Kosta: “The Church Fathers give their opinions. The Church Fathers do not claim God is speaking through them. They merely express their faith.”
FK: “Sure they do claim that. (Or, the Orthodox Church claims it for them.) Isn’t that what defines “consensus patrum”? If any other group gets together and comes up with “dogma” or “doctrine”, then it has less weight, but when the Church Fathers did it (with others of the hierarchy), you claim it was from God.”
No individual Father claims that God speaks through him. The Church teaches that God speaks through the consensus patrum. And FK, in Orthodoxy, the hierarchy is not even remotely the final word on dogma, the People of God, the laity, are. You have to get this straight, FK! Its a very important point.
The Church teaches that God speaks through the consensus patrum. And FK, in Orthodoxy, the hierarchy is not even remotely the final word on dogma, the People of God, the laity, are. You have to get this straight, FK! Its a very important point.
I remembered that, but I reasoned that the way it probably works is that the consensus patrum DECLARES first what God says, and then LATER that is either accepted or rejected by the laity. Is that fair? If so, then I think my original statement stands.