SENSURILETERMENULUI κανώνÎN TRADIŢIA CANONICà A BISERICII ORTODOXE ÎN PRIMELE PATRU SECOLE
The Meanings of the Term κανών in the Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church in the Forst Four Centuries

Summary/Abstract: The main purpose of this study is to highlight the diachronic development of the word κανών in the first four centuries of Christianity. To understand how the canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church used this term as a technical term for its synodical decisions we have followed the development of the word κανών from the Bible to the canons of the Church. To fulfil this task, we have started from the etymology of the word, summarizing three theories about the origin of the word κανών. Then we tried to see the relationship between the Hebrew word קָנֶה and its Greek translations in the Old Testament and then to analyse the use of the word κανών in the New Testament. Starting from the existence of two canonical perspectives upon the canonical tradition of the Church, perspectives developed during the late nineteenth century and during the twentieth century, we tried to take into discussion the current theories regarding the meaning of the word κανών. Analysing the thesis of Heinz Ohme, we tried to emphasize that the canons of the Church are the direct expression of κανὼνἐκκλησιαστικός, comprising the hole doctrinal, moral and disciplinary normativity of the Church. A division between this normativity and the canons of the Church leads to the introduction of an anachronistic formalist–positivist legal system of the Eastern Church.

• Details
• Contents