Many are wondering what is the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Trying to answer the question, most Orthodox Christians mention the Pope, Purgatory, Filioque, but in fact there are many more differences, and they can be of a rather fundamental nature. In this article we will touch upon such an important aspect as the relationship between the Christian faith and reason in religion, which largely determines the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The approach to this issue has been different ever since the separation of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches occurred in the middle of the 11th century, and in the course of history the difference in relation to this subject has only become greater.
Reason and Christian faith in Orthodoxy and Catholicism
It is worth noting that the Catholic and Orthodox churches do not neglect philosophy and science in order to justify and explain their faith. Unlike Catholicism, Orthodoxy is not based on scientific and philosophical conclusions. It does not seeksubstantiate the words of Christ addressed to believers in a scientific or logical way, does not try to reconcile faith and reason. If physics, chemistry, biology or philosophy give support to the Orthodox Church, she will not give it up; nevertheless, Orthodoxy does not bow before the intellectual achievements of mankind. The Church does not harmonize its teachings with scientific discoveries.
In this sense, the differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy can be demonstrated by the example of the position of Basil the Great, who instructed young monks to use Greek philosophy, like a bee uses a flower. All that needs to be extracted is the "honey" - the truth - that God has placed in the earth to prepare humanity for the Coming of the Lord.
For example, the Greeks had the concept of Logos. The Gospel of John begins with the well-known line: "In the beginning was the Word" ("logos" in Greek). To the pagans, the Logos was not God in the Christian sense, but was the principle or power by which "God shaped and ruled the world." The priests pointed to the similarities between the Logos and the biblical Word, they saw God's providence in it.
The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is that the former refers to the sinfulness of man and the weakness of his intellect. It refers to the words of the Apostle Paul, sounding in the Epistle to the Colossians: “Beware, brethren, that no one captivate you with philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ” (2:8).
Catholicism, on the other hand, places a high value on the human mind, and its history demonstrates the reason for this trust in human intelligence. In the Middle Ages, the philosopher-theologian Thomas Aquinas created a synthesis of Christianity with the philosophy of Aristotle - since that time, Catholics have never deviated from their respect for human wisdom. This was one of the reasons for the radical changes and strengthened the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
