A. I

Elder Ambrose of Optina is one of the most revered saints in Rus'. It seemed that his life was continuous suffering - he was constantly and seriously ill. But the Monk Ambrose thanked God for everything and everyone who came to him for advice asked for the same thing - to thank God and love their neighbors.

He comforted the mourning and healed the sick. He spoke about deep and serious things in the simplest language - for which the people loved him. During his life, Ambrose of Optina became one of the most revered elders among the people, and after his death - a saint.

When did Saint Ambrose of Optina live?

The Monk Ambrose of Optina was born in 1812 in the Tambov Province and died in 1891 at the age of 78.

19th century - what time was it for Russian society? Perhaps it was somewhat reminiscent of the current one. Western influence, the influence of time in general - and society, once more or less integral in views and beliefs, found itself increasingly divided. Among the intelligentsia, which considered itself the advanced part of society, new and diverse movements emerged and strengthened. Marxists, Slavophiles, Westerners. Searching all around, intoxication with creativity, and everything - for the most part - pushing Church life into the background.

As a result, many prominent people of society and culture (writers, musicians, artists) might not know anything about the wonderful elders and saints who at the same time lived and gathered thousands of pilgrims around them. Seraphim of Sarov, Macarius, Leo and Ambrose of Optina. Almost like now...

But living Church life continued in the country. The common people, villagers, villagers (and many city dwellers) never thought of forgetting God. And while the intelligentsia was in search, most of the people still found their last stronghold in Christ, the councils of priests and elders. For example, those who lived in one of the strongholds of eldership in Rus'.

Elder Ambrose of Optina: a brief life

Few specific facts about the life of Ambrose of Optina have been preserved. It is known that he was born either in 1812 or 1814. It is known that he was sick a lot. It is known that he was ill, essentially, all his life, suffering from a variety of ailments.

The life of Ambrose of Optina tells that he first became seriously ill at the age of 23 and then promised to go to a monastery if he recovered. I didn’t keep my promise, I got a job as a teacher in some rich house, and maybe I would have continued to work, but I got sick again. And only after that he fulfilled the vow he had once made - he became a monk.

One of the sides of the spiritual path of Elder Ambrose is the path of illness. He continued to be ill almost his entire life. His gastritis either worsened, then he started vomiting, then he felt nervous pain, then he had a cold with feverish chills and just a severe fever. These are just some of his illnesses. Sometimes he was on the verge of life and death.

The Monk Amrovsy of Optina was often and seriously ill.

Towards the end of his life, the saint’s physical health became so weak that he could no longer go to services or leave his cell.

But the Monk Amrovsy of Optina not only did not grieve over his illnesses, but also considered them necessary for his spiritual strengthening. (In principle, already then, in the 19th century, the idea took root that the time had come when a person could be saved only by illness - the entire structure of society in its very fundamental principles had become so far from the Church.)

The Monk Ambrose was the third Elder of Optina, a disciple of the Monks Leo and Macarius, and as a result became the most famous and illustrious of all.

The life says that the Monk Macarius, whose novice Ambrose was from the very beginning, quickly realized that before him was a future great monk, and saw in him his “successor.” And so it happened. Saint Ambrose took upon himself the work of eldership in 1860, after the death of St. Macarius, and did not leave it almost until his very last breath.

Miracles of St. Ambrose of Optina

Pilgrims flocked to St. Ambrose from all over the country. Some needed guidance, others needed consolation, others complained of illness. And Elder Ambrose gave advice to some, consoled others, and could heal others.

The rumor about Ambrose of Optina spread very quickly. Both simple peasants and intellectuals spoke of the elder as an amazingly simple and bright monk who radiated Love and peace.

He had his own “peculiarity” - a way of expressing himself. His words were simple in form, if not vernacular. And because of this, they are easily understandable to anyone: a city dweller, a writer, a shoemaker, and a tailor.

He said:
“Sins are like walnuts: you can crack the shell, but it’s difficult to pick out the grain.”

or:
“We must live as a wheel turns: just one point touches the ground, and the rest strives upward.”

or:
“To live is not to grieve. Don’t judge anyone, don’t annoy anyone, and everyone has my respect.”

People were amazed at how he could talk so simply about seemingly complex things from spiritual life.

“I have been begging for this simplicity from God all my life,” answered the Monk Ambrose.

Or:
“Where it’s simple, there are a hundred angels, but where it’s sophisticated, there’s not a single one.”

Or:
“Where there is no simplicity, there is only emptiness.”

Ambrose of Optina Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy (1828–1910), one of the most famous classics of Russian literature, was excommunicated from the Church during his lifetime. The case was out of the ordinary, but was caused not only and not so much by the views of the writer himself (in his quest he actually followed the path of Protestantism), but by his fame and popularity.

He either transferred his thoughts about spiritual life, about the Church and the denial of many of its dogmas and traditions onto the pages of books that were read by thousands, or in any case carried away many people with him. “The great Tolstoy, his philosophy is interesting!”

Lev Tolstoy.

It is known that Leo Tolstoy visited Optina three times, and also met with Elder Ambrose of Optina. He tried to reason with the writer. It is also known that the saint had very bad impressions of Tolstoy. He called him "the embodiment of pride."

Leo Tolstoy, too, seemed to admire the beauty of Optina and the spiritual strength of the monk. But on the other hand, lines have been preserved in which the writer speaks very arrogantly about the elder.

It is known that right before his death, Leo Tolstoy came to Optina (Amvrosy Optina had already died by that time), but did not dare to cross the threshold of the monastery - fearing, probably, that he would not be accepted by anyone there.

Ambrose Optinsky: what helps

Day of Ambrose of Optina

The Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of St. Ambrose of Optina three times a year.

• October 23- this is the day of death of the saint
• October 24- this is the day of remembrance of all Optina saints
• July 10- on this day the relics of Elder Ambrose were found

In addition, two more celebrations directly relate to St. Ambrose:

• August 10 is the day of remembrance of the Tambov saints
• September 23 is the day of remembrance of the Lipetsk saints

Reverend Father Ambrose, pray to God for us!

Read this and other posts in our group at

Church writer, saint

Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, was born in the year into the family of the Roman governor of Gaul. Even in the saint’s childhood, miraculous omens of his great future were revealed. So, one day bees covered the face of a sleeping baby and flew away after leaving honey on his tongue.

After the death of his father, Ambrose's family moved to Rome, where the future saint and his brother Satyr received a legal education that was brilliant for those times. For about a year, after completing his course of science, Ambrose was appointed governor of the regions (consular prefect) of Liguria and Emilia, but lived in Mediolan. In the year, Bishop Auxentius of Milan (now Milan) died, and this led to discord between the Orthodox and Arians, since each side wanted to install its own bishop. Ambrose, as the first mayor, went to the church to maintain order. As he addressed the crowd, a child suddenly shouted: “Ambrose is a bishop!” The cry was echoed by the people. Ambrose, who at that time was still among the catechumens, considering himself unworthy, began to refuse. He even tried to falsely disgrace himself, tried to escape from Mediolan. The matter came to the attention of Emperor Valentinian I (364 - 375), whose order Ambrose did not dare to disobey. He received holy baptism from an Orthodox priest and, having gone through all the levels of the church hierarchy in seven days, on December 7 of the year he was ordained Bishop of Milan and immediately distributed all his property, money and estate to decorate churches, feed orphans and beggars, and he himself converted to a strict ascetic life.

Ambrose combined severe abstinence, long vigils and labors with the performance of the duties of a shepherd. Saint Ambrose, defending the unity of the Church, energetically opposed the spread of heresies. So, in the year he managed to install an Orthodox bishop in Sirmium, and in the years he refused to transfer the Basilica of Mediolan to the Arians.

The preaching of Saint Ambrose in defense of Orthodoxy had a profound impact. This was evidenced by the famous father of the Western Church, Blessed Augustine, who received holy baptism in the year under the influence of the sermon of Bishop Milan.

The saint also took an active part in state affairs. Thus, Gratian, having received from him an exposition of the Orthodox faith, removed, at the direction of the saint, from the Senate hall in Rome the altar of Victoria, on which oaths were taken. Filled with pastoral boldness, the saint imposed severe penance on Theodosius I (379-395) for the extermination of the innocent inhabitants of the city of Thessaloniki. For him there was no difference between the king and the commoner: having allowed Theodosius from penance, the saint did not allow the emperor to receive communion at the altar, but forced him to stand with the entire flock.

The fame of Bishop Ambrose and his deeds attracted many followers from other countries to him. From distant Persia, learned sages came to him to find the Truth. Fritigilda, queen of the warlike Germanic tribe of the Marcomanni, who often attacked Milan, asked the saint to instruct her in the Christian faith. The saint, in a letter to her, convincingly outlined the dogmas of the Church. The queen, who became a believer, converted her husband to Christianity and convinced him to conclude a peace treaty with the Roman Empire.

The saint combined severity with extraordinary kindness. Endowed with the gift of miracles, he healed many from illnesses. Once in Florence, while staying in the house of Decenta, he resurrected a dead boy.

The death of Saint Ambrose, who reposed before God on the night of Holy Pascha, was accompanied by many miracles, and he appeared in a vision to the children who were baptized that night. The saint was buried in the Basilica of St. Ambrose, in Mediolan, under the altar, between the martyrs Protasius and Gervasius.

A zealous preacher and courageous defender of the Christian faith, Saint Ambrose received particular fame as a remarkable church writer. In dogmatic works, he defended the Orthodox teaching about the Holy Trinity, sacraments and repentance (5 books on faith; Explanation of the Creed; On the Incarnation; 3 books on the Holy Spirit; On the sacraments; 2 books on repentance).

In his writings on Christian morality, he revealed the superiority of Christian moral teaching over the moral teaching of pagans. The saint’s famous work “On the Duties of the Clergy” testifies to his deep awareness of his pastoral duty; it contains instructions not only on the conduct of church services, but also moral instructions to the ministers of the Church.

Saint Ambrose was also a reformer of church singing. He introduced into the Western Church antiphonal singing on the Syrian model, known as the “Ambrosian chant”; composed 12 hymns that were performed during his lifetime. Perhaps he also composed the solemn hymn of thanksgiving “We Praise Thee God,” which was included in the worship of the Orthodox Church.

Prayers

Troparion, tone 4(common to the saint)

The rule of faith and the image of meekness,/ self-control of the teacher/ show you to your flock/ Even the truth of things,/ for this reason you have acquired high humility,/ rich in poverty,/ Father Ambro This,/ pray to Christ God// for our souls to be saved.

Troparion, same voice(from the Optina Service, written in 1870 by Archimandrite Anthony (Ilyenkov), in schema Abraham, 1832 - 1889)

Divine inspiration of the body, / the virtues of the apostolic communicants, / Rome’s red prosperity, / Ambrose, blessed Hierarch, / you denounced the king / and you established the universe in piety ./ Also pray to Christ, // to grant us great mercy._

Kontakion, tone 3(Similar to: Divine faith:)

Having covered the divine dogmas, / you darkened the charm of Aryan, / the priest and the shepherd Ambrose: / working miracles with the power of the Spirit, / you healed various passions, Father, Bey, / pray to Christ God // to save our souls. and http://files2.regentjob.ru/minea/dec1/dec1222.html - ink kontakion

Aurelius [lat. Aurelius Ambrosius] (c. 339, Augusta Treverov, modern Trier - 04/04/397, Mediolan, modern Milan), saint (mem. Dec. 7), bishop. Milansky (from December 7, 373), one of the great Westerners. Fathers of the Church.

Life

The source of information about A.’s life is, first of all, his creations, among which the letters dating from the period from 379 to 396 are of greatest importance. A.’s Life, written in 412-413. his last secretary, St. Paulinus of Milan at the request of the Blessed. Augustine, is completely trustworthy, since the author used information received from people close to A. (his sister Marcellina and other “most trustworthy people”). Of great importance are also the “Church Histories” of Rufinus, Socrates, Sozomen and especially Blessed. Theodoret of Cyrus. Created on the basis of the last Greek. lives, one of which is attributed to St. Simeon Metaphrastus (10th century), have a historical perspective. secondary meaning, as well as anonymous lat. life of the 9th century

A.'s date of birth is established by his own testimony that he reached the age of 53 at the time of certain turbulent events in the empire (Ep. 59.4). Relating these words to the state. The coup organized by Arbogast (392), the birth of A. is usually dated to 339 (Dassmann. S. 362 - also called 330, 334 and 337). A.'s parents came from Rome and belonged to aristocratic families with ancient Christian traditions. traditions: among his relatives, along with the consuls, was St. the virgin Sotiria, who accepted martyrdom during persecution under the emperor. Diocletians (Exhort. virg. 12.82). His father, Aurelius Ambrose, held the high post of prefect of Gaul and was in charge of the civil administration of the west. provinces of the empire with residence in Augusta Treverov. After his death during the campaign of the Emperor. Constantine II to Italy (340), A.’s mother and her young children moved to Rome. A.'s elder sister, Marcellina, became a monk in 353. His brother Uranius Satyr, who also did not marry, became an official and later. helped the Bishop of Milan; he died in 375 after a grueling trip to Africa on church business. A., the youngest in the family, studied grammar, rhetoric and jurisprudence, receiving an education usual for people of his circle preparing for a career in the state. field. His education and erudition were very great: he was fluent in oratory in Latin. and Greek languages, was fond of philosophy and literature, especially Plato; reminiscences from Cicero, Virgil, Suetonius and others are very frequent in his works.

The beginning of the state A.'s service was a lawyer in Sirmium, in the judicial department of the prefecture of Illyricum. The zeal of the young lawyer was soon noticed by the praetorian prefect Petronius Probus, who appointed him to the position of adviser. OK. 370 Probus successfully petitioned the emperor. Valentinian I on the appointment of A. to the post of consular (governor) of the province. Emilia-Liguria with its center in Mediolana (modern Milan), where from the end. III century there was one of the western imp. residences.

In the fall of 374, the Bishop of Milan died. Auxentius I, supporter of Arianism, which led to the struggle between Orthodox and Arians. The disputes were long and heated, so that the emperor himself had to admonish the warring parties. Riots began in the city, and A. personally appeared at the cathedral, where the election of a new bishop was taking place. In the midst of disputes about the candidacy, a child’s voice suddenly rang out: “Ambrose is a bishop!” - after which the assembled representatives of both parties unanimously elected a consular to the department. A. did not expect this at all: after all, he had not yet been baptized, postponing the acceptance of the sacrament to a later date, as was often done at that time. The townspeople sent a petition to the emperor for permission to install A. as a bishop; he himself, burdened by this election, did everything possible to avoid being a bishop: he acted harshly with the condemned man, pointedly invited public women to his place, tried to secretly flee from the city; The people, seeing all this, shouted to him: “Your sin is on us!” (Paulin. Vita Ambr. 7). A. was even guarded in his own house, but he managed to hide in the villa of his friend Leontius, where he spent time reading Plotinus. In the meantime, a decree came approving the election of A., and he had to agree to be ordained. He was baptized Orthodox. bishop (probably Limenius of Vercella) and a week later he was ordained (7.12.373 - Dassmann. S. 363; other dates are also called: 7.12. 374, 1.12.373). According to Theodoret, the emperor was present at the consecration. Valentinian I.

Being at first not very knowledgeable in matters of theology, A. diligently began to study St. Scripture according to the interpretations of Origen, St. Hippolytus of Rome, Didymus and St. Basil the Great, in which he was helped by his longtime friend and bud. successor to Simplician. Soon A. becomes one of the best exegetes and preachers in the West (De off. I 4).

One of A.'s main concerns was the fight against the influence of Arianism in the West. After the compromise definition of religion of the Arimino-Seleucian Council (359), there was a struggle for the establishment of the Nicene religion. A. immediately decisively took the side of the defenders of the Nicene Symbol. In 376, not without difficulty, he managed to establish Orthodoxy at the See of Sirmium (where at that time the court of the young Emperor Valentinian II, the youngest son of Valentinian I, was located). Ep. Anemia (Paulin. Vita Ambr. 11). A. became close to the eldest son of Valentinian I Zap. Rome. imp. Gratian (375-383), who, under the influence of A., began to more and more openly support Nicene Orthodoxy (edict of April 22, 380 - Cod. Theod. XVI 5.4). On Sept. 381, shortly after the end of Om. II Council in K-pol, which approved the Orthodox Church. Symbol of Faith, A. held a Council of 32 bishops from the North in Aquileia. Italy, Pannonia, Africa, Pentapolis and Gaul (there were no representatives of the 5 leading departments, including from Pope Damasus). At the Council, A. read out the writings of Arius and asked for the opinions of those present on each point of the Arian doctrine. The bishops from the Danube provinces, Palladius of Ratiaria and Secundian of Singudun (PL. 16. Col. 916-939, 980-990), were condemned and deposed.

Imp. Gratian, who fought against the remnants of paganism (under him, the colleges of priests and vestals were deprived of benefits and income, the title “pontifex maximus” was excluded from the imperial title), in 382 ordered the removal of Rome from the meeting room. Senate altar of the Goddess of Victory with her statue, installed under Augustus, removed under Constantius II (337-361) and returned to the imp. Julian the Apostate (360-363). The demand to return the Altar of Victory again rallied the pagan party, headed by Senator Symmachus, one of the most educated and noble Romans of that time. The delegation of Symmachus was not accepted by the emperor under the influence of Christian senators, Pope Damasus and A. In 383, Gratian was killed in Gaul by supporters of the usurper Magnus Maximus; His 12-year-old brother Valentinian II (383-392) reigned in Italy. In 384, Symmachus, who received the post of prefect of Rome, together with the praetorian prefect of Italy, Vettius Agorius Praetextatus, drew up a report in defense of the altar of Victory; in the summer of the same year, Valentinian II accepted their delegation. Symmachus’s speech in defense of the “former glory of Rome” was received favorably, but A. intervened, immediately sending the emperor an admonishing letter (Ep. 17), and then a treatise refuting Symmachus (Ep. 18). The delegation was refused. When Magnus Maximus invaded Italy (388), Symmachus wrote a panegyric in his honor, but again did not achieve his goal: the usurper reacted coolly to the pagan party. After Theodosius I the Great (379-395) overthrew Maximus, Symmachus had to justify his panegyric and even seek refuge in the temple. However, Theodosius also began to hesitate in the matter of returning the altar after a visit to him by a deputation headed by the same Symmachus. In response to this, A. began to avoid meeting with the emperor and thus rebuked him: Theodosius refused Symmachus. On June 13, 389, the emperor’s triumphal entry into Rome took place, where he allowed to preserve only those pagan statues that adorned the city and were the works of famous masters. During the short reign of Eugene (393-394), the Altar of Victory was nevertheless returned to the Senate, and only the repeated triumph of Theodosius I put an end to the history of this one of the main symbols of pagan Rome.

When, after the death of Gratian, Valentinian II moved to Mediolan, clashes began between A. and the mother of the young emperor Justina, who favored the Arians, of whom there were many at court. In 385, Valentinian demanded that one of the city's basilicas be given to the Arians; A. refused, the townspeople came out in defense of the bishop. On Easter 386, the comites were sent from the palace with a military detachment to occupy the basilica outside the city walls (basilica Portiana, modern church of San Lorenzo). By this time, the Arian party was officially legitimized by the emperor. edict of January 23, 386 (Cod. Theod. XVI 1.4); The basilica was supposed to be handed over to the Arian bishop who fled from the East. Auxentius II, but A. himself was planned to be sent into exile. Summoned to a dispute, in which the emperor himself was supposed to act as an arbiter, A. refused to appear, answering that in the affairs of bishops only bishops can be judges; He drew up a written speech against Auxentius (Sermo contra Auxentium; Ep. 21), and answered the emperor that the sovereign does not have power over objects dedicated to God and cannot demand from him the transfer of the temple of God (Ep. 20). Despite the threats, A. locked himself in the basilica and for 3 days, together with the people, inspired by prayers and singing hymns, withstood the siege; when the soldiers, fearing excommunication, began to go over to the bishop’s side, the emperor was forced to yield. During these events, it became clear that the authority of the saint was indisputable even for his opponents. A.'s brilliant sermons attracted many neophytes to the Church, among whom was 32-year-old Augustine, who accepted St. Baptism from A. (whom he respectfully calls “Dad”) on Easter 387.

Tensions with the Bishop of Milan did not prevent Valentinian II and Justina from entrusting important assignments to him. So, in 383/84 A. headed an embassy to Magnus Maxim, who by that time had subjugated all the lands of the empire in the West, except for the Italian prefecture. A.'s embassy allowed him to gain time to block the roads through the Alps. A year later, A. again went to Maxim, but this time the embassy ended unsuccessfully: A. was accused of treachery and was not accepted. In Mediolan they blamed him for being too persistent and sent a new embassy to Maxim, which he graciously accepted. But as soon as the ambassadors returned with good news, Maxim unexpectedly crossed the Alps and forced the emperor. family to flee to Thessalonica. In Jan. 388 Maxim entered Rome, but was soon defeated by Theodosius, who captured and executed him, returning the throne to Valentinian II.

After the death of Justina, the young emperor made A. one of the people closest to himself (Ep. 53. 1-2). Enjoying the respect and complete trust of the ruler of the West. empire, the bishop of Milan became close to the emperor. Theodosius I, who ruled the east. part of the empire, and subsequently. More than once he used his authority to influence the adoption of state legislation. decisions. A. welcomed the law issued by Theodosius against heretics on June 14. 388 (Cod. Theod. XVI 5. 15). In con. 388 in the city of Kallinikos (province of Osroene) the people, with the knowledge of the bishop, destroyed the Jewish synagogue; Theodosius ordered Christ. the city community to restore the synagogue at its own expense, but A. energetically opposed this (Ep. 40-41), ardently urging not to allow the Jews to triumph over Christians and not to force the bishop to act against his conscience, for this is not befitting of Christ. to the emperor. Theodosius canceled the order. However, trying to emphasize the independence of his decisions, he more than once demonstrated disagreement with A. (Ep. 51. 2) and issued a number of decrees that were not entirely favorable to the Church (Cod. Theod. XII 1. 121; XVI 2. 27). The relationship between Theodosius and A. reached particular tension in the summer of 390. During urban unrest in Thessalonica, the emperor was killed. Goth military leader Boterich and several. senior officers; The emperor allowed the Goths from his army to take revenge on the townspeople, and as a result, approx. 7 thousand inhabitants. At the news of the terrible massacre, A. withdrew from Mediolan, where Theodosius was staying at that time, avoiding meeting with the emperor. From his solitude, A. sent a letter to the emperor (Ep. 51), in which he exposed his crime and called for repentance. The bishop announced to the emperor that from now on he would not perform divine services in his presence and that he should not approach the altar until he repented (Paulin. Vita Ambr. 24). Theodosius nevertheless came to the cathedral, but was not admitted to St. Communion A., who said that secret repentance is not enough. Several For months the emperor did not receive St. Communion from the bishop; finally, on Christmas Day 390, having laid aside the signs of royal dignity, he repentantly appeared in the temple and begged for forgiveness (Theodoret. Church History V 17; many details of this story are considered by modern historians to be an exaggeration).

In 392 z. imp. Valentinian II was killed by the commander-in-chief Arbogast (De obit. Valent.; Ep. 53). Eugene was elevated to the throne, whom A. treated with distrust because of his pro-pagan sentiments, although he tried to win the saint over to his side (Ep. 17). Avoiding a meeting with the usurper, A. left Mediolan. Soon Theodosius I defeated Arbogast and executed Eugene; A. successfully interceded with him on behalf of representatives of the provincial nobility who collaborated with the vanquished.

In 395 Theodosius the Great died. Power over the West. The Roman Empire passed to his son Honorius (395-423), whose guardian was the commander Stilicho. The influence of the Bishop of Milan at court noticeably decreased: for example, his intercession did not help a certain Crescontius, who took refuge with A. from the wrath of Stilicho, but was forcibly taken out of the temple (Paulin. Vita Ambr. 34). Due to the exacerbation of the disease, the bishop could no longer actively participate in public affairs. In recent years he has been more involved in literature. creativity, dictating compositions to his secretary Pavlin. A. died 3 years after the imp. Feodosia. He was buried in the same tomb with the martyrs Gervasius and Protasius (whose relics were miraculously found by him in 386) in the basilica, which received later. his name. In con. XIX century the authenticity of the saint's relics was confirmed archaeologically.

The veneration of A. both in the West and in the East arises immediately after his death, as evidenced by the appearance already in the 5th century. lat. and Greek lives. In Catholic traditions of A. together with the blj. Augustine and Saints John Chrysostom and Athanasius the Great are the most revered fathers and teachers of the Church.

K. E. Skurat, M. V. Gratsiansky

Creations

Lit. A.'s activities are closely connected with the church pulpit: most of his creations are sermons recorded by listeners. Some of them were preserved only in notes, others were revised by the author and presented in the form of separate treatises and books. According to the content, all of A.'s works can be divided into dogmatic, exegetical and moral-ascetic. Letters and hymns can be divided into separate groups. Some of the saint's works have not survived. Many works, long attributed to A., are now time were found to be inauthentic. These include Ch. arr. comments on the NT (see Ambrosiaster).

Dogmatic

5 books “De fide” (On faith; books I, II - 378, III-V - 380; hereinafter dating according to Paredi; for alternative dating, see Mara (1986), with a detailed bibliography), dedicated to imp. Gratian, contain polemics with the Arians and explain the dogma of the Holy Trinity. The 3 books of the treatise “De Spiritu Sancto” (On the Holy Spirit, 381) examine the dogma about this Person of the Holy Trinity, about His participation in creation, providence and redemption. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God and the mystery of the Incarnation is set forth in the work “De incarnationis Dominicae sacramento” (On the Mystery of the Lord’s Incarnation, 382), directed against Arianism and Apollinarianism. The address to the listeners at the beginning of this work indicates that it was recycled from a sermon.

Repose of St. Ambrose of Milan. Relief of the "Golden Altar" from the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. OK. 840 Fragment

In 2 books “De paenitentia” (On repentance, ca. 388), the saint refutes the opinion of the Novatians, who argued that there is no forgiveness for especially serious sins, and proves that eternal life is promised not only to those who always keep the commandments of the Lord, “but also who after the fall will also keep them.” The saint urges not to put off repentance, for “we do not know at what hour the thief will come, we do not know whether this very night they will extort our soul” (II 8).

A number of A.'s theological works pursue catechetical goals. The treatise “De mysteriis” (On the sacraments, ca. 391) explains the meaning of the main church sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Op. “De sacramentis” (On sacred rites, ca. 391; its authenticity has been questioned) is devoted to the same topic as the previous one, and has many parallel passages with it. In this work, however, greater attention is paid to the external side of the celebration of the sacraments, which makes it a valuable source on the history of the liturgy. In “Explanatio symboli ad initiandos” (Interpretation of the Creed for those preparing [for Baptism], approx. 391), A. explains to the catechumens the main Christ. dogma.

Among the numerous words (speeches) of A., some also have dogmatic content. “Sermo contra Auxenium de basilicis tradendis” (Sermon against Auxentius on the transfer of basilicas, 385/86) was pronounced in the midst of the struggle with the imp. courtyard due to the Mediolan basilicas and partly dedicated to anti-Arian polemics. 2 funeral words of A. are dedicated to his dearly beloved brother. In the first of them, “De excessu fratris Satyri” (On the death of brother Satyr, 378), he mourns the death of a loved one, portraying him as Christ. virtues and thanks God for having such a brother. In the second word, “On the hope of the resurrection,” the saint seeks consolation in Christ. faith in the resurrection of the dead and eternal life. Two other funeral orations by A. were very famous: “De obitu Valentiniani” (On the death of Valentinian, 392), delivered in Mediolan during the burial of the emperor. Valentinian II, and “De obitu Theodosii” (On the death of Theodosius, 395), spoken on the 40th day after the death of the emperor. Theodosius I the Great, before transferring his body to K-pol. Both speeches are not only examples of oratory, but also important historical sources.

Op. “De sacramento regenerationis vel philosophia” (On the sacrament of rebirth or philosophy) is preserved in fragments cited by Bl. Augustine (Retract. II 4; Contra Iul. Pelag. II 5. 14).

Exegetical

From view sequence of the considered events of sacred history, 1st place is occupied by the “Exameron” (Six Days, between 378 and 390) in 6 books, which, like the creation of the same name by St. Basil the Great, an explanation of the biblical narrative about the creation of the world and the origin of man, i.e. the first verses of the book. Genesis. The earliest creation in terms of time is considered to be the creation “De paradiso” (On Paradise, before 378), dedicated to the interpretation of the biblical testimony about paradise, about the settlement of man in it, the naming of animals, the creation of wife, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the tempter and temptation, about the consequences of the Fall. The treatise “De Noe et arca” (On Noah and the Ark, c. 377) sets out the story of righteous Noah with a detailed description and explanation of Noah’s Ark, it talks about the global flood, the conclusion of a covenant with God and the subsequent fate of the Old Testament patriarch. This treatise opens a whole series of works on Old Testament subjects: “De Cain et Abel” (On Cain and Abel, ca. 377/78), “De Abraham” (On Abraham, ca. 378), “De Iacob et vita beata” ( On Jacob and the blessed life, 386), with moral issues, “De bono mortis” (On the good of death, ca. 387-389), which has partly dogmatic content, “De interpellatione Iob et David” (On the complaint of Job and David, ca. 388), “De Ioseph” (On Joseph, ca. 388), “De Helia et ieiunio” (On Elijah and fasting, ca. 389), “De Tobia” (On Tobias, ca. 389), 2 treatises in justification of the misdeeds of King David: “De apologia prophetae David” (On the apology of David the prophet, 390); “Apologia David altera” (Another apology of David, Sept. 390; its attribution to A. is disputed), “De Isaac vel anima” (On Isaac or the soul, 391), “De patriarchis” (On the patriarchs, ca. 391), “ De fuga saeculi" (On escape from the world, ca. 394), also classified as moral works. A.'s jealousy, aimed at eradicating insensibility and callousness, was manifested in his word “De Nabuthae” (About Naboth, c. 389). Recalling the pages of sacred history about the winegrower unjustly offended by the wicked king Ahab (1 Kings 21), A. says: “Nature does not know the rich, she gives birth to everyone poor, and sends them into the world naked; the earth also perceives the naked” (De Nabuth. 1.2).

A separate collection of A.’s words, consistently expounding the Gospel teaching, is “Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam” (Explanation of the Gospel of Luke, ca. 390). Similar collections are “Explanatio super psalmos Davidicos XII” (Explanation of the 12 Psalms of David, 387-397) and “Expositio de psalmo CXVIII” (Exposition of the 119th Psalm, ca. 389). Interpretations of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah are preserved only in quotations from the blessed one. Augustine (De gratia Christi. 49, 54) and Claudian.

Moral-ascetic

Among the works of this group, the most famous is the treatise in 3 books “De officiis ministrorum” (On the duties of clergy, ca. 389), the title of which speaks of the influence of op. Cicero "On Duties". This is a kind of manual for shepherds, containing discussions on moral topics. A number of A.’s creations are devoted to the teaching of virginity, a topic that many ancient Christians addressed to reveal. writers starting with Tertullian. The 3 books “De virginibus” (On the Virgins, 377) were compiled at the request of his sister Marcellina from sermons delivered in the first years of his episcopal ministry. The saint praises virginity, presenting examples of it (Mr. Agnia, disciple of the Apostle Paul, Mt. Thekla, patroness of Mediolan), glorifies the Mother of God, showing that Her life is the rule and model of behavior for virgins. In conclusion, A. glorifies the virgins who preferred death to insult to innocence. Close to it in content is another work, “De viduis” (On widows, ca. 377), written about the intention of one widow to remarry. The saint tries to keep her from this intention, depicting the height and moral value of widowhood, its advantage over married life, using biblical examples to indicate the virtues with which Christian widows should adorn themselves. “However,” notes A., “we express this in the form of advice and do not prescribe it as a commandment; we convince the widow, and do not bind her... I will say more, we do not prevent second marriages, but we do not approve of their frequent repetition” (De viduis. 68). The treatise “De virginitate” (On virginity; 377) was written in response to reproaches that A. belittles the dignity of married life; Denying this, the saint does not miss the opportunity to once again praise virginity. In op. “De institutione virginis” (On the instruction of the virgin, 392) conveys A.’s speech at the tonsure of the virgin Ambrose and refutes the heretical teaching of Bonosus of Sardica, who rejected the Ever-Virginity of the Mother of God. “Exhortatio virginitatis” (Admonition to Virginity, 394) is a speech on the occasion of the consecration of a temple built at the expense of a widow who dedicated her life to God and brought her children to the same. Op. “De lapsu virginis consecratae” (On the fall of the consecrated virgin) belongs to the category of those whose authorship is doubtful: in addition to A., it is also attributed to Blessed Augustine and Jerome, Saints John Chrysostom and Nikita of Remesia. The similarity of certain passages with other treatises of the saint on virginity speaks in favor of his belonging to A.: it ends with a hymn sung by the fallen and risen virgin, reminiscent of A.’s chants.

Letters

Among the 91 messages (Ep. 23 is recognized as inauthentic), some are of a private nature, while the majority are associated with the church administration. activities of the saint and are one of the most important sources of our information about the author and his activities, as well as about political and religious. the situation of that era.

K. E. Skurat

Theology

For a long time in patristics it was generally accepted that the theology of A. is eclectic and has a moral and practical character. Recently, however, there has been a tendency to reconsider the place of the Bishop of Milan in the field of dogmatic theology and speculative philosophy. A. is no less a deep dogmatist and exegete, and his apparent eclecticism stems from an excellent knowledge of both Western and Eastern. theology of that time. The greatest influence on A. was made by St. Basil the Great, with whom he had personal correspondence, and St. Athanasius of Alexandria. A.'s writings contributed to the meeting of Christ. East with West. For app. theology of A. became one of the most important conductors of Orthodoxy. teachings about God and the Holy Trinity, about man and his salvation. A. contributed to the spread in the West of the allegorical interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. Scripture developed in the Alexandrian exegetical school, primarily by Origen. In addition, together with St. Hilary of Pictavia A. is one of the main defenders of the Nicene faith in the face of the Arian heresy and its state. patrons. On the other hand, A. has a number of provisions that differ from Eastern theology. Fathers of the Church and seriously influenced the formation of the West. theological tradition (primarily on St. Augustine).

Doctrine of God

I. The essence and properties of God. According to the teachings of A., God is an original and eternal Essence (substantia), as the Greek itself says. the word οὐσία, a cut, with t.zr. A., comes from the Greek. οὖσα ἀεί (“ever-existing” - De fide. III 127). God contains in Himself only that which He Himself is (quod Divinum est); Random, incidental properties are alien to him (nihil accedat - De fide. I 16. 106). By His nature, God is the purest Spirit (purissimus Spiritus), incorporeal, simple, devoid of any complexity or composition (Eham. I 25). He is beginningless and endless (Eham. I 9), invisible to the eye, inexpressible in words, incomprehensible to the mind. He is the highest and perfect Nature, the original and highest Good (summum bonum - Ep. ad Iren. 5-10), Fullness of goodness (plenitudo bonitas - De fide. I 4). God deserves “everything that can be felt from the most holy, the most beautiful, the most powerful” (De fide. I 106). God fills everything with Himself, but never merges with anything. He permeates everything, but He Himself is in no way permeable. Being present everywhere at the same time, God nevertheless remains whole everywhere (De fide. I 16.106). In relation to the world, God is its Creator, Ruler, Lord and Savior.

II. Triadology. A. spent his entire life fighting against Arianism and defending the Nicene belief in the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son. In this he primarily relied on the theology of Saints Athanasius the Great and Basil the Great. His teaching about the Holy Trinity is as follows: God is one in essence and trinitarian in Persons, differing in personal, hypostatic properties, but united by the unity of essence.

1. The difference between hypostases and hypostatic properties. God the Father is the source and beginning of the Divine essence: “God the Father is perfect, Who always abides in Himself (in suo manet) and does not depend in His being on the help of others (nec ope aliena subsistit)” (De incarn. 10. 3). Ungeneracy (ingenitus) and independence of being are His most important hypostatic properties (proprietates). But an equally important property of the Father is the ability to give birth to the Son (generatio - De fide. IV 81). From the Father, as from the source (fons) and root (radix), the Divine essence is transmitted to the Son and the Holy Spirit (De fide. IV 132; Exp. Luc. IX 5).

God the Son, according to A., is the Father's Word, the Image of God, God's Power and Wisdom, the Radiance of the Glory of the Father, without Which God the Father did not exist for a single moment (De fide. I 79; IV 108). Just as light always gives birth to radiance, so the Father eternally gives birth to His Only Begotten Son. If, together with the Arians, we assume that there was a time when the Son was not, then God, subsequently. having given birth to the Son, He would have undergone a change, but He is unchangeable (De fide. I 61). Moreover, if the Son had not once existed, then in God there would not have been “the fullness of Divine perfection” (perfectionis plenitudo divinae - De fide. IV 111). Further, the birth of the Son is different from the creation of the world, for birth is an act of nature, not will: “In the eternal birth [of the Son] there is neither desire nor unwillingness (nes velle nes nolle). For the Father cannot be said to give birth under compulsion, but He cannot be said to give birth at will, because birth is not based on the possibility of will (non in voluntatis possibilitate), but on a certain right (jure) and property (proprietate) of the Father’s nature” (De fide. IV 103). The Son is called the Image of God because “everything that exists in God [the Father] also belongs to the Son, that is, the eternal Divinity, omnipotence, greatness” and other properties (De fide. II Prol. 8). At the same time, the Son is not just an image of the Father’s Divinity, but the perfect Divinity Himself (Eham. VI 42). The only thing that the Son cannot reflect in his being is the unbornness and initial position of God the Father. The Son is born (genitus), and this is His hypostatic property. The difference between the Father and the Son “is expressed in generation” (generationis expressa distinctio - De fide. I 16). And although “the source gives birth to the river, and not the river the source” (Ibid. IV 95), this does not prevent the Son from being consubstantial with the Father in everything.

God the Holy Spirit also eternally emanates from the Father (procedit a Patre - De Sp. St. I 25, 44), like a river from a source (Ibid. I 26), just as the Son is eternally born from Him. On the issue of the procession of the Holy Spirit, A., like many theologians of that time (Lactantius, St. Hilary of Pictavian, Blessed Augustine, etc.), is not completely clear: sometimes he also says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son (a Patre et Filio - Ibid. I 120) or from the Son (ex Filio - Ibid. I 119). The Holy Spirit is not a creature, for He, like the Father and the Son, acts as the cause and source (fons) of grace-filled gifts pouring out from God to the whole world (Ibid. I 69). He actually, by His nature, possesses everything that He gives to creatures: “St. The spirit of goodness is not as an acquirer, but as a imparter of goodness” and other properties (Ibid. I 74). He is the fullness of goodness (plenus bonitatis). In addition, the Holy Spirit is one and unchangeable, but every creation is plural and changeable (Ibid. I 64). He does not serve the creatures, but the creatures serve Him. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God, consubstantial with the Father and the Son and differing from Them in His hypostatic property, which also comes down to the order of origin from the single Divine Source - God the Father.

2. The principle of the unity of Hypostases. A., just like St. Basil the Great claims that Christianity professes the doctrine of the Triune God, rejecting both the pagan delusion about the plurality of gods and the Jewish one about one person in God (De fide. I 26). The Holy Trinity is one God (unus Deus, una Deitas) according to the unity of essence, or nature (in unitate substantiae - Exp. Ps. 1. 22; per untitatem naturae - De fide. I 27; IV 133). Moreover, the Divine essence, or the nature of the Holy Trinity, according to A., as well as according to St. Basil, there is precisely a generic or general (natura communis - Ibid. V 43), and the unity of the Holy Trinity is precisely a general unity (unitas generalis - Ibid. V 44). He attributes singularity to the Person, and unity to nature (Ibid. V 46). A. explains this with a created analogy. “How can one deny,” he asks, “that “the Father and the Son are one,” when Paul and Apollos are one both by nature (natura unum) and by faith? But they cannot be “one” in everything, for the human is incomparable with the Divine” (Ibid. IV 34). If many people are one in their common human essence (unius substantiae), then infinitely more the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one in Divinity, in which there can be no difference either in essence or in will. People, although one in essence, differ in place, time, thoughts, desires, deeds - therefore they are not one, but many. In God there are no differences either in time, or in place, or in thoughts, or in desires, or in actions (Ibid. V 42). The Persons of the Holy Trinity have one essence, will, power, action, glory and name (Ibid. I 10, 13, 17, 23; II 50, 85; IV 74). Therefore, the Holy Trinity is not three Gods, but one God.

Doctrine of Creation

A. expounds his doctrine of the creation of the world in Ch. arr. in “Shestodnev”, which was written under the direct influence of “Shestodnev” by St. Basil the Great.

According to A., the world, unlike God, is not without beginning, not uncreated, and is also not part of the Divine essence. He came into being not spontaneously, as the Epicureans thought, but by the will and order of God (ex voluntate et dispositione - Eham. I 18), who created him in one “short and imperceptible moment” (in brevi et in exiguo momento), even before time (ante tempus), so that neither desire preceded action, nor action preceded desire (Eham. I 16). The beginning (initium) and Creator (creator, auctor) of the world is God Himself (Eham. I 5, 7), Who created the world out of nothing (ex nihilo fecit), and did not simply give form to pre-existing matter in accordance with eternal ideas, as the Platonists thought. However, all the diversity of world forms, that is, the essence, origin and cause (substantiae, origines et causae) of all visible and invisible things, were originally contained in the Divine Mind (mens divina - Eham. I 7, 16). Unlike God, the world is not eternal and is subject to destruction both in parts and as a whole (Eham. I 11, 28). He was created by the single action of the entire Holy Trinity: God the Father created everything through the Son in the Holy Spirit (Eham. I 29).

The created world is divided into visible and invisible, that is, into corporeal and incorporeal (angelic). Angels were created before the visible world (Eham. I 19). They are incorporeal, alien to bodily passions (Exp. Luc. VII 126) and are rational (rationabilia) and heavenly creations of God (De fide. V 32). Possessing free will, one part of the angels achieved holiness and bliss thanks to their free desire for them and zeal (zelum), while the other part, having abused their freedom, deviated towards evil and was cast out of heaven. A. saw the reason for the fall of the devil in pride or immoderation.

The visible world consists of 4 elements. It exists in time and space and is subject to constant change (Eham. I 20). From the initial unsettled state, the world gradually, obeying the commands of the Creator, received its real structure and decoration (ornatum - Exam. I 25). All beings, being creations of a good God, are originally good. Evil (malitia - “depravity”) is not substantial (substantialis), but exists as an accident (accidens), a random property of a rational being, as its deviation from its natural goodness (a bonitate naturae - Exam. I 28).

Anthropology

According to the teachings of A., man is “the great and most precious creation of God” (Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 11), the reason for the creation of the rest of the world (causa mundi - Ep. 73. 18). It represents the unity of two opposing entities - soul and body (De Isaac. 3). The origin of man is also twofold: on the one hand, man is created in the image of God (secundum imaginem Dei), which should be attributed to the rational and free soul of man; on the other hand, he was created from the dust of the earth, which should be attributed to his bodily composition (De Noe. 86; Exam. VI 43-45). Thus, the human soul is an incorporeal, rational, spiritual, heavenly, immortal and higher principle, while the body is a material, earthly, mortal and lower principle (De bono mortis. 26). Repeating St. Basil the Great, A. says that what we are in ourselves is the soul (and mind); what is ours is the body; and what is around us is property (Exam. VI 42). In general, man is a “mortal rational living being” (De Noe. 10), having immortality not by nature (naturaliter), but by grace (gratia), as a gift (quae donatur - De fide. III 19-20).

In the human soul, A., relying on Plato, distinguishes 3 parts: rational (rationabilis), passionate (impetibilis) and lustful (concupiscibilis - cf.: Exp. Luc. VII 139; De Noe. 92). The last 2 parts together form the lower, sensual, unreasonable force of the soul (appetitus), which forms and animates the body, nourishes and moves it. The first part, reason (ratio), or mind (mens), is the highest part of the soul, dominating the body and feelings (De Jacob. I 4). It is thanks to reason that man differs from animals and can know his Creator and the essence of things (De offic. ministr. I 124).

The doctrine of original sin and its inheritance

As God's greatest creation, man from the very beginning possessed free will, that is, he could freely choose good or evil, pleasing to God or displeasing to Him. Tempted by the devil, the man chose the latter and committed a sin. This sin of Adam consisted, firstly, in disobedience to the commandment of God (non oboeditum esse mandato - De Parad. 30), secondly, like the devil, in pride and the desire to become like God, finally, thirdly, in preference sensory to spiritual, lower to higher (De Parad. 11). The consequences of a fall (lapsus), or a crime (praevaricatio), were disastrous for a person. He “left (deposuit) the heavenly image (imaginem cuelestis) and put on an earthly form” (effigiem terrestris - Exam. VI 42). At the same time, man was deprived of Divine grace, which he had from Divine inspiration (Divinae inspirationi - Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 10. 16). His mind was deprived of the Divine, submitted to the sensual and perverted, so the man began to need many external covers. Having violated the commandment of God, man became guilty before God, fell under a just sentence (justam sententiam) and became mortal (cf.: Apol. David altera. 19). Sin (vitium) took root in his nature, which was infected by guilt, so that the ability not to sin became higher than human nature (ultra naturam - Exp. Ps. 1. 22). Together with his nature, the whole life of man has fallen from a pure state (ex puriore statu) into a worse state (in deteriorem lapsa est - Ep. 34.14). Finally, the man became dependent on the devil, taking advantage of his advice and giving him a kind of promissory note (chirographum - De Tobia. 10). The Fall of man also affected external nature, distorted its original appearance, introduced disorder and impoverishment into it (Exam. III 45). All these consequences of the Fall from the progenitor, together with sin (peccatum) and guilt for it (culpa praevaricationis), passed on to all his descendants: “Adam perished, and all in him perished, for through one sin passed on to all” - this is how A. interprets the words Apostle (De Tobia. 88). Adam's sin became hereditary (hereditarium peccatum). Just as a magnet, attracting iron filings to itself, magnetizes them, so sin was transmitted from the first man to everyone else. Now all people “by inheritance” (de successione) have “the sin of the first man” (peccatum primi hominis - De mysteriis. 32). Adam left us “the condemned heredity of human succession” (Exp. Ps. 48.8). All people have become sinners, and there is not a single sinner (De inst. virg. 68). "Hereditary bonds of iniquity" (hereditarium vinculum - Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 8.24) began to act in people so forcefully that they could no longer resist them and free themselves from them (Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 4.22). Hereditary sin, according to A., is not just the sinful weakness of human nature (fragilitas), commitment to the sensual and carnal (concupiscentia), but also spiritual wickedness, lawlessness (iniquitas). Iniquity precedes, sin follows, just as fruit comes from a root; lawlessness is heavier and is, as it were, the matter of sin (cf.: Apol. David. 49). At the same time, A., as last. and blzh. Augustine believes that hereditary sin is transmitted from parents to children in the very act of human conception: “For we are all born under sin, and our very birth is in sin, as David says: “Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and in sin I gave birth.” me my mother"" (Ps. 50. 7; De paenit. I 3. 12; Apol. David. 49). Sinful, in fact, is the very carnal lust (concupiscentia) that accompanies the conception of every person (De Jacob. I 13).

To the question of whether man retained free will after the Fall, A. does not give an unambiguous answer. On the one hand, in continuation of what was said above about hereditary sin, A. speaks about cases of forced action of sinful inclination in relation to human freedom, when the “law of the flesh” (or “law of sin”), dwelling in the outer man, is so opposed to the “law of the mind” (or “the law of God”), dwelling in the inner man, that “we are forcibly (inviti), although resisting, drawn to sin, and overcome by temptations, we often commit involuntary sins” (non voluntaria delicta - De fuga saec. 9). The “law of the flesh” makes us captives and draws us to sin, so that we do what we do not want (Exp. Ps. 36.64). On the other hand, A. does not deny free will in a person. Following St. Basil the Great, he asserts that no one is forced to guilt unless he inclines to it by his own will (propria voluntate), that evil does not have an objective nature and comes from our will (ex nostra voluntate) and that our spirit is the creator of guilt (Exam. I 31; De Jacob. I 10). With God's help, we can not do evil if we don't want to. Evil in its proper sense is corruption of the mind and spirit, ease of morals, free deviation from virtue (Exam. I 31).

Christology

A.'s teaching about the Person and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ is distinguished by its clarity of formulation and in many ways anticipates the definition of faith developed on the Universe. IV Council of Chalcedon (451).

A. defines the divine economy of the Incarnation as follows: “The Son of God, who created everything as a result of His Divinity, subsequently accepted flesh and mortal suffering for the salvation of people” (De fide. III 47). One and the same was the servant and the Lord, the Most High and the man (De fide. III 8). “He who before ages was from the Father, He later took flesh from the Virgin” (Exp. Ps. 35.4). Christ is one (unus) and not divided by number (inseparabilis numero - Exp. Ps. 61.5). In one Person of Jesus Christ two natures were united - Divine and human: “Christ, being the Image of God, that is, being in the fullness of the Divine, took on the image of a servant, that is, the full and perfect human nature, so that He would not lack both the Divine and and in the human, and He would be perfect in both natures” (perfectus in utraque forma - Ep. 39.6). Thus, Christ is simultaneously “God and man” (Deus et homo), in Him one should distinguish between Divinity and flesh (Exp. Luc. X 3; De fide. I 32). Both natures of the Savior were perfect and true (utrumque verum - De fide. II 44). The divinity of the Son of God was not affected by kenosis, humiliation (exinanitus, minoratus - Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 3. 8): “In the Incarnation He did not put aside what He was, but kept [it], and did not cease to be in the Image of God, but kept [it]; and since [His] Divine glory did not change through the perception of the flesh, but remained unchanged, He gained the victory and did not lose His power” (Exp. Ps. 61.28). The Lord “always remained the eternal God, although he accepted the sacraments of the incarnation” (De incarn. 5.35). From view A., kenosis consists in God’s humble perception of human nature, so that Christ remained “equal [to God the Father] in the Image of God, but less than [Him] in the perception of the flesh and human suffering” (De fide. II 70), at the same time “and the Great , and small ones” (De interpel. Iob. III 17). The diminishment of the Divine nature in Christ is impossible simply because it is unchangeable and cannot turn into the nature of the flesh (De incarn. VI 56).

Especially A. emphasizes the completeness and truth of the human nature of the Savior. The flesh of God the Word was true flesh (vera caro), had the “natural essence of flesh” (naturalis substantia carnis), and not just “the likeness of flesh” (similitudo carnis - Exp. Ps. 37.5). A. teaches that God took on not only human flesh, but also the soul: “If He took on human flesh, then it would be consistent that He would perform the incarnation in all its perfection and completeness, that is, He took on the flesh in order to resurrect it; He also received a soul, and a perfect, rational, [truly] human soul” (De incarn. VII 65). For “what would it profit us if Christ did not redeem the whole (totum) of man?” (Ibid. 68). Together with body and soul, He took on all bodily needs and mental experiences: “He who took on the body had to take on everything that belongs to the body, so that He could hunger, thirst, be troubled, grieve” (Exp. Luc. VII 133) . Since sin, or guilt (culpa), is nested in the passions (affectu) of a person, then Christ had to perceive and heal precisely that in which the sin was concentrated (Exp. Ps. 61.5). However, although Christ “had our flesh, His flesh had no blemish (vitium),” otherwise He could not have saved other people from sin (De paenit. I 12). The Savior, born of the Immaculate Virgin, was not involved in original sin, which, according to A., is transmitted through the act of conception: “[Christ] was not, like all other people, born from the union (permixtione) of husband and wife, but He, born of the Holy Spirit and Virgin, took on an immaculate body, which not only was not defiled by any vices, but also not stained by any unlawful union (injuriosa concretio) of birth or conception” (De paenit. I 12). This t.zr. was learned by the blzh. Augustine, and from him passed on to many Westerners. fathers and theologians (Blessed Jerome, St. Leo the Great, Fulgentius, etc.).

If there were 2 natures in Christ, there were 2 corresponding actions (dienergism) and 2 wills (diphelitism) in Him. For “where there are different essences, there cannot be one action” (De fide. II 70), and “where there is not one action, there is not one will, that is, in Christ there is one human will, and the other Divine” (alia voluntas hominis, alia Dei - De fide. II 52). A. believes that both of these actions and both wills are manifested in Christ: “Was He not a man when He mourned Lazarus, and did He not show Himself superior to man by resurrecting him, or was He not a man when He was scourged, and was not higher than man, when he took upon himself the sins of the whole world? (Er. 29.8). At the moment of the Savior’s voluntary crucifixion, Divinity (divinitas), which is the source of life and alien to suffering and death, according to A., left His human nature so that God’s Providence for humanity could be accomplished (Exp. Luc. X 127). At the same time, based on the unity of the Savior’s Person, A. considers it possible to transfer the properties and names of one nature to another: “He who suffered is called both the Lord of Glory and the Son of Man” (De fide. II 58).

A. R. Fokin

Soteriology

A.'s teaching on salvation bears traces of the East. (Ch. sample of Origen), and zap. traditions (Tertullian and St. Cyprian of Carthage). The doctrine that emerged in the East about salvation as the revelation of Divine truth to people, the enlightenment from above of those who lived in the darkness of ignorance and idolatry, was adopted and developed by A. in the sense of the Savior changing the entire world order. In connection with the teaching about the subordination of fallen man to the will of the devil, even in Origen one encounters the opinion that the Savior, through His suffering and death, gave Himself as a pledge to the devil and thereby forced him to free humanity from captivity. A. also says that the Lord offers Himself to the devil as a ransom (redemptio, pretium redemptionis) for all people who, from the moment of the Fall, became his debtors. The death of Christ is "the ransom price for our liberation, which was necessary to be paid to him to whom we were sold for our sin." Dying, Christ “nailed to the cross the promissory note” (chirographum decreti), given by man to the devil (Exp. Ps. 40. 2, De paenit. II 2), and having descended into hell, he brought His soul as a ransom for the souls of the people who were there (Exp. Ps. 40. 1). As a result, the enemy, who held us captive, was himself captured and defeated, and those who were bound in hell with eternal chains received freedom (Exp. Ps. 48.22). From this view. A. perceives the entire earthly life of the Savior as a “pious deception” (pia fraus) in relation to the devil, explaining all its particular circumstances with the goal of hiding from him the true nature of the Son of God. The theory of “divine cunning” is also found in Origen and St. Gregory of Nyssa.

A.'s soteriology reflected the understanding of the Savior's death on the cross as a propitiatory sacrifice (propitiatio) to God for the sin of Adam and the sins of all people. Having in Himself bodily the fullness of the Divinity, Christ is offered “as a man, as subject to suffering, and [at the same time] offers Himself as a High Priest to forgive us our sins” (De offic. ministr. I 238). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The sacrifice of the Son of God had infinite value in the eyes of God and therefore served as the propitiation of God and resulted in the remission of sins.

The influence of another tradition can be seen in A.’s teaching that the death of Christ was satisfaction to an angry God for the sins of mankind, over which the just Divine sentence passed in paradise weighed heavily. Like St. Athanasius the Great, A. believes that this sentence could not simply be canceled, for this would not correspond to the truth of God. And so “the Savior, in order to fulfill in His Person the sentence (sententiam) to all humanity, accepted death in order to satisfy this sentence (judicato) ... He Himself became a curse for us, so that [God’s] blessing would swallow up the curse, integrity would replace sin, mercy is a sentence. [Thus] man was restored to his former rights, and thus the condition of the Divine sentence was fulfilled" (De fuga saec. 44). This was the reconciliation (reconsiliatio) of people with God, who, as a result, from “sons of wrath” (filios irae) became “sons of peace and love” (pacis et caritatis).

But Christ not only brought satisfaction that covered the sinful past. The incarnation of God renewed human nature in Christ, expelled death and corruption from it, bestowed immortality, not only returned to human nature the lost grace (reformaret naturae gratiam), but increased it (et augeret), so that “where sin abounded, grace began to abound "(Er. 34.15; 71.8). The path was opened to man not only to the lost paradise, but to Heaven itself, to deification, for the Lord “took on what He was not [human nature] in order to hide what He was [the Divinity]; He hid what He was in order to be tempted and to redeem what He was not, in order to draw us also to what He was, through what (per id) He was not” (De Sp. St. I 107) .

A. develops the doctrine of Adam’s “blessed wine”. As a result of the Fall, all humanity found itself in a difficult situation, from which it could no longer get out on its own (Exp. Luc. IV 9). But even then, God’s Providence turned what happened for good, and “the guilt [of the forefathers] turned out to be more fruitful than innocence, because innocence made a person arrogant, and guilt [humbled] him, making him subject [to the law]” (De Jacob. I 21) . The Old Testament law, given by God, turned out to be useful, for it attracted grace (adquisivit gratiam) and “guilt rather benefited us than harmed us” (De inst. virg. 17. 104). Through the law, which prescribed what could and could not be done, “sin abounded, but where sin abounded, grace also abounded” (De Jacob. I 22; cf. Rom 5:20). The Old Testament law prepared humanity for the coming of the Savior promised from time immemorial. The doctrine of “blessed wine” received further development in the West. scholasticism.

A. views the redemptive feat of Christ not simply as a change in the external relations of God and man, but as an internal religious and moral rebirth of the sinful nature of man (in the spirit of the theology of St. Irenaeus of Lyons). On the one hand, the sacrifice of Christ cleansed and destroyed sins, burned them, on the other hand, Christ not only removed responsibility for previous sins, but, having crucified the passions that led us to sin, gave us the ability to new life. Following a fairly common view, A. often expresses the idea that the Incarnate Lord, through His ministry, set an example of a truly godly life, showing that the will of God can well be carried out not only in heaven, but also on earth.

Ecclesiology. Doctrine of the Sacraments

A. believes that the fruits of Christ’s saving work can be acquired by every person only in the Church founded by the Lord Himself. The Church is the “City of God” (civitas Dei - Exp. Ps. 22.5), or the “Heavenly City” (civitas coelestis - De virginit. 90), in contrast to this world, which is an “earthly city” (civitas terrena - Er. 14. 104); this concept has become permanent. famous thanks to the bl. Augustine. In God's foreknowledge, the Church eternally exists as one, but in history it is divided into the heavenly Church and the earthly Church. The latter is only the “image of the heavenly” (imago caelestium - De interpel. Iob. IV 9). She is a single meeting of all believers, both saints and sinners, striving for repentance and healing (cf.: De paenit. I 7). The Church is called conciliar and apostolic (De fide. I 120) as founded on the apostles, spreading through them throughout the world and invariably preserving their faith. In its mysterious, spiritual aspect, the Church is first of all the Body of Christ (corpus Christi - Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 15. 35), the House of God (domus - Exp. Ps. 35. 3), the Holy Temple of God (sanctum templum Dei - Exp. Luc. VII 18), Moon reflecting the Divine Light (Exam. IV 32), Bride (sponsa) and Wife (uxor) of Christ (Ep. 16.4; Exam. V 17; Exp. Luc. VII 90) . In it, in its sacraments, God pours out grace-filled gifts of salvation onto people.

A. develops his doctrine of the sacraments (mysteria) in Chap. arr. in the essay of the same name, where he consistently explains the meaning of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Baptism is the sacrament of rebirth (regenerationis), in which the grace of the Holy Spirit frees a person from guilt (culpa) and error (error), frees him from hereditary and personal sins (haereditaria et propria peccata - De mysteriis. 32). In the waters of Baptism, a person dies to the world and to sin and is resurrected to eternal life and to God (Ibid. 21), renounces Satan and turns to Christ (Ibid. 7). His lost grace is returned to him. In Baptism, three principles are inseparably present - water, which a person is washed, the Blood of Christ, shed on the Cross, which signifies a person, and the Holy Spirit, descending on the water and regenerating a person (Ibid. 20; 22). Baptism is performed in the name of the Holy Trinity (Ibid. 20). Confirmation means anointing with spiritual grace for the Kingdom of God and the priesthood (Ibid. 29-31); it is a spiritual seal (signaculum spiritale), meaning the gift of the Holy Spirit (Ibid. 42). The Eucharist is a heavenly meal, the sacrament of the flesh of Christ, the bread of life, the spiritual food of incorruptibility for our souls and hearts (Ibid. 43, 48, 53). In it, bread and wine, which are consecrated by the words of the Lord (ipsa verba Domini), pronounced by the priest, change their nature (species, natura) and become the Body and Blood of Christ, born of the Virgin Mary (Ibid. 52, 58). If they retain their previous appearance after consecration, then only for the bodily eyes, but with the mind they are recognized as the true Body and Blood (Ibid. 54). For “the power of blessing (vis benedictionis) is higher than nature, since nature itself is changed by blessing (natura ipsa mutatur)” (Ibid. 50, 52). Therefore, the Eucharist is the spiritual body of God (spiritale corpus Dei), spiritual food (spiritalis esca), bestowing eternal life (Ibid. 58). In all the sacraments, A. highlights precisely the invisible, spiritual side, explaining this by the fact that “the visible is temporary, but the invisible is eternal” (Ibid. 15, 27). In op. “On the Sacraments,” thus, A. practically does not touch upon the material component of the sacrament, which is discussed in detail in “On the Sacraments.” In addition, A.’s teaching on the Eucharist does not mention epiclesis and does not consider the pneumatological side of the sacrament, which, however, is clearly expressed in A.’s consideration of the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. Regarding the question of the relationship between the personality of the clergyman and the validity of the sacraments, A. says that the performance of the sacraments depends not on the personality (figura, species) of the clergyman, but on the grace of service (gratia ministeriorum - Ibid. 6). Priests have the power to forgive sins precisely because “the priestly office is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and the power of the Holy Spirit is to forgive and forgive sins.” Heretics (for example, Novatians), not having a legal hierarchy, do not have the same right, as well as the right to perform the Sacraments in general (De paenit. I 2). The Church should not excommunicate those who have fallen into sin, but should heal them in the sacrament of Repentance. There is no sin that God cannot forgive, but different severity of sins requires different degrees of repentance (Ibid. I 2-3). Just as there is one baptism, so there is one public repentance (in baptism), and one should always repent of everyday (light) sins (Ibid. II 10).

However, the salvation of man, from that point of view. A., depends not so much on his merits (merita), but is accomplished freely, by virtue of Divine predestination (praedestinatio Divina). A. claims that “human weakness” (carnalis infirmitas) makes a person incapable of doing good deeds worthy of reward on his own (Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 20. 42). Therefore, the main place in salvation is occupied by faith (fides), “which sets (us) free through the Blood of Christ” (Er. 63.11). According to A., “everyone is justified by the Lord not by works, but by faith (ex fide). For just as the outcome of fate is not in our power, but to whomever happens, so the grace of the Lord is given not according to merit, but according to (His) will” (Exhort. virg. 43). In addition to faith, God requires from the believer zeal in matters of repentance and mercy, which are in our power (De paenit. II 9). A. tries to reconcile human freedom and Divine predestination, arguing that God foresees the merits of each person and, in accordance with this foresight, divides rewards: “God did not predetermine what He foreknew, but whose merits He foreknew, by those He predestined the rewards” (De fide V 83). Despite the jurisprudence in terms of A. in general, unlike the blzh. Augustine remains faithful to the Orthodox Church. teaching about the synergy of man and God in the matter of salvation.

K. E. Skurat, A. R. Fokin

Teaching on Shepherding

Realizing that the correction of the flock must begin with the instruction of the shepherds, A. founded a school in his episcopal house for the training of church clergy. Here St. Father began to gather around himself worthy candidates for pastoral ministry, paying special attention to their moral side. In this regard, the saint wrote the book “On the Duties of the Clergy,” taking as a basis the structure of Cicero’s treatise “On the Duties.” According to the teachings of A., a minister of the Church must not only take care of the purity of his heart, but also must monitor his external behavior. By appearance and gait, the inner state of a person’s soul is known; the immodest movements of the shepherd can bring great temptation to the flock, and therefore he advises the servant of God to always and everywhere observe prudent measures. The Holy Father advises pastors not to make acquaintances with vicious people, who could draw him into their network. A. does not approve of clergy who love to participate in feasts, since in such companies there is often immodest talk. In such an environment, says A., “you cannot close your eyes and plug your ears; and if you give a moral lecture, it will be attributed to your pride. Immediately, unnoticed and against your will, they bring glasses”; Therefore, it is better to have a rare treat in your own home than to have multiple treats at a party. A. warns pastors regarding close acquaintances with females. “How many,” says the saint, “even with a strong will, were seized by temptation! And how many are there who, although they did not sin, gave rise to suspicion!” The shepherd of the Church, according to the teachings of A., should pay more attention to prayer and reading the word of God than to spend time in carnal pleasures. “Why don’t you spend your free time from church affairs reading? Why don’t you visit Christ, don’t talk with Christ, don’t listen to Christ?” (De offic. ministr. I 88). Shepherds should be careful in their conversations with their flock, so as not to harm them with their inexperience; you need to learn to think about every word: whether it is useful or harmful. With inappropriate jokes, a shepherd can insult and humiliate both the subject of the conversation and his rank (Ibid. I 102). According to the teachings of A., the shepherds of the Church “have been given powerful power to decide and bind... but this power must be used with extreme caution and prudence. You need to show yourself not so much as a strict punitive judge, but as a caring father-educator” (From the lectures on pastoral theology by Archimandrite John (Maslov)).

Ethics

Moving from the external qualities of a person to the internal ones, A. formulates his ethical teaching, which, representing the sum of reasoning according to Christ. morality is not a complete systematic presentation of Christ. ethics in the strict sense of the word. Virtue, in A.’s understanding, is acquired through study, exercise, learning and is an activity in accordance with the laws of nature, healthy, beautiful, useful, in harmony with both the human mind and the Logos - the Word of God. Following the traditions of classical ethics (Stoicism and Platonism), A. identifies 4 main virtues: prudence (prudentia), justice (justitia), courage (fortitudo) and moderation (temperantia). Their relationship with each other is determined in the spirit of stoicism, in the sense of their closest unity with each other; all 4 must be present in a righteous person (De offic. ministr. I 115-119, 129).

The psychological basis of prudence, or Christ. wisdom, A. sees in the natural desire of the human mind to explore the causes of things, to find “our Creator, in whose power is our life and death, who with one wave of His rules the whole world and to whom we will have to give a strict account of all our deeds and words” ( De offic. ministr. I 124). This striving of the mind serves as the highest decoration of human nature and its essential difference from animals. The content of prudence “consists primarily not in practical worldly wisdom or the ability to live, but in the wisdom of the Gospel, in the knowledge of God, the Creator of the universe.” A. condemns idle interest in astrology, etc. similar sciences. Only one who knows God, like Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, and Moses, deserves the name of a true sage: “He who does not know God, no matter how wise he is, is unreasonable” (De offic. ministr. I 117-123).

Justice defines human relationships, “embraces our relationship to the society of people.” This virtue is divided into two types: justice in the proper sense and charity. “All our mutual relations,” he writes, “are based mainly on two principles: justice and charity; the latter is also called generosity and benevolence” (De offic. ministr. I 130). For A., ​​the basis on which justice is affirmed is faith in Christ, in the Incarnation of Truth; the discovery of it “in all its breadth and completeness” is the Church of Christ, where believers are called to care for the good of others, to be guided by common law and interests. Justice must be shown to everyone, always and everywhere - both in times of war and in times of peace. The saint defends philanthropy and resolutely condemns revenge, “for the Gospel teaches us that we must have the spirit of the Son of God, who descended on earth to bestow mercy and grace on everyone, and not to pay insult for insult, reproach for reproach” (De offic. ministr I 131, 139-142). In matters of charity, it is recommended to be consistent with the degree of proximity: first of all, help must be provided to parents, relatives, fellow believers, etc. Charity must be provided taking into account the inner dignity of those in need and the degree of their actual need: those who deserve help are those who will use it with benefit, to achieve good goals. You cannot help those who intend to use the help to cause damage to the fatherland and other people. Those who seek help through deception or other dishonest means do not deserve help. Charity is considered as a useful matter for the benefactor himself: it helps him make friends and gain the sympathy of the people. To refuse help is contrary to nature itself: “The Lord laid down a common law of birth for all and commanded that the earth, with all its gifts and riches, should constitute, as it were, some property of all people in general. So, nature gave birth to general law; in spite of this, human violence legitimized private law, the right of property.” All people of the same nature, all brothers, are bound by the right of kinship and as such must love each other and “mutually assist one another in life” (De offic. ministr. I 132, 135). “So,” concludes the Bishop of Milan, “justice demands from us that we have love, first of all for God, then for the fatherland, for parents and, finally, for everyone in general.”

In the virtue of courage, A. distinguishes two manifestations: courage in military exploits and courage “in the humble labors of private, domestic asceticism,” that is, in relation to other people and to oneself. In the first case, courage is seen as the determination and ability to carry out the demand for justice. In the second, in relation to oneself, courage appears as greatness, fortitude, as the highest degree of self-control. In this sense, only one can be called courageous who has overcome the old man “with his passions and lusts,” who is not embarrassed by various adversities, the variability of circumstances and the charm of the world, who always remains calm and cool. “Truly he is brave and courageous who knows how to conquer himself, refrain from anger, and not get carried away by anything vain; in troubles he does not grieve, but in happiness he is not proud; for whom a change in external, everyday circumstances is nothing more than a certain wind” (De offic. ministr. I 180-181). Christ serves as an example of true courage for A. martyrs and ascetics who “stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were strengthened from weakness” (Heb. 11.33-34), “who did not win victories with regiments, did not overcome their enemies by force, but in their own sense triumphed over them with their virtue alone” (De offic. ministr. I 203-205).

The next virtue - moderation (or abstinence) - A. believes “in calmness of spirit, in meekness and humility, in taming impulses in dealing with others, in decency of behavior and strict regularity in lifestyle,” i.e. in maintaining order in life in general and maintaining moderation in individual things. Accordingly, A. prescribes in every matter to look at what is suitable for the person, age, time or our abilities, for what may be decent and convenient for one may be completely unacceptable for another. The saint sees the root of abstinence in good morals and modesty, the crown in physical and spiritual chastity, in purity of soul, in St. virginity

Among the prescriptions necessary for moral improvement, A. assigns an important place to fasting. Fasting, in his opinion, is not so much a human as a Divine institution. It serves as the content and image of heavenly life. On earth it leads to moral purity and innocence, therefore it is called renewal of the soul, food of the mind, destruction of sins and guilt. Due to its great importance, fasting was established in paradise (forbidding people to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil).

A. does not reject marriage, but prefers a virgin life. “The bonds of marriage are good, but they still remain bonds. Marriage is good, but it still represents the yoke of worldly life, for the wife is more willing to please her husband than God” (De virginit. 33). Like fasting, virgin life has a heavenly origin. Virginity brings virgins to a special closeness with God: virgins become the temple of God, Christ is the head for them, as a husband is for a wife. Virginity is also important for parents of virgins: it contributes to the forgiveness of their sins. However, marriage for A. is a completely moral phenomenon. One who chooses marriage should not blame a virgin, and vice versa. A. sees the basis for marriage in the unity of faith, therefore he does not approve of Orthodox marriages. Christians with heretics and infidels. The most striking example of marriage between people of different faiths is for A. the biblical Samson: “Who was stronger and was more strengthened by the Spirit of God from his cradle, like Samson the Nazirite? But he sold himself and because of a woman he could not maintain his grace” (Ep. 62. 8; cf.: Judge 14).

A. is very strict on the issue of clothing for men and women. To Greek He views the custom, which allowed the use of clothing of a different gender, negatively, citing the direct prohibition of the Holy. Scripture (Deut 22:5). A. also emphasizes the inconsistency of such a custom with nature, which gave one type to a man and another to a woman.

Teaching about the Mother of God

In revealing the teachings of the Church about the Mother of God, A.’s ideas are of exceptional importance. The saint shared the idea of ​​the other holy fathers about the Virgin Mary as the New Eve. The first Eve served to expel man from paradise, the second - to raise him to heaven. A. defends the personal sinlessness of the Mother of God and emphasizes the idea of ​​Her Ever-Virginity. She was a Virgin before the birth of the Savior, at His birth, and remained a Virgin after her birth (De inst. virg. 44-45). A. applies to Her the prophecy about St. Gates Bud. temple, through which only the Lord God could pass and which were to remain closed to all others (Ezek 44:22). In his understanding, the Gate is a prototype of Mary, through whom the Savior entered the world. Explaining the high dignity of the Mother of God, the saint calls Her a palace consecrated for the dwelling of God, a sanctuary of purity, a temple of God. With these qualities She serves as an eternal model for all Christian virgins. Her life is the embodiment of virginity, purity and virtue. A. not only testifies to the dignity of the Mother of God, but also assimilates Her active participation in the matter of saving people. He connects with Her the fulfillment of retribution, about which God spoke in paradise (Gen. 3.15). In his treatises on virginity, the saint calls for the veneration of the Ever-Virgin.

K. E. Skurat

Exegesis

A. did not develop his own hermeneutic theory: in his interpretations he turned to the works of other theologians - Origen, St. Basil the Great, Eusebius of Caesarea, St. Hippolytus of Rome, Didymus the Blind and St. Athanasius the Great. From Jewish sources, A. used mainly the works of Philo of Alexandria, but he also knew the works of Josephus. A. also used Greek as a source. philosophy, he was convinced that the Greek. wisdom goes back to the Bible (De exc. Sat. I 42. 1-9).

The fundamental premise determining the nature of A.’s interpretation was the conviction that “all divine Scripture breathes the grace of God” (Exp. Ps. 1. 4). At the same time, in understanding the inspiration of Scripture, A. combines the views of Philo of Alexandria and certain Christians. exegetes (Clement of Alexandria, Origen, etc.). Like Philo and many apologists, A. calls the authors of the sacred books the organ of the voice of God (divinae vocis organum), obediently emitting the sounds of Divine revelation (Ep. 27.13) and not speaking a word from themselves (Ep. 2.3). At the same time, following Origen, A. admits that even with the influx of the Holy Spirit on the prophets and apostles, the activity of their mind does not stop, being enlightened by the “brilliance of Divine wisdom” the more, the higher their moral perfection (Ep. 2.4). Accordingly, different parts of the Holy. Scriptures and even the same book can differ in the degree of their inspiration: in the OT, for example, A. especially highlights the Mosaic Pentateuch and the Psalter (Ep. 31. 1; Exp. Ps. 1. 4).

A. considers the most important quality of a shepherd to be “diligence and zeal in relation to the Divine Scripture” (De offic. ministr. I 3). Study of the Holy He devoted all his free time to the Scriptures; biblical quotations and allusions permeate all his sermons and works. Scripture for A. contains answers to all questions and situations of life (De Sp. St. I 150), in it one can meet God Himself (De parad. 68). God prepared two saving meals for people: the Eucharist and the words of Scripture (Exp. Luc. 6.63; Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 14.2).

Already in the earliest exegetical works, the apologetic orientation of A.’s interpretations is visible, the purpose of which was to find arguments to answer objections to Christ. faith from the surrounding Hellenistic culture. In op. “On Paradise” A. refutes the objections of ancient rationalism to the biblical story of the fall of the ancestors (Genesis 1-2), which were set out in classical form back in the 2nd century. according to R. H. by Marcion’s student Apelles in his unsurvived work “Syllogisms”. A. resorts to the method of allegorical interpretation of Scripture, known to him from the works of Philo. Yes, except for letters. interpretation of the circumstances of the fall of A.'s ancestors, in the spirit of Philo, considers these events as an allegorical description of the temptations to which the devil exposes the soul of every person (De parad. 10-11; cf. Philo. De opif. mundi. 56, 59). In his interpretation of the “Sex Day,” A. criticizes numerous contradictions in the teachings of the Greek. philosophers about the origin of the world and contrasts them with the prophet. Moses, who lived much earlier than them and received a revelation about the creation of the universe from God.

In St. In Scripture, A. sees 3 levels of meaning: moral (moralis), mystical, or rational (mysticus, rationalis), and natural (naturalis). A. finds these 3 aspects in 3 books associated with the name of King Solomon: in Proverbs - moral, in the Song of Songs - mystical (Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 1. 3-7), in Ecclesiastes - primarily natural (De Isaac. 23 ). A. correlates these 3 meanings of Scripture with 3 parts of philosophy: ethics, logic and physics. In the prologue to the Interpretation of the Gospel of Luke, he compares the semantic levels of St. Scriptures with 3 wells of Isaac: the well of vision (Gen. 24.62; see Beer-lahai-roi), abundance (Gen. 26.22; see Rehoboth) and the oath (Gen. 26.33; see Bathsheba): “Reasonable ( rationalis) wisdom is the well of vision, for reason sharpens the spiritual and purifies the soul's vision. The moral one is a well of abundance, for after the foreigners, in whose image bodily vices are reflected, apostatized, Isaac found the water of the living spirit... The third well is oaths, that is, natural wisdom, which covers what is above nature and in nature, for it also embraces the Divine, if the Lord of nature is called as a witness of faith” (Exp. Luc. prol. 2). In various books of St. Scripture, according to A., may be dominated by one of the above semantic layers. Thus "natural wisdom" is most clearly expressed in the Gospel of John; The Gospel of Matthew, containing the Sermon on the Mount, teaches primarily the rules of life; Mark, on the contrary, reveals a predominantly speculative aspect of the gospel, and the Gospel of Luke combines all 3 levels of understanding (Exp. Luc. prol. 3). In his interpretation of the 36th Psalm, A. transfers these 3 aspects to the Pentateuch: “All Scripture is either natural, or mystical, or moral: natural - in the book of Genesis, which tells how the heavens, sea and earth were created; mystical - in the book of Leviticus, which describes the mystery of the priesthood; the moral is in Deuteronomy, in which human life is built according to the prescriptions of the Law” (Exp. Ps. 36. 1).

As an example of the disclosure of the mystical meaning of Scripture in A., one can cite the allegorical interpretation of the stone, from which fire came out and consumed the sacrifice of Gideon (Judgment 6. 20-21). A. interprets it as a symbol of the flesh of Christ, nailed to the cross and destroying the sins of the whole world (De Sp. St. I prol. 2-3). In the same vein, A. interprets the story of Cain and Abel as a prototype of the relationship between the Jewish synagogue, whose sacrifice became displeasing to God, and the Church of Christ (De Cain. I 5). A. sees the moral meaning of Scripture not only in the ethical standards it establishes, but also in numerous images that require allegorical interpretation. Paradise, where the ancestors resided, is a symbol of the blissful state of a pious soul; the rivers flowing in it - the virtues that adorn this soul (De parad. I 13-18), the animals subordinate to Adam - the passions and unreasonable movements of the soul, which are in obedience to the righteous and incapable of harming his spiritual perfection (Ibid. II 51 ) etc. Finally, the “natural meaning” of Scripture not only reveals the secrets of the origin and structure of the world, but also points to God as its wise Creator and Manager. Through him, the Lord sometimes even helps to understand the truths of divine dogmas. Thus, “natural wisdom... teaches that only the Lord is the Only Begotten Son of God, for during His suffering darkness became in the middle of the day, the earth was hidden, and the sun went out” (Exp. Luc. prol. 4).

The importance of the theme of the ascent of the soul in the interpretation of St. Scripture is expressed in the 4th chapter. treatise “On Isaac or the Soul”, where, along with the wells of Isaac (De Isaac. 20-22) and the 3 books of Solomon (23), A. devotes a special place to the interpretation of the verses “The king brought me into his chambers” (Song 1. 4): “Every blessed soul strives into the inner. For she rises from the body, moves away from all things and explores and seeks in herself that Divine that she could achieve” (De Isaac. 11). Purification, moral life and mystical knowledge are the steps that lead a Christian to God.

The initial idea when A. reflects on the relationship between the OT and NT is the conviction of the unity of both covenants established by one God - Christ (De Par. 38; Exp. Ps. 1. 33). Since the entire Bible is the Word of God, the OT must be interpreted with Christ. t.z.: The Holy Trinity speaks in everything Holy. Scripture (Exp. Luc. X 12), Christ spoke both in the prophets and in the Gospel (De fide. II 37). However, there is a hierarchy between the covenants: “The first is the Law, the second is the Gospel, but the lesser [Law] is fear, and not grace” (Ibid. V 31). The purpose of the OT was educational, although the ethical standards it established were still far from the moral perfection of the NT: “The law largely followed nature, in order to encourage us to seek righteousness by condescending to natural passions (naturalibus desideriis)” (Ibid. VIII 1). Hence the sequence in which these covenants follow each other: “Drink first the Old Testament, so that you can also drink the New. Drink the first to soothe your thirst, and the second to fill you up. The Old Testament is repentance, the New Testament is joy” (Exp. Ps. 1. 33). The idea of ​​subordination to the Old Testament and the transition of salvation from the Jews to Christ. A. illustrates the church, consisting of baptized pagans, using the motif of contrast between 2 brothers - Isaac and Ishmael and their mothers - Sarah and Hagar (Exp. Ps. 43. 57; De Abr. I 28; cf.: Rom 9. 8-9 ; Gal 4.21-31); Cain and Abel (De Cain I 5), Ephraim and Manasseh (De Patr. I 2-4; Expos. Ps. CXVIII. 14. 31-32), Perez and Zerah (Exp. Luc. III 17-29).

Following the app. Paul (Rom 7. 1-6), A. rejects the letters. following the law of the Old Testament: “Her [Sarah’s] handmaid is the synagogue or that heresy which produces slaves and not freemen” (De Abr. II 78). It follows from this that the Church must also be dead to the Law, that is, it must abandon its letters. interpretation if she has found the Gospel. Like other Church Fathers, A. provides evidence of the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises in the NT: Melchizedek (Gen. 14.18-20; Heb. 7.1-3) as a type of Christ (Ep. 63.49), a prediction of the virgin birth Jesus Christ (Isa 7.14; De Cain I 10; Exp. Luc. II 4-15, 18, 78; VII 10). In King David, whom he considered the author of the entire Psalter, A. saw the prophet who most clearly foreshadowed Christ. “In the psalms, Jesus is not only born for us, but also takes upon Himself saving bodily suffering, is resurrected, ascends into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father” (Exp. Ps. 1. 8). According to A., the OT was closed until the time when Christ “opened the mouth of the law, so that the call to faith reached the whole world” (De Abr. II 74). Only from this time, that is, only for Christians, does the OT become understandable. The value of the OT is expressed in the three-part scheme of sacred history, in which the OT is divided into 2 periods. Already Jewish apologetics (Philo) knew the argument that pagan philosophy borrowed its teaching from Moses. Christians rejected the claims of Judaism to the Old Testament: if the Jews referred to Moses as the mediator of the Torah, then Christians, according to A., have evidence of their faith that is much older than Moses. A. emphasizes this in his interpretation of the Gospel of Luke, mentioning the 2 sons of Tamar - Perez and Zerah. The fact that Fares first showed his hand from his mother’s womb, but Zara was born first, has deep meaning for A. - for him it is a symbol of the fate of nations: one lives by the law, others by faith, one by the letter, others by grace ; grace is attested in history earlier than the law, and was already active in Job, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, who lived by faith and without the law (Exp. Luc. III 21-22; cf. Rom 4.3; Gal 3.6). “The mysteries of Christians are more ancient than the mysteries of the Jews, the mysteries of Christians are more divine than those of the Jews” (De Sacr. IV 10). The Old Testament patriarchs are, therefore, forerunners and types of Christians (Exp. Luc. III 23).

E.P.S.

Hymns

A. - author of several liturgical hymns for officia (diurnal services). Traditionally his name is borne approx. 30 hymns, but not all of them were written by A. Blzh himself. Augustine attributes to him the authorship of 4 hymns: “Aeterne rerum Conditor” (Eternal Founder of things, morning song - Retract. I 21), “Deus Creator omnium” (Lord Creator of all things, evening song - Confess. IX 12; XI 27), “Iam surgit hora tertia" (The third hour is already coming, for the death of the Savior on the Cross - De natura et gratia. 74), "Intende, qui regis Israel" (Hark, O reigning over Israel, at the Nativity of Christ (cf. Ps 79. 1) - Sermo de Nativit. 372). In addition to them, at least 8 more are recognized as authentic; researchers differ in determining the total number of authentic hymns of A.: from 12 (M. Simonetti) to 18 (A. S. Walpole); according to A. Paredi (Paredi. La liturgia), A. also composed the hymn “Praise to the Lamp” (Laus cerei - Aug. De civ. Dei. XV 22). The hymns consist of 8 stanzas of 4 lines each, written in iambic meter. This type was called Ambrosian and became the last. role model. The hymns contain the confession of Christ. faith, outlining the essence of Christ. teachings. They talk about the incarnation of the Redeemer (about the birth of the Virgin, about 2 natures, the descent into hell), the teaching about the Cross of Christ is revealed (about the destruction of the kingdom of death and the bestowal of grace); believers are called to spiritual wakefulness, the saving fruits of which are depicted in poetic form. The name A. is traditionally associated with the creation of the hymn “Te Deum” ().

The name of A. is usually called a divine service (see Ambrosian rite of St. Ambrose of Milan. Menaion icon. End of the 19th century (TsAK MDA) 1034 (GIM. Syn. 330. L. 103-104v., 12th century) reflected the practice of combining the service of A. with the celebration of the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, for the sake of which the hours and bows were canceled.The Studios-Alexievsky Typikon also notes that on this day in the Studium monastery itself a service with Alleluia was sung, since the following A . was combined with funeral texts in memory of “our brethren drowned in the sea... sent into the service of those who were sent and drowned in the abyss of God’s judgment” (L. 103). Russian first printed in 1610 and now accepted in the Russian Orthodox Church Typicons indicate the service with Alleluia, Modern Greek liturgical books contain a service without a sign (see Signs of the holidays of the month).

The following is known from the monuments of the Studite (for example, RNL. Grech. 89. L. 19-21, 10th century; Greek. 645. L. 19-21, 12th century) and Jerusalem traditions (for example, GIM. Syn. Greek 440. L. 47-50v., 1st half of the 16th century). A. 2 canons were compiled: St. Theophanes Inscribed (Ɨ 845) 6th tone with the acrostic “Θείου ̓Αμβροσίου μέγα κλέος ᾄσματι μέλπω” (Greek - Divine Ambrose great glory with songs I chant) etc. Joseph the Songwriter († 886) 4th tone with the acrostic “Τὸν παμμέγιστον ̓Αμβρόσιον αἰνέσω. ̓Ιωσήφ" (Greek: I sing great glory to the Greatest Ambrose. Joseph). According to the Evergetid Typikon, 1st half. XII century, which is one of the editions of the Studio Charter, the canon of Theophanes is sung (Dmitrievsky. Description. T. 1. P. 333); in other monuments, reflecting both the Studite and Jerusalem traditions, the canon of Joseph is written out (for example, the Menaion of the 14th century - GIM. Syn. Greek 447. L. 47-50v.). Currently Nowadays, in the liturgical practice of the Russian Orthodox Church, the canon of Joseph is used, in Greek. Both canons are sung in churches.

In Russian calendars commemorate A. on December 7th. first found in the month books of the Gospels of Mstislav. XI - beginning XII century (Aprakos of Mstislav the Great. P. 237) and Yuryevsky 1119-1128. (L. 210). In a number of glory. and Russian calendars, the memory of A. is celebrated, as in Western. traditions, on April 4: Bulgarian Apostles of Ohrid (L. 106v.), con. XII century; Slepchensky (L. 126), con. XII century; Tserkolessky No. 2 (L. 232ob.), XIII century; Bulgarian Draganova Minea con. XIII - beginning XIV century (Sreznevsky. Trefology. P. 421); rus. Apostle (GIM. Khlud. 33. L. 227v., XIV century).

A.'s service with the canon of Joseph the Songwriter is contained in the Menaion (GIM. Syn. 162. L. 44v. - 58v., 12th century and RGADA. Syn. typ. 96. L. 48v. - 55, late XII - early. XIII century). According to the Studian-Alexievsky Typikon, at matins the life of A. was supposed to be read (RNB. Soph. 1136. L. 94, late 12th century). The earliest list of the life of A. is part of the Prologue (RNB. Sof. 1324, late XII - early XIII century - Abramovich. Sofia Library. Issue 2. P. 177). A lengthy life of A. is included in the VMC (Joseph, Archimandrite. Contents of the VMC. Stb. 230).

A. Yu. Nikiforova

Iconography

Early images of A. were preserved in the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan: on the mosaic "Golden Sky" (Ciel d'Oro), c. 470, in the Chapel of San Vittore; relief of the "Golden Altar", c. 840; mosaic of the 9th century in the central apse of the basilica; ciborium, 10th of the 11th century. On the mosaic of the chapel A. is presented full-length, between the martyrs Gervasius and Protasius, dressed in a tunic, phelonion (paenula), a cross on the chest; facial features are individualized : A. is depicted as a medieval man, with short dark hair and a small beard. A similar composition is reproduced on the relief of the front wall of the ciborium. The reliefs of the “Golden Altar” depict scenes from the life of A.: from birth, consecration as a bishop to death and the transfer of his soul to heaven - a rare example of an early hagiographical cycle, dating back to the life compiled by St. Paulinus.The plot depicted on the mosaic of the apse of the Church of Sant'Ambrogio and on one of the panels of the "Golden Altar" is based on an episode from the life of St. Martin of Tours ("The Miraculous Ambrose's presence at the burial of St. Martin of Tours").

In Eastern Christ. tradition A. is usually represented in holy robes - phelonion and omophorion, with the Gospel in hand: on a fragment of a fresco in c. Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome, 705-707; in the Minology of Basil II (Vat. gr. 1613. P. 227; 976-1025); in the minology of the Service Gospel (Vat. gr. 1156. Fol. 270v; 3rd quarter of the 11th century); in Minology (Oxon. Bodleian. F. 1. Fol. 20r; 1327-1340); in Greco-cargo. manuscripts (RNB. O. I. 58. L. 89v.; ​​XV century); as well as in Old Russian. monuments: for example, in the painting of the end. XV century c. St. Nicholas in the Gostinopol Monastery in Novgorod (semi-figured image above the arch of the passage to the deacon), in the painting of the con. XVI century the altar of the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Monastery in Moscow; in Russian Menain icons ca. 1597 (double-sided tablet from the collection of P. Corin. Tretyakov Gallery), con. XVI century (VGIAHMZ), con. XIX century (TsAK MDA, made on the basis of the Stroganov sample). In "Erminia" by Dionysius Furnoagrafiot, beginning. XVIII century, about A. it is said: “An old man with a pointed beard” (§ 8. No. 30); in the iconographic original by S. T. Bolshakov, 18th century: “Rus, a shorter brada like Basil of Caesarea, a robe, azure crosses, cinnabar undersides, with white, amphorae [omophorions] and the Gospel.”

In Western art. Europe A., as a rule, was depicted as an old man in bishop's vestments and tiara. The plot presented in the painting by P. P. Rubens - A. does not allow imp. Theodosius the Great to enter the cathedral - reproduced in one of the pictorial compositions in the Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, as well as in an engraving by A. Grachev, ser. XIX century (CAC MDA).

The church dedicated to A. was preserved in the Novodevichy Moscow Monastery (late 16th century (St. John the Baptist?), rebuilt and consecrated in the name of Ambrose of Milan in 1770).

S. P. Zaigraykina

Works: exeget.: Losev S. St. Ambrose of Milan as an interpreter of the Holy. Scriptures of the Old Testament. K., 1897; Maur H. J. der . Das Psalmenverständnis des Ambrosius von Mailand. Leiden, 1977; Savon H. Saint Ambroise devant l "exégèse de Philon le Juive. P., 1977. 2 t.; Pizzolato L. F. La dottrina esegetica di sant" Ambrogio. Mil., 1978; Reventlow H. G. Epochen der Bibelauslegung. Münch., 1994. Bd. 2: Von der Spätantike bis zum Ausgang des Mittelalters. S. 53-77.Rus. lane excerpts: About how the day of the Nativity of Christ should be celebrated // Kh. 1835. Part 4. pp. 235-241; About the post // Kh. 1837. Part 1. pp. 229-236; About the mutual love of Christians // Ibid. Part 4. pp. 28-32; About how we should fear not carnal, but spiritual enemies and thank God for his blessings // Kh. 1838. Part 3. pp. 20-32; About moving away from the world // Ibid. pp. 145-151; Instruction to soldiers and other members of the state and the Church // Ibid. pp. 254-260; A word about the benefits and power of fasting // VC. 1839/40. T. 3. No. 21. P. 201-204; A word to the luxurious rich // Ibid. No. 24. P. 225-227; A word about the search for eternal good // Ibid. No. 36. P. 329-331; An accusatory word on the occasion of a lunar eclipse // Kh. 1840. Part 3. pp. 36-41; About the sacrament of Easter // Kh. 1841. Part 2. pp. 40-47; About the Cross of Christ // Ibid. Part 3. pp. 387-391; Words: On the intercession of the saints. About keeping angels // HF. 1845/46. T. 9. No. 9. P. 66-67; A word about true courage // Ibid. No. 31. P. 261-262; A word about the modesty of young men // Ibid. No. 35. P. 295; Conversation at the entrance to the Holy Pentecost // Ibid. No. 45. P. 401-402; Oh St. Pentecost // Ibid. No. 46. P. 409-410; Homily for the Midsummer of Pentecost // Ibid. No. 48. P. 431-432; 2 Words per week wai // Ibid. No. 51. P. 467-469; Word for the Nativity of Christ // Kh. 1846. Part 4. pp. 345-352; Reflection on the words: “Take up the gates of your princes” // VC. 1846/47. T. 10. No. 7. P. 75-78; A Word on the Intercession of the Holy Spirit: Letter to Honorantius // Ibid. No. 8. P. 83-85; Explanation of the words of the psalm: “The sword was drawn by the sinner” // Ibid. No. 18. P. 181-182; Explanation of some passages of the Gospel // Ibid. No. 21. P. 205-206; No. 26. P. 245-247; No. 28. P. 261-262; Explanation of some prototypes about the Most Holy. Theotokos // Ibid. No. 23. P. 223-225; Letter to Faustin, which exposes his grief over the death of his sister // Ibid. No. 24. pp. 229-230; Reconciliation of some disagreements in the Evangelists’ narratives about the resurrection and appearances of the risen Lord // VC. 1850/51. T. 14. No. 2. P. 15-17; Explanation of the words of the psalm: “The most lawless verb is to sin in oneself” (35, 2) // Ibid. No. 19. P. 185-186; Against those who, during famine, sell bread at a high price // Ibid. No. 23. P. 219-220; About why the wicked live in abundance and contentment, while the righteous often suffer sorrows and disasters // Ibid. No. 39. P. 385-387; Explanation of the parable of the prodigal son // Ibid. No. 42. P. 417-421; On the imitation of St. Mother of God // VC. 1851/52. T. 15. No. 19. P. 177-178; About the fact that the direct duty of a bishop is to teach the people // Ibid. No. 30. P. 277-280; About modesty // VC. 1853/54. T. 17. No. 19. P. 175-177; Word for Easter // VC. 1854/55. T. 18. No. 2. P. 13-15; Word on the Day of Pentecost // VC. 1855/56. T. 19. No. 8. P. 71-73; On the power of the prayers of saints // Ibid. No. 9. P. 83-85; About the Cross of Christ // VC. 1856/57. T. 20. No. 48. P. 467-468; Conversation on the transfer of the relics of St. mchch. Gervasia and Protasia // Ibid. No. 27. P. 251-252; Sermons. M., 1807; Favorite words. M., 1824; Favorite instructive words / Transl. Donskoy Monastery. M., 1838; Favorite instructive words. K., 1882 [arranged. in Ts.-Slav.]; Two sermons // PribTsVed. 1899. No. 51-52; 1901. No. 12; Word for the Nativity of Christ // ZhMP. 1968. No. 1. P. 30-31; About the post // Ibid. 1969. No. 3. P. 27-28; Word for Holy Easter // Ibid. 1979. No. 4. P. 57-58.

Lit.: Aleksinsky E.M., prot. Ambrose, St. Bishop of Milan // PO. 1861. No. 4. P. 465-503; No. 5. P. 19-49; Pospelov P. Pastoral life of St. Ambrose of Milan. K., 1875; Tikhonravov N. St. Ambrose of Milan and his sermons. H., 1878; Förster Th. Ambrosius, Bischoff von Mailand. Halle, 1884; Molodensky V., prot."De officiis" by Cicero and St. Ambrose of Milan // ViR. 1887. T. 2. Part 2. P. 213-224, 267-287, 323-346; Van Ortroy P. Les vies grecques de saint Ambroise et leurs sources. Mil., 1897; Broglie J. V. A. de . Saint Ambroise. P., 1899, 19012 (Russian translation: Broglie Zh. V. A. de. Life of St. Ambrose of Milan. St. Petersburg, 1911); Bulgakov S. Teaching of St. Ambrose of Milan on the Sacraments. Kursk, 1903; Prokhopov G.V. Moral teaching of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. St. Petersburg, 1912; Motrokhin A. Creation of St. Ambrose of Milan “De officiis ministrorum” in his relation to Op. Cicero "De officiis". Kaz., 1912; Adamov I. I. St. Ambrose of Milan. Serg. P., 1915; Campenhausen H. von. Ambrosius von Mailand als Kirchenpolitiker. B.; Lpz., 1929; Palanque J.-R. St. Ambroise et l"empire romaine: Contribution à l"histoire des rapports de l"Eglise et de l"état à la fin du 4e siècle. P., 1933; Dudden F. H. The Life and Times of St. Ambrose. Oxf., 1935. 2 vol.; Paredi A. La liturgia di s. Ambrogio // Sant "Ambrogio nel XVI centenario della nascità. Mil., 1940. P. 69-157; idem. Sant" Ambrogio e la sua età. Mil., 1941 (Russian translation: Paredi A. St. Ambrose of Milan and his time. Milan, 1991); Sergeenko A., prot. St. Ambrose of Milan on pastoral ministry // ZhMP. 1957. No. 54-59; Luka (Bocharov), hierodeacon. Saint Ambrose as a shepherd and theologian: Cand. dis. / MDA. Zagorsk, 1964; Finkevich M., priest. Saint Ambrose of Milan and his pastoral activity: Cand. dis. / MDA. Zagorsk, 1969 (department of the chapter: Spiritual world. Serg. P., 1996. Issue 2. P. 5-55); Morino C. Church and State in the Teaching of St. Ambrose. Wash., 1969; John (Maslov), archimandrite. Lectures on pastoral theology / MDA, library. Zagorsk, 1969-1970. RKP.; Canfora F. Simmaco e Ambrogio o di un"antica controversia sulla tolleranza e sull"intoleranza. Bari, 1970; Gottlieb G. Ambrosius von Mailand und Kaiser Gratian. Gott., 1973; Duval Y. M. Ambroise de Milan: XVIe centenaire de son election episcopale. P., 1974; Dassmann E. Ambrosius von Mailand // TRE. Bd. 2. S. 362-368 [bibliogr.]; Lamirande E. Paulin de Milan et la “Vita Ambrosii”. P.; Tournai, 1983; Clark R. St. Ambrose's Theory of Church-State Relations. Ann Arbor, 1984; Mara M.-G. Ambroise de Milan, Ambrosiaster et Nicetas // Initiation aux pères de l"Église / Dir. A. di Berardino. P., 1986. T. 4. P. 201-259; Mazzarino S. Storia sociale del vescovo Ambrogio. R., 1989; McLynn N. B. Ambrose of Milan: Church and Court in a Christian Capital. Berkeley, 1994; Kazakov M. M. Bishop and empire: Ambrose of Milan and the Roman Empire in the 4th century. Smolensk, 1995; Markschies Chr. Ambrosius von Mailand und die Trinitätstheologie. Tüb., 1995; Pasini C. Ambrogio di Milano. Mil., 1997; Skurat K. E. Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan // He. Great Teachers of the Church. Klin, 1999. pp. 118-145;

Specialist. ed.: Ambrosiana: Scritti di storia, archeologia ed arte pubbl. nel XVI centenario della nascità di sant" Ambrogio (CCCXL-MCMXL). R., 1942; Ambrosius episcopus: Atti del Congr. intern. di studi ambrosiani nel XVI centenario della elevazione di Sant" Ambrogio alla cattedra episcopale. Milano, 2-7 dic. 1974 / A cura di G. Lazzati. Mil., 1976. 2 vol.; Wortindex zu den Schriften des hl. Ambrosius: Vorarb. zu einem Lexicon Ambrosianum / Nach d. Samml. v. O. Faller bear. v. L. Krestan. W., 1979; Thesaurus S. Ambrosii / Curante CETEDOC. Louvain, 1994 [Microfiche].

Periodicals: Ambrosius: Riv. di pastorale ambrosiana. Mil., 1925-; Ambrosius: Zeitschr. für Prediger. Donauwörth, 1876-1954. 59 Bde.

Gymnogr.: Gorsky, Nevostruev. Description. Dept. 3. Part 2. P. 35; Kulbakin S. M. Ohrid manuscript of the Apostle of the late 12th century. // Bulgarian antiquity. Sofia, 1907. Book. 3. P. 128; Ilyinsky G. A. Slepchensky Apostle of the 12th century. M., 1912. P. 108; Petit L. Bibliographie des acoluthies grecques. Brux., 1926. P. 6; Bogdanovich D., Velcheva B., Naumov A. Bulgarian Apostle of the 13th century: Rkp. Decani-Tsrkolez. No. 2. Sofia, 1986. L. 232 vol.; Gottesdienstminäum für der Monat Dezember: Nach den slav. Handschr. d. Rus" d. 12. und 13. Jh. Facs. d. Handschr. GGADA f. 381. Nr. 96 u. 97 / Hrsg. v. H. Rothe u. E. M. Vereščagin. Köln; Weimar; W., 1993; Vereshchagin E. M. Metaphors of the most ancient Slavic-Russian liturgical observance of St. Ambrose of Milan and its role in the criticism of the text // Ancient Russia and the West: Collection / Edited by V. M. Kirillin. M., 1996.

(in Latin Ambrosiuus from the Greek Άμβρόσιος - immortal), one of the greatest fathers and teachers of the church. He belonged to a noble and wealthy Roman family, was born in 340, died in Mediolan in 397; he received a good legal education in Rome, and around 370 he was appointed consular prefect in Liguria and Emilia. He settled in Mediolan; and when in 374, after the death of Auxentius, a fierce dispute arose between the Orthodox and the Arians over the question of electing a new bishop, he, as the first mayor, went to the church to maintain order. When he was there making a speech to the crowd, a child suddenly shouted: “Ambrosius episcopus” (Ambrosius Bishop). This cry was taken up by the people, and by unanimous and persistent vote, he was elected bishop, and thus changed his judicial career to the episcopal see. At this time he was only still a catechumen, but immediately accepted baptism, and eight days after that, on December 7, 374, he was ordained bishop, and bequeathed all his property, money and estates, to the church, of which he became a zealous servant. .

As leader of the church, Ambrose did much more than the three bishops who occupied the papal throne during his time, Liberius, Damasus, Silicius. He saw that the Roman state was quickly heading towards destruction. Naturally, the task arose to organize the church so that it could survive the destruction of the state and serve as an ark of salvation for human society. It was necessary for the church to be united and in agreement with itself. Although personally distinguished by complete religious tolerance, St. Ambrose therefore energetically opposed the spread of heresies in the church. In 379, he managed to install an Orthodox bishop in Sirmium, despite all the efforts of the Empress Justina, infected with Arianism. In 365–366 he refused to hand over one basilica at Mediolan to the empress for Arian worship. He himself talks about this struggle against Arianism in his letters to Marcellina (Er. 20, 22) and Valentinian II (Er. 21), and in his speech De Vasilici Tradendis. He also had a fierce dispute with the Roman monk Jovian, who showed rationalistic inclinations. But, in his opinion, it should not only be united and powerful, but it should also be powerful. Paganism should not find any support from the state. In the Senate hall in Rome there was an altar of Victoria, on which all oaths were taken. Gratian removed this altar, but in 384 it was erected again. At Ambrose's insistence, Valentinian once again removed him; but in 389, it was restored again, until shortly after the death of Ambrose, Theodosius removed it forever (Er. 17, 18). On the other hand, the state, although it interfered in the affairs of paganism, should not, in his idea, interfere in the affairs of the church. In 389, Christians burned the synagogue in Kallinika, in Mesopotamia, and Theodosius ordered the synagogue to be rebuilt at the expense of the bishop of that area. In 370, the people in Thessalonica killed a military ruler during a rebellion, and Theodosius did not hesitate to allow the soldiers to take revenge for this with a brutal massacre. In both cases, Ambrose courageously addressed the emperor with reproach and edification, and in the latter case he forced him to public repentance in the Church of Milan (Er. 51).

As a teacher of the church, Ambrose exercised a great and beneficial influence, and his writings abound in very valuable practical remarks. Of his dogmatic works, the work on the “Sacraments” reminds the reader of Cyril of Jerusalem, and the works on “Faith” and the “Holy Spirit” follow very closely after Basil the Great. His interpretive works are also largely based on the works of Basil the Great, but, like the sermons, they are mainly distinguished by their practical tendency. Among his moral and ecetic works are known “On the Offices of Priests,” compiled according to Cicero; “About virgins”, “About widows”, “About virginity”, etc. Despite his strict asceticism, Saint Ambrose of Milan puts marriage and virginity on the same level, but recommends virginity and withdrawal from the world as an easier and surer path to moral perfection and holiness. In addition, Ambrose was an outstanding preacher. The most eloquent witness to the power of his preaching is Blessed Augustine, who, captivated by the beautiful form and deep content of his sermon, was baptized precisely under his influence in 387. However, his sermons are distinguished by large digressions and excessive allegory. In connection with his practical direction, Ambrose, as a church teacher, represents some independence only in the field of practical teaching. In his allegorical explanations, he strongly aligns himself with Philo, in eschatology - with Origen, and in the six books of Shestodnev - with his friend Basil the Great; He was also dependent on him in the area of ​​dogmatic speculation. Due to a lack of systematic thinking, two different schools of thought, Greek and ancient Latin, do not find sufficient reconciliation with him. So, on the one hand, we find in him a desire to maintain free will in man, and on the other hand, adhering to Tertullian, he says that the will in man is very weak. He strongly puts forward the idea of ​​the unity of the human race, and therefore affirms not only the heredity of sin through Adam, but also finds in innate sin, as such, also hereditary guilt.

Saint Ambrose of Milan is also known as a reformer of church singing. Before his reformation, singing in the Christian churches of the West was done by choirs, cantores, to which the worshipers gave only short answers; and this singing consisted of monotonous, irregular and artless recitative singing of psalms and prayers, with only a slight increase in voice. Following the example of the Eastern and especially Syrian churches, Ambrose introduced meter, regular rhythms, and gave a variety of melody to singing in the Church of Milan, using the Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian and Mixo-Lydian keys of the Greek musical system, as well as the form of alternations, both male and female the choirs, and all the pilgrims, consistently took part in the singing. This new way of singing, as described by Blessed Augustine, was extremely pleasant, and often moved pilgrims to tears (“Confessions”, 9, 7; 10, 33). From Mediolanus this innovation quickly spread, and during the 5th and 6th centuries Ambrosian singing dominated throughout the West. But over time, an artificial secular manner invaded, which towards the end of the 6th century brought about the Gregorian reform, when singing in church was again limited to choirs. As a text, Ambrose used pre-existing Greek and Latin chants, borrowing them from St. Ephraim (378), Hilary of Poitiev (368), and others. These hymns were usually divided into stanzas, with or without rhyme, and were often distinguished by sublime simplicity. But St. Ambrose himself composed many hymns. The so-called Ambrosian or Roman hymns, without rhymes at all, but well adapted to melodies. About thirty such hymns are attributed to him, but only twelve are certain, among which are known: Deus creator omnium: O lux beata Trinitas; Veni redemptor gentium; Aeterne rerum conditor, etc. The famous song Te D-um landamus (We praise God to you), generally called Hymnus SS. Ambrosii et Augustini is partly a translation, probably made by Ambrose, from an older Greek hymn.

After his death, Ambrose of Milan was buried in the Ambrose Basilica, in Milan, under the altar, between the martyrs Protasius and Gervasius. In 824 his relics were placed in a porphyry sarcophagus by Archbishop Angelbert II, and his sarcophagus was found on June 18, 1864, although it was not opened until August 8, 1871. The best editions of Ambrose: Benedictine, Paris, 1686-90, often reprinted, for example, in the Latin Patrology of Min, in volume 14: and edition of Ballerini, Mediolan, 1875 et seq. The sources of his life, in addition to his own creations, are especially his letters, “Confession”, and “On the City of God” Bl. Augustine, and the “Biography” compiled by Peacock probably dates back to the 8th century. – For a detailed biography of him, see Farrar, “The Life and Works of the Fathers and Teachers of the Church,” (Russian translation by A.P. Lopukhin). His works were translated into Russian at the Moscow Theological Academy.

Saint Ambrose of Milan in Monthly. – St. Ambrose is known in Christian hagiology mainly from his life, compiled by Paulinus of Nola. In a Greek translation, this life probably already existed in the 9th century, when Joseph the Songsinger compiled the canon of St. Ambrose (placed in the Service Min. on December 7). Currently, the Greek translation of this life has been published, based on the manuscript of the Jerusalem Bible, by Papadopoulos-Keramevs in publishing. our Palestine Society "Αvάλεχτα", Petrop., I (1891), 27-88). In Greek language, in addition, there was another life of St. Ambrose, serving as some addition to the first (it is ed. Minem, in addition to the Metaphrastovskys, in PG., 116 r. 852–882; in the Synod. Moscow. Bib., in December. Min., perg. XI century, No. 369 l. 104 - there is a list of it - see Described by Vladimir, page 555). In our country, apparently, neither one nor the other life was known before Demetrius of Rostov (in the Chet.-Min. of Macarius, under Dec. 7, in addition to the prologues, there is a rather large narrative about Saint Ambrose of Milan, but the December book these Readings and Minutes were not available to us and therefore we cannot say anything about this story). We have the life of St. Ambrose, whose memory in the Eastern Church, in any case, is glorified in the 9th century. (in Mes. Typ. Vel. Konts. his memory is already listed - see Dmitriev., Description of lit. hand., p. 29), was known from a short story about him in Mesyats. Basil (Men. V.) and Greek. Synax., included in Prol. hands (from the 11th century) and then printed, as well as from the hymns of the canon of Service Menaions. In the story Men. V. and Prol. is exposed in the character of the life and work of St. Ambrose, in addition to his holiness and teaching, mainly his incorruptible truth in his relations with people (even before his consecration as a bishop) and the pastoral boldness that he discovered in his relations with the Emperor Theodosius, who had stained himself by beating the inhabitants of Thessalonica - a boldness that forced Theodosius to admit, that Ambrose is “truly a bishop-saint.” In the service Canon of Joseph the Songsinger of St. Ambrose is glorified as a hierarch to whom “the Word of God gave wisdom to the gift of wisdom” to repel the “wordless evil-mindedness of the heretics” (Arians), - as a shepherd of the “understanding of Scripture” who revealed to the “ignorant”, clarifying in it the “inconvenient” (of course, his conversations and interpretation of St. Scripture), - as a servant of God, who, with the zeal of Elijah and the Baptist John, “convicted the lawless king,” “kept his flock from all harm of the enemy and darkened all Aryan flattery with the radiance of his words” and at the same time, “keeping his flock” - “ made himself the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit" (Servant. M., lyrics and Greek). – St. Demetrius of Rostov on Thursday-Min. outlined the life of St. Ambrose according to Peacock, supplementing it with some passages from ancient sources - Theodoret, Sozomen, Nikephoros. – Memory of the Saint

AMBROSIUS OF MEDIOLANENSIS, Ambrosius Aurelius (about 339, Augusta Treverov, now Trier - 4.4.397, Mediolan, now Milan), saint, bishop of Mediolan, theologian, one of the Western Fathers of the Church. The life of Ambrose of Milan is described in his own writings, as well as in a biography compiled around 412-413 by Deacon Tsavlin (secretary of Ambrose of Milan).

Born into the family of the prefect of Gaul. He studied Greek and Roman literature, rhetoric, and law in Rome. Choosing a career as an official, he became governor of Liguria and Emilia around 370 with his residence in Mediolana. The local Christian community elected him Bishop of Milan, although at that time he was only preparing for baptism. In November 374 he was baptized, and in December 374 he was elevated to the rank of bishop. In 378-395 - advisor to the emperors Gratian, Valentinian II, Theodosius the Great.

Ambrose of Milan associated the well-being of the Roman Empire with the commitment of its rulers to the principles of Christian morality. He considered the ideal state to be one in which the church and secular power would mutually assist each other, and the element that unites the empire would be faith. He advocated the autonomous status of the church.

He was an irreconcilable opponent of paganism and Arianism. For example, in 382 he convinced Emperor Gratian to remove the altar and the statue of the goddess Victoria (Victory) from the Senate building. In 384, he also convinced Emperor Valentinian II not to succumb to the arguments of the Neoplatonist orator Symmachus, who demanded tolerance of paganism and the restoration of the statue of Victoria in the Senate. In 385, when Justina, the mother of the emperor and a supporter of Arianism, urged the basilicas in Milan to be given to the Arians, Ambrose of Milan refused to do so. Together with other bishops and believers, he secluded himself in the Basilica of Portiana and, to strengthen the spirit, performed antiphons and hymns with the flock and soldiers guarding the gates. (According to the biographer of Ambrose of Milan, Paulinus of Milan, this custom of liturgical singing then spread from Mediolan to all the western provinces of the empire.) The victory of Ambrose of Milan in the fight against opponents of Nicene orthodoxy weakened the position of the Arians in northern Italy and Illyria. After the massacre in Thessalonica (390) undertaken by order of Emperor Theodosius, he forced the emperor to public church repentance. He contributed to the conversion of Augustine the Blessed to Christianity in 387.

Ambrose of Milan is known for numerous theological works devoted to the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and dogmas, among them - a commentary on “The Six Days” (“Hexaeterop”), “On Paradise” (“De paradiso”); moral and practical issues: “On the duties of clergy” (“De officiis ministrorum”); dogmatic questions: “On faith” (“De fide”), “On the Holy Spirit” (“De Spiritu Sancto”). He devoted a number of his works to theoretical issues of the relationship between the state and the church. He contributed to the assimilation by Western theology of the theological thought of the Christian East (Philo of Alexandria, Origen, saints: Athanasius the Great, Basil the Great, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory the Theologian, etc.), introduced the West to the allegorical method of biblical exegesis. He established in the West the Eastern teaching about the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the true Body and Blood of Christ (this teaching was subsequently adopted as a dogma at the 4th Lateran Council, 1215).

Hymnographic works. Ambrose of Milan is the author of several hymns (texts and melodies) used in officialdom. According to various sources, he composed from 12 to 18 hymns. 4 hymns - Aeterne rerum conditor (“Immortal creator of all things”), Deus creator omnium (“God, the creator of all things”), Jam surgit hora tertia (“The third hour is coming”), Veni, redemptor gentium (“Come, savior of nations "; also known from the beginning of another stanza - Intende, qui regis Israel, "Move, king of Israel") - was already attributed to Ambrose of Milan by Augustine the Blessed. In the history of music, the most famous is the “Ambrosian” hymn Te Deum (“We praise God to you”), the authorship of Ambrose of Milan, which modern science disputes. A special singing tradition in Catholic worship is named after Ambrose of Milan - Ambrosian chant (see Gregorian chant). The Milanese Liturgy is attributed to Ambrose of Milan.

Memorial Day of Ambrose of Milan - December 7 (20). Ambrose of Milan began to be venerated both in the West and in the East immediately after his death, as evidenced by the Latin and Greek Lives that appeared already in the 5th century.

Works: Patrologiae cursus completus. Ser. Latina. R., 1844-1864. T. 14; Two books about repentance. M., 1901; On the duties of clergy. Kazan, 1908; Two books about repentance and other works. M., 1997.

Lit.: Losev S. St. Ambrose of Milan as an interpreter of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. K., 1897; Adamov I.I. The doctrine of the Trinity from above Ambrose of Milan. Sergiev Posad, 1910; Prokhorov G.V. The moral teaching of Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. St. Petersburg, 1912; Marcelii J. J. Ecclesia sponsa apud sant Ambrogio. Rome, 1967; Beato L. Teologia della malattia in sant Ambrogio. Mil., 1968; Pizzolato L.F. La dottrina esegetica di S. Ambrogio. Mil., 1978; Paredi A. Saint Ambrose of Milan and his time. Milan, 1991; Kazakov M. M. Bishop and empire: Ambrose of Milan and the Roman Empire in the 4th century. Smolensk, 1995.

F. G. Ovsienko; S. N. Lebedev (hymnographic works).