What dogmas form the core of the Christian religion. The church's concern for the purity of Christian teaching is about the essence of Orthodox dogma

The main provisions of the Christian Church - the dogmas - are defined in the 12 members of the Creed. Among them, the most important dogmas are: the dogma of the essence of God, the trinity of God, the incarnation, redemption, ascension, resurrection, etc.

The First Ecumenical Council (Nicea, 325) was convened to discuss the views of the Alexandrian presbyter (elder) Arius, who taught that God the Son is not consubstantial with God the Father, and to create dogmas (basic provisions of the dogma) that are mandatory for confession by all who consider themselves a Christian. The teachings of Arius were condemned, he himself was declared a heretic and excommunicated from the church. The Council dogmatically established that God is a unity of three hypostases (persons), in which the Son, eternally born from the Father, is consubstantial with him.

At the Second Ecumenical Council - Constantinople (Tsaregrad, 381) - a single "Symbol of Faith" was compiled - a confession that contains all the main tenets of Christianity and consists of twelve members (its first five members were approved at the Council of Nicaea, and in The final version of the "Symbol of Faith" is called Nikeo-Tsaregrad).

“The Creed” reads: “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth, everything visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, light from light. True God from, true God, begotten, not created, consubstantial with the Father, through whom everything happened, for the sake of us, people, and for the sake of our salvation descended from heaven and incarnated from the Holy Spirit and Mary the virgin and incarnated, crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, who suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father, and comes again with glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, proceeding from the Father, worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets. Into one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. Tea of ​​the Resurrection of the dead and the life of the future age. Amen".

Numerous heretical teachings were also condemned at the council, interpreting the Divine essence in a different way, for example, the Eunomians, who denied the divinity of Christ and considered him only the highest of the beings created by God.

There were seven Ecumenical Councils in total. The Seventh Ecumenical Council (Second Nicaea) was held in 787. It adopted decisions that were supposed to put an end to iconoclasm, which provoked discord in the church. The enumeration of the 12 paragraphs of the “Creed” is the main prayer in Orthodoxy: “I believe in one God the Father, the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages…”.

Consider the fundamentals of the Creed mentioned in this prayer. Orthodox Christians believe in God as the creator of the world (the first hypostasis of the Holy Trinity), in the Son of God - Jesus Christ (the second hypostasis of the Holy Trinity), who is incarnate, that is, remaining God, at the same time became a man, born of the Virgin Mary. Christians believe that by His sufferings and death Jesus Christ atoned for human sins (primarily Original sin) and resurrected. After the resurrection, Christ ascended to heaven in the unity of body and spirit, and in the future, Christians are waiting for His second coming, in which He will judge the living and the dead and His Kingdom will be established. Christians also believe in the Holy Spirit (the third hypostasis of the Divine Trinity), which comes from God the Father. The Church in Orthodoxy is considered a mediator between God and man, and therefore has a saving power. At the end of time, after the second coming of Christ, believers await the resurrection of all the dead to eternal life.

The Trinity is one of the main tenets of Christianity. The essence of the concept of the trinity lies in the fact that God is one in essence, but exists in three hypostases: God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. The term appeared at the end of the 2nd century AD, the doctrine of the Trinity was developed in the 3rd century AD. and immediately caused a sharp long discussion in the Christian church. Disputes about the essence of the Trinity have led to many interpretations and have served as one of the reasons for the division of churches.

Father! Sanctify them with Thy truth; your word is truth.
(John 17:17)

Origin of dogmas

In apostolic times, the word "dogma" generally denoted all Christian teaching - dogmatic and moral, but with the development of theological thought, this term began to be understood more specifically.

In the 4th century, St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote "Catechistic Teachings", where he reveals the truths of the Creed, as well as the doctrine of the main sacraments of the Church. At the same time, St. Gregory of Nyssa created the "Great catechetical sermon" - an important experience of systematic dogmatic exposition.

In the 5th century, Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus wrote "Abbreviation (Abbreviated Statement) of the Divine Dogmas".

In the West, at about the same time, Blessed Augustine compiled a "Guide for Lawrence", reminiscent of a catechism.

But, undoubtedly, the best work of the 1st millennium, where the Christian doctrine is deeply and accurately revealed, is deservedly considered the treatise of the Monk John of Damascus "The Source of Knowledge", and specifically, the third part of this book is "The Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith".

From the 4th century, the Eastern Fathers of the Church began to call "dogmas" not all the truths contained in Revelation, but only those relating to the field of faith. Thus, St. Gregory of Nyssa divides the content of his own teaching into "the moral part and into precise dogmas."

The Greek word "dogma" with an emphasis on the first syllable, feminine, entered the Russian language and in common parlance has a negative connotation of something frozen and lifeless (as well as the word "dogmatic").

The masculine word "dogma" with an accent on the second syllable goes back to Slavic liturgical texts:

“Like the royal adornment of the Church, let us all praise Basil, the treasure of dogmas is inexhaustible”; “Today the Church celebrates the honorable triumph of the teachers of the Trinity, for these have established the Church with their divine dogmas”

Dogma is a Greek word; it means an indisputable truth, accepted on faith and obligatory for Christians (from the Greek dogma - “law”, “rule”, “decree”).

Over time, in the dogmatic systems of the East and West, this word began to denote, as a rule, only those doctrinal truths that were discussed at the Ecumenical Councils and received conciliar definitions or formulations.

Dogmas are the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils on various issues of faith. Dogmas are, for the most part, called definitions because they draw the line between truth and error, between sickness and health. They are the property of the entire Church as worked out by her conciliar mind.

Dogmatic definitions express the revealed truth, determine the life of the Church. Therefore, on the one hand, they are an expression of Revelation, and on the other hand, they serve as a healing tool that leads a person to communion with God, to the goal of our existence.

Dogmas are God-revealed truths containing the doctrine of God and His Dispensation, which the Church defines and professes as unchanging and indisputable provisions of the Orthodox faith. Characteristic features of dogmas are their dogma, revelation of God, ecclesiastical and obligatory nature.

Church experience

The experience of the Church is wider and more complete than dogmatic definitions. Only what is essential and essential for salvation is dogmatized. There is still much that is mysterious and unrevealed in Holy Scripture. This conditions the existence of theological opinions. We meet them in the works of the Fathers of the Church and in theological writings. Theological opinion must contain truth, at least not contradicting Revelation.

Theological opinion is not a general church teaching, like a dogma, but is a personal judgment of one or another theologian.

Christianity is not limited to moral teaching. The gospel is not one of the collections of moralistic precepts. Morality, even the highest, in itself does not give strength to fulfill its requirements. Only with the assistance of the grace of Christ can a person become a truly moral person who does good “purely.” “...Without Me you can do nothing,” says the Savior (John 15:5).

The dogmatic definitions of the Orthodox Church were adopted at the Seven Ecumenical Councils, reflected in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, and have immutable authority.

Dogmas are now understood as doctrinal truths that were discussed and approved at the Ecumenical Councils.

Dogmatic conciliar definitions of Orthodoxy are denoted by the Greek word "oros" (oros). In the literal sense, it means "limit", "border".

Using dogmas, the Church determines the human mind in true knowledge of God and limits it from possible errors.

The presence of a strict and distinct religious consciousness is a characteristic feature and advantage of Orthodoxy. This feature of church teaching dates back to the time of the apostolic preaching. It was the apostles who first used the word "dogma" in the sense of a doctrinal definition. “Walking through the cities, they told the faithful to observe the decrees (Greek - ta dogmata) decreed by the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem,” testifies St. Evangelist Luke (Acts 16:4). In the letters to the Colossians (Col. 2:14) and Ephesians (Eph. 2:15), the Apostle Paul uses the word "dogma" in the meaning of Christian teaching in its entirety.

The acceptance of dogmas does not mean the introduction of new truths. Dogmas always reveal the original, unified and integral teaching of the Church in relation to new issues and circumstances.

Orthodox dogmas

According to St. Maximus the Confessor The divine dogmas of Orthodoxy can be reduced to two main ones. “The limit of Orthodoxy is to know purely the two dogmas of faith, the Trinity and the Two,” points out St. Gregory Sinai. The veneration of the unconfused and inseparable Holy Trinity, the one God in three Persons, in Whom the Mind is the Father, the Word is the Son, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit, as the Holy Fathers generally teach, is the anchor of Christian hope. The veneration of the Trinity is necessarily associated with the veneration of the Two, that is, the confession of the Son of God Jesus Christ in one Person, two natures and wills, divine and human, inseparably and indivisibly united.

“The word spoken about this in the Gospel can be understood as follows,” teaches St. Gregory Sinai. “And this is eternal life, so that they may know You, the only true God in three persons, and Jesus Christ sent by You in two natures and desires (John 17:3).”

Since the subject of dogmatics is the eternal dogmatic truths of the Holy Revelation, testifying about God in Himself and about God in His relation to the world and man, it is accordingly divided into two parts, each of which has its own subsections.

The first part considers God in Himself, the second - in His relation to the world and man. According to this, the first part includes dogmas about the existence of God, about the quality and degree of knowledge of God, about God's essence and His properties, about the unity of God's being and about the Holy Trinity.

The second part consists of dogmas about God as the Creator of the world, about God as a Provider, about God as a Savior, about God as a Sanctifier and about God as a Judge.

The main tenets of Orthodoxy are as follows:

• The dogma of the Holy Trinity
• Doctrine of the Fall
• The dogma of the redemption of mankind from sin
• The dogma of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ
• The dogma of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
• The dogma of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ
• Dogma about the Second Coming of the Savior and the Last Judgment
• The dogma of the unity, catholicity of the Church and the continuity in her doctrine and priesthood
• The dogma of the general resurrection of people and the future life
• The dogma of the two natures of the Lord Jesus Christ. Adopted at the IV Ecumenical Council in - Chalcedon
• The dogma of two wills and actions in the Lord Jesus Christ. Adopted at the VI Ecumenical Council in Constantinople
• Dogma about icon veneration. Adopted at the 7th Ecumenical Council in Nicaea

The attitude of the human mind to dogmas as eternal truths of Christ is determined by the attitude of the Lord Jesus Himself to the human mind in its sinful essence.

Based on the experience of the Church, patristic teaching, we can say that the dogmas underlying Christian morality are the only true criterion for assessing the actions and behavior of a reasonable and free person.

What does the Lord Jesus Christ generally require of each person as a condition for following Him?

Only one thing: denying yourself and taking up your cross. “If anyone wants to follow Me, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24; cf. Mark 8:34; Luke 14:26-27; John 12:24 –26).

To renounce oneself means to renounce one's sinful personality, one's "I". A person achieves this if, by a personal feat of faith in Christ, he crucifies sin and everything sinful in himself and around him; if he dies to sin and death in order to live for our sinless and immortal Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Col. 3:3-8; Rom. 6:6:10-13; Gal. 2:19; 6:14).
Bibliography

• Conversation with Rev. Vadim Leonov "The meaning of the dogmas of faith does not decrease from century to century" Pravoslavie.Ru
• Dogmas of Orthodox Theology Almanac Vostok Issue: N 10(22), October 2004
• Dogmatics of the Orthodox Church http://trsobor.ru/listok.php?id=339
• Pravoslavie.ru
• Guide to the study of Christian, Orthodox dogmatic theology St. Petersburg, 1997
• Service to the Three Hierarchs: Festive Menaion. M., 1970, p. 295-296
• St. John of Damascus. Exact presentation of the Orthodox faith. M., 1992
• Holy Alexander Shargunov. Dogma in the Christian life. Trinity Sergius Lavra. Zagorsk. 1981–1982

Alexander A. Sokolovsky

Articles of Faith

Dogmas- these are indisputable doctrinal truths (axioms of the Christian dogma), given through Divine Revelation, defined and formulated by the Church at the Ecumenical Councils (as opposed to private opinions).

The properties of dogmas are: doctrinalism, revelation of God, ecclesiastical and obligatory nature.

Doctrine means that the content of dogmatic truths is the doctrine of God and His economy (that is, God's plan to save the human race from sin, suffering and death).

revelation characterizes dogmas as truths revealed by God Himself, for the Apostles received the teaching not from men, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12). In their content, they are not the fruit of the activity of the natural mind, like scientific truths or philosophical statements. If philosophical, historical and scientific truths are relative and can be refined over time, then dogmas are absolute and unchanging truths, for the word of God is truth (John 17:17) and endures forever (1 Pet. 1:25).

Churchness dogmas indicates that only the Ecumenical Church at its Councils gives dogmatic authority and significance to the Christian truths of faith. This does not mean that the Church itself creates dogmas. It, as “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15), only unmistakably establishes behind this or that truth of Revelation the meaning of the unchanging rule of faith.

obligatory dogmas means that these dogmas reveal the essence of the Christian faith, necessary for the salvation of man. Dogmas are the unshakable laws of our faith. If there is some originality in the liturgical life of individual Orthodox Local Churches, then in dogmatic teaching there is strict unity between them. Dogmas are obligatory for all members of the Church, therefore she endures for a long time any sins and weaknesses of a person in the hope of his correction, but does not forgive those who stubbornly seek to muddy the purity of the apostolic teaching.

Orthodox dogmas were formulated and approved at 7 Ecumenical Councils. A summary of the basic truths (dogmas) of the Christian faith is contained in.

Being the result of Divine Revelation, dogmas are indisputable and unchanging definitions of the saving Christian faith.

Dogmatic definitions are not so much a revelation of the doctrine of God, but rather an indication of the boundaries beyond which lies the realm of error and heresy. In its depths, every dogma remains an incomprehensible mystery. Using dogmas, the Church limits the human mind from possible errors in the true knowledge of God.

As a rule, Orthodox dogmas were formulated only when heresies arose. The acceptance of dogmas does not mean the introduction of new truths. Dogmas always reveal the original, unified and integral teaching of the Church in relation to new issues and circumstances.

If any sin is a consequence of the weakness of the will, then heresy is "persistence of the will." Heresy is stubborn opposition to the truth, and as blasphemy against the Spirit of Truth is unforgivable.

Thus, dogmas are designed to help every person to have an accurate, unambiguous idea about God and his relationship with the world, and to clearly understand where Christianity ends and heresy begins. Therefore, the dispute about dogmas is of the most important and acute significance in Christianity, and it is precisely the differences in the understanding of dogmas that entail the most serious and almost insurmountable schisms. These are precisely the disagreements between Orthodoxy, Catholicism and the Protestant churches, which are more or less united in so many questions, but in some they absolutely contradict each other, and this contradiction cannot be overcome by diplomatic compromise, because they argue not about tastes or politics, but about Truth itself, as it really is.

But mere knowledge of God is not enough for a believing person: prayerful communion with him is also necessary, life in God is necessary, and this requires not only rules of thought, but rules of behavior, that is, what is called canons.

Canons of the Orthodox Church

Church canons - these are the basic church rules that determine the order of life of the Orthodox Church (its internal structure, discipline, private aspects of the life of Christians). Those. in contrast to the dogmas in which the dogma of the Church is formulated, the canons define the norms of church life.

One can just as well ask why the Church needs canons as one can ask why the state needs laws. The canons are the rules by which members of the Church must serve God and organize their lives in such a way as to constantly maintain this state of service, this life in God.

Like any rules, the canons are designed not to complicate the life of a Christian, but, on the contrary, to help him navigate the complex church reality and life in general. If there were no canons, then church life would be complete chaos, and indeed the very existence of the Church as a single organization on earth would be impossible.

Canons are the same for all Orthodox people of all countries , approved at the Ecumenical and Local Councils and cannot be canceled . Those. the authority of the sacred canons is eternal and unconditional . The canons are the indisputable law that determines the structure and government of the Church.

Canons of the Church are a model for every believer, on the basis of which he must build his life or check the correctness of his actions and actions. Anyone who moves away from them - moves away from correctness, from perfection, from righteousness and holiness.

The schism on canonical issues in the Church is just as fundamental as on dogmatic ones, but it is easier to overcome, because it concerns not so much the worldview - what do we believe how much of our behavior - how we believe . Most schisms on canonical issues relate to the topic of church authority, when for some reason some group suddenly considers the existing church authority “illegal” and declares its complete independence from the Church, and sometimes even considers only itself to be the “true church”. Such was the split with the Old Believers, such are today's splits in Ukraine, such can be many marginal groups that call themselves "true" or "autonomous" Orthodox. Moreover, in practice, it is often much more difficult to communicate with such schismatics of the Orthodox Church than with dogmatic schisms, because people's thirst for power and independence is very often stronger than the desire for Truth.

However, canons can change in history, retaining, however, their inner meaning . The Holy Fathers kept not the letter of the canon, but precisely the meaning that the Church put into it, the thought that she expressed in it. For example, some canons that did not relate to the essence of church life, due to changed historical conditions, sometimes lost their significance and were abolished. Lost in their time and the literal meaning and instructions of the Holy Scriptures. Thus, the wise teaching of St. app. Paul about the relationship of masters and slaves lost its literal meaning with the fall of slavery, but the spiritual meaning lying in this teaching has, one might say, an enduring meaning and the words of the great Apostle and now can and should be a moral guide in the relationship of Christians standing on different steps of the social ladder despite the proclaimed principles of freedom, equality and fraternity.

When trying to apply church canons to modern circumstances, it is necessary to take into account mens legislatoris - the intention of the legislator, i.e. the meaning originally invested in the canon, historical and cultural aspects.

Modern revolutionary church reformers and renovationists of various types, trying to make changes to the church canons, refer to the church reforms of Patriarch Nikon in their justification. But this reference can hardly justify the present reformers. Suffice it to point out that under Nikon the continuity of the Apostolic hierarchy was not violated. In addition, then there was no encroachment on either the dogma or the moral teaching of the Church. Finally, the reforms that took place under Patriarch Nikon received the sanction of the Eastern Patriarchs.

In the Russian Orthodox Church, all canons are published in "Book of Rules" .

The "Book of Rules" is a set of laws that came from the Apostles and St. Fathers of the Church - the laws approved by the Councils and laid the foundation for Christian society, as the norm of its existence.

This collection contains the rules of St. Apostles (85 rules), rules of the Ecumenical Councils (189 rules), ten Local Councils (334 rules) and rules of thirteen St. Fathers (173 rules). Along with these basic rules, several canonical works of John the Faster, Nicephorus the Confessor, Nicholas the Grammar, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Anastasius (134 rules) are still valid. - 762 .

In a broader sense, all decrees of the Church are called canons, both relating to doctrine and concerning the structure of the Church, its institutions, discipline and the religious life of church society.

Theological opinion

Of course, the experience of Christianity is broader and more complete than the dogmas of the Church. After all, only the most necessary and essential for salvation is dogmatized. There is still much that is mysterious and unrevealed in Holy Scripture. This gives rise to the existence theological opinions .

Theological opinion is not a general church teaching, like a dogma, but is a personal judgment of one or another theologian. Theological opinion must contain truth, at least not contradicting Revelation.

Of course, any arbitrariness in theology is excluded. The criterion of the truth of this or that opinion is its agreement with the Holy Tradition, and the criterion of admissibility is not a contradiction with it. Orthodox and legitimate theological opinions and judgments should be based not on logic and rational analysis, but on direct vision and contemplation. This is achieved through a prayer feat, through the spiritual development of a believing person...

Theological opinions are not infallible. Thus, in the writings of some Church Fathers there are often erroneous theological opinions, which nevertheless do not contradict Holy Scripture.

According to St. Gregory the Theologian, questions of creation, redemption, and the last destinies of man belong to an area where the theologian is given some freedom of opinion.

Dommaty is what in science is called "axioms". In Christianity, dogmas are doctrinal truths discussed and adopted at the Ecumenical Councils. They are given in response to heresies to reveal and clarify the faith of the Church.

Dogmas are God-revealed truths containing the doctrine of God and His Dispensation, which the Church defines and professes as unchanging and indisputable provisions of the Orthodox faith. Characteristic features of dogmas are their dogma, revelation of God, ecclesiastical and obligatory nature.

Doctrine of faith means that the content of dogmatic truths is the doctrine of God and His economy. Revelation characterizes dogmas as truths revealed by God Himself. The ecclesiastical nature of the dogmas indicates that only the Ecumenical Church, at its Councils, gives dogmatic authority and significance to the Christian truths of the faith. Obligation. Dogmas reveal the essence of Christian faith and hope.

It is believed that dogmas are not subject to change and clarification, not only in content, but also in form.

Janaras H., says: “What we today call dogma arises only at the moment when the truth of the Church is endangered by heresy. The word "heresy" means a choice, preference for any one part of the truth to the detriment of the whole, to the detriment of truth... The heretic elevates one of the facets of the whole experience of the Church to the absolute, thus inevitably turning it into something one-sided and limited.

The Church responds to the heretical threat by setting the limits of truth, that is, by defining the boundaries of living religious experience. To combat heresies and establish religious principles that all Christians (dogmas) must recognize, from the 4th century. n. e. Ecumenical Councils are convened in the Christian Church. A council in Christianity is called a council of bishops representing individual churches, convened to resolve the most important issues of religious life. A council where the bishops of all existing churches are present is called the Ecumenical.

It is significant that the first name of the dogma was the Greek word horos - limit, border (lat. terminus). Today's dogmas are the "limits" set by the Ecumenical Councils; these are those abstract propositions in which the Church expresses her experience of faith, indicating the boundaries separating the truth from its heretical distortions.

Basic tenets of Christianity

The main provisions of the Christian Church - the dogmas - are defined in the 12 members of the Creed. Among them, the most important tenets are: dogma about the essence of God, about the trinity of God, about the incarnation, redemption, ascension, resurrection, etc.

The First Ecumenical Council (Nicea, 325) was convened to discuss the views of the Alexandrian presbyter (elder) Arius, who taught that God the Son is not consubstantial with God the Father, and to create dogmas (basic provisions of the dogma) that are mandatory for confession by all who consider themselves a Christian. The teachings of Arius were condemned, he himself was declared a heretic and excommunicated from the church. The Council dogmatically stated that God is the unity of three hypostases (persons), in which the Son, eternally born from the Father, is consubstantial with him.

At the Second Ecumenical Council - Constantinople (Tsaregradsky, 381) - was drawn up single "creed"- a confession that includes all the main tenets of Christianity and consisting of twelve members(its first five members were approved at the Council of Nicaea, and in the final version, the “Creed” is called Niceo-Tsaregrad).

“The Creed” reads: “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth, everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, light from light. True God from, true God, begotten, not created, consubstantial with the Father, through whom everything happened, for the sake of us, people, and for the sake of our salvation descended from heaven and incarnated from the Holy Spirit and Mary the virgin and incarnated, crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, who suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father, and comes again with glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, proceeding from the Father, worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets. Into one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. Tea of ​​the Resurrection of the dead and the life of the future age. Amen".

Numerous heretical teachings were also condemned at the council, which interpreted the Divine essence in a different way, for example, the Eunomians, who denied the divinity of Christ and considered him only the highest of the beings created by God.

There were seven Ecumenical Councils in total. The Seventh Ecumenical Council (Second Nicaea) was held in 787. It adopted decisions that were supposed to put an end to iconoclasm, which provoked discord in the church.

The enumeration of the 12 paragraphs of the “Creed” is the main prayer in Orthodoxy: “I believe in one God the Father, the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages…”.

Consider the fundamentals of the Creed mentioned in this prayer. Orthodox Christians believe in God as creator of the world(the first hypostasis of the Holy Trinity), in Son of God - Jesus Christ(the second hypostasis of the Holy Trinity), who is incarnate, i.e., remaining God, at the same time became a man, having been born from the Virgin Mary. Christians believe that by His sufferings and death Jesus Christ atoned for human sins (primarily Original sin) and resurrected. After the resurrection, Christ ascended to heaven in the unity of body and spirit, and in the future, Christians are waiting for His second coming, in which He will judge the living and the dead and His Kingdom will be established. Christians also believe in Holy Spirit(the third hypostasis of the Divine Trinity), which comes from God the Father. The Church in Orthodoxy is considered a mediator between God and man, and therefore has a saving power. At the end of time, after the second coming of Christ, believers are waiting resurrection all the dead for eternal life.

The Trinity is one of the main tenets of Christianity. The essence of the trinity is that God is one in essence, but exists in three forms: God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. The term appeared at the end of the 2nd century AD, the doctrine of the Trinity was developed in the 3rd century AD. and immediately caused a sharp long discussion in the Christian church. Disputes about the essence of the Trinity have led to many interpretations and have served as one of the reasons for the division of churches.

Word "dogma" comes from the Greek verb - to think, to believe, to believe (the past form of this verb means: decided, put, determined).

dogmas- these are truths containing the doctrine of God and His attitude to the world and man, defined by the Church and taught by her as indisputable and obligatory rules of faith for all believers. The expression "dogma", used in modern Orthodox dogmatic theology, means the truth of faith, precisely formulated for the general church consciousness, which has 4 characteristic features: theological, divinely revealed, ecclesiastical, legally binding.

1.Theological dogmas indicates that the content of dogmatic truths is the doctrine of God in Himself and His relation to the world and man. The main subject is man and his relation to God. God. Moral (commandment). The Church called the abridged presentation of the dogmas the Creed and begins it with the word "I believe."

2.revelation - characterizes dogmas as truths revealed by God Himself, for the Apostles received the teaching not from people, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12). In their content, they are not the fruit of the activity of the natural mind, like scientific truths or philosophical statements. If philosophical, historical and scientific truths are relative and can be refined over time, then dogmas are absolute and unchanging truths, for the word of God is truth (John 17:17) and endures forever (1 Pet. 1:25).

3. Churchness dogmas indicates that only the Ecumenical Church at its Councils gives dogmatic authority and significance to the Christian truths of faith. This does not mean that the Church itself creates dogmas. It, as “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15), only unmistakably establishes behind this or that truth of Revelation the meaning of the unchanging rule of faith.

4. Legislation .

dogmas means that these dogmas reveal the essence of the Christian faith, necessary for the salvation of man. Dogmas are the unshakable laws of our faith. If there is some originality in the liturgical life of individual Orthodox Local Churches, then in dogmatic teaching there is strict unity between them. Dogmas are obligatory for all members of the Church, therefore she endures for a long time any sins and weaknesses of a person in the hope of his correction, but does not forgive those who stubbornly seek to muddy the purity of the apostolic teaching.

The main tenets of Orthodoxy are as follows:

• The dogma of the Holy Trinity
• Doctrine of the Fall
• The dogma of the redemption of mankind from sin
• The dogma of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ
• The dogma of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
• The dogma of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ
• Dogma about the Second Coming of the Savior and the Last Judgment
• The dogma of the unity, catholicity of the Church and the continuity in her doctrine and priesthood
• The dogma of the general resurrection of people and the future life
• The dogma of the two natures of the Lord Jesus Christ. Adopted at the IV Ecumenical Council in - Chalcedon
• The dogma of two wills and actions in the Lord Jesus Christ. Adopted at the VI Ecumenical Council in Constantinople
• Dogma about icon veneration. Adopted at the VII Ecumenical Council in Nika

Canons of the Orthodox Church

Church canons- these are the basic church rules that determine the order of life of the Orthodox Church (its internal structure, discipline, private aspects of the life of Christians). Those. in contrast to the dogmas in which the dogma of the Church is formulated, the canons define the norms of church life.

Canons are the same for all Orthodox people of all countries, approved at the Ecumenical and Local Councils and cannot be canceled. Those. the authority of the sacred canons is eternal and unconditional. The canons are the indisputable law that determines the structure and government of the Church.

Canons of the Church are a model for every believer, on the basis of which he must build his life or check the correctness of his actions and actions. Anyone who moves away from them - moves away from correctness, from perfection, from righteousness and holiness.

The schism on canonical issues in the Church is just as fundamental as on dogmatic ones, but it is easier to overcome, because it concerns not so much the worldview - what do we believe how much of our behavior - how we believe. Most schisms on canonical issues relate to the topic of church authority, when for some reason some group suddenly considers the existing church authority “illegal” and declares its complete independence from the Church, and sometimes even considers only itself to be the “true church”. Such was the split with the Old Believers, such are today's splits in Ukraine, such can be many marginal groups that call themselves "true" or "autonomous" Orthodox. Moreover, in practice, it is often much more difficult to communicate with such schismatics of the Orthodox Church than with dogmatic schisms, because people's thirst for power and independence is very often stronger than the desire for Truth.

However, canons can change in history, retaining, however, their inner meaning. The Holy Fathers kept not the letter of the canon, but precisely the meaning that the Church put into it, the thought that she expressed in it. For example, some canons that did not relate to the essence of church life, due to changed historical conditions, sometimes lost their significance and were abolished. Lost in their time and the literal meaning and instructions of the Holy Scriptures. Thus, the wise teaching of St. app. Paul about the relationship of masters and slaves lost its literal meaning with the fall of slavery, but the spiritual meaning lying in this teaching has, one might say, an enduring meaning and the words of the great Apostle and now can and should be a moral guide in the relationship of Christians standing on different steps of the social ladder despite the proclaimed principles of freedom, equality and fraternity.

In the Russian Orthodox Church, all canons are published in "Book of Rules".

The "Book of Rules" is a set of laws that came from the Apostles and St. Fathers of the Church - the laws approved by the Councils and laid the foundation of Christian society, as the norm of its existence.

This collection contains the rules of St. Apostles (85 rules), rules of the Ecumenical Councils (189 rules), ten Local Councils (334 rules) and rules of thirteen St. Fathers (173 rules). Along with these basic rules, several canonical works of John the Faster, Nicephorus the Confessor, Nicholas the Grammar, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Anastasius (134 rules) are still valid.

Total canons of the Orthodox Church - 762 .

In a broader sense, all decrees of the Church are called canons, both relating to doctrine and concerning the structure of the Church, its institutions, discipline and the religious life of church society.

Theological opinion

Of course, the experience of Christianity is broader and more complete than the dogmas of the Church. After all, only the most necessary and essential for salvation is dogmatized. There is still much that is mysterious and unrevealed in Holy Scripture. This gives rise to the existence theological opinions.

Theological opinion is not a general church teaching, like a dogma, but is a personal judgment of one or another theologian. Theological opinion must contain truth, at least not contradicting Revelation.

Of course, any arbitrariness in theology is excluded. The criterion of the truth of this or that opinion is its agreement with the Holy Tradition, and the criterion of admissibility is not a contradiction with it. Orthodox and legitimate theological opinions and judgments should be based not on logic and rational analysis, but on direct vision and contemplation. This is achieved through a prayer feat, through the spiritual development of a believing person...

Theological opinions are not infallible. Thus, in the writings of some Church Fathers there are often erroneous theological opinions, which nevertheless do not contradict Holy Scripture.