Sacred Canons: An Overview of Orthodox Ecclesiastical Law

Introduction to the series The Sacred Canons: An Introduction to Ecclesiastical Law

Patristic Nectar Publications is pleased to present a new four-lecture series entitled The Sacred Canons: An Introduction to Ecclesiastical Law by Father Josiah Trenham. The Holy Canons of the Orthodox Church are a part of the sacred deposit of the Christian faith, an essential expression of Holy Tradition given by the Lord Christ to His Church together with other portions of Apostolic Tradition like the Holy Scriptures, the Nicene Creed, the Lives of the Saints, the teachings of the Holy Fathers, the sacred arts, liturgical hymnody, and more. The collection of the canons is called the Pedalion, or in English, the Rudder. The Canons function in the Body of Christ as a rudder functions in a ship- guiding the vessel on its proper course and steering her into the green pastures of God’s providential blessing. In these lectures, you may obtain an overview of the Apostolic Canons, the Canons of the Ecumenical Councils and the Local Councils approved by the Ecumenical Councils, the Canons of the Holy Fathers (with special attention shown to the 92 Canons of St. Basil, the Great), as well as a concluding lecture surveying the canonical teaching on marriage.