SACRED ART AND CHRISTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY REGARDING THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH AND DOGMA IN THE SCHOLARLY WORKS OF SAINT JOSEPH BILCZEWSKI

Abstract

The purpose of the study. The purpose of this research is to review and analyze the work of Saint Archbishop Joseph Bilczewski titled «Christian Archaeology in Relation to the History of the Church and Dogma», which investigates the sacred art of the Roman Catholic Church. Additionally, it aims to popularize the scientific contributions of the recent saint of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine within the academic community. Methodology: A comprehensive approach has been employed in this study, utilizing methods of scientific analysis, systematization, and generalization. Research Results: Saint Archbishop Joseph Bilczewski authored two foundational scholarly works: «Christian Archaeology in Relation to the History of the Church and Dogma», Krakow, 1890 («Archeologia chrześcijańska wobec historyi Kościoła i Dogmatu», Kraków, 1890), and «The Eucharist in the Light of the Earliest Written Monuments, Iconographic and Epigraphic», Krakow, 1898 (Józef Bilczewski, «Eucharystya w świetle najdawniejszych pomników piśmiennych, ikonograficznych i epigraficznych», Kraków, 1898). The work «Christian Archaeology in Relation to the History of the Church and Dogma» is written in two parts: the first part, «Archaeology as a Source of Church History» («Archeologia jako źródło historyi Kościoła», pp. 1–176), and the second part, «Archaeology as a Source of Dogmatics» («Archeologia jako źródło Dogmatyki», pp. 189–311). Sacred art and its main principles are unveiled in the first part of the fourth chapter, «Artistic Life of the Church» («Życie artystyczne Kościoła», pp. 127–176). The scholar presents various types of art monuments: iconographic symbols, allegorical images, historical images, liturgical images, as well as the iconography of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Saints (Bilczewski, 1890). Scientific Novelty: The scientific novelty of the obtained results lies in the comprehensive analysis of the work of Saint Archbishop Joseph Bilczewski. Recommendations: The scholarly work of Saint Archbishop Joseph Bilczewski requires further research, particularly in revealing other aspects of history and archaeology. It is currently extremely important to disseminate the results of the scientific activities of the recent saint of the Lviv Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine and worldwide.