EARLY CHURCH LITERATURE IN THE PERIOD OF APOSTOLIC MEN (GENERAL INTRODUCTION)
/PRVOTNÁ CIRKEVNÁ LITERATÚRA V OBDOBÍ APOŠTOLSKÝCH MUŽOV (VŠEOBECNÝ ÚVOD)/

Pavol KOCHAN

lecturer, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Presov in Presov, Masarykova 15, 080 01 Presov, Slovakia, pavol.kochan@unipo.sk, 00421517724729

Vasyl KUZMYK

priest, Orthodox archdiocese in Prešov, Orthodox church in the Czech lands and in Slovakia, Budovateľská 1, 080 01 Prešov, Slovakia, vasyl.kuzmyk@gmail.com

Abstract

The Church literature of the Apostolic Men period is an essential part of the tradition of the Orthodox Church, although it is small but very rich in the theological context. Recently, in theological circles, we can see the great interest of church historians in penetrating the mysteries of the ecclesial life of this period. The analysis of the preserved monuments from this period approaching the relatively clear picture of the life of the church community in the early Church. One very important feature of these monuments is their lively perception of faith in Christ. The study is focused on the analysis of the collected knowledge of the studied literature obtained by the tireless work of the patrologers of the 18th - 21st centuries.

Keywords

Clement of Rome, Ignatios of Antiochia, apostolic man, Church, faith

SUMMARY

The writings of the apostolic men represent the inalienable treasure of the Orthodox Church. The second half of the first century and the first half of II. century is the least clear period in the history of church writing. At present, we can see that many of the Apostolic men's writings today are secondary to the research activity. The small number of the preserved literary heritage of the post-apostolic period is important to perceive as a natural phenomenon that is not primarily based on the entry of Christianity into society as a result of human research, wisdom and words, but as God's revelation and God's work among men. In the whole evaluation of the apostolic men's period, it is also necessary to realize, that it was rather conservative period than creative. In general, the writings of apostolic men can be characterized on the content page as very similar to the canonical writings of the New Testament, especially the letter of the holy apostle Paul. The specificity of the literature of this period is its literary simplicity, which resulted from a pure inner Christian conviction and its purity without any influence of Hellenic culture. The theological content of the writings stems from religious intuition and is characterized by three main levels: in Christology, Ecclesiology, and Eschatology.

(Language: slovak)

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