THE ATTEMPT at a comprehensive exposition of the
whole Christian teaching we call a "system of dogmatic theology." A
complete dogmatic system, very valuable for Orthodox theology, was compiled in
the eighth century by St. John Damascene under the title Exact Exposition of
the Orthodox Faith. In this work, one may say, St. Damascene summed up the
whole of the theological thought of the Eastern Fathers and teachers of the
Church up to the eighth century.
Among Russian theologians, the most complete works
of dogmatic theology were written in the nineteenth century by Metropolitan
Macarius of Moscow (Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, two volumes), by
Philaret, Archbishop of Chernigov (Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, in
two parts), by Bishop Sylvester, rector of the Kiev Theological Academy (Essay
in Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, With an Historical Exposition of the Dogmas,
five volumes), by Archpriest N. Malinovsky (Orthodox Dogmatic Theology,
four volumes, and A Sketch of Orthodox Dogmatic Theology in two parts),
and by Archpriest P. Svietlov (The Christian Teaching of Faith, an
Apologetic Exposition).
Return to the first page
