justification

Sanctification and Theosis in Sergey Stragorodsky’s Understanding of Justification

Konstantin Yur’evich Subbotin phd in philology, master of theology, rector, Theological Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria (der. Kolbino, 25a, Leningrad region, Vsevolozhsk district, Russia, 188680)
subb_konstantin@yahoo.com

Subbotin K. Yu. Sanctification and Theosis in Sergey Stragorodsky’s Understanding of Justification, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2023, vol. 12, pp. 80–98.

doi: 10.24412/2308-0698-2023-12-80-98

Language: Russian

The article examines the soteriological concept of Sergius Stragorodsky in his master’s thesis «The Orthodox Teaching of Salvation». The author compares Stragorodsky’s position with how the concept of «deification» is used in the Orthodox tradition, and also evaluates it from the point of view of confessional Lutheran theology.
Despite the fact that Stragorodsky uses the term «deification» only once in his dissertation when quoting, the analysis of the concept of salvation in this and his other works, as well as the definition of theosis by renowned Orthodox theologians, suggests that the scope of the concept of «deification» is expressed in his dissertation in terms of «sanctification», «holiness», «unity with God». Thus, Stragorodsky describes salvation in terms close in meaning to «deification».
From the point of view of confessional Lutheran theology, Stragorodsky’s soteriology can be described as a confusion of the concepts of justification and sanctification. For Stragorodsky, justification is not an external forensic act, but an internal change. Stragorodsky describes justification as a lengthy process that takes place with the participation of the human will — the way Lutheran theology would describe sanctification. The article draws a parallel between this confusion of justification and sanctification and the views of Osiander condemned in the Formula of Concord. In addition, it is concluded that the comparison of the concept of «deification» in Eastern Christianity and the way Martin Luther used this term also has no basis.

Key words: theosis, Eastern theology, soteriology, confessional Lutheranism, justification, sanctification

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/en/en-subbotin-2023/

The article by which the church stands or falls

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Barend Kamphuis Doctor, professor emeritus of Systematic Theology, Theological University of the Reformed Churches (Broederweg 15, 8261 GS Kampen, Netherlands)
bkamphuis@tukampen.nl

Kamphuis B. The article by which the church stands or falls, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2019, vol. 8, pp. 72–85.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2020-00003

Language: English

Martin Luther said about the doctrine of justification: «Because ifthis articlestands, the church stands; if this article collapses, the churchcollapses». Later on, this became a sort of proverb, in Lutheran and alsoin Reformed theology: «justificatioest articulus stantis et cadentis ecclesiae», «Justification is the article by which the church stands or falls».In this article I analyse and evaluate this saying. First, I discuss its context. Then I mention some other articles that were important in the history of Christian doctrine. In the third place I highlight the danger of onesidedness. Lastly, I discuss the historicity of doctrine. Luther’s focus onthe doctrine of justification had its context in the specific circumstancesand problems of his time. In other times the church stood or fell by otherarticles. The focus on one article has the danger of one-sidedness: we mustbe aware of other aspects of the gospel, that always has more treasuresthan we can comprehend. It is our task to proclaim the gospel as an answerfor the questions and problems of our time.

Key words: Martin Luther, Calvin, justification, doctrine, the Gospel

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/kamphius-2020-en/

The doctrine of Justification in the 19th century: A look at Schleiermacher’s Der Christliche Glaube (1830/1831)

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Naomichi Masaki, master in theology, assosiate professor, Concordia Theological Seminary (6600 N Clinton St, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, 46825)
naomichi.masaki@ctsfw.edu

Masaki N. The doctrine of Justification in the 19th century: A look at Schleiermacher’s Der Christliche Glaube (1830/1831), Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 62–74.

DOI: 10.24411/2308-0698-2012-00006

Language: English

The article analyses the Doctrine of Justification as it saw the classical German theologian Fridrich Schleiermacher. Specific attention is put on correlation of his ideas with that of Martin Luther. The author also throws light upon Schleiermacher’s terminology, which differs from usual understanding.

Key words: Schleiermacher, justification, theology, doctrine, Der christliche Glaube

Permanent link: //rcs-almanac.ru/masaki-n-2012-en/

What is forensic/declared in justification, according to the Lutheran viewpoint?

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Sergey Aleksandrovich Isaev, PhD in history, principal scientist, Saint-Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences(Petrozavodskaja ulitsa, 7, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 197110)
isayevsviir@yandex.ru

Isaev S. A. What is forensic/declared in justification, according to the Lutheran viewpoint?, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 91–98.

DOI: 10.24411/2308-0698-2012-00003

Language: Russian

What is forensic/declared in justification, according to the Lutheran viewpoint?

It was just in polemics with Andreas Osiander when the Lutheran viewpoint of justification was worked out as «declared». Based on his experience while writing his articles for the Orthodox Encyclopedia, the author compares Russian and Latin texts of the relevant articles in the Defense of the Augsburg Confession and the Formula of Concord, as well as John Theodore Mueller’ Christian Dogmatics. The article examines the terms and outlines the Orthodox and Catholic viewpoints.

The author sums up interpretation of the Lutheran dogma: justification and imputation are actual, not declarative. Righteousness in the sense of impeccancy is declarative, but it is also actual in the sense of justification. Accordingly, solely impeccancy and capability for expiation of one’s own sinfulness with his or her deeds and merits are declarative. The Lutheran viewpoint is entirely different from that of Catholic and Orthodox churches and yet is reductive or distorted in various handbooks on religious studies.

Key words: justification, righteousness, sinfulness, imputation, the Defense of the Augsburg Confession, the Formula of Concord, comparative theology

Key words: Confessio Augustiana, Lutheranism, innocence

Permanent link: //rcs-almanac.ru/isaev-s-a-2012-en/

The teaching of Denis Péteau on sanctification

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Petr Ivanovich Bylico PhD in theology, associate professor, The Orthodox Institute of Religion studies and Church Arts (15 linia Vasilievskogo Ostrova, dom 2, St. Petersburg, Russia, 199034), IvanBulyko@yandex.ru

Bylico P. I. The teaching of Denis Péteau on sanctification, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2015, vol. 4, pp. 18–33.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2015-00002

Language: Russian

The article studies a scholastic theaching of Denis Pétau whose theology deals with the question of sanctification of a man. The author gives an accurate account of his viewpoints. According to Peteau, sanctification is the exceptional property of the Holy Spirit. This statement is grounded in the specifics of the latter among other Persons of the Holy Trinity. Spirit is substantially present in souls of men. Denis Pétau sees such inhabitation as a New Testament reality. Although the righteous of the Old Testament was also given by the Holy Spirit, it wasn’t His visible mission. Speaking on sanctification, the theologian makes reference to Cyril of Alexandria, who used the term “ousiados’’ to signify ounion of the Divine and human natures. Denis Pétau tries to extend this principle, explaining union between God’s and man`s souls, but faces some difficulties, that are also analysed in the article.

Key words: sanctification, Holy Spirit, substantial union, filiation, justification, Gift, Divine missions, created grace, Uncreated Grace, soul

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/bylico-i-p-2015-en/