The ultimate promise of Christianity is undoubtedly the access to God. In contemporary times, we call that participation in the divine life. St. Gregory Palamas, the, “Light of Orthodoxy,” is honored on the Second Sunday of Great Lent. St. Gregory lived from 1296-1359 AD as the Archbishop of Thessalonica. Gregory asserted that the prophets in fact had greater knowledge of God, because they had actually seen or heard God himself. Palamas is recognized as a Saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Byzantine Catholic Churches that are in communion with Rome revere him in the liturgy, and Pope John Paul II has been repeatedly cited as a great theological writer as well as a saint. Palamas’ works proposes to us an in-depth mystical theology of God and His grace, inspiring us to a deeper personal relationship and union with God. Therefore, ‘theology in the highest sense is not knowledge of God but possession of God’.
Born in the year 1296, most likely at Constantinople, St. Gregory was the descendant of a noble Anatolian family. Gregory as well as several other members of his family became a monk, after his father’s death. St. Gregory intended to defend the traditional theory of divine participation against its misinterpretation by Byzantine humanists. Gregory‘s primary theological thoughts were concerning the distinction between the essence and energy in God. This thought was driven by the possibility of Communion with God himself. For St. Gregory, the uncreated God and the created world are resolved through distinct epistemological avenues.
In any reflection on the works of St. Gregory, in order to fully comprehend, we may need to upgrade our conception of God. Palamas distinguished three classes of people seeking a personal relati...
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In conclusion, St. Gregory Palamas is and should be a venerated Saint of the Christian Catholic Church. His teachings are in accordance with Catholic and Orthodox dogmatic teachings. Also the Holy See, Pope John Paul II frequently underscored his admiration for Eastern theology as enrichment for the whole Church. John Paul II also concluded, that there is no denying the goodness of the intention that inspired his (Palamas’s) doctrine, which was to stress that man is offered the concrete possibility of uniting himself in his inner heart with God in that profound union of grace known as theosis, divinization. The veneration of this great man is but another small step towards finding ways of confessing our (Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic) common responsibility for the Christian Trinitarian faith in the contemporary secular world.
The main idea in the first chapter “The Great Questions” is that how important of religious, and the author use two sample experiences, which ordinary and extraordinary human experiences are. Portier pointed out four main aspects for extraordinary experiences, those are Birth, Death, Love, and Evil. Because of these four parts, the god creates human being and religious becomes meaning to us. In this chapter, we can learn that religious have power, and they will develop sustainably in the future. Portier still concerned that human life is a mystery. And Portier proposed a context called tradition, and he said that “I want to use it to refer to the sea of historical connections in which individuals swim.” (Portier, William L. Tradition and Incarnation: Foundations of Christian Theology. New York: Paulist Press, 1994. P19). Religious are one of meaningful parts in our life, and they will become an important position in the different culture.
In chapter two, ‘Francis and His Companions,’ Cunningham exposes the considerable growth in Francis of Assisi’s influence, as he recounts his companions that joined him after deciding to live his life. The chapter is significant because it exposes how Francis of Assisi’s gospel is different from the orthodox Catholic practices, which recognized the pope, as the sole Vicar of Christ. (Cunningham 32). This chapter is important in my life because it reinforces my conviction God is the almighty and all-powerful, and all people regardless of the status of the needed to worship
INTRODUCTION The medieval theologian Julian of Norwich was a mystic, writer, anchoress and spiritual director for her time. She is gaining in popularity for our time as she provides a spiritual template for contemplative prayer and practice in her compilation of writings found in Revelations of Divine Love. The insightful meditations provide the backdrop and basis for her Trinitarian theology’s embrace of God’s
Eusebius’ account of Constantine’s conversion is comparable to Gregory of Tours’ accounts of Clovis’ and Gundobad’s conversions to Christianity, in the sense that they all initially called upon the “Christ-God” (albeit Gundobad perhaps indirectly) to come to their aid, which he did, during periods of military crisis. The si...
This paper will outline specific points in Saint Augustine’s Confessions that highlight religious views following the fall of Rome. Though Augustines views on religion may not reflect that of most people in his time period, it still gives valuable insight into how many, namely Neoplatonists,, viewed God and his teachings.
Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 19(1), 69-84. Heim, D. (1996). The 'Standard'. Phil Jackson, Seeker in Sneakers. Christian Century, 133(20), 654-656.
Saint Gregory of Tours was born around the year 538 at Arverni, which is now Clermont-Ferrand. He belonged to the Gallo-Roman family, which was a very prestigious family. He was also related to the houses of Gaul. Gregory’s original name was Georgius Florentius. He took the name Gregory to honor his late grandfather who was named Gregory. His Grandfather was the Bishop of Langres. When Gregory was young, his father died and he went to live with his Uncle. His uncle, Gallus, was the Bishop of Clermont. Gallus educated him until his death in 554. Gregory’s mother left to live with friends in Burgandy and left her son to Avitus who became Bishop of Clermont after Gallus. Avitus taught Gregory all about the Scriptures. Gregory was not too impressed with the scriptures. Gregory got seriously ill and wasn’t supposed to recover. He did recover though and this made him more mindful of God and the scriptures. Gregory then became a friend with the Bishop of Tours whose name was Euphronius. Euphronius died in 573 and Gregory succeeded him as Bishop of Tours.
Through the close study of two of the aspects shown in the diagram, their contributions allow Christianity to be considered a living religious tradition. The significant contributions of Pope John XXIII, during both his papal and Pre-papal life have had everlasting effects on not only Catholicism, but Christianity as a whole and lead to the sense of Christianity being a living religious tradition. His works include two Papal encyclicals, Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris, along with his work being Apostolic Delegate of Greece and Turkey. Moreover, The significant practice of Baptism has further contributed to Christian being considered a living religious tradition as it accounts for the premise of most Christian beliefs to be initiated, especially in terms of salvation and affirming the beliefs in the trinity and following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
"Constantine the Great." The Catholic Encyclopedie, Volume IV. 2003. New Advent. 7 Dec 2006 .
St. Boniface, originally named Winfrith, was an extremely studious man, a converted monk, priest, missionary and finally martyr. Born in 672, near Exeter, England, St. Boniface at an early age developed a desire to follow the path of God and live a monastic life. Through non-stop prayer and religious practices, he tuned his mind and body to reach beyond the obstacles and enticements of everyday life at his young adult age. He was a major influence on society during his life and affected the lives and history of Germany permanently. Often called the “Apostle of Germany”, St. Boniface was a strong believer in the principles of the Church and truly wanted to open any pagan believers minds to the knowledgeable and rewarding path of the Christian life.
I will divide this paper in a few key points. The first is what Gnosticism is. The second is the
The first part of this paper will explore the mystery-religions, the reasons behind their popularity, and the Hellenistic world in which they grew that began with Alexander the Great. Next, their characteristics and connections first with Judaism and later with Christianity will be more deeply discussed. In the second part it will be shown that the mystery-religions helped to clear the pathway for the Christianization of the Greco-Roman world by men such as Paul the Apostle. Finally, the Emperor Constantine’s role in this story will be mentioned, during whose reign the mystery-religions declined and Christianity became the major religion of Europe and the near east. The paper will conclude with a brief speculation about the significance of these ideas to modern Christianity.
Throughout the modern age the subject of Gnosticism has stood in contrast to the concepts of traditional, orthodox Christianity. The subject of Gnosticism has served to represent the ideas and practices of Christianity that were not sanctioned by orthodox Christianity. Generally, we have come to understand that the world of Christianity has been assembled and constructed in the first five centuries after the death of Christ. In a sense, events such as the Council of Nicaea represent arbitrary decisions to compile the official church-sanctioned version of Christianity. Any writings or practices that fell outside of the formal circle of Christian doctrine became candidates for the label of Gnosticism.
Emery, G. (2007). The Trinitarian Theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas. New York, New York: Oxford University Press Inc.
During the major growth period of the Christian church in the 13th and 14th centuries, there were several figures that helped the church prosper. One important man, St. Augustine, is considered one of the few “Doctors of the Church,” a title given to those whose teachings had incredible influence. While a bishop, St. Augustine wrote The City of God, in order to enlighten those who perceived the empire’s conversion as a punishment, explaining two cities known as the earthly and heavenly city (Feduccia Jr., Wagner). He discusses the earthly city divided against it, and this idea can be seen in today’s society. Also, Pope Francis’ vision of today’s changing views of living out a holy life reflects St. Augustine’s views discussed in his book.