House Church (Orthodoxy)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article or the following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.

The house church is part of the spiritual life of an Orthodox family , a domestic place of worship that is often set up in connection with the marriage of Orthodox couples. Their care and their spiritual use are part of the religious culture of Orthodox Christianity .

practice

The house churches serve both the daily devotion of Orthodox families and special services that are celebrated in the family circle. So-called house chapels can be found in larger residential buildings . Smaller houses and apartments have a so-called "beautiful corner" ("Krasnyj Ugol"), which roughly corresponds to the German Herrgottswinkel . The establishment of the home place of worship takes place at the time of marriage through the so-called "coronation of the married people". If possible, the house ordination is carried out by a priest once a year. He then also checks whether the icons used comply with the canonical rules. Otherwise there is a wider scope for design in house churches than in local parish churches, which are subject to strict rules.

Early church

According to general orthodox opinion, early Christianity began with house churches because there were no church buildings. During the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire , the house church ( ecclesia domestica ) was one of the places for secret gatherings. The four so-called “house church formulas” in Paul ( Rom 16.5 EU ; 1 Cor 16.19 EU ; Col 4.15 EU ; Phlm 1–2 EU ) are considered to be the central evidence for this theory . “Church” here means the community. So in four letters Paul greets the household of a family head friend who was known to him as a Christian. These household communities may also include non-Christians who are to be regarded as catechumens . Sure, wealthy Christians also lived in “houses”, that is, private city residences, which then became de facto centers of worship.

When the persecution of Christians came to an end, worship buildings could be built, which diminished the social significance of the house churches. When later new forms of persecution of Christians flared up, the believers were able to fall back on tradition (e.g. in the Balkans under Ottoman rule, or in Russia during the communist era).

Greece

In Greece, numerous homeowners have built private chapels on their property.

Serbia

Every Serbian family celebrates the patron saint of the house church as surname day (called Slava) with its own service, which is celebrated by the head of the family if no priest is present. This custom has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Russia

In Russian houses, the family gathers in front of a house iconostasis, which consists of one or more icons. An “eternal oil light” burns in front of the pictures, which was previously consecrated by the priest. Before 1917 there were even complete church buildings privately owned by older nobles.

Western Europe

In the Western European diaspora situation, where Orthodox churches are far apart, the domestic church plays an important role. It is often used there not only as a family, but also as a parish church. Many house churches thus became the starting point for an Orthodox church planting.

Well-known Orthodox house churches

literature

  • Johannes Baur: The Russian Colony in Munich 1900-1945: German-Russian Relations in the 20th Century. Volume 65 of publications by the Eastern European Institute Munich: History series, Eastern European Institute Munich, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag 1998, ISBN 3-447-0402-38 .
  • Cyril Deicha (ed.): Icons and sermons . Verlag Text-Check: Triesen 2016. ISBN 978-3-9524397-1-5 . Here: Sermon of Archpriest Mile: Church at home . P. 37

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Orthodoxinfo.com / Michael B. Henning: Marriage and the Christian Home ; viewed on September 9, 2017
  2. ↑ Orthodoxes Leben.jimdo.com / Thomas Zmija von Gojan: Orthodox life in the family circle (section: The orthodox house and its icons ) ; Accessed on August 16, 2017. Unless otherwise noted, the facts and figures in the article are based on this page.
  3. ^ Slava celebration in Family. Retrieved September 9, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Домо́вая церковь, В узком смысле слова
  5. ↑ Церкви домовые // Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона: в 86 т. (82 т. И 4 доп.). - СПб., 1890-1907.
  6. ^ Orthodox parish life . Retrieved on October 7, 2018 : “Kap. Pastoral care "
  7. ↑ francke-halle.de