In theEastern Orthodox Church,Catholic Church,[1] and in the teachings of theChurch Fathers which undergirds thetheology of those communions,economy oroeconomy (Greek:οἰκονομία,oikonomia) has several meanings.[2] The basic meaning of the word is "handling" or "disposition" or "management" of a thing, or more literally "housekeeping", usually assuming or implyinggood orprudent handling (as opposed topoor handling) of the matter at hand. In short,economia is a discretionary deviation from the letter of the law in order to adhere to the spirit of thelaw andcharity. This is in contrast tolegalism, orakribia (Greek:ακριβεια), which is strict adherence to the letter of the law of the church.
The divine economy, in Eastern Orthodoxy, not only refers to God's actions to bring about the world'ssalvation andredemption, but toall of God's dealings with, and interactions with, the world, including the Creation.[3][verification needed]
According toLossky,theology (literally, "words about God" or "teaching about God") was concerned with all that pertains to God alone, in himself, i.e. the teaching on theTrinity, thedivine attributes, and so on; but it was not concerned with anything pertaining to the creation or the redemption. Lossky writes: "The distinction betweenοικονομια [economy] andθεολογια [theology] [...] remains common to most of the GreekFathers and to all of theByzantine tradition.θεολογια [...] means, in the fourth century, everything which can be said of God considered in Himself, outside of His creative and redemptive economy. To reach this 'theology' properly so-called, one therefore must go beyond [...] God as Creator of the universe, in order to be able to extricate the notion of the Trinity from the cosmological implications proper to the 'economy.' "[3]
TheEcumenical Patriarchate considers that through "extreme oikonomia [economy]", those who arebaptized in theOriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic,Lutheran,Old Catholic,Moravian,Anglican,Methodist,Reformed,Presbyterian,Church of the Brethren,Assemblies of God, orBaptist traditions can be received into the Eastern Orthodox Church through the sacrament ofChrismation and not throughre-baptism.[4]
In thecanon law of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the notions ofakriveia andeconomia (economy) also exist.Akriveia, which is harshness, "is the strict application (sometimes even extension) of thepenance given to an unrepentant and habitual offender."Economia, which is sweetness, "is a judicious relaxation of the penance when the sinner shows remorse andrepentance."[5]
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:[6]
The Fathers of the Church distinguish between theology (theologia) and economy (oikonomia). "Theology" refers to the mystery of God's inmost life within the Blessed Trinity and "economy" to all the works by which God reveals himself and communicates his life. Through the oikonomia the theologia is revealed to us; but conversely, the theologia illuminates the whole oikonomia. God's works reveal who he is in himself; the mystery of his inmost being enlightens our understanding of all his works. So it is, analogously, among human persons. A person discloses himself in his actions, and the better we know a person, the better we understand his actions.
