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, thereby ascending human nature to heaven and thereby opened the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven for all people.

Consecration Teachings, for example:

1. People cannot be saved without Divine help.
2. Grace is a special uncreated Divine power.
3. Grace reaches us in the Hypostasis of the Holy Spirit, therefore it is often called the power of the Holy Spirit (although it belongs to all Persons of the Trinity).
4. Grace is bestowed on people as a result of the exploit of Jesus Christ.
5. Grace does not change the nature of man, but transforms it.

Dogmas about the Holy Church, for example:

1. The Church is the mediator in the work of sanctification and salvation, founded by our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. There is no salvation outside the Church.
3. Head of the Church - Jesus Christ
4. The Holy Spirit works in the Church.
5. The Church is holy, united, catholic, apostolic.

Dogmas on the Sacraments of the Church, for example:

1. Sacraments are sacred actions through which grace acts on a person in a secret way, i.e. the saving power of God (Extensive Catechism).
2. The Performer of the Sacraments is Jesus Christ Himself.
3. The Sacrament is valid on condition of faith in Christ and the saving power of the Sacraments, and a sincere desire to receive grace.
4. Baptism is performed only once.
5. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, wine and bread are made into the Blood and Body of Christ.
6. The Eucharist is the sacrifice of thanksgiving, propitiation, and the unification of the entire Church into the Body of Christ.
7. Repentance heals sins.

Teachings on the Sacrament of the Priesthood:

priesthood is a divine institution, it implies being chosen from above, it is accomplished through the laying on of hands (laying on of hands).

Dogmas about God as Judge and Mzdovozavitel:

1. The body is mortal, the soul is immortal.
2. After bodily death, everyone will face a private judgment and reward until the Last Judgment.
3. The reward after a private trial is just the expectation of bliss or torment. Divine Liturgy, prayers, alms, fasting can change the fate of the deceased.

General Judgment Dogmas:

1. Only God knows the time of the Second Coming.
2. Until the General Judgment, only the soul (not the body) receives retribution, and the righteous and sinners are in the precursor (anticipation) of well-deserved bliss or torment; sinners have a chance that, according to the prayers of the Church, their fate will change.
3. The second coming will be in glory and greatness.
4. The resurrection of the dead will be real, universal and simultaneous, in identical bodies.
5. The living will change instantly and simultaneously.
6. Sinners will be given over to eternal torment along with the devil, the righteous will forever inherit the Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34). Once again: both are forever.>

Which, being generally known, had the value of undeniable truth.

Christian writers such as Origen and St. Isidore, called some of the conclusions of Socrates.

The teachings of Plato and the Stoics were also called "dogmas."

In Xenophon's "dogma" is called commanding command, to which everyone, both commanders and ordinary soldiers, must unquestioningly obey.

In Herodian's "dogma" is the definition of the Senate, to which the entire Roman people must obey unquestioningly.

The term has retained this meaning in the Greek translation of 70 interpreters, where in the books of the prophet Daniel, Esther, Maccabean the word δόγμα refers to a royal decree subject to immediate execution, as well as a royal or state law, which is unconditionally obligatory for every subject.

• In the New Testament, in the Gospel of Luke, δόγμα denotes the order of Caesar to census the population of the Roman Empire.
• In the Acts of St. Apostles "dogmas" - royal laws.
• In the Epistles to the Colossians and Ephesians, "dogmas" are the laws of Moses that had divine authority.

Dogma and theologumen

Along with the concept of "dogma" in theology, there are the concepts of "theologumen" and "private theological opinion." Theologumen is also a doctrinal position that does not contradict dogmas, but is not obligatory for all believers. It should be based on the sayings of the Holy Fathers of the Church. At the same time, a private theological opinion is a reflection, an opinion of an individual theologian, which does not directly contradict dogmas, not necessarily found in the Church Fathers. Thus, dogma stands unconditionally above theologumens and private theological opinions.

In Orthodoxy

In Orthodox dogma, dogmas are accepted that are defined in the oros of only the first seven Ecumenical Councils adopted by the Eastern Church. This does not exclude the emergence of new dogmas in the future, provided that they are drawn up by the Ecumenical Council, which has not met in the Orthodox Church since Mr.

Properties of dogmas

In Orthodox dogma, the following properties of dogmas are distinguished:

1. Theological(doctrinal) - a property of dogmas in content, that is, that the dogma contains only the doctrine of God and His economy. The dogmas do not define moral, liturgical, historical, natural-scientific truths, etc.
2. Revelation to God- the property of dogmas by the way they are obtained. This means that dogmas are not deduced by a logical way, but originate from Divine Revelation, that is, they are given to man by God Himself.
3. Ecclesiastical- the property of dogmas by the way of their existence and preservation. This means that dogmas can exist only in the Universal Church, and outside of her dogmas, as based on Revelation given to the entire Church, cannot arise. It is the Church, at the Ecumenical Councils, that has the right to secure the naming of dogmas for certain doctrinal truths.
4. Universality- the property of dogmas in relation to them of members of the Church. Dogmas act as rules and norms, without recognizing which, one cannot be a member of the Church.

List of dogmas in Orthodoxy

Main article: Dogmas of Orthodoxy

1. The Teaching of the Most Holy Trinity.
2. The dogma of the fall.
3. The doctrine of the Atonement of mankind from sin.
4. Dogma about the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
5. The dogma of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
6. The dogma of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7. Dogma about the Second Coming of the Savior and the Last Judgment.
8. The dogma of the unity, conciliarity of the Church and the continuity of doctrine and priesthood in it.
9. The dogma of the general resurrection of people and the future life.
10. The dogma of the two natures of the Lord Jesus Christ... Adopted at the IV Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon.
11. The dogma of two wills and actions in the Lord Jesus Christ... Adopted at the VI Ecumenical Council in Constantinople.
12. The dogma about veneration of icons... Adopted at the VII Ecumenical Council in Nicaea.

Dogmas 1 to 9 are contained in the Nicene-Constantinople Creed. Adopted at the I of Nicea and supplemented at the II Ecumenical Council in Constantinople. The dogma of the Fall (damage to the spiritual nature of all mankind, following Adam) implicitly follows from the Niceo-Constantinople Creed, but is also an integral part of the Orthodox faith.

The Nicene-Constantinople Symbol of Faith is a single dogmatic formula, subdivided into 12 terms, containing the dogmatic basis of Christianity.

In Catholicism

In the Catholic Church, the development of dogmatic science followed the path of establishing new dogmas, as a result of which today the number of doctrinal definitions elevated to the dignity of dogma in Roman Catholic dogma is greater than in the Orthodox Church. In the Roman Catholic Church, it is believed that the need to increase the number of dogmas is due to the ongoing understanding of the revealed truth contained in the Church. Until the emergence of a new dogma, this truth is hidden or vaguely experienced for the conciliar consciousness of the Church.

List of dogmas in Catholicism

In addition to the dogmas of the Orthodox Church (as amended by the filioque), the Catholic Church has additional ones, mostly adopted at the Ecumenical Councils of the Roman Catholic Church.

• Amendment to the Niceo-Constantinople Creed, Filioque... Introduced in 589, Toledo Cathedral, Spain. Approved in Rome at the coronation of the German Emperor Henry II in 1014, under Pope Benedict VIII.
• Purgatory dogma... 1439, Ferraro-Florentine Cathedral, Ferrara. Confirmed in 1563. at the Cathedral of Trent.
• The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary... 1854, decree of Pius IX.
• The pope's dogma of infallibility in matters of faith and morality (ex cathedra: from the department). 1870, First Vatican Cathedral.
• The dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary... 1950 g. - occurrence, 1964 - confirmation, in Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution of the Second Vatican Council.

Dogmas in other religions

Dogmas in the meaning of immutable doctrinal truth also exist in many other major religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have a system of dogmas.

see also

• Orthodoxy dogmas
• The dogmas of Catholicism
• Adogmatism
• Axiom - analogue in science

Notes (edit)

Literature

1. Davydenkov O. V., priest... Dogmatic theology. - M., 1997.
2. Canons or Book of Rules. - SPb, 2000.

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