Normativity in theology

The idea of “theological symphony”, advanced by Rev. Jh. Behr as a development of the concept of neopatristic synthesis of prot. G. Florovsky put forward a problem of determining theological normativity. One of the consequences of a “practical turn” in philosophy of science in the last century was the conviction that normativity is a multifaceted phenomenon and must not no longer be understood as a single phenomenon. Rather, it should be regarded from different points of view (ontological, methodological, axiological). A norm can also be represented as something static, i. e. describing what exists, or as a dynamic indication of what should be. In the first meaning, it is close to the concept of a standard, a rule to follow. And in the second, it represents a certain value for which one should strive. The paper analyzes what it means for theology to be normative. Distinguishing between the general theological Norm and local norms gives rise to a nuanced view of how the concept of normativity can be applied in theological research. The axiological principles of theological normativity and their instrumental understanding are also discussed in the paper.