Sunday, July 23, 2023

Dumitru Stǎniloae (EO) on the Development of Doctrine

  

The development of tradition, says Vincent of Lérins, does not mean the changing of tradition, but an amplification within itself. (Commonitory 1.23, PG 50.667-668) The continuous development of tradition is, on the one hand, what Scripture contains and, on the other hand, it is an illumination of the rich and unitary sense of revelation deposited in its essence within the Scripture. The development is found in brief in the Creeds, but it also takes place through the more extensive forms of the works of sanctification performed in the Church, and of the explanation of Scripture provided down through the history of the Church on the basis of the integral preaching of the Apostles, which has remained in the Church as apostolic tradition. Origen suggests that in the rule of faith there is to be found in the hidden light of the dogmas, a light contained in the words of Scripture. (First Principles 4.1.7 and 4.2.2) A contemporary Orthodox theologian says, “Tradition is a ‘pneumatic’ anamnesis which, beyond the often too human objectification of the texts, reveals the unity and meaning of the Scriptures and shows forth Christ who recapitulates and fulfills them.” (Oliver Clément, “Le renouveau de l’Église. Un point de vue orthodoxe,” Contacts 16 [1964] Nr. 48, p. 266) (Dumitru Stǎniloae, The Experience of God, 6 vols. [trans. Ioan Ionita and Robert Barringer; Brookline, Mass.: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1994, 2002], 1:50)