Tradition and the Church Fathers
Pre-Servant’s Course
02.05.2013
TRADITION
• 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
2
TRADITION
Orthodox spirituality is meant to
be passed down from generation
to generation.
Christ
gave
Apostles
preached
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.
Church Fathers and Ecumenical Councils
preserved, protected and reaffirmed past traditions 3
TRADITION
• Church PREDATED the writing and compilation of Scripture and serves
as the authority of Holy Tradition
• The Christians lived their FAITH and had an EXPERIENCE
with God
• Protected the faith from FALSE teaching
Orthodox = Tradition-Scripture
4
TRADITION
How can I trust tradition?
• Consensus patrum
• John 16:13-15
5
TRADITION
EVIDENCE OF TRADITION IN BIBLE
2 Thessalonians 3:6
2 Thessalonians 2:15
Genesis 14:18-20
Psalm 44:1
2 Timothy 2:2
2 Timothy 3:8
Jude 9
Jude 14-15
6
WHO IS A CHURCH FATHER?
“For in Christ Jesus,
through the Gospel, I
have begotten you”
1 Cor 4, 15
• 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
7
WHO IS A CHURCH FATHER?
Four necessary qualifications to be recognized as church father
ANTIQUITY Lived within the time period of the first to the 5th century
Lived a life posterity can imitate in order to attain the
HOLINESS early church’s spirit (life has to imitate his faith)
Examined church life w/o deviation
ORTHODOXY from orthodox doctrines
Writings remained consistent with
CHURCH ACCEPTANCE the church’s beliefs and doctrines
&
8
CHURCH FATHERS BY LANGUAGE
Greek regarded as the original language
EAST
But superseded by the following languages in the East
• Syriac
• Coptic
• Armenian
WEST
• Displaced by Latin in the West
9
CHURCH FATHERS BY TIMELINE
Three ecumenical councils the
Church accepts occurred in this
time period as the fathers
defended church doctrine from
heresies
Came into personal contact with
the apostles or received
instructions from their disciples
APOSTOLIC
FATHERS
0 AD
100 AD
GOLDEN AGE FATHERS
200 AD
APOLOGETI
C FATHERS
Defended the faith against
paganism and Judaism
300 AD
400 AD
431 AD –
Council of
Ephesus
381 AD – Council of
Constantinople
325 AD – Council of Nicea
10
APOSTOLIC FATHERS
THEMES
• 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
STYLE
• 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
11
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
12
APOLOGETIC FATHERS
THEMES
• 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
STYLE
• Closely related to Greek rhetoric – mainly dialogue
13
APOLOGETIC FATHERS
LOCATION
Alexandria, Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem
EXAMPLES
St. Justin the Martyr
St. Melito of Sardis
14
GOLDEN AGE FATHERS
THEMES • 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
STYLE • 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
15
GOLDEN AGE FATHERS
LOCATION
Widely Spread through Asia Minor, Europe with
Alexandria being the seat of high learning
EXAMPLES
St. Athanasius
St. Cyril
St. Chrysostom
16