Is There a “Dogmatic Economy”? (Or, About One “Betrayal of Faith” by St. Basil the Great) Cover Image

Да ли постоји „догматска икономија“? (или о једној „издаји вјере“ Светог Василија Великог)
Is There a “Dogmatic Economy”? (Or, About One “Betrayal of Faith” by St. Basil the Great)

Author(s): Darko Đogo, Zoran Jelisavčić
Subject(s): History of Church(es), Systematic Theology, Eastern Orthodoxy
Published by: Православни богословски факултет „Свети Василије Острошки“
Keywords: St. Gregory the Theologian; St. Basil the Great; Holy Spirit; Dogmatics; Economy; Language; Faith; Fundamentalism;

Summary/Abstract: One vivid episode from the year 372 depicts the struggle that Cappadocian Fathers had to lead on two dogmatic fronts at the same time: on the one hand, they opposed the Arian heresy, which at that time enjoyed special support of Emperor Valens, while, on the other hand, there were accusations that St. Basil the Great “betrays the Orthodox faith” by not preaching the Deity of the Holy Spirit, i.e. by not using the same terms that Nicaean theology used to emphasize the oneness of the Father and the Son. The paper discusses the limits of “economy” in the field of dogmatic teachings through a concrete example of the relationship of St. Basil the Great towards those who, at that time, joined the Church from Macedonian circles. On this example of the dogmatic struggle, but also the pedagogical approach performed by the Fathers of the 4th century, we can reach conclusions relevant to the modern dogmatic-pedagogical approach – and these conclusions will show us clear contrast to the binary scheme of fundamentalism.

  • Issue Year: 2020
  • Issue No: 19
  • Page Range: 14-37
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Serbian