What is a church definition briefly. The meaning of the word (phrase) church

The concept of "church" is unusually capacious and includes many different definitions. It can mean both specific religious and administrative structures, and an abstract, purely philosophical concept. Consider the most common forms of use of this term.

What is a church according to the New Testament definition?

Ecclesiology - one of the sections of Christian theology, gives a philosophical definition of this term. It teaches that the church is the mystical Body of Christ, which is the community of all Christians, both living now and those who have long since left this world. Christ himself is its head. Such a definition follows from the text of the New Testament, and is canonical. Thus, the church is people who believe in Christ, regardless of the place and time of their presence in this world.

It should be noted that there is also the use of the word church in two different meanings. By it, in particular, is meant a meeting of followers of the Christian faith in one particular locality, which corresponds to modern concepts of a parish or community.

Besides, New Testament defines the meaning of the word church as a meeting of fellow believers in one family, including among them also relatives, friends, neighbors and even slaves (in that era this was a normal phenomenon). Thus, the Christian family is nothing but a small church.

The split of the once united church

After, as a result of certain historical processes, the previously united Christian church was divided into several directions, to those New Testament definitions that were given above, others were added indicating its confessional affiliation. For example, the Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and several others.

The great schism of the church began in 1054, when it finally split into Western and Eastern branches. This was the result of long theological disputes caused by certain dogmatic contradictions, but, most importantly, by the exorbitant claims of the Roman pontiffs (popes) to rule the Church of the East.

As a result, the Orthodox and Catholic churches were formed, each of which claimed to be true both in the field of dogma (the main dogma) and in ritual. In the future, the process of division continued and affected both churches. At present, the universal Christian church is a very complex structure in terms of its organization.

Characteristic features of Orthodox dogma

The Orthodox Church has a number of characteristic features, the main of which is the strict adherence to the dogmatic teaching formulated in the text of the document adopted by the Second Ecumenical Council in 381 and called the "Symbol of Faith". He is well known to church people, but for those who are unfamiliar with him, it should be clarified that he declares:

1. The possibility of salvation of the soul is only subject to faith in the one God.
2. Equal glorification of all three equal persons of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. Recognition that Jesus Christ is the anointed of God and His son, born of the Father before the creation of the world.
4. Belief in the incarnation of God in the human nature of Jesus.
5. Recognition of His crucifixion for the salvation of people, and then on the third day of resurrection, ascension to Heaven.
6. In the general resurrection and the next life.
7. Confession of the dogma, according to which, the bearer of life is the Holy Spirit, coming from God the Father.
8. Recognition of the Church of Christ as one, holy, all-encompassing and headed by its creator - Jesus Christ.
9. Faith in holy baptism as the only way leading to the remission of sins.

From this list of the main theses of the Orthodox dogma, it is clear that the church, whose history originates from the appearance of the Son of God to the world, was created as a guiding thread leading to eternal life.

Priesthood established in Orthodoxy

According to its hierarchical structure, the Orthodox priesthood is divided into three levels, the highest of which is the episcopate, which includes bishops, archbishops, metropolitans, exarchs and patriarchs. This category consists exclusively of representatives of the so-called black clergy, that is, persons who have taken monastic vows.

The level below is presbyters - priests and archpriests, which also include priests - representatives of the white clergy who are not monks. And, finally, the lowest level is made up of deacons and protodeacons - clergymen who have passed the rite of ordination, but do not have the right to independently perform the sacraments.

Geography of Modern Orthodoxy

At present, most of the Orthodox are in Russia. They make up about 40% of all living on the planet. However, there are many other states in which people belonging to this confession make up the majority of the population. Among them are: Ukraine, Romania, Macedonia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia, Moldova, Cyprus, Greece and Belarus.

In addition, there are a number of countries in which Orthodoxy, although not the dominant religion, embraces, nevertheless, a significant part of the citizens. These are Finland, Albania, Lithuania, Estonia, Herzegovina, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and the Aleutian Islands.

The word "church" is also the designation of a specific national religious organization within a particular denomination. Everyone is familiar with such names of national churches as Syrian Catholic or Estonian Evangelical Lutheran. Among them is our homeland - the Russian Orthodox Church. Let's dwell on it in more detail.

Russian Orthodox Church (ROC)

Its other official and frequently used name is the Moscow Patriarchate (MP). Among all the world's local autocephalous churches, that is, covering a certain territory with their influence and ruled by a bishop in the rank from bishop to patriarch, the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest. In addition, it is she who is the largest and most influential religious organization in Russia.

The beginning of the history of the Russian Orthodox Church is connected with the baptism of Russia, which took place in 988. In that era, it was only a metropolis - one of the parts of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and its first primate was Metropolitan Michael, sent to Russia by the Byzantine Patriarch Nicholas II Chrysoverg.

Stronghold of World Orthodoxy (1453) Moscow became the only stronghold of world Orthodoxy - a kind of Third Rome. It received its final design in Russia after the establishment of the patriarchate in 1589.

The split and abolition of the patriarchate

Severe shocks befell the Russian Orthodox Church in the middle of the 17th century, when, on the initiative of Patriarch Nikon, a church reform was carried out, which set as its task the correction of liturgical books, as well as the introduction of certain changes of a purely ritual nature. The result of these, in essence, correct and reasonable, but untimely and ill-considered actions was the discontent of a significant part of the country's population, which resulted in a church schism, the consequences of which are still felt today.

Unlike the Western branch of Christianity, the Russian Orthodox Church throughout its history (with rare exceptions) has not claimed to replace secular institutions of power. Moreover, in 1700, after the death of Patriarch Adrian, she, by order of Peter I, completely passed into the subordination of the Holy Synod, which, in fact, was nothing more than a ministry headed by a secular person. The patriarchate was restored only in 1943.

Trials of the 20th century

The 20th century also became a period of severe trials for the entire ROC, when, as a result of the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks, terror was established against its ministers and the most active parishioners, comparable in scale only to the persecution of the first centuries of Christianity. It is not for nothing that these decades became a period of acquiring the crowns of holiness by many Russian New Martyrs and Confessors. Nowadays, there is an active process of its revival, the beginning of which was laid by perestroika, which allowed the people to turn to their spiritual sources.

Religious buildings

Continuing the conversation about what the word "church" means, one should not lose sight of its use in relation to Christian places of worship intended for religious rites and worship. They may also be called temples or cathedrals. And if, in general, any church can be called a temple, then a cathedral is, as a rule, the main church of a monastery or an entire city. When the chair of the ruling bishop is placed in it, it receives the status of a cathedral.

Churches should not be confused with chapels. Their main difference is not in size, but in the presence or absence of a room in which the altar is located - an obligatory accessory of the church. There are no altars in the chapels, and therefore, except in extreme cases, the liturgy is not performed in them. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the church is not only a religious organization or a philosophical concept, but also a specific place of worship.

Relationships with religion now differ as much as the views of people in general. Far from all families and communities have retained the tradition of spiritual education. From this follows a strange at first glance question: “What is the Church? A house for offering prayers, or does it have a different meaning? To answer such a spiritual quest is both difficult and simple. Let's try to figure it out.

Name meaning

Rather, understanding should be influenced by the history of the church.

The term itself comes from the Greek language. It means "assembly" (it sounds "ekklesia"). It is very interesting that initially it was not called the term that denoted the believers themselves. Therefore, the church is a community of believers, in our case, Christians. If you read it, you can penetrate deeper into such a meaning of our term. It says that the church is a temple. But not a building! This is the home of the Holy Spirit! And he, as you know, is intangible. The Holy Spirit is located where he is worshipped. Anyone he helps in life, believing and hoping, has him in his heart. The New Testament calls such people brothers in Christ. The meaning of such an understanding of the church is contained in the prayer "Creed". She says that the church is a community of people united by the common aspirations of the soul. They equally relate to the teachings of Christ, understand and live according to his laws!

Bible about the church

The thought already voiced is confirmed by the Holy Book. It states that ordinary believers are neither strangers nor outsiders. On the contrary, they are called fellow citizens, saints and friends of God! It is clear that this statement does not apply to everyone. It is we who are now convinced that the fulfillment of rituals, irregular attendance at the temple give the right to the Kingdom of God. Is it so? The Bible explicitly says "having Jesus Christ Himself" as the cornerstone.

To understand this quote is necessary with the soul. It is in it that the criterion for such a thing as the "Church of God." A believer is not one who observes traditions, knows a lot and follows the rules established by religion purely outwardly. The words “Christ is the cornerstone” suggest that a Christian builds his worldview on his teaching. The commandments underlie his thoughts, and hence his actions and deeds. Such people make up God's earth according to the Bible, one. It is called universal. It consists of denominations based on congregations. The latter, in turn, are also called churches.

Major denominations

We have already said that there are denominations of the universal church on earth. We know them as Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. These are all branches of Christianity. Each of them is also called "Church", referring to the associations of local communities. It so happened that these communities are now geographically intertwined. Practically in all countries and regions there are representatives of this or that church. However, these people constitute, so to speak, a monolithic society, united by spiritual bonds. They have a single God in their souls, strive for it, consider it the criterion of their own thoughts and deeds. By the way, representatives of one church consider it their duty to lend a shoulder to fellow tribesmen. Strange, right? And what did Christ teach to divide people into confessions? A true Christian will not deny support to anyone on the basis of differences of opinion. Unfortunately, the history of the church provides us with many examples when believers waged religious wars among themselves.

One more division

We have already mentioned that not all believers are such in fact. In the teachings of Christ, this "phenomenon" is given some attention. That is, we are talking about the visible and invisible church. Meaning also lies deep within a person. The visible church is what a person observes with his own eyes. He judges others by their behavior. However, not everyone who follows the rules and rites has Jesus in their soul as a cornerstone. You must have come across such behavior. Here we should talk about the invisible church. The Lord will judge anyone by the irregularity of visiting the temple or offering prayers. It will separate real Christians from those who only pretend not to have Christ in their hearts. This is written in the New Testament.

It says that among Christians there will be many who are not Christians. They only act like believers. But everything will be revealed at the Supreme Court. He will reject those who do not have a temple in their souls, who sin, demonstrating true Christian behavior. But it should be understood that the church is still one. It's just that not everyone can fully understand it.

About the temple

You are probably already confused. If a church is a community of believers, then why do we use this word for a building? It should be remembered about the communities of people professing one religion. Historically, they united in communities led by a priest. And he, in turn, performs service in a special structure. Of course, such a tradition did not immediately form. But over time, people realized that one temple is more convenient than, for example, serving in different buildings in turn, like the Mormons. Since then, buildings have also been called churches. Then they began to build eye-catching, beautiful, symbolic. They began to be dedicated to certain Saints, called by their names. For example, the Church of the Virgin is dedicated to a woman who gave earthly life to the Son of God.

Religious traditions

Here we come to another interesting question that a reader who has not delved into the topic before can ask. If the church is in the souls of believers, then why go to the temple? Here it is necessary to remember the teaching of Christ. He said that believers should work actively in the local church. That is, all together decide the affairs of the community, help each other, even control and correct in case of mistakes. In addition, we are talking about church discipline. Customs are not established from above, but are inherited from parents to children. Once it was accepted to go to the temple, so it should be done until the society changes its mind.

More about the church

One nuance should be added to the above, to which the Law of God draws attention. It says that the church does not only include living believers. Those who have already left this world, but united by love with their relatives and friends, are also included in the common temple. It turns out that the concept of "church" is much broader than what we see or can feel. Part of it is in another world, another spiritual realm. All people, united by the understanding of the need to have Christ in their souls, both living and dead, make up the church and are its members. The building (cathedral, temple) was created for the convenience of parishioners. The Church is Christians, all or part of them, united by a common hierarchy. We can say that this is a single spiritual body, having Christ at its head. It is also illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Its purpose is to unite people with Divine teaching and sacraments.

Candles in the church

And finally, let's talk about attributes. You know that everyone in the temple of God lights candles. Where did this tradition come from? Lights have many meanings. This is nature, the beautiful breath of life. On the other hand, they remind of those members of the church who are already at the throne of the Lord. They demonstrate the bright thoughts of the believer, his striving for a righteous life. And all this is contained in one small spark, perceived by us as something traditional, irreplaceable. You should sometimes think about the symbols and attributes used in religious rites to remind yourself of the true church that is in the soul.

church). A large group of people within an established religious organization. This concept is also used to designate a place where religious rites and ceremonies take place.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

CHURCH

from the Greek kyriake (oikia) - God's house) - English. church; German Kirche. 1. Type of religious organization, social. an institution that carries out religious activities and is characterized by: authoritarian centralized hierarchical rule, common basic provisions of religious doctrine and cult rites. C. has a well-defined system of norms of religious morality, canon law, values, and sanctions. 2. A synonym for a religion or a major religious movement (Catholic Church, Orthodox Church); an organized form of association of followers of k.-l. religion or its separate directions and currents. 3. Christian religious building with an altar and a room for worship.

CHURCH

CHURCH

(from the Greek. kyriakon - the house of the Lord)

In the course of history, the Christian church has experienced divisions, the result of which has become - many churches within the framework of a common religion. The Nestorians and (the so-called pre-Chalcedonian churches) fell away from the eastern (Byzantine) church; in 1054 the eastern and western (Roman) churches were finally separated. During the Reformation of the 16th century. Protestant churches separated from Rome, which marked the beginning of the process of formation of many different Protestant denominations. As a result, we can talk about three main types of churches: Eastern Orthodox - national, in practice state, churches, united by a single dogma and communion in the sacraments; Roman Catholic - the world church, subject to the jurisdiction of the Pope; Protestant - the church as a congregation of believers in Christ, belonging to a certain confessional tradition (it should be noted that there are also state, national churches, ideologically ascending to the Reformation).

In the era of confessionalism, the churches turned out to be maximally alienated from each other, which was expressed by differences in doctrine, worship and organization, and the result was mutual accusations of “anti-churchness” and religious wars. In the modern era, when the church has gradually lost its influence in society due to secularization, it is limited to satisfying the religious needs of individuals, as well as protecting Christian values. An indirect result of this was the emergence in the 20th century. world ecumenical movement (see. Ecumenism), which is the rapprochement of various Christian churches and their reunification before the non-religious world. A number of theologians and church leaders propose to harmonize the Christian faith with modern science and culture and adapt church practice to changed historical conditions (see Religious Modernism). In turn, conservative church circles oppose, on the one hand, ecumenism, defending their confessional, and on the other hand, they call for a return to such a social structure in which the church will again play the role of a determining force in the field of worldview and morality (see Fundamentalism).

A. I. Kyrlezhev

New Philosophical Encyclopedia: In 4 vols. M.: Thought. Edited by V. S. Stepin. 2001 .

See what "CHURCH" is in other dictionaries:

Husband. church, southern, western, novg. place, building for Christian worship, temple, temple of God. Our church differs from the house of prayer by the consecration of the altar, which in the mobile, portable church is replaced by an antimension. The church is not in logs, but in ... ... Dictionary Dalia

- (church region), churches, pl. churches, churches, churches (churches simple.), wives. 1. The building in which worship takes place. Stone church. Wooden church. Five-domed church. Tent church. Take the church to the club. 2. Christian ... ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

Church- The church, seen somewhere in the distance, portends disappointment in the events expected for a long time. If in a dream you entered a church immersed in darkness, you have foggy prospects ahead. Looks like you've been long enough... Big universal dream book

There is no salvation outside the church. Augustine the Blessed The church is more of a hospital for sinners than a museum of saints. Abigail Van Beuren The Church, by binding, grants freedom. Stefan Napersky Church is a place where gentlemen who have never been in heaven, ... ... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms

Cm … Synonym dictionary

Church, temple - a building intended for worship. Sometimes a part of a civil building used for worship can also be called a temple. If the temple is two-story (with an altar on each floor), then it is customary to talk about floors: the upper temple, ... ... Catholic Encyclopedia

Church- Church ♦ Église A community of believers professing one religion, which has reached a fairly significant size; a sect that has become too numerous to be content with such a title. Used without qualification, the term almost always ... ... Philosophical Dictionary of Sponville

The body of believers in God; a Christian society united by the unity of doctrine, hence: the Orthodox, Eastern, catholic (that is, true) church; Roman Catholic; Protestant churches: Evangelical, Anglican, ... ... Dictionary foreign words Russian language

Church is a community of believers in Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, the word church always refers to people and never to buildings. In fact, Christians for several generations simply did not have buildings built specifically for ... ... Detailed Dictionary of Biblical Names

CHURCH, qui, pl. and, her, um, wives. 1. An association of followers of a particular religion, an organization in charge of religious life and the corresponding cult; religious community. Orthodox c. Catholic c. Protestant churches (ex. Lutheran… Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

When people in our time say the word "church", they mean by this a building with domes and crosses. However, in this case, the concept of "church" is completely identified with the concept of "temple". The Orthodox Church explains very clearly the difference between these two terms.

Indeed, it is easier for all people to say: "Let's go to church" than: "Let's go to the temple." But, nevertheless, the concept of "church" means, first of all, not stone walls, but people.

The Church (according to Orthodox teaching) is a group of people who are united by faith in Jesus Christ, the Law of God, obey the hierarchy and participate in church sacraments.

This definition of the church appeared in the first centuries of Christianity. However, after Emperor Constantine the Great issued a decree on religious tolerance, and Christianity gained freedom, various heretical and sectarian teachings and movements began to spread in the Christian environment, which also called themselves churches. These movements continue to this day. It should also be noted that sectarians and heretics not only call their organizations the church, but also try to bring to life all the characteristics that are characteristic of the true church (that is, the Law of God, faith in Jesus Christ, submission to the hierarchy and participation in the sacraments). Therefore, at first glance, it can be very difficult to prove where the true church is and where the sect is.

Jesus Christ during one of his sermons said: "I am the way, the truth and the life." This doctrine has become a key one for all theologians, since it finally helped to give an absolutely clear concept of what a church is, and what a sect or heresy is.

The path is a canonical hierarchy, which is transmitted through the sacrament of the Priesthood (ordination) from the apostles themselves. Truth is the gospel teaching of Jesus Christ. Life is participation in church sacraments. If an organization that calls itself a church does not have at least one of these components, then it is not a true church.

Although sectarians have their own leaders, they do not have a canonical hierarchy, which was transmitted through the holy apostles. Often sectarians ask the question: why is only the Orthodox hierarchy considered true? And then they give a bunch of references from the Bible, which, as it were, prove that there is no difference from whom the hierarchy came from. However, there are two important moments who break the teachings of sectarians about hierarchy to smithereens. First, Jesus Christ once breathed on the apostles and said: "Take the Holy Spirit, to whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven, to whom you leave them, they will remain." Jesus Christ said this only to the apostles, not to all people. Secondly, during the feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit in the form of fiery tongues descended only on the apostles, and not on all people. From this it can be seen that the true hierarchy comes only from the apostles.

In addition, if you pay attention to the fact that the Lord allowed only the apostles to forgive sins (and, in addition to the forgiveness of sins, also perform other sacraments), then only the canonical hierarchy can perform church sacraments.

Therefore, sectarians do not have a proper hierarchy, nor grace from the sacraments performed by their leaders. The teaching of the sectarians is very different from the true dogma. Therefore, any sect cannot call itself a church.

Most citizens of the post-Soviet space are Orthodox, much less people are Catholics. There are also Greek Catholic parishes in Ukraine. Disagreements between the Orthodox and Catholic churches constantly upset both one and the other. The Orthodox Church recognizes the Catholic hierarchy and all the sacraments of Catholics and vice versa (as an example, we can say that Catholics are not re-baptized when they are accepted into Orthodoxy). However, these two branches of Christianity still have disagreements between the teachings. Also, despite the recognition of the hierarchy and sacraments, the believers of these churches cannot pray together. However, this is still half the trouble. The second problem is that no one deals with the issue of joint prayer: neither Orthodox nor Catholics.

So you need to remember that the church is not a building, but first of all people who unite around the Primary Source of all being, and not around a blind sectarian teaching, since a sectarian worldview is devoid of any grace.