Journals of Faculty of Orthodox Theology, Babes-Bolyai University (Romania)
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Diagram Reasoning and Paraconsistent Thinking: Hieromonk Hierotheos, His Ancestry, and Legacy
Get PDFThe article is dedicated to the use of logical diagrams in Byzantine Trinitarian theology. Logical diagrams are a kind of logical computation that is often considered to originate with Euler and Leibniz, but they were, in fact, used by Byzantine theologians since at least the ninth century. Nevertheless, logical diagrams were never so widely accepted as they began to be from the late thirteenth century to the early fifteenth century. The diagrams seem to have been introduced into Trinitarian theology by Eustratius of Nicaea (an authoritative philosopher who did not fare as well as a theologian) in his anti-Latin polemics dating to ca. 1112. From there, the use of diagrams was reclaimed in about the 1140s by the Latinophrone Nicetas “of Maroneia” and rejected in 1256 by the anti-Latin theologian Emperor Theodore II Laskaris. Nevertheless, beginning in the 1270s, their popularity and variability exploded. Eventually, triadological diagrams were “canonized” as the legacy of St. Hierotheos of Athens, the teacher of Dionysius the Areopagite, by Joseph Bryennios in the early fifteenth century. Even the “internal” opponent of Palamite theology, Theophanes of Nicaea, resorted to diagrams in defending his own triadology. The figure who rendered diagrams critical for the “Hesychast” theologians was, in the 1270s, hieromonk Hierotheos. He was able to express with diagrams the inconsistency of the mainstream Byzantine understanding of the Trinity. Nevertheless, his own name would come, in the fourteenth century, under a kind of damnatio memoriae, so that his main ideas circulated rather under the name of Hierotheos of Athens. This article argues that hieromonk Hierotheos passed from the Church of Patriarch Joseph to the Church of Patriarch Arsenius (or the Arsenites). Some of the highly authoritative teachers of the Palamites were in disagreement with the Great Church on the Arsenite issue, refusing to accept the act of 1410, where the Great Church had declared the Arsenites to be on the right side of the conflict. This fact could have affected the memory of hieromonk Hierotheos in the milieu where his works were most in demand.
This research was supported by the University of Oxford project ‘New Horizons for Science and Religion in Central and Eastern Europe’ funded by the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in the publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the John Templeton Foundation
Crisis of Language: Semantics in God-Discussion of the Fathers
Get PDFThe early Christian discussion on the doctrine of God occurred primarily within the Hellenistic culture. Christians borrowed both concepts and religious and philosophical vocabularies from the existing culture to appropriate their faith. These concepts and vocabularies have inherent meanings associated with them. Thus, a Hellenization of Christianity has been argued for in the existing literature. On the other hand, baptizing them into Christian usage also resulted in a dehellenization of the cultural concepts and vocabularies. This essay focuses on the linguistic aspect of the interaction of Christianity with culture during its early years. It argues that Patristic discussion on God and Godhead needs to be understood within the dynamics of the crisis of language and the semantic differences that accompanied patristic appropriation of the Christian faith. 
“Attend to Thyself:” Attentiveness and Digital Culture
Get PDFThe rise of digital culture has created both tremendous human possibilities as well as tremendous challenges and problems. Powerful corporate and commercial interests compete for our attention, which has become a valuable commodity in the online world. Living in a culture of organized distractions, human awareness is fragmented, causing us to lose touch with ourselves, our neighbors, the world around us, and God. This paper explores the traditional ascetic practice of attention and watchfulness which it recommends as a coun- terweight to modern cultural, psychological, and spiritual fragmentation. The principal sources under consideration are drawn from the Philokalia, a collection of writings devoted to the practice of “attending to oneself.”
 
Marcus Plested, Wisdom in Christian Tradition: The Patristic Roots of Modern Russian Sophiology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022. x + 274 p. ISBN 978-0-19-286322-5
Get PDFAntonio Rigo, Gregorio Palamas, Tomo aghioritico: La storia, il testo e la dottrina. OLA 298. Bibliothéque de Byzantion 26. Leuven: Peeters, 2021. x + 187 p. (with 6 plates). ISBN 978-90-429-4077-2
Get PDFAspects of Monastic Formation, Probation, and Education in St. Gregory Palamas
Get PDFThe theology of Saint Gregory Palamas is of crucial importance for monastic spirituality. In his writings as well as in his Vita, composed by Philotheos Kokkinos, there are several instances which deal with aspects of a novitiate, that is, the process of becoming a monk. These elements will be examined in the context of Byzantine monastic rules (typika) and the earlier monastic tradition, both in East and West. In the sixth century, St. Benedict of Nursia adopted these early Eastern traditions for Western monasticism. Therefore, they constitute a strong common ground until today. This article attempts to show some traits of St. Gregory Palamas’ own monastic “career,” what he himself considered important, and what could be considered important for today.
 
The Political Role of the Orthodox Clergy in the Union of the Romanian Principalities (1859)
Get PDF The union of the Romanian Principalities was a decisive moment in the history and evolution of the modern Romanian state, but its realization cannot be separated from the actions of the bishops and clergy, who were co-opted in the electoral process from the very beginning. The activity of the clergy was not strictly limited to the bureaucratic management of the elections but revealed a set of political beliefs, actively supporting the idea of Romanians’ national unity. This paper aims to insist on the political partisanship of the clergy respectively, on the immediate consequences of their involvement in political life. 
The Byzantine Representation of the 'Announcement of the Nativity of the Theotokos' - Underlying Apocryphal Text, Patristic Reflections, Liturgical Perspectives, Theological Highlights, and Iconographic Pattern
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The present study aims first and foremost to provide (ikon) painters with the theological content required to carry out a theoretical process of familiarisation with the basic notions that they would be recommended to take into consideration before starting to work on an ikon. In the absence of this information, a painter would find it difficult to understand the theological message of the event they are rendering in art form and therefore encounter significant hindrances in attaining the final goal of their confession of faith. Furthermore, by highlighting the way the pattern of representation of the ikon/scene has evolved and subsequently crystallised, this paper seeks to enable (ikon) painters to understand the defining elements that lie at the foundation of the Byzantine model for representing an event are, to avoid the exclusion of certain essential details from their renditions, which need to fit into the dynamism of Church Tradition. To that end, we have set out to apply these theoretical rigors to a scene from the life of the Mother of God – the announcement of her birth –to provide the reader with the opportunity to take note of the steps to follow before creating an ikon/scene. 
Importanţa catehezei în actualitate. Activităţi catehetice desfășurate în Biserica Ortodoxă Română și Biserica Ortodoxă din Grecia (studiu comparativ)
Get PDFThe study aims at describing the catechesis activities, as well as their importance and essential requirement in order to ensure a harmonious growth of the young generation and not only. Changes that occur in society, the human being’s dependence on everything that is material, consumerism, selfishness and personal self-concern make us approach the issue of catechesis from another point of view. Taking into account the fact that the catechetical programs carried out within the Romanian Orthodox Church are extremely well known, they have been schematically presented. At the same time, the study presents and describes the catechetical activities carried out by the Greek Orthodox Church, as well as their importance and impact on the individual, on family and on the community. The uppermost goal of the study consists in the exchange of the catechetical experience between the two Churches, to their mutual benefits. It is shown that in the contemporary context, catechesis is more necessary than ever. It is by no means outdated or obsolete. The importance of a thorough education, which presents young people with genuine and worthy role models to follow, is fundamental in the process of educating them, but also in building a beautiful future for our society. In the study, there are references to Internet addresses related to these catechesis activities, as well as to new catechetical methods, proposals and points of view
Exorcizarea din ţinutul Gherasei în descrierea lucanică (Luca 8, 26-39). O perspectivă exegetică
Get PDFThe present study treats the perspective of The Holy Evanghelist Luke, about the miracle of the exorcization from Gherasa (Luke 8, 26-39). The exegetical aproach of this pericop, focused on the particularities of the lucanian narative about this miracle, show the evanghelical consens in render about the works of Jesus. In the context of the seeming differences within the accounts of the Evanghelists – this miracle is not an exception, the particularities found within the account are not in contradiction, but in complementarity. Different perspectives do not automatically imply disagreement. Pointing out some, or more, details about this miracle, from the many miracles Jesus did, is neither mechanical nor random, but every Evanghelical writer followed a certain purpose through his writing. Therefore, there were presented those facts and those places that where converged to the purpose pursued by writing. The answers given to the question: „Why do these differences exist?” come to confirm the trust in the accuracy of the Evanghelical accounts, that are credible sources, proving that „All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful” (2 Tim. 3, 16)