Academic literature on the topic 'Irenaeus, Church history Hermeneutics'

When it comes to the history of Christian thought, Irenaeus is most famous as the greatest opponent of Gnosticism in the early Church. For that reason his polemic has received considerable attention and at times his polemical significance has overshadowed his importance as a theologian. But a focus on his polemical significance was not the only thing that discouraged nuanced analysis of his theological account. For his theological ability and even intelligence have been impugned for generations. As a result central aspects of Irenaeus’ thought have gone unexplored—especially the metaphysical dimension of his theology. This Introduction locates this study within the scholarly conversation about Irenaeus that has taken place over the past two centuries, and then summarizes the themes and chapters that constitute the study proper.

The article defines the circumstances of the existence of the icon of Our Lady of Svensk Pechersk, which according to legend is a miracle-working icon of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery, sent to Bryansk to heal the blind Prince Roman. Its iconography reproduces the altar mosaic of the assumption Pechersk Church with the image of Our Lady enthroned, supplemented by figures of the upcoming venerable Anthony and Theodosius, which are their first surviving images. The story, reflecting the history of the icon, preserved in the Legend of Conception of Svensky Monastery and in the Tale of Svensky Icon of Our Lady. The Legend dates no later than 1566, when the life of the Svensky monastery became more active in connection with the renewal of the icon’s riza, carried out on the instructions of Ivan IV Vasilyevich. Most likely, the protograph of the Legend is a petition about the restoration of the icon’s riza of the elder Job Kamy- nin, presumably included in the monastic chronicler. Two well-known lists of Tales published in the late 18th — early 20th centuries belong to editions dating back to this protograph. The text of the Legend does not reflect the ecphrasis of the miraculous icon, but contains a legend about the finding of the Shrine and the Foundation of the monastery, which dates back to 1288. It is the miracle-working icon that becomes the main text-generating factor of the Legend, which implements the traditional motif: an ancient Shrine changes a person’s life, heals him through the prayers of Our Lady, he builds a monastery that be- gins to live, preserving the memory of the shrine, the donator and legendary events. The Tale of Svensky Icon of Our Lady is a monument of the 19th century and it is a Special edition of the Legend, which is limited to the history of the icon and the emergence of Svensky monastery in the late 13th century.

The article reveals the interdependence of the most important typological qualities of the Russian professional school — the epic beginning and broad melody and chant — with the development of sacred music of the Middle Ages and folklore. The epic style of the znamenny chant that prevailed in the early period (11th–14th centuries) in many aspects coincides with the bylin epic. At a later period of Muscovite Russia (15th–17th centuries) the melody of Junior edition of the znamenny chant and the development of new lengthy chants — putevoj, demestvennyj and bolshoj — led to recognition of the leading role of melodic beginning. Not earlier than the end of the 16th century this was manifested in folklore, in the genre of lyrical (drawl) songs. Russian Church singing shows that the medieval musical tradition, like the architectural, fresco, iconographic, and hymnographic traditions, preserved its aesthetic and value foundations in the styles of later epochs, forming a typology of musical thinking, the leading trends of the Russian school, and the national mentality. The role of the sacred music in Russian history should be assessed objectively.

The material for the article is the 18th century manuscript of the Divine Service of Thanksgiving… The authors discovered it in the Chequevo village of the Onega district in the Arkhangelsk region. The manuscript was kept near the books marked with Chequeo peasant library seal. The Abbot of the Solovetsky monastery, Archimandrite Ioannikiy, was one of the founders of this library. He was a native of the Polye village, which was part of the Chequevo. So it can be assumed that the manuscript came to the library from the Solovetsky monastery — the spiritual and cultural center of the Russian North. Divine Service of Thanksgiving... is a handwritten copy from the first printed edition of the solemn service, created immediately after the Russian troop’s victory in the Poltava battle in 1709. The author of the text is Archbishop Theophilactus (Lopatinsky). The history of the manuscript reveals the awareness of the Northern peasantry’s involvement in the Russia naval success and in the fate of the Fatherland. As a result of Peter’s the Great reform activities, Arkhangelsk lost its strategic importance for the state development, but the Emperor’s connection with the Northern peasantry formed an important part of the marginal self- consciousness of the Pomors. In the 18th century Patriotic discourse, the wars waged by Russia are assessed as liberating. In the text of the Service, the images of the Russian army, Tsar Peter I and the people are endowed with such characteristics as humility, smallness, infirmity, loyalty to the true faith and trust in the grace of God. The enemy image is based on comparisons with the vanity builders of the Babylon tower, arrogant Goliath, arrogant and fierce Pharaoh, thousands of Assyrian army, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, the traitor Judas. Researchers characterize the author of the Divine Service of Thanksgiving... as one of the most consistent zealots of Orthodoxy, a hidden opponent of Peter’s Church reforms and a passionate enemy of Protestantism. In the Russia and Sweden state ideology, there is a common trend: the protection and collection of lands around the empire center. The common language of Baroque European culture is typical for Swedish and Russian glorifications of the Northern war time. It involves the use of Parallels with biblical images, the combination game with emblematic signs, and ultimately — the search for the highest meaning of historical events. The presence of an enemy superior in numbers and power is one of the most important conditions for the peoples’ self-consciousness formation. The national power identity basis was not the economic and political might of the state, but it was the idea of protecting the Fatherland, its independence, Fatherland honor and glory. Peter’s Imperial ambitions grow organically from the Moscow kingdom ideology (“Moscow is the third Rome”), where the “goal of world history” was realized (A. Toynbee). In the 18th century Patriotic discourse, the interpretation of the war had a religious character despite the secularization of public consciousness. The Fatherland theme was based on traditional spiritual foundations implemented in the emerging Imperial ideology.

This chapter investigates the practice of necrogamy known as udo okpo by the Ibibio people in the light of theology. In Ibibio community, udo okpo as a practice has a long history till today. It is used as a means of facilitating human exploitation and sanctioning economic and financial hardship in the society. The practice has violated the fundamental human right of citizens especially the victim of udo okpo practice. The chapter adopts descriptive/survey methods of investigation making use of personal interview and participant observation. Findings reveal that instead of social integration of families by marriage, udo okpo practice brings about disunity among the affected families. With the use of theological methods namely, liberation theology, and cultural hermeneutics, the chapter portrays that cultural practices that dehumanize or put people in bondage are not the will of God for his creation. The chapter recommends that the church, government, and non-governmental organizations should organize educational programmes for the citizens on how to handle sociocultural practices.