Theological Rethinking of History by Fr. Georges Florovsky

Abstract

The interest in historical problems, relatively recently emerged in theology, poses the question of relationships between theology and history. In particular, does «historization» of theology conceal the danger of relativization of the eternal Truth of Christianity? Fr. Georges Florovsky believes that one not only should, but must do theology in a historical manner. However, historical thinking of a theologian must be enlightened with the light of Revelation. In this perspective the Incarnation of God becomes the central event, and this creates a vision of history substantially different from the one of antiquity - the personalistic understanding of history. Here Florovsky comes close to Berdyaev, who developed a similar conception. Philosophical existentialism, though, e. g. Karl Jaspers, as opposed to Christian existentialism, considers the Birth of Jesus Christ as an ordinary local event, and thus becomes rather «a relapse into pre-Christian Hellenism».