PECULIARITIES OF THE STUDY OF THE СHRISTIAN СHURCH’S HISTORY

Abstract

Strengthening tolerance between faiths and ensuring religious tolerance in society is a priority in our country. In this regard, we can say that the study of the history of christianity is a pressing problem within a number of disciplines, including religious studies and historiography.

The practical significance of studying the history of christian communities is manifested in the fact that information about the activities of non-islamic religious movements among the population is limited, and their structure, scale of activity and customs are not the same.

Periodization of history is one of the most difficult tasks, since it is very difficult to find starting points for calculating periods. Historians have studied the beginning of the history of the christian church from different approaches.

In the history of christianity, it is natural to distinguish three major periods: the early christian period, the middle ages and the new christian period.

The history of christianity includes not only political events, i.e., changes in power in a certain group of christians: the history of popes or ecumenical patriarchs, conflicts with secular authorities, but also the history and development of theological views and teachings.

In addition to religious teachings, liturgy, the history of rituals, morality and behavior of christian believers are also of great importance for christianity. It is also seen as an integral part of the general historical process of each era.

When we talk about morals and behavior, we must remember the history of christian culture, its specific aspects: music, visual arts, literature and architecture. All this cannot be separated from the life of a christian.

Historians of different branches of christianity who studied the history of the church, with their unique approaches, revealed new aspects of periodization. Among them, a comparative analysis of the approaches of Nestor, Eusebius of Caesarea, Bartholomew of Luca, Rufim of Aquileia, Gregory of Tours, Bede the Venerable, Flacius Illyricus, Baronius, Lebedev, Philaret of Chernigorsk, V.V. Bolotov, R. Rothe, G. Gasse, Moler, Zoclair, Kurtz, Metropolitan Philaret, S.V. Sannikov.