Gregory Palamas: Epistemological Presuppositions (Better Sound Quality), Episode 5bis, Prof. C. Veniamin

Mystical Theology: Introducing the Theology and Spiritual Life of the Orthodox Church

Unit 14: St. Gregory Palamas: An Introduction, Prof. Christopher Veniamin
Episode 5bis: Epistemological Presuppositions (Better Sound Quality)
Episode 5bis of “Gregory Palamas: An Introduction” is mainly an *enhanced sound quality* version of the original episode (with new title credits at the beginning, and an end card, plus an appeal for support tagged on at the end), which introduces the "Hesychast Controversy" of the 14th century in the declining decades of the Christian Roman Empire.
In this fifth part, we discuss the philosophical background to the debate between St. Gregory Palamas and Nicephorus Gregoras, which took place at the 1351 Council of Constantinople.
Themes covered in this episode include the influence of Greek philosophy (particularly that of Plato and Aristotle) on the anti-Hesychasts of the 14th century, the relevance of the debate between Nominalists and Realists in the western Middle Ages, and the experiential, non-philosophical and non-dialectical "essence-energies" distinction in the ascetic tradition of the Orthodox Church. See also the Timestamps below.
Q&As related to Episode 5 available in The Professor’s Blog.
Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022); The Transfiguration of Christ in Greek Patristic Literature (2022); and The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation: "Theosis" in Scripture and Tradition (2016).

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פרקים

1. Background to the debates (00:00:00)

2. Question of “Universals” (00:01:09)

3. Real subsistence of Divine Energies (00:01:57)

4. Realism and Nominalism (00:03:18)

5. Realism (00:03:34)

6. Greek Philosophy: Plato (00:10:14)

7. Aristotle (00:14:15)

8. No essence without energy (00:15:57)

9. Porphyry and Boethius (00:16:59)

10. Porphyry’s 3 questions (00:17:31)

11. Boethius and “Universals” (00:18:49)

12. Three Schools in West: (1) Realist (00:19:47)

13. (2) Nominalist School (00:21:27)

14. (3) Moderate-Realist School (00:22:41)

15. Nominalism of Gregoras (00:28:23)

16. Cause and caused (00:31:32)

17. Philotheos Kokkinos (00:32:31)

18. “Theotes” (00:33:23)

19. The “twofoldness” of God (00:35:16)

20. Real knowledge of God (00:36:13)

21. “Energemata” - analogical assent (00:37:17)

22. Energies God Himself (00:38:39)