Eastern Orthodoxy I 3700-FN-2-P
The course aims to introduce students to issues of the Orthodox faith. For this, it is necessary to learn the basic terminology related to the Orthodox Church.
The course will provide basic information on:
- the development of the Orthodox Church’s structure
- the five ancient patriarchates
- doctrines
- tradition as faithfulness to the spirit of the original Church
- the seven General Councils
- the mystical theology of the Orthodox Church
- churches and icons
- liturgics (church services – introduction and general overview)
- daily cycle services
- the Divine Liturgy
- the annual cycle – 12 great feast days
- the sacraments
The course aims to introduce students to issues of the Orthodox faith. For this, it is necessary to learn the basic terminology related to the Orthodox Church.
The course will provide basic information on:
-the development of the Orthodox Church’s structure
- the five ancient patriarchates
- doctrines
- tradition as faithfulness to the spirit of the original Church
- the seven General Councils
- the mystical theology of the Orthodox Church
- churches and icons
- liturgics (church services – introduction and general overview)
- daily cycle services
- the Divine Liturgy
- the annual cycle – 12 great feast days
- Lent, Easter Week, and Easter
- the sacraments
- the worship of the Mother of God and the saints of the Church (the Orthodox understanding of sanctity)
1. The Orthodox faith. Knowing God in the Eastern Church (introduction to the seminar)
2. The Orthodox Church’s organizational structure
- a historical outline (the development of the Church’s organization)
- the Church’s hierarchical structure: the role of bishops, presbyters, deacons
- the patriarchates (the pentarchy)
- autocephaly (autocephalous Churches)
Literature
3. Doctrine
- sources of faith
- tradition as faithfulness to the spirit of the original Church
- the seven Ecumenical Councils
4. The mystical theology of the Orthodox Church
- the main elements of Orthodox theology and the differences between the theology of the Eastern and Western Church
- deification “theosis” as the key category of Orthodox theology
5. Churches and icons
- the Temple of Jerusalem – the home of God
- the space of Orthodox churches – structure
- the iconostas – its essence and structure, symbolism
- icons and their special place in the church and in the daily lives of the faithful
- the altar – structure and symbolism
- rules of veneration of icons (resolutions of the Council of Nicea)
6. Services of the daily cycle
- Ninth Hour Service
- Vespers
- Compline
- midnight service
- Matins
- All-night Vigil, Litiya
8. The Divine Liturgy
- Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Proskomedia [Prothesis], Liturgy of the Catechumens, Liturgy of the Faithful)
- Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
- Liturgy of St. James
- Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of Pope Gregory
9. The yearly cycle – feast days
- the Julian calendar (Old Style) and the revised Julian calendar (New Style)
- the church year (12 great feast days)
- fixed and moveable feasts
10. The sacraments
- the mystery of baptism as the first ritual of Christian initiation
- chrismation
- penance, “little baptism”
- the Eucharist (the rules of giving and receiving Communion)
- holy orders (the types of holy orders)
- marriage (the marriage ritual – the ceremonies of betrothal and coronation, the problem of second marriages, divorce)
- anointing of the sick (anointing with oil: euchelaion)
- sacramentalia
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge:
- general knowledge on issues of the Orthodox faith in a historical, theological and doctrinal context
- general knowledge on the rituals of the Orthodox Church, selected customs and forms of worship
- basic knowledge on selected sites of worship of the Orthodox Church
- knowing selected terminology related to rituals and theology in Polish, Greek, and Old Church Slavonic
Skills:
- taking part in discussions on selected topics from the range covered by the course
- making use of the terminology related to those topics in Polish
- making use of selected liturgical texts and understanding their meaning in a theological context
Social competences:
- being open to interdenominational dialogue
- distinguishing between the arguments of the Eastern and Western Church
Knowledge: students completing the course will be familiar with and understand
K_W02 - the ties between philological sciences and other humanities disciplines
K_W16 - the existence of (historical, cultural and other) ties between Poland and Greece
K_W18 - the place of the Orthodox faith in the history and lives of the Greeks, and be familiar with the relevant basic terminology
Skills: students completing the course will be able to
K_U02 - present orally or in writing, in Polish or Modern Greek, simple research problems, also using different sources and critically referencing the literature of the subject
K_U09 - make use of dictionaries, grammar books and all auxiliary materials
Social competences: students completing the course will be ready to
K_K07 - take part in cultural life, make use of their acquired knowledge and skills, and consciously develop their individual cultural needs
Assessment criteria
Credits will be based on:
- attendance (two absences per semester are allowed)
- active participation in classes (taking part in discussions)
- oral exam
Bibliography
-Zernov N., Wschodnie Chrześcijaństwo, przeł. J.S. Łoś, Warszawa 1967.
-Runciman S., Wielki Kościół w niewoli, przeł. J. Łoś, Warszawa 1973.
Leśny J. Konstanty i Metody apostołowie Słowian, dzieło i jego losy, Poznań 1987.
-Roberson R.G., Chrześcijańskie Kościoły Wschodnie, przekł. K. Bielawski, D. Mionskowska, Bydgoszcz 1998.
-Ware K., Kościół Prawosławny, przeł. W. Misiejuk, Białystok 2002.
Evdokimov P., Prawosławie, przeł. J. Klinger, Warszawa 2003.
rzybył E., Prawosławie, Kraków 2006.
Jaskóła P., Wyznania chrześcijańskie bez jedności z Rzymem, Opole 2008.
-Kabasilas M., Komentarz Boskiej Liturgii św. Jana Chryzostoma, tłum. M. Ławreszuk, Warszawa 2009.
-Święta Góra Athos w kulturze Europy. Europa w kulturze Athosu, pod red M. Kuczyńskiej, Gniezno 2009.
Latopisy Akademii Supraskiej, vol 2: Kościół prawosławny na Bałkanach i w Polsce – wzajemne relacje oraz wspólna tradycja, pod red. U. Pawluczuk, Białystok 2011.
-Prawosławie światło ze Wschodu, red. K. Leśniewski, Lublin 2009.
-Κουγιουμτζόγλου Γ.Σ., Λατρευτικό Εγχειρίδιο, Θεσσαλονίκη 2008 (Ε’ έκδοση).
- Ιορδανοπουλου Κ.Γ., Θεία Λειτουργία. Προσέγγιση με τον νου και την καρδιά, Αθήνα 2009.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: