Tradition and the Church FathersPre-Servant’s Course

02.05.2013

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• 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

Christgave

Apostlespreached

Church Fathers and Ecumenical Councilspreserved, protected and reaffirmed past traditions

Orthodox spirituality is meant to be passed down from generation to generation.

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.

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• Church PREDATED the writing and compilation of Scripture and serves as the authority of Holy Tradition

TRADITION

• The Christians lived their FAITH and had an EXPERIENCE with God

Orthodox = Tradition-Scripture

• Protected the faith from FALSE teaching

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• Consensus patrum

• John 16:13-15

TRADITION

How can I trust tradition?

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TRADITION

2 Thessalonians 2:15

EVIDENCE OF TRADITION IN BIBLE

Jude 14-15

Jude 9

2 Timothy 3:8

2 Timothy 2:2

Psalm 44:1

Genesis 14:18-20

2 Thessalonians 3:6

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• 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

WHO IS A CHURCH FATHER?“For in Christ Jesus,

through the Gospel, I have begotten you”

1 Cor 4, 15

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WHO IS A CHURCH FATHER?

Four necessary qualifications to be recognized as church father

&HOLINESS

ORTHODOXYCHURCH

ACCEPTANCE

ANTIQUITY

Examined church life w/o deviation from orthodox doctrines

Lived within the time period of the first to the 5th century

Lived a life posterity can imitate in order to attain the early church’s spirit (life has to imitate his faith)

Writings remained consistent with the church’s beliefs and doctrines

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CHURCH FATHERS BY LANGUAGE

Greek regarded as the original language

But superseded by the following languages in the East • Syriac

• Coptic

• Armenian

EAST

WEST

• Displaced by Latin in the West

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CHURCH FATHERS BY TIMELINE

APOSTOLIC FATHERS

0 AD 100 AD 200 AD 300 ADAPOLOGETIC

FATHERS

GOLDEN AGE FATHERS

Came into personal contact with the apostles or received instructions from their disciples

Defended the faith against paganism and Judaism

Three ecumenical councils the Church accepts occurred in this time period as the fathers defended church doctrine from heresies

325 AD – Council of Nicea

431 AD – Council of Ephesus

381 AD – Council of Constantinople

400 AD

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APOSTOLIC FATHERS

THEMES

STYLE

• 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

• 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

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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

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APOLOGETIC FATHERS

THEMES

STYLE

• 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

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APOLOGETIC FATHERS

LOCATION

EXAMPLES

St. Justin the Martyr St. Melito of Sardis

Alexandria, Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem

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GOLDEN AGE FATHERS

THEMES

STYLE

• 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

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GOLDEN AGE FATHERS

LOCATION

EXAMPLES

St. Athanasius St. Cyril St. Chrysostom

Widely Spread through Asia Minor, Europe with Alexandria being the seat of high learning