The Agony of the Church (1917)Velimirović, Nikolaj
Religion
The Agony of the Church (1917)
Velimirović, Nikolaj
Christianity -- 20th century; Church
The conflict with Islamic Imperialism was not yet at an end when a
French, and English, and Russian, and German Imperialism were
formulated. We may call it by one name, European Imperialism, although
every species of it is different. What was the Church's attitude towards
the European imperialistic formulae? Did she agree with them? Or did she
oppose and protest as she did against Rome and the Crescent? No, she
neither agreed nor disagreed as a whole, but partially she agreed or
disagreed. Yet the true Church of Christ reserves the world-dominion
only for Christianity in its most spiritual and perfect form and
excludes every other dominion of man over men. The present cataclysm of
Europe may show the world that no earthly king is destined for dominion
over our planet, but Christ, the Heavenly King of souls.
THE INTERNAL CONFLICTS OF THE CHURCH
Dramatic was the external course of Church history, fighting against
exclusive Patriotism and Imperialism, dramatic too, her internal
struggles for a true doctrine and an ethical ideal.
1. The Struggle for a True Doctrine.--The central problem for the living
Church has always been: Who was Jesus? and how to worship Him? The
restless spirit of humanity endeavoured to define the details both in
His relation to God and to the world. The Church did not define her
doctrine in advance, but bit by bit, pragmatically, according to the
questions and doubts raised in the Christian communities. The refused
solutions of a raised question were called heresy, the adopted solution
by the Church was called orthodoxy. No heresy came merely as an abstract
theory, but every one was a dramatic movement, an organisation, a camp,
a deed--and not merely a word. That made the struggle against it more
difficult. Docetism, Nicolaism, Gnosticism, Chiliasm, Manichaism,
Monatism, Monarchism, Monophysitism, Monotheletism, Arianism,
Nestorianism--every one of these terms means both a theory and a drama.
The Church had to correct the opinion of the heretics for herself, and
to fight against them for themselves.
The doctrine of the Church was regarded by the heretics as incorrect or
insufficient, and by outsiders as wicked. Celsus, an Epicurean writer,
despised the Christian doctrine as of "barbarous origin." The people of
Smyrna being aroused against the Christians and their bishop, Polycarp,
cried: "Away with the Atheists!" the heathen misunderstood the Church
doctrine and called the Christians atheists, as Montanus, a Christian
heretic, misunderstood the Church doctrine and regarded Jesus only as
his own Percursor and himself as an incarnation of the Holy Spirit. But
the Church did not care either for the pressure from without or from
within, she went on her way cheerfully, struggling and believing,
showing to the world her saints and martyrs as her argument and Christ
as the guarantee of her ultimate victory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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