The icon (from the Greek. Οἰκονομία - home building, deeds) - in Christianity, the principle of theology and the solution of church issues from the standpoint of condescension, practical benefit, convenience. The opposite of economy is acrivia .
In a particular case, economy is the non-application of a canon or a disciplinary rule where its persistent application can cause temptation and new sin. The avoidance of such consequences is the purpose of the abolition of pastor penance for misconduct. The economy gives the shepherd the opportunity to make a decision that violates the letter of the church canon, but does not contradict his spirit.
So, for the sake of an unbelieving, heterodox, heterodox spouse who does not want to enter into a church marriage with a Christian, the latter, living with him for the sake of love, is not accused of sin. Or a soldier going to war may be allowed to get married even during Lent . But oikonomia under no circumstances can allow or justify mortal sin .
Content
The Icon of God
In the New Testament, the word “economy” is used in the sense of God's control of His home, that is, God's plan to save the human race from sin, suffering and death. The Apostle Paul writes in the Epistle to the Ephesians : “... Having revealed to us the secret of His will by His grace, which He had previously put in Him, in the dispensation ( Greek εις οικονομιαν ) of the fulness of times, so that all heavenly and earthly things can be united under the head of Christ” [1] . In the same sense, the word “economy” is most often used among the early Christian fathers and teachers of the Church [2] .
The economy as a rationale for Protestantism
Since the Holy Fathers (the Ecumenical Council last recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 787 ) called theology only triadology , and the rest of modern theology (about the creation of the world, about the incarnation of the God of the Word (Logos), about salvation, about the Church, about the Second Coming and etc.) belonged to the field of Divine economy or Divine economy (economy), that is, the activity of God in the creation, Providence and salvation of the world, then some movements reject the entire Tradition or its separate parts, actually about behaving Protestantism, under the pretext that this is not Tradition, since the Holy Fathers allegedly hid their true views on the basis of the principle of economy, and the movements preach their true views (a form of spiritualism ) [3] .
Notes
- ↑ Eph. 1: 9-10 Archived December 28, 2005 on the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Nun Vassa. Church principle of economy and ROCOR under Metr. Anastasia. Archived January 15, 2004 on Wayback Machine
- ↑ Davydenkov O. V. Dogmatic theology. Lecture course. - M.: PSTBI , 1997
Literature
- Ikonomia / Hieromonk Savva (Tutunov) // Big Russian Encyclopedia : [in 35 vols.] / Ch. ed. Yu.S. Osipov . - M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2004—2017.
- Lossky V.N. Essays on the mystical theology of the Eastern Church. - M., 1991.
- Pashkov D., priest Iconium // Orthodox Encyclopedia . - M .: Church Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia" , 2009. - T. XXII. - S. 51-58. - 752 s. - 39,000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-89572-040-0 .
- Peter (L'Huillier) , Bishop. Ikonomia and sacramental theology // Bulletin of the Russian West European Patriarchal Exarchate. - 1970. - No. 72.