Petros Toulis

This article which was presented at the Congreso Tomista Internacional, organised by the Universidad de Los Andes, (Santiago, Chile, June 28th-30th, 2023),  aims to investigate possible interactions between Thomistic and Byzantine Patristic thought regarding two principal topics: Trinitarian Theology, concerning the “distinctio realis” or “conceptual” (τῇ ἐπινοίᾳ) between God’s Essence and Energies; and how this distinction affects Natural Theology concerning the relationship between God and creation.

Από τα πρώτα χριστιανικά χρόνια η έκφραση της λαϊκής ψυχής και βιώματος στην μουσική και εικονογραφία που εξυπηρετεί την λατρεία είναι εμφανής. Η εισαγωγή και ένταξη μελωδιών και στίχων στην μουσική με λαϊκό περιεχόμενο όσο και λαϊκών θεμάτων στην εικονογραφία απασχόλησε το σύνολο της εκκλησιαστικής λατρευτικής έκφρασης σε Ανατολή και Δύση. Άλλοτε η λαϊκή έκφραση αποτελεί το γνήσιο στοιχείο της αρχαϊκής αταξικής κοινωνίας. Άλλες φορές εκφράζει τις ανησυχίες και τα συναισθήματα των λαϊκών στρωμάτων και συχνά μετουσιώνει και μορφοποιεί την λατρεία στην Δύση περισσότερο και στην Ανατολή λιγότερο με την ύπαρξη λαϊκών μουσικών οργάνων.

  Η δογματική διδασκαλία της Εκκλησίας, αποτελώντας όχι μόνο την οριοθέτηση του Ορθοδόξου δόγματος και τη διασφάλισή του έναντι των αιρετικών παρεκκλίσεων, αλλά περιγράφοντας τη ζωή και την πίστη της λατρεύουσας κοινότητας, τοποθετείται στον «εσωτερικό φλοιό», του χριστιανικού πολιτισμού. Εκτός των «Όρων Πίστεως» οι Οικουμενικές Σύνοδοι εξέδωσαν κανόνες που αφορούν την διοίκηση της Εκκλησίας και την εκκλησιαστική και λειτουργική ευταξία. Με αυτές τις ερμηνευτικές αρχές θα γίνει η προσπάθεια να διερευνηθούν και να ερμηνευθούν πιθανές επιρροές της λαϊκής θρησκευτικότητας στη λατρευτική πράξη και την εικονογραφία.

Σε μία εποχή που οι διαθεματικές αναφορές του μαθήματος των Θρησκευτικών συμβάλλουν σημαντικά στην καλύτερη ενημέρωση και ανταλλαγή διδακτικών εννοιών και στόχων κρίνεται απαραίτητο να τονιστεί η θετική διάδραση των λαϊκών στοιχείων εκατέρωθεν σε Ανατολική και Δυτική λατρευτική έκφραση στους πιστους, στους μαθητές και στην κοινωνία ευρύτερα.

Divine Grace according to St. Cyril of Alexandria
#7/423 - Panel Patristics 4-7/3/2019

In this paper it will be presented the Cyrilian interpretation of  the term "Grace"-"Χάρις", which is  connected  to the Trinitarian and Christological  interpretation of biblical passages. Using also  the previous patristic tradition (e.g. Apostolic fathers, Athanasius of Alexandria and  the Cappadocians) which St. Cyril quotes, we  will try to underline  the  role of "Enhypostatic Grace" -"ἐνυπόστατος Χάρις"  of God to the divine Economy and the  relation between Grace and Salvation to the early Church Fathers as a response to the contemporary theological and terminological approaches.

In this paper, we will make clear the contribution of the Palamite theology to Church's teaching on creation, through the systematic approach of Palamitic and Anti-Palamitic arguments for the Essence-Energies distinctions in God. In particular, we will discuss the distinction between "the work of Divine nature" (έργον Φύσεως) and "the work of Divine will" (έργον Θελήσεως) in Intra and Extra Trinitarian theology and the compromising theory of the "miidle energy" (Μέση ενέργεια) at the last phase of the Controversy.

In this book is presented Theophanes' of Niceae teaching on Theotokos (Virgin Mary), through the Hymnology of the Church, the Hesychastical theology and the "Mariology" of St. Justin Popovic and Ft. Dumitru Staniloae. Moreover, we tryed to relate his views with the contemporary international bibliography  and to shed light on the possibillity of the existence of "Mariological dogmas" in his work.

In this communication, we will try to bring into light the theological interactions between Judaism and Christianity in the mid fourteenth century (1320-1381) from two “Contra Judeos” works. the first by a statesman, Emperor Johannes Kantakouzenos, and the second by a clergyman, Theophanes, Bishop of Nicaea. . Our target is to investigate any possible examples and subjects of dialoguing following the shifting paradigm of contemporary interfaith dialogues.

In this communication we will try to present the relation between the Sinaitic ascetic tradition with the Hesychastical theology of prayer and Salvation. Through a comparative study on the "Ladder of Paradise" (Κλίμαξ) and the Triads (Υπερ των ιερώς Ησυχαζόντων) we will search common elements in the main subjects discussed in Hesychastical Controversy (the method of prayer of Jesus, the Illumination of the heart, and the Vision of Divine light)

In this communication we will try to illustrate the personality of Paul, the titular Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, main figure of the attempts of Union between East and West in the Palaiologan Era. Paul, as the official delegate of Popes Innocent VI and Urban V during the years 1330-1367, engaged in discussions with the Emperors John IV Cantakouzenos and John V Palaeologus promoting the idea for an Ecumenical council.
Scholars since now had presented his political influence on the Emperor John V Palaeologus and his ecclesial career in the Latin church. As an intellectual of his time, he met and introduced to the major Byzantine intellectuals in Constantinople. We intent to focus on his philosophical and theological background which helped him to engage in the theological debate of the third phase of the Palamite controversy and to present his theological views through his Epistolography with the ex-Emperor John IV Cantakouzenos , Theophanes of Niceae, Demetrios Cydones and Pope Urban V.

This Presentation, which is given to the Annual Conference 2019 , European Academy of Religion, (Bologna 2019)  it will be focused on  Cyrilian interpretation of  the term "Grace"-"Χάρις", which is  connected  to the Trinitarian and Christological  interpretation of biblical passages. Using also  the previous patristic tradition (e.g. Apostolic fathers, Athanasius of Alexandria and  the Cappadocians) which St. Cyril quotes, we  will try to underline  the  role of "Enhypostatic Grace" -"ἐνυπόστατος Χάρις"  of God to the divine Economy and the  relation between Grace and Salvation to the early Church Fathers as a response to the contemporary theological and terminological approaches.

The purpose of this Colloquium is to record the historical purposes, the theological and philosophical debates and the efforts of Union between Eastern and Western Church during the Palaeologan era, from the Council of Lyon to Florentine Council, in order to investigate possible interactions of the Union debates with the Hesychastical Controversy and to understand the question of the authenticity of the texts raised by the Greek delegation in the Council of Florence.

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Dec 17, 2020 04:30 PM Rome
Topic: Projects of Union in the Palaeologan Era

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https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M5HabmSnSRyyFAixycn59w


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