Tradition and the Church Fathers Pre-Servant’s Course

2 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

3 Christ gave Apostles preached Church Fathers and Ecumenical Councils preserved, 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.

4 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

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

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

7 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

8 WHO IS A CHURCH FATHER? Four necessary qualifications to be recognized as church father & HOLINESS ORTHODOXY CHURCH 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

9 CHURCH FATHERS BY LANGUAGE Greek regarded as the original language But superseded by the following languages in the East Syriac Coptic Armenian EAST WEST Displaced by Latin in the West

10 CHURCH FATHERS BY TIMELINE APOSTOLIC FATHERS 0 AD 100 AD 200 AD 300 AD APOLOGETI C 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

11 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

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 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

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

15 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

16 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