The spiritual hierarchy principle in the works of Paul the Apostle, the Fathers of the Church and the philosophers of the middle ages

Abstract

The article analyses the moral virtues of a person through the principle of spiritual hierarchy. It is shown that its beginnings are inherent in the Holy Scriptures. Applying the principle of spiritual hierarchy, Paul the Apostle and the Fathers of the Church defined three levels of human development: outward, psychical and spiritual. The spiritual hierarchy principle opposes the principle of democracy; the latter asserts that every man has the same spiritual nature. The principle of spiritual hierarchy directed towards an inward progression, while the principle of democracy absolutized the bodily existence. The topicality of the spiritual hierarchy principle in the context of the existential crisis is proved.