The Ways of Modern Orthodox Theology: Part II
Lecture II: Neo-Palamism: Fr John Meyendorff, and the Greek School
(Christou, Mantzarides, Nellas)
Revd. Prof. Andrew Louht, 17 October 2013
Neo-Palamism and the Neo-Patristic Synthesis: the tendency to find in the fourteenth
century the fundamental opposition between Eastern Orthodoxy and the West:
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Scholasticism v. Mysticism
Identity of essence and existence in God v. Distinction between essence and
energies in God
created grace v. uncreated grace and deification
Thomas Aquinas v. Gregory Palamas
Problem with this characterization is manifold, but it left the Orthodox at something
of a disadvantage, as most of Palamas’s works were unpublished until the work of fr
John Meyendorff in the 1950s.
I. Meyendorff: Life
Born of Russia émigré parents on 17 February 1926, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a
residential suburb of Paris; educated in Paris; graduated from the Institut St-Serge in
1949; doctorate from the Sorbonne in 1958, also ordained to the priesthood in that
year; 1959: annus mirabilis—publication of his Introduction à l’étude de Grégoire
Palamas, his edition of Palamas’ Triads, his little book, St Grégoire Palamas et la
mystique orthodoxe; also in that year, his departure for the United States, where he
became Professor of Patristics and Church History at St Vladimir’s Orthodox
Seminary, and also was involved with the Centre of Byzantine Studies at Dumbarton
Oaks, Washington, D.C., and Fordham University. Became Dean of St Vladimir’s in
1984, after Fr Schmemann’s death in 1983. Retired on 1 July 1992, and died later
that month. Involved in the creation of the Orthodox Church of America, granted
autocephaly by Moscow in 1970; also founding member and first secretary of
Syndesmos, and participated in the World Council of Churches.
Scholarly work:
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Theological: The Orthodox Church, Le Christ dans la théologie byzantine,
Byzantine Theology, Marriage—An Orthodox Perspective; and several
volumes of articles
Historical: Byzantium and the Rise of Russia, Imperial Unity and Christian
Divisions: the Church 450–680 AD: part 2 of The Church in History, which he
conceived and edited.
Work of St Gregory Palamas
II: Meyendorff and Palamas.
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Of first importance, for its presenting a much fuller picture of Palamas, based
on the whole range of his works, most of which had never been published
Edition of the Triads
An attempt to give a more rounded picture of Palamism
III: The Greeks
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Critical edition of the whole of Palamas’ works, projected by P. Christou
George Mantzaridis, and his The Deification of Man (ET, 1984)
Panayiotis Nellas, and his Deification in Christ (ET, 1987)
Bibliography
Meyendorff:
Account of his life: Dimitri Obolensky’s obituary in Sobornost/Eastern Churches
Review 15:2 (1993), 44–51
Denkschrift: New Perspectives on Historical Theology. Essays in Memory of John
Meyendorff, ed. Bradly Nassif, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1995, with an essay
‘John Meyendorff and the Heritage of the Russian Theological Tradition’, by Lewis
Shaw, pp. 10–42.
Introduction à l’étude de Grégoire Palamas, Patristica Sorbonensia 3, Paris: Seuil,
1959; English translation (with abridged footnotes and lacking the appendices and
bibliography, but with minor updating), A Study of Gregory Palamas, trans. George
Lawrence, London: Faith Press, 1964 (now published by SVSP)
Grégoire Palamas, Défense des saints hésychastes, Spicilegium Sacrum Lovaniense:
Études et documents, fascicule 30–31, Leuven-Louvain, 1959 (rev. ed., 1973); very
partial Eng. trans. by Nicholas Gendle: Gregory Palamas, The Triads, London: SPCK,
1983
St Grégoire Palamas et la mystique orthodoxe (1959)
Byzantine Hesychasm: historical, theological, and social problems, Aldershot:
Variorum, 1974
L’Église orthodoxe: hier et aujourd’hui (1960), published in English as The Orthodox
Church: Its Past and Its Role in the World Today (1962)
Le Christ dans la théologie byzantine (1962; published in English in the same year as
Christ in Eastern Christian Thought)
Byzantine Theology (1974)
Marriage—An Orthodox Perspective (1975)
Byzantium and the Rise of Russia (CUP, 1981)
Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions: the Church 450–680 AD (1989), vol. 2 of
The Church in History
For Palamas and the hesychast controversy, see R.E. Sinkewicz, ‘Gregory Palamas’,
in La Théologie byzantine et sa tradition, II, ed. Carmelo Giuseppe Conticello and
Vassa Conticello, Turnhout: Brepols, 2002, 31–188
For Romanides’ criticisms: John S. Romanides, ‘Notes on the Palamite Controversy
and Related Topics’, Greek Orthodox Theological Review, I: 6 (1960–1), 186–205; II;
9 (1963–4), 225–270
Mantzaridis: The Deification of Man (ET, SVSP, 1984)
Nellas: Deification in Christ (ET, SVSP, 1987)