Question 8: What is the Synodicon of Orthodoxy? August 25, 2023Question What is the Synodicon of Orthodoxy? Answer The Synodicon of Orthodoxy proclaims the Orthodox faith and identifies the heresies of which the faithful should be wary. Originally written in...
Question 7: What are "Ditheism" and "Polytheism"? August 25, 2023 Question What are "Ditheism" and "Polytheism"? Answer "Ditheism" is the belief in two gods, while "polytheism" is the belief in many gods. Because of Palamas’ insistence on the validity...
Question 6: What is the difference between “God” (Θεός) and “Godhead” or “Divinity” (Θεότης)? August 25, 2023Question What is the difference between “God” (Θεός) and “Godhead” or “Divinity” (Θεότης)? Answer For St. Gregory, "God" (Theos), refers mainly to God in Himself, that is, God in His essence;...
Question 5: Who are the Messalians and what is Messalianism? August 25, 2023Question Who are the Messalians and what is Messalianism? Answer In the history of Christian sects, there were a number of dualist groups who identified themselves as special or set apart...
Question 4: How should we understand the “nature-energies”, or the “essence-energies” distinction in St. Gregory Palamas? August 25, 2023Question How should we understand the “nature-energies”, or the “essence-energies” distinction in St. Gregory Palamas? Answer As I have already pointed out, for St. Gregory both the “nature of God”...
Question 3: What is the difference between "nature" (φύσις) and "essence" (οὐσία)? And how should we understand "substance" and "energy" in the Orthodox Patristic tradition? August 25, 2023Question What is the difference between "nature" (φύσις) and "essence" (οὐσία)? And how should we understand "substance" and "energy" in the Orthodox Patristic tradition? Answer In the theology of the...
