There are words whose meaning is so ambiguous that you can’t immediately understand what is at stake. And if you don’t get to the core, you have to guess by context. Take, for example, the word cathedral. What is it, you say right away? What does the person pronouncing it mean? Agree, you need to listen to the proposal in order to understand the essence. After all, the term means many things. Let's see, the cathedral - what is it?
We look through the dictionaries
It is customary to begin even the simplest theoretical studies with the primary sources. The meaning of words is contained in special books, we turn to them. According to special literature, a cathedral is a building, a meeting of citizens, a meeting of responsible persons, held for a specific purpose. As a rule, the term is usually associated with a religious theme. For example, everyone knows St. Isaac's Cathedral. This is the name of the large Orthodox church in which the patriarch conducts services on holidays. However, in Russia, secular events were also called the cathedral. At A.S. Pushkin has the following lines: “Smite the barbarians with bloody verses; Ignorance, resigned, will lower the cold gaze of the arrogant rhetoricians to an illiterate cathedral. ” This refers to a meeting that is far from resolving religious affairs. But the Dictionary of Church Terms explains the meaning of the word, from the point of view of Orthodoxy. In it, the cathedral is a building, a meeting of representatives of Christian communities, and a holiday. Therefore, it is necessary to understand our term in more detail.
The lexical meaning of the word "cathedral"
Science is trying to deal with concepts thoroughly so that there are no questions left. The lexical meaning of the word is understood, according to the textbooks, the image or phenomenon indicated by a set of sounds. And here we come to the same ambiguity. Indeed, by the word “cathedral” our interlocutor can understand both the noun (temple) and the phenomenon (assembly). That is, the same term refers to different, in fact, things. On the one hand, it denotes the structure in which services are performed, on the other, it calls for thinking about a congress of authorized representatives. Understanding what exactly is meant is contextual. For example, when you hear the phrase: “I visited the Orthodox Cathedral during the excursion”, imagine a building. Everyone understands that this is a large temple decorated with icons and frescoes. Another thing, for example, Zemsky Cathedral. This phrase is an anachronism. Such events are not held today.
What is a zemsky cathedral
To understand the essence of this concept, it is necessary to turn to the meaning of power. The ruler must rely on some kind of strength so that his orders are executed. The tyrant has an army and police, the president has an electoral system, people and parliament. In Russia in the 16th century, rulers preferred to consult with certain groups of the population when making important decisions that affect the entire population. People were gathered at the place of residence by special orders. Moscow rulers sent messengers to all parts of the country with a demand to consult with representatives of the service and commercial classes. That is, they did not listen to ordinary peasants. Wealthy people were invited to the Zemsky Sobor, having influence in their quarter or workshop. Probably, in such a simple way democracy was born. Zemsky Sobor acted for a rather long time, about a hundred and fifty years.
Church concepts
Believers also organized the work of a kind of deliberative bodies. Cathedrals of Christians are local, bishops, ecumenical. They differ in the status of participants and the level of decisions made. So, both the archbishops and ordinary believers came to the Local Council . Discussed issues of religion and morality. And in the work of the Council of Bishops only church ministers take part. Ordinary people were not allowed to him. Such meetings were replaced over time by local ones. That is, questions of religious life and morality began to be discussed without taking into account the opinions of the laity. Great value Ecumenical Councils. This event is held infrequently. Representatives of all local churches, that is, territorial branches, gather at it. At such meetings, the most important issues of dogma and church structure are discussed. They tried to hold the last Ecumenical Council in 2016. But most of the local churches, including the Russian Orthodox, refused to participate.
Building
Most often, the meaning of the word "cathedral" is associated with the church. This is the designation of the building in which the religious rites are performed by the patriarch or archbishop. The building has a special, more fundamental architecture, that is, it stands out among others. It is decorated in such a way that believers can immediately appreciate the status of the temple. Its dimensions should also be significant, since a large number of clergy take part in the service. In cathedrals, it is customary to store spiritual relics of great value. They attract believers who want to touch the relics or miraculous icons. The main church in a large Orthodox monastery is also called a cathedral. She also stands out among the rest in size and decoration. It is in this temple that festive services are held, led by the abbot.
Holiday
Some days in Christianity are also called cathedrals. The word changes its meaning again. For example, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the day after Christmas. During this period, churches hold special events dedicated to the Virgin. After the Baptism of the Lord, the Cathedral of John the Baptist is celebrated. Believers come to the church and praise this Saint. As you can see, our term has many meanings. Therefore, it should be used correctly, so that students understand what is at stake. Of course, many now have no idea about Zemsky cathedrals, because such events have long sunk into oblivion. However, without this, many interpretations of the term remain.
The Ecumenical Council, we repeat, is an event held to address fundamental religious issues concerning all believers, and St. Isaac's Cathedral is a large temple. It should be noted that buildings with this name are necessarily constructed in the traditional architectural style of the country and period. Thus, Notre Dame Cathedral bears the features of the Norman and Gothic styles characteristic of the time when it was built. The architects of all countries tried to endow their creations with characteristics that corresponded to the traditions of society in order to preserve its features for centuries.