"Upon this rock I shall build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18).
The question of the identity of the Church, its membership, hierarchy, and mysteries, is of paramount importance today and also the primary stumbling block within heterodoxy and the ecumenical movement. As such, it is essential that the diachronic, catholic, patristic consensus be presented.
On the Dogma of the Church: An Historical Overview of the Sources of Ecclesiology, the Holy Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky) explores patristic resources from the early centuries of Christianity. He brings seminal works at the periphery of the consciousness of every Christian to the forefront as living witnesses to the unbroken tradition of the Church. St. Hilarion's staggeringly extensive familiarity with sources both patristic and modern, coupled with his own lucid thinking and profoundly Orthodox outlook, superbly equip him for his extensive analysis of the subject.
Eminently engaging and highly readable, this collection of essays takes the reader on a journey through an exploration of the dogma of the Church in the experience of her members, both prominent and plebeian. St. Hilarion presents the reader with historical affirmations of present-day church life and worship, touching on subjects ranging from hierarchical roles to biblical mistranslations.
In the words of the foreword to the 2004 Russian edition, "[I]n his works Hieromartyr Hilarion expounds the catholic truth of the Church, and does so naturally and organically, for his whole life melded entirely with the life of the Church. This is why, when discussing things well-known and generally accepted, Father Hilarion was able to present them in his own way and in a new light."
This superb collection of essays is one that will edify the minds and enrich the ecclesiastical lives of new generations of Christians of all walks of life, while providing invaluable context for evaluating the authenticity and Orthodoxy of contemporary theories about the church.