Clio at the Lord’s Service: Historical Approach in Modern Orthodox Theology
Clio at the Lord’s Service: Historical Approach in Modern Orthodox Theology

Summary/Abstract: The article is related to the problem of method in theology. The author introduces Fr Nicholas Afanasiev’s draft classification of theologians into “dogmatic theologians”and “historians” and accepts the basic cohrrectness of the classification. The main thesis ofthe article is that the essence of the historicist approach in theology is creative learningfrom the past. The two currents of Orthodox theological thought which followed themethod that may be called historical are presented. These are, on the one hand, neopatristicsynthesis of Father George Florovsky and, on the other hand, eucharistic theologyof Fathers Nicholas Afanasiev and Alexander Schmemann. The considers the attemptof eucharistic theology to learn from the past more successful. The two theological currentshave not exhausted their opportunities. If they follow the path of creative learning fromhistory, each of them is capable of further development.

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