“Forward to the fathers” or “back to the future”? Two directions in 20th century theology (part 2)

While ecclesiology is the main field of study for theological scholarship in the 20th century, the key to contemporary ecclesiology, according to the authors of the present article, may be found in the theology of history. Tus, the main directions of theological thought of the past century are characterized primarily with respect to their relationship to history, that is, what historical paterns may be used to describe the Church, man, and the relations with God and the world. Tough this questions seems simple at first glance, atempts at original answers have been formulated in the key directions of theological though by the most noted theologians. Diametrically opposed accents set forth in answering this question, given in such schools of thought at the “neo- patristic synthesis” and “eucharistic ecclesiology”, have been subjected to atempts at synthesis, unification and reconciliation by such theologians as Protopresbyter John Meyendorff and Archimandrite Sophronius (Sakharov). Tis has opened up an opportunity for the creation of a “dogmatic language of ecclesiology” strictly within the bounds of dogmatic thought