Mother and Bride: Ecclesiology, Christology, and Anthropology

In the 20th century reflections on the Church developed primarily in the context of eucharistic ecclesiology, according to which the Church community is a local congregation united around the Eucharist. This ecclesiology was based on early Christian sources, in particular the text of the epistles of...

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Main Author: Fr. John Behr
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: St. Philaret’s Christian Orthodox Institute 2022-05-01
Series:Вестник Свято-Филаретовского института
Subjects:
Online Access:https://psmb-neos-resources.hb.bizmrg.com/target/sfi/c0f33a413cb63f102690f777f13ac0729ed30188/%D0%92%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%A1%D0%A4%D0%98_42%20%281%29.pdf
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author Fr. John Behr
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author_sort Fr. John Behr
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description In the 20th century reflections on the Church developed primarily in the context of eucharistic ecclesiology, according to which the Church community is a local congregation united around the Eucharist. This ecclesiology was based on early Christian sources, in particular the text of the epistles of St. Ignatius of Antioch. This article examines a different view of the Church, which, like eucharistic ecclesiology, is based on early Christian sources and is more characteristic the early Christian literature of the 1st–3rd centuries. This is a way of speaking of the Church as the Virgin Mother in whose bosom the faithful are born from death into new life. This image is especially vividly represented in the acts of martyrdom, when the Church appears as a Mother sending a host of martyrs to God the Father. The martyrdom experience is also important for Christian Christology and anthropology: Christ is present in this world in those who follow Him in His suffering, and the image and likeness of God in man is revealed fully when he decides to follow Christ — the New Adam — in His suffering. In the apostolic and early Christian tradition, the Church also appears as a Bride who loved Christ to the end and revealed His glory. The article considers this image using the example of the Gospel of John and the Apocalypse, both of which were perceived by the early Church Fathers as related writings.
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spelling doaj.art-8de4e5ef74c94a8b976ab4f07fcb71bc2022-12-22T00:45:52ZengSt. Philaret’s Christian Orthodox InstituteВестник Свято-Филаретовского института2658-75992713-31412022-05-0142123910.25803/26587599_2022_42_12Mother and Bride: Ecclesiology, Christology, and AnthropologyFr. John Behr0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8816-2386Ph.D. (Theology), Professor, Department of Humanities, University of Aberdeen (Aberdeen, UK)In the 20th century reflections on the Church developed primarily in the context of eucharistic ecclesiology, according to which the Church community is a local congregation united around the Eucharist. This ecclesiology was based on early Christian sources, in particular the text of the epistles of St. Ignatius of Antioch. This article examines a different view of the Church, which, like eucharistic ecclesiology, is based on early Christian sources and is more characteristic the early Christian literature of the 1st–3rd centuries. This is a way of speaking of the Church as the Virgin Mother in whose bosom the faithful are born from death into new life. This image is especially vividly represented in the acts of martyrdom, when the Church appears as a Mother sending a host of martyrs to God the Father. The martyrdom experience is also important for Christian Christology and anthropology: Christ is present in this world in those who follow Him in His suffering, and the image and likeness of God in man is revealed fully when he decides to follow Christ — the New Adam — in His suffering. In the apostolic and early Christian tradition, the Church also appears as a Bride who loved Christ to the end and revealed His glory. The article considers this image using the example of the Gospel of John and the Apocalypse, both of which were perceived by the early Church Fathers as related writings.https://psmb-neos-resources.hb.bizmrg.com/target/sfi/c0f33a413cb63f102690f777f13ac0729ed30188/%D0%92%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%A1%D0%A4%D0%98_42%20%281%29.pdftheologyecclesiologychristian anthropologymartyrdomearly church fathersjohn’s traditionimages of the churchтеологияэкклезиологияхристианская антропологиямученичестворанние отцы церквииоаннова традицияобразы церкви
spellingShingle Fr. John Behr
Mother and Bride: Ecclesiology, Christology, and Anthropology
Вестник Свято-Филаретовского института
theology
ecclesiology
christian anthropology
martyrdom
early church fathers
john’s tradition
images of the church
теология
экклезиология
христианская антропология
мученичество
ранние отцы церкви
иоаннова традиция
образы церкви
title Mother and Bride: Ecclesiology, Christology, and Anthropology
title_full Mother and Bride: Ecclesiology, Christology, and Anthropology
title_fullStr Mother and Bride: Ecclesiology, Christology, and Anthropology
title_full_unstemmed Mother and Bride: Ecclesiology, Christology, and Anthropology
title_short Mother and Bride: Ecclesiology, Christology, and Anthropology
title_sort mother and bride ecclesiology christology and anthropology
topic theology
ecclesiology
christian anthropology
martyrdom
early church fathers
john’s tradition
images of the church
теология
экклезиология
христианская антропология
мученичество
ранние отцы церкви
иоаннова традиция
образы церкви
url https://psmb-neos-resources.hb.bizmrg.com/target/sfi/c0f33a413cb63f102690f777f13ac0729ed30188/%D0%92%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%A1%D0%A4%D0%98_42%20%281%29.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT frjohnbehr motherandbrideecclesiologychristologyandanthropology