Sources of Orthodox Theology

This section examines the foundational sources from which Orthodox theology draws its content and authority: Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition, the Ecumenical Councils, the Church Fathers, and the liturgical life of the Church. These sources are not isolated from one another but form an organic, interconnected whole within the living body of the Church.

Tradition: Pan-Orthodox

Overview

Orthodox theology does not operate from a single principle of authority (such as sola scriptura or papal infallibility) but rather from a symphonic convergence of sources, each interpreted within the life of the Church as guided by the Holy Spirit. Fr. Georges Florovsky described this approach as a return to the Fathers – not as mere antiquarianism, but as a living encounter with the mind of the Church across the centuries (Florovsky, “The Ethos of the Orthodox Church,” in Aspects of Church History, vol. 4 of Collected Works).

The Russian Orthodox theological tradition has made distinctive contributions to the articulation of these sources, particularly through the 20th-century emigration theology that emerged from the St. Sergius Theological Institute in Paris and St. Vladimir’s Seminary in New York.

Files in This Section

File Description
holy-scripture.md The Orthodox understanding of Holy Scripture: the biblical canon (including deuterocanonical books), the primacy of the Septuagint, patristic hermeneutics, the multiple senses of Scripture, and the inseparability of Scripture from Tradition.
holy-tradition.md Holy Tradition (paradosis) as the living reality of the Church: Florovsky’s neo-patristic synthesis, Lossky on Tradition as the life of the Holy Spirit, the distinction between Tradition and traditions, and the consensus of the Fathers.
ecumenical-councils.md The seven Ecumenical Councils (325–787): dates, locations, heresies addressed, key dogmatic definitions, and notable canons. Also covers the Quinisext (Trullo) Council and its canonical significance.
church-fathers.md Major patristic figures organized by era, from the Apostolic Fathers through Gregory Palamas, with their key works, theological contributions, and significance within the Russian Orthodox tradition.
liturgy-as-theology.md The principle of lex orandi lex credendi: Schmemann’s liturgical theology, dogma embedded in hymnography, and the Russian tradition of theological reflection through liturgical texts.

Guiding Principles

  1. Scripture and Tradition are inseparable. Scripture is a product of Tradition, and Tradition is always Scriptural. Neither can be understood apart from the other (Florovsky, “Scripture and Tradition: An Orthodox Point of View,” in Bible, Church, Tradition).

  2. The Councils define but do not innovate. The Ecumenical Councils articulated what the Church always believed, defending the apostolic faith against novel heresies. Their authority rests on reception by the whole Church (Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, ch. 1).

  3. The Fathers are normative witnesses. Patristic consensus (consensus patrum) serves as the authentic interpretation of Scripture and Tradition, not as individual private opinions but as expressions of the mind of the Church.

  4. Liturgy is theology in action. The worship of the Church is not merely the application of theology but is itself a primary theological source – the living experience of revealed truth.

See Also

References

  • Florovsky, Georges. Bible, Church, Tradition: An Eastern Orthodox View. Collected Works, vol. 1. Belmont, MA: Nordland, 1972.
  • Florovsky, Georges. Aspects of Church History. Collected Works, vol. 4. Belmont, MA: Nordland, 1975.
  • Lossky, Vladimir. The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. Cambridge: James Clarke, 1957.
  • Meyendorff, John. Byzantine Theology: Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes. New York: Fordham University Press, 1974.
  • Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition. 5 vols. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1971–1989.