The Topicality and the Utility of the Teachings of the Holy Fathers
The Topicality and the Utility of the Teachings of the Holy Fathers

Summary/Abstract: The Holy Fathers, “great scholars and teachers”, are considered asthe normative representatives of the doctrinarian tradition of the Church, asespecially authorized witnesses of faith. They led a holy life and alsodistinguished themselves through the fact that they preached the teachingsreceived from the Saviour and the Holy Apostles.They are not only therepresentatives of the doctrinarian tradition of the Church, but also thewitnesses and criteria of true faith, the judges of Orthodoxy – this feature hasnot only a historic value and dimension, but also atemporal and generallyspiritual ones. The Holy Fathers are extremely “contemporary”, as they reachdirectly the Christians in our times and provide answers to the essentialquestions of mankind. By studying the patristic literature, we acquire the wayof thinking of the saints, which is helpful at anytime and in any circumstanceand allows us to show our faith and answer topical issues as they themselveswould have done if they were still alive now. By a careful and pious reading ofthe works of the Holy Fathers, contemporary human beings may find thesolutions to their problems and thean swers to their questions, as they aremodels of Christian living, wisdom and simplicity, and their theologicalknowledge and the truths they preached were un animously accepted andadmired by the whole Church.

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