The main sacramentological provisions in the discourse of theological personalism: On the example of the heritage of Orthodox theologians of the 20th — early 21st centuries

Abstract

The article examines the key provisions of the interpretation of the Orthodox sacramentology in the context of theological personalism. The author explores the specifics of the view of some representatives of theological personalism on Orthodox sacramentology. The introduction describes the research methodology, identifies the core problem of the research, and offers an introduction to the terminology adequate to the subject of the study. The main section is devoted to two components of the personalist vision of Orthodox sacramentology — the idea of the sacrament itself and specific sacramentological constructs contained in the theological heritage of a number of representatives of the discourse. Studying the texts of a number of Orthodox theologians of the 20th — early 21st centuries, developing or relying on the ideas of personalism, leads to the several conclusions. Within the heterogeneous direction of thought of theological personalism, there are a number of significant provisions of the doctrine of the sacraments: sacramentology is based on a personalistically understood soteriology; the exceptional importance of the social aspect of the sacramental life of the Church is emphasized, which is called upon to reveal the Church itself and create a space for genuine dialogue, that is, to transform human existence, elevating it to the personal dimension. Individual sacraments are understood as a means for a Christian to become a person through overcoming the individual and natural, joining the space of genuine dialogue (understood in a social or mystical key), and mastering the correct way of interacting with the world and the Other.

Keywords:

orthodox theology, dogmatic theology, orthodox sacramentology, sacramentology, theological personalism, person, communion