The theology of st. Gregory Palamas: innovation or traditions’ continuation

Abstract

This article is devoted to the questions of the attitude of St Gregory Palamas to the problem of God-knowledge. His teaching is of much interest for the Orthodox understanding of theology, including for Orthodox ecclesiology. In addition, the article reveals issues that are important for philosophical and church history, because they allow us to show the cultural and historical implications of the theological concepts of the West and the Byzantine East in the XIV century. Note that this time is considered a kind of respite to the Eastern empire and a period of its cultural flowering after the collapse of the Latin Empire created on the ruins of the Roman Empire and before its decline in 1453, which makes it possible to note special attention to this historical period. Based on the teachings of St. Gregory Palamas, along with other contemporary theologians, the author of the article decides whether to include the theology of Palama to the continuation of the Greek tradition, or whether it is an innovative discovery.