The unity of the Church in Saint Irenaeus’ ecclesiology

Claudiu Marius Ciascai

doi:10.25167/so.1344

Jedność Kościoła w eklezjologii św. Ireneusza z Lyonu

Claudiu Marius Ciascai

Uniwersytet w Oradea
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3159-0587

DOI: https://doi.org/10.25167/so.1344

Abstrakt

The unity of the Church from everywhere has always been of major concern for the early Christians. They understood this unity as an existing and tangible experience, and not as a remote perspective hidden in the uncertainty of the future. Besides, they believed that the unity of the Church can assure the cohesion between the Christian communities, and the communication inside the Christian community was, in its turn, the essential condition that provided the support for, the consolidation and the development of the ecclesiastic unity. The Fathers of the Church have understood the importance of keeping and supporting the unity and the stability inside the Church, in order to provide an efficient Christian mission everywhere in the world. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the evolution and complexity of the ecumenical dimension of the ecclesiology of Irenaeus of Lyon, one of the most representatives of the Fathers of the Church, during the early centuries. He understood the power of the dialogue and the pastoral mission, and he preached not only for the early Christians, who, at that time, found themselves surrounded and confused by different inaccurate doctrines, but also for the pagans. He preached to those pagans the message of Jesus Christ’s Gospel of love.

Słowa kluczowe:

jedność, Kościół, dialog ekumeniczny, św. Ireneusz, misja

Bibliografia

Bădrăgan Sorin. 2013. “Considerations regarding the nature of the Church, according to the most representative Church Fathers of the first centuries”. Jurnalul Teologic 12 (1) : 21–41.
Google Scholar

Berciu Dumitru. 1970. The world of the Celts. Bucharest: The Scientific and Enciclopedyc Publishing House.
Google Scholar

Beuzart Paul. 1960. Essay on the Theology of Irenaeus. Paris: Ernest Leroux.
Google Scholar

Bohîlțea Mihuț F. 2004. Social and economical structures In The history of the Ancient Rome. Bucharest: Fundația România de Mâine Publishing House.
Google Scholar

Cairns Earle Edwin. 1992. Christianity over the Centuries. Oradea: Editura Societatea Misionară Română.
Google Scholar

Ciurea Alexandru. 1940. The concept of Church. The doctrinal and sanctifying role of the Church, according to Saint Irenaeus. Iași: Mitropolia Moldovei Publishing House.
Google Scholar

Danielou Jean. 2008. The beginnings of the Church.. From origins to the end of the IIIrd century. București: Herald Publishing House.
Google Scholar

Donovan Mary Ann.1997. One Right Reading? A Guide to Irenaeus. Collegeville/Minnesota: Liturgical Press.
Google Scholar

Enslin Morton S. 1947. “Irenaeus: Mostly Prolegomena”. Harvard Theological Review 40 (3): 137–165.
Google Scholar

Fox Robin Lane. 1989. Pagans and Christians. London: Penguin.
Google Scholar

Giordani Igino. 1969. “The Ecumenism of the Greek Fathers”. L’Osservatore Romano 157–158 : 3–4.
Google Scholar

Goje Ioan. 2002. Saint Irenaeus protector of the Christian teachings. Cluj-Napoca: Renașterea Publishing House.
Google Scholar

Grant Robert. 1997. Irenaeus of Lyons. London: Routledge.
Google Scholar

Grigorescu Dan. 2003. The Druids and their enigmatic world. Bucharest: Universul Press.
Google Scholar

Herm Gerhard. 1976. The Celts: the people who came out of darkness. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
Google Scholar

Herve le Floch. 2002. The Celts – an original civilization. Bucharest: “Prietenii Cărții” Press.
Google Scholar

Hollen Mathew. 2015. Irenaeus of Lyons: A Defense of Recapitulation, a thesis submitted to the Faculty of George Fox Evangelical Seminary in Candidace for the Degree of Master of Arts in Divinity. Portland/Oregon.
Google Scholar

Irineu Biștrițeanul, P.S. 1998. Saint Irenaeus polemist and theologian. Cluj-Napoca: Cartimpex Press.
Google Scholar

Jemna Dănuț Vasile. 2009–2010. “Biblical references of Saint Irenaeus’ anthropology in the four Gospels”. Anuarul Facultății de Teologie Ortodoxă Cluj-Napoca 13 : 47–59
Google Scholar

Lashier Jackson. 2012. “Irenaeus as Logos Theologian”. Vigiliae Christianae 66 (4) : 341–361.
Google Scholar

Lawson John. 1948. The Biblical Theology of St. Irenaeus. London: Epworth Press.
Google Scholar

Lehane Brendan. 2005. Early Celtic Christianity. London: Edition Continuum.
Google Scholar

Minns Dennis. 2010. Irenaeus. London: T&T Clark.
Google Scholar

Pavel Aurel. 1995. “The Old Testament in the reflections of Saint Irenaeus of Lugdunum”. Altarul Banatului 1–3 : 7–24.
Google Scholar

Payton James R. jr. 2012. Irenaeus on the Christian Faith. A Condensation of Against Heresies. Cambridge: James Clarke & Co.
Google Scholar

Runcan Nichita. 1999. The History of the Patristic Literature during the age of Anti-Christian Persecutions, Constanța: Europolis Publishing House.
Google Scholar

Ware Kallistos. 1982. Patterns of episcopacy in the early church today: an orthodox view. In Peter Moore (ed.). Bishops, but What Kind?: reflections on episcopacy, 1–24. London: SPCK.
Google Scholar

Wigan Harvey W. 1857. Sancti Irenaei: Episcopi Lugdunensis. Two volumes. Cantabrigae: Typis academicis.
Google Scholar

Pobierz