The Theology of St. Cyprian of Carthage: The Unity of the Church and the Role of the Bishop

The problem of the unity of the Church was a main preoccupation for its theologians especially in times when the Church passed through difficult crises threatening its very existence with annihilation, distortion, or corruption. This was the case in the time of Cyprian when the Church had to face heresies, schisms, and persecutions that threatened both the being and the visible unity of the Christian community. That is why, according to the specific circumstances in which he wrote, Cyprian had his own approach to the problem of the unity of the Church, which proves the validity of one important principle in the life of this institution, enduring throughout the whole of Church history and through all generations: unitas in diversitas, its character of unity in diversity

Power and Authority in Eastern Christian Experience: Papers of the Sophia Institute Academic Conference New York, December 2010

The essays in this volume were delivered at the Third Annual Conference of the Sophia Institute in December 2010 at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. The theme of that conference, “Power and Authority in Eastern Christian Experience,” brought forth a diverse group of scholars who contributed their perspectives on the ways the Eastern Orthodox Church, in its broadest sense, has negotiated the notions of power, authority, (dis)obedience, and resistance over time and space. These insightful essays promise to draw the Orthodox world into a dynamic and productive discourse

The icons: Theological and spiritual dimensions according to St. Theodore of Studion

The present dissertation studies St. Theodore of Studion\u27s theology of icon as he elaborated it in the context of the iconoclastic controversy of his time. The problem is introduced first against the background of the Christological debate of the fifth and sixth centuries, where the Alexandrian and Byzantine Chalcedonian Christologies are discussed; the Christology is also presented through representatives such as the Emperor Justinian, Leontius of Byzantium, Leontius of Jerusalem and John of Damascus. Secondly, St. Theodore\u27s theology of icon is introduced through the analysis of the tradition of icons before the iconoclastic period and of the causes that led to Iconoclasm, followed by the life of Theodore. In Chapter III, the biblical aspect of the controversy is discussed as it appears in St. Theodore\u27s works; more precisely, I present Theodore\u27s interpretation of the Old Testament commandment that prohibits the images, the relation between image and prototype, Christ\u27s circumscribability and its relation to the theology of icon, and the legitimacy of icon\u27s veneration, all based on biblical arguments. In Chapter IV, the same ideas are analyzed, but in the context of the patristic tradition, and in Chapter V, the problem of Christ\u27s circumscription as a basis for the veneration of icon is discussed theologically, first, based on the concept of the hypostatic union of the two natures in Christ, and second, in the context of the relationship between image and prototype and between hypostasis and image. The last chapter develops the spirituality of icon and its Christocentric character as the main dimension of the entire discussion about the veneration of icons as it appears in St. Theodore\u27s works. The dissertation concludes by suggesting some ways in which St. Theodore\u27s theology of icon can be relevant and significant for us today

St. John Chrysostom's Teaching on Neighborly Love

For the 4th century C.E., St. John Chrysostom was like a flowing of heaven on earth and a source of God’s mercy upon people. A powerful representative of this century, he contributed substantially to the intensification of Christian faith by raising the cultural awareness of his contemporaries. Thus, Chrysostom contributed to the special brilliance of his century/ the so-called golden century of Christianity. Even during his lifetime, Chrysostom was well known and highly regarded. This is explained by the fact that St. John Chrysostom, maybe more than the other preachers of the Christian faith, combined harmoniously the principles of Christ’s Gospel consistently with his own lifestyle

THE LANGUAGE OF THE CHRISTIAN MISSION IN THE CARPATO-DANUBIANO-PONTIC AREA (IN THE FIRST CENTURIES A.D.)

There are many controversies regarding the ethnic status, the place of dwelling and the language of the native population in the territory of Thraco-Geto-Dacian people, after the vanish of Roman Empire legions from there (end of the III rd century AD). At the same time, day-by-day new data and arguments come a ttesting that Thracian and Geto-Dacian territory was one of the first zone where the European Christianity got significant roots. Researcher, professor in History of Religions, priest and writer, Mr.Theodor Damian add to the issue some very interesting and useful arguments, supporting the idea that the explaination of the Romanians continuity and the preservation of their language can be demonstrated by a careful analyse of histor y of early Christian missionary activity in the first centuries of the New Era