Epistemological and noological foundations of the doctrine of Barlaam of Calabria on the knowledge of God and the vision of the intellectual light
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu28.2024.104Abstract
The article proposes a new approach to the reconstruction of the doctrine of Barlaam of Calabria about the knowledge of God and the vision of the “intellectual light” on the basis of its epistemology and noology. In implementing this approach it was found that the basis of Barlaam’s teaching about the absolute unknowability of God is the epistemological principle: “like is known by like”. God, as completely alien to the created world, cannot be known by any of the cognitive abilities of man: neither by “perception”, nor by “opinion and reason”, nor by “mind”. The knowledge or vision of God Himself is in no way inaccessible to man. The knowledge of God is limited by the highest cognitive ability — the mind, its nature and the ability to contemplate intelligible concepts. Therefore the only thing available to man is contemplation (comprehension) in his mind of intellectual concepts (knowledge) about God. The mind, the concepts (knowledge) indwelling in the mind, and the act of thinking — all this is in relation to “dentity” to each other. In this noologically closed system of knowledge of God, the «intelligent light» is the mind that contemplates itself, and through this contemplates in itself all true knowledge about God. The knowledge of God and the vision of God are thus reduced by Barlaam to an intellectual act of self-knowledge. The article also examines the doctrine of Barlaam about the difference between intellectual light, Tabor light and supersubstantial light.
Keywords:
Barlaam of Calabria, Gregory Palamas, intellectual light, Tabor light, supersubstantial light, vision of God, logos, noology, Divine energies, palamite controversy
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
References
Basilius Caesariensis (1857) “Enarratio in prophetam Isaiam”, in Patrologia Graeca. Ed. by J.-P. Migne, vol. 30, col. 117–668.
Bekkeri I., ed. (1837) Aristotelis Opera. Τ. 3, 8. Oxonii, E Typographeo academic.
Blackstone J. (2018) Knowledge and experience in the theology of Gregory Palamas. Oxford, Peter Lang Ltd., International Academic Publ.
Burnet J., ed. (1901) Platonis opera. Vol. 2. Oxford, Clarendon Press.
Burnet J., ed. (1902) Platonis opera. Vol. 4. Oxford, Clarendon Press.
Chepel D. S., transl., comment., pref.; Lastochkin O. I., comp. (2021) Tomos of the palamite councils. St. Petersburg, Aleteia Publ. (In Russian)
Christou P. K., Bobrinsky B., Papaevaggelou P., Meyendorff J., eds (1962) De processione spiritus sancti orationes duae, Refutatio inscriptionum Vecci, Epistulae ad Acindynum et Barlaam, Pro sanctis hesychastis. Thessaloniki, Royal Research Foundation. (In Greek)
Constantinides-Hero A., ed. (1983) Letters of Gregory Akindynos [Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae. Series Washingtonensis 21]. Washington, D. C., Dumbarton Oaks.
Constas N., ed., transl. (2014) On difficulties in the Church Fathers: The Ambigua. In 2 vols, vol. 1. Cambridge; London, Harvard University Press.
Cousin V., ed. (1864) Procli philosophi Platonici Opera inedita. Paris; Frankfurt a. M., Minerva.
De Andia Y., ed., transl., comment. (2016) Denys l’Aréopagite (Ps.-): Les Noms divins (V–XIII). La Théologie mystique (Sources Chrétiennes. 579). Paris, Éditions du Cerf.
De Andia Y., ed., transl., comment. (2016) Denys l’Aréopagite (Ps.-): Les Noms divins (I–IV) (Sources Chrétiennes. 578). Paris, Éditions du Cerf.
Demetracopoulos J. A. (2003) “Further evidence on the ancient, patristic, and byzantine sources of Barlaam the Calabrian’s contra Latinos”, in Byzantinische Zeitschrift, Bd. 96, Nr. 1, S. 83–122.
Demetracopoulos J. A. (2020) “Barlaam of Calabria”, in Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy: Philosophy between 500 and 1500. 2nd ed. Ed. by H. Lagerlund, pp. 252–255. Dordrecht, Springer.
Denyer N., ed. (2001) Plato: Alcibiades. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Dodds E. R., ed., transl., comment. (1963) Proclus: The elements of theology. Oxford, Clarendon Press.
Elimanov V. E. (2023) “To the issue of the difference between substance and energy in the theology of Barlaam of Calabria”, in Bogoslovsko-istoricheskii sbornik, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 126–149. (In Russian)
Fyrigos A. (2005) Dalla controversia palamitica alla polemica esicastica (con un’edizione critica delle Epistole greche di Barlaam). Roma, Antonianum.
Fyrigos А., ed. (1998) Barlaam Calabro. Opere contro i Latini. In 2 vols, vol. 2. Introd., testo, trad. e note a cura di A. Fyrigos. Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.
Fyrigos А., ed. (2005) “Barlaam Calabrius. Epistulae Graecae I–VIII”, in Fyrigos A. Dalla controversia palamitica alla polemica esicastica (con un’edizione critica delle Epistole greche di Barlaam). Roma, Antonianum.
Gregorius Nazianzenus (1857) “In sanctum Pascha”, in Patrologia Graeca. Ed. by J.-P. Migne, vol. 35, col. 663–720.
Gunnarsson H. (2002) Mystical realism in the early theology of Gregory Palamas. Context and analysis. Göteborg, Göteborgs universitet.
Henry P., Schwyzer H.-R., eds (1959) Plotini Opera: [Editio maior]. In 3 vols, vol. 2. Paris, Desclée de Brouwer.
Hunger H., Kresten O., eds (1995) Das Register des Patriarchats von Konstantinopel. 2. Teil: Edition und Übersetzung der Urkunden aus den Jahren 1337–1350. Wien, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae. Vol. XIX/2).
Kakridis Y., Taseva L. (2014) Gegen die Lateiner. Traktate von Gregorios Palamas und Barlaam von Kalabrien in kirchenslavischer Übersetzung (Monumenta Linguae Slavicae Dialecti Veteris. Fontes et Dissertationes, vol. 63). Freiburg i. Br., Weiher Verlag.
Kanaeva E. Yu. (2019) “‘It is exactly the same to know God and to be a seer of God’: Barlaam the Calabrian on the method in theology”, in Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Sviato-Tikhonovskogo gumanitarnogo universiteta. Ser. 1: Bogoslovie. Filosofiia. Religiovedenie, no. 81, pp. 50–68. (In Russian)
Kanaeva E. Yu. (2019) The theological heritage of Barlaam of Calabria: The experience of reconstruction on the basis of preserved writings. PhD Thesis in Theology. Moscow, Pravoslavnyi Sviato-Tikhonovskii gumanitarnyi universitet (In Russian)
Kroll W., ed. (1902) Syriani in Aristotelis Metaphysica commentaria (Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca. 6.1). Berlin, G. Reimeri.
Larchet J.-C., notes; Vinel F., transl. (2016) Maxime le Confesseur: Questions à Thalassios (56–65). In 3 vols, vol. 3 (Sources Chrétiennes. 569). Paris, Éditions du Cerf.
Lukomsky L. Yu., transl. (2006) Commentary on Plato’s Parmenides. St. Petersburg, Mir” Publ. (In Russian)
Meyendorff J. (1953) “Les débuts de la controverse hésyhaste”, in Byzantion, vol. 23, pp. 87–120.
Meyendorff J. (1955) “Un mauvais théologien de l’unité au XIVe sièclë Barlaam le Calabrais”, in 1054–1954: L’Église et les Églises: Neuf siècles de douloureuse séparation entre l’Orient et l’Occident: Études et travaux sur l’unité chrétienne offerts a Dom Lambert Beauduin. In 2 vols, vol. 2, pp. 47–64. Chévetogne, Éditions de Chevetogne.
Meyendorff J. (1959) Introduction à l’étude de Grégoire Palamas (Patristica Sorbonensia. 3). Paris, Éditions du Seuil.
Meyendorff J., archpriest (2013) “St. Gregory Palamas, his place in the Tradition of the Church and modern theology”, in Protopresbyter John Meyendorff. The Easter Mystery: Articles on theology. Comp. by I. V. Mamaladze, pref. V. Vorobyov, J. van Rossum, pp. 621–645. Moscow, Eksmo Publ.; Pravoslavnyi Sviato-Tikhonovskii gumanitarnyi universitet Publ. (In Russian)
Podskalsky G. (1977) Theologie und Philosophie in Byzanz: der Streit um die theologsiche Methodik in der spätbyzantinischen Geistesgeschichte (14.–15. Jh.), seine systematischen Grundlagen und seine historische Entwicklung (Byzantinisches Archiv. Bd. 15. Heft 15). München, Beck.
Polemis I. (2022) “The Hesychast controversy: Events, personalities, texts and trends”, in A companion to the intellectual life of the Palaeologan period, pp. 345–398. Leiden; Boston, Brill (Brill’s Companions to the Byzantine World. Vol. 12.)
Prokhorov G. M., transl. and pref. (2002) Essays. Interpretations of Maxim the Confessor. St. Petersburg, Aleteia Publ.; Izdatel’stvo Olega Abyshko Publ. (In Russian)
Romanides J. S. (1960–1961) “Notes on the Palamite Controversy and related topics (part 1)”, in Greek Orthodox Theological Review, vol. 6. no. 2, pp. 186–205.
Romanides J. S. (1984) “Historical-dogmatic introduction”, in Grigoríou Palamá érga. Vol. 1: For the holy recluses: Trias A. Eds I. S. Romanidis, D. Kontostergiou. P. 5–194 (Romans or Roman Fathers of the Church. 1). Thessaloniki, P. Pournaras Publ. (In Greek)
Saffrey H. D., Westerink L. G., eds (1968) Théologie Platonicienne. In 4 vols, vol. 1. Paris, Les Belles Lettres.
Schirò G. (1954) “Introduzione”, in Barlaam Calabro. Epistole greche. I primordi episodici et dottrinari delle lotte isicaste. Ed., pref. G. Schirò, pp. 153–163. Palermo; Roma, Tipografia Pio X.
Sinkewicz R. E. (1979) The doctrine of the knowledge of God in the initial discussions between Barlaam the Calabrian and Gregory Palamas. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Sinkewicz R. E. (1981) “‘Solutions’ addressed to George Lapithes by Barlaam the Calabrian and their philosophical context”, in Mediaeval Studies, no. 43, pp. 151–200.
Sinkewicz R. E. (1982) “The doctrine of the knowledge of God in the early writings of Barlaam the Calabrian”, in Mediaeval Studies, vol. 44, pp. 181–242.
Sinkewicz R. E., ed. (1981) “Barlaam Calabrius. Solutiones Quaestionum Georgii Lapithis”, in The “Solutions” addressed to George Lapithes by Barlaam the Calabrian and their philosophical context (Mediaeval Studies, no. 43), pp. 200–217.
Trizio M. (2023) “The Neoplatonism of Barlaam the Calabrian”, in Later Platonists and their Heirs among Christians, Jews and Muslims. Eds K. Parry, E. Anagnostou, pp. 244–278. Leiden, Brill.
Whittaker J. (1980) “The Pythagoreans source of Barlaam the Calabrian”, in Diotima, no. 8, pp. 155–158.
Yashunsky R. V., transl. and comm.; Lastochkin O. I., comp. (2021) Triads in Defense of the Sacred-silent (new translation). St. Petersburg, Izdatel’stvo Rossiiskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta im. A. I. Gertsena Publ. (In Russian)
Downloads
Published
2024-04-24
Issue
Section
Biblical Studies and History of Christian Thought
License
Articles of "Issues of Theology" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.
