It should not be a controversial thing to say the Confession of Dositheus absolutely forbids the reading of Scripture by all laymen. The words of the confession are quite plain on the matter. The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in Orthodox Christianity mentions the Confession of Dositheus on this matter in two places.
Dositheos also expanded the biblical canon, and imitating the Council of Trent, he called the Septuagint additions canonical books (Pentiuc 2014, 128). He also responded to the Loukarean thesis regarding the private reading of the Scripture by claiming that Divine Scriptures:
should not be read by all, but only by those who with fitting research have inquired into the deep things of the Spirit, and who know in what manner the Divine Scriptures ought to be searched, and taught, and in fine read. (Karmires 1953, 768; translation: Leith 1963, 506)
Recently, Belezos (2020, 68) has stressed that the Dosithean confession does not introduce a general prohibition of the private reading of the Scripture in the vernacular. Instead, Dositheos promotes three criteria for a properly Orthodox interpretation and transmission of the Bible: (1) the respect to the patristic interpretation, (2) the ecclesial experience, and (3) the illumination of the Spirit. Accordingly, the exclusive priority belongs neither to Scripture (sola scriptura) nor the ecclesial authorities (magisterium) but to the Holy Spirit that inspired the biblical authors and holds the Church together. Belezos’s claims demonstrate that Dositheos not only imitated Tridentine Catholicism but also tried to consider the traditional Byzantine theology (Russell 2013, 82). However, Loukaris also stressed the role of the Spirit. Therefore, the emphasis on the role of the Spirit in Dositheos’s strange position does not solve its problematic character. This prohibition can be explained only from the perspective of Dositheus’s passion for defending Orthodoxy. This passion led him to a decision with no parallel in the history of eastern Christianity (Georgi 1941, 56).
pg. 283
The author of this essay, Athanathios Despotis, calls this prohibition "problematic" and "with no parallel in the history of eastern Christianity."
The second place where the Confession of Dositheus' prohibition of the Christian laity reading Scripture is discussed says the following.
In the wake of the Protestant Reformation and an emphasis on individual reading and study of Scripture, the Orthodox Church issued several official pronouncements against private biblical study. In 1672, the Synod of Jerusalem issued what is commonly known as the Confession of Dositheus as a rebuttal to various Calvinist positions. One particular issue that was raised in the Confession of Dositheus is directly relevant to the discussion of critical study of Scripture among Orthodox. The following appears in the form of a question and answer in the Confession of Dositheus:
Question #1: Should the Divine Scriptures be read commonly by all Christians?
Response: No. We know that all Scripture is divinely inspired and beneficial, and in this way has in it what is necessary, so that without it, it is impossible to be pious at all. Nevertheless, it should not be read by all, but only by those who with the proper investigation have inquired into the depths of the Spirit, and who know which ways the divine Scripture should to be investigated and taught, and generally read. But to those who are not trained and indifferent, or who understand only literally, or in any other way what is contained in the Scriptures that is foreign to piety, the catholic Church, knowing by experience the damage caused, does not permit its legitimate reading. It is permitted to every pious person to hear the Scripture so that that person may believe with the heart unto righteousness, and confess with the mouth unto salvation. But to read certain parts of Scripture, and especially the Old Testament, is prohibited for the aforementioned reasons and others similar to them. To order untrained persons not to read all of sacred Scripture is the same thing as restricting infants from touching solid food.
This statement on the reading and interpretation of Scripture was repeated almost verbatim in 1723 in An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith by prominent bishops, among whom were Patriarch Jeremiah III of Constantinople, Patriarch Athanasius IV of Antioch, and Patriarch Chrysanthos of Jerusalem.These Church pronouncements prohibited the reading of Scripture generally by all Orthodox Christians, except “by those who with the proper investigation have inquired into the depths of the Spirit, and who know which ways the divine Scripture should to be investigated and taught, and generally read.” The Confession of Dositheus and the Exposition of 1723 also give special emphasis to Orthodox Christians being prohibited from reading “certain parts of Scripture, but especially the Old Testament.” These Church pronouncements assert that Orthodox Christians in general are permitted to hear the Scriptures in church where they are to “believe with the heart unto righteousness, and confess with the mouth unto salvation.” In their approach to Scripture, these Church pronouncements emphasize that it is essential for Orthodox Christians to hear, believe, and confess, but not to read Scripture. Moreover, nothing is said about the necessity of Orthodox Christians understanding the Scriptures. Indeed, in the response to Question #2 in the Confession of Dositheus as well as in the Exposition of 1723, it is asserted that only those “trained in wisdom and holiness” can understand the content of Scripture.
Despite these restrictions, the desire for general reading of Scripture by Orthodox and the influence of historical criticism began to be felt slowly in Greece in the 1830s.
pg. 323-324
This author, John Fotopoulos, notes that Dositheus' approach to scripture was an emphasis on the laity hearing and believing without reading or understanding the Scriptures being of any necessity. The prohibition of reading the Scripture "was repeated almost verbatim" in An Orthodox Exposition of the Faith published in 1723. Here is a translation from 1865. The citation is on pages 87 and 88.
 |
| https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=lI0QAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP15&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=1#v=onepage&q&f=false |
Fotopoulos then goes on to note that "these restrictions" have basically been ignored. A long dissertation follows unpacking that observation.
Is it any wonder Dositheus' prohibition of reading Scripture by the laity has been ignored? It is not only utterly absurd to deny the laity the right to read the Word of God but, as previously noted, it is without precedent in the history of Eastern Christianity. One only needs to read Chrysostom, the great preacher of Constantinople, to see he constantly berated his parishioners for being ignorant of the Scriptures and implored them to read them.
And yet, not only was this prohibition repeated at least twice in official and confessional Orthodox documents, it has never been overturned. The Confession of Dositheus, along with its prohibition of the laity from reading Scripture, remains in force to this day.
No comments:
Post a Comment