Misterium Zmartwychwstania Chrystusa w myśli prawosławnej

Abstract

The mystery of Christ’s Resurrection has found a very prominent place both in doctrine and spirituality of the Eastern Church. Celebrated with an exuberant joy in worship, it has become the very centre of Eastern spirituality, which, in turn, has influenced the entire theological thought. Author’s special interest goes to what has been described as “a mystical ideology of the paschal dogma” (A. Tuberovsky). He first of all stresses the importance of an apophatic approach tó Christ’s Resurrection in Orthodox doctrine, liturgy and iconography. Orthodox theologians are particularly critical of any kind of “hermeneutic docetism” (O. Clément) in contemporary Western theology, and defend strongly the reality of the risen body of Christ, transfigured by the Holy Spirit. Eastern theology goes deep into the truths of faith, as much as it is indispensable, but the inscrutable mystery hands over with humility to the praying Church. An apophaitic awareness of the mystery, so characteristic of many hundred years old tradition of the Orthodox Church, warns of any attempt to rationalize the mystery of faith in human terms and categories, which are always inadequate. The article deals next with the main trends in Orthodox understading of the Resurrection of Christ' with special regard to the Russian Orthodox thought (V. Nesmelov, V. Soloviov, N. Fiodorov). Orthodox theology underlines the fact that the Resurrection of Christ is an essential part, and fulfilment, of the work of redemption; in Orthodox tradition the latter has been understood mainly as an ontological transfiguration or renewal of human nature, its healing and restoring to the participation in God’s life by the Cross and Resurrection of Christ. As such, the Resurrection has an essential role to play in Christian life, both collective and individual. It sheds light on, and sanctifies, the whole of human existence. Church’s life is the life in the Resurrection. Orthodox worship bears a special witness to this.