Opposite meanings of the term “primacy” and ways to distinguish them in Greek theology of the 15th - early 20th centuries

The aim is to once again draw attention to the terminological dimension of the primacy problem in the Church. Orthodox polemical literature of the post-Byzantine period is chosen for research as the least studied and insufficiently known on the whole. Many examples show the reaction of Greek polemicists to the use of the word “primacy” by Catholic opponents in the sense different from that accepted in the East. Orthodox theologians had to constantly point out the inconsistency of the concepts used, to explain the content and function of the basic term, and very clearly differentiate between its opposite meanings. Only two interrelated meanings of the term “primacy” are presented: authoritative and ordinal. No other meanings are considered. The material discussed makes it possible to better understand the origin and logic of the opposition between “primacy of honor” and “primacy of power/authority/jurisdiction” in modern Orthodox theology. As practical conclusion, it is suggested to be more conscious of the use of basic terminology when studying and discussing the problem of primacy in the Church. The article is based on the report “The unique nature of the primacy of Christ in the Church and the problem of another primacy” maid at a joint scientific seminar of St. Petersburg Theological Academy (SPbTA) and St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University (STOU) on February 23, 2024.