CYRIL OF JERUSALEM AND HIS SYSTEM OF CATECHESIS

Jan PILKO

assistant professor, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Presov, Masarykova 15, 08001 Presov, Slovakia, jan.pilko@unipo.sk, 00421517724729, ORCID: 0000-0001-8167-5170, Web of Science Researcher ID: AAA-1188-2020

Abstract

Cyril of Jerusalem was an excellent teacher and catechist. In his work he tried to bring to the catechumens all the important parts of the spiritual life of the Church. His systematic approach and logical continuity helped catechumens to enter more easily into the mysteries of Christian life. In this paper we will try to analyze his system as well as to look at some important issues of the life of the Church in the middle of the fourth century.

Keywords

Catechesis, Cyril of Jerusalem, Pedagogical wiew, Origenes, Church

SUMMARY

In conclusion, we could evaluate Cyril's catechesis as an excellent biblical interpretation of the whole of human history from Adam to the apostolic activity in the early Church. Few early Christian authors have been able to make such ingenious use of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments in their catecheses and to connect them with the theology of the Church. Herein lies Cyril's genius and his outstanding knowledge of the biblical field.

His twenty-four catecheses were one of the best didactic manuals in the age of the catechumenate. This refers especially to its single-mindedness and the biblical comprehensiveness with which the truth of God was explained to catechumens preparing to receive Holy Baptism. Thus, among the most striking features of St. Cyril of Jerusalem is his biblicism. 

His entire catechetical work reflects all the problems and misunderstandings of the period between the First and Second General Councils. Cyril tried to point out the wrong thinking of the Arians, but also of many other heresies that were fighting against the Church. Against this Arian heresy the Symbol of Faith was adopted at the First General Council of Nicaea (r. 325), which he discussed at length in his catecheses. His catecheses influenced many ecclesiastical writers both in the East and in the West. In the West it was especially Blessed Augustine, whose catechetical writings were based on Cyril's context and his systematic method, but were intended for those who were already more advanced in the faith.

 Cyril's catecheses have not lost their relevance even today, almost 1700 years later. Their simplicity makes it possible for those who are not of the Orthodox faith to know the depth of Orthodox thought and spiritual life. This does not mean, however, that they should not also be used for contemporary believers who, because of certain, mainly political, problems of the last century, have not been sufficiently catechized. The possibility of their use is especially in the present trend of recatechization, which is needed in many ecclesial communities.

(Language: english)

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