Timur Schukin | Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St.Petersburg. (original) (raw)

Papers by Timur Schukin

Introduction. In spite of the fact that major researchers of Gregory Palamas’ theology, Robert Si... more Introduction. In spite of the fact that major researchers of Gregory Palamas’ theology, Robert Sinkewicz and John Demetracopoulos, offered detailed explanations of when and for what ‘The chapters on physics’ of Gregory Palamas were written, it seems that this issue was not finally resolved. Methods. This article, therefore, has two goals. The first is to answer the question why in ‘The chapters on physics’ the polemic against Barlaam and Akindynos, although it occupies a large part of the treatise, is presented as a part of the broader theological and philosophical program of Palamas, and what role does the cosmological part (1–14 chapters) play in the structure of the treatise. In the author’s opinion, such a statement of the question will allow us to understand what Gregory Palamas was guided by when writing the text. The second objective is to offer a social portrait of the addressee of this treatise, delivering some of representatives of the stratum on which the Palamas was orie...

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In the earliest work of Gregory Palamas, the «Logos on Saint Peter of Athos», there is a passage ... more In the earliest work of Gregory Palamas, the «Logos on Saint Peter of Athos», there is a passage describing the process of self-knowledge of the ascetic: his mind first turns to itself, freed from all sensual and passionate, and then goes beyond its own nature to contemplate God and connect with Him. In his article on this topic Ioannis Polemis has pointed out that the origin of the obviously Neoplatonic vocabulary and conceptual apparatus of this passage can only be explained by the direct or indirect acquaintance of St. Gregory Palamas with the works of Plotinus. In this article an attempt is made, in the development of Polemis ‘ observations, to identify the Plotinus’ treatise, on which the monk Gregory Palamas relies in his reasoning. The author aims to demonstrate that the founder of Hesychasm, using and modifying some passages of Enneades V, 3, follows in line with the thoughts of the Plotinus in some aspects, but disagrees with him in key points points and argues that the result of intellect self-conversion is not the acquisition of natural boundaries, as Plotinus insists, but overcoming them in an endless striving to God. The article brings up the reasons what Gregory Palamas argued with humanist thinkers who were under the influence of Plotinus, in particular, with Nicephorus Gregoras.

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Dirk Krausmüller believes that Leontius of Byzantium in the first book of his early treatise Cont... more Dirk Krausmüller believes that Leontius of Byzantium in the first book of his early treatise Contra Nestorianos et Eutychianos supposes the singularity to include three elements: (1) unqualified substrate, (2) set of substantial idioms, and (3) set of hypostatic idioms. In my opinion, this structure looks a little different: (1) substance, which represents the universal without substantial and para-substantial features, (2) nature, which contemplated only with these features and (3) hypostasis. The different usage of the terms " substance " and " nature, " as well as the expressions like " communication by nature " and " junction by substance, " which have a completely distinct meaning, serves as a proof of this basically thesis. Nevertheless, the descriptive model of Contra Nes torianos et Eutychianos has been somewhat modified in a later treatise Solutio. Leontius of Byzantium suggests that the singularity should include (1) nature or substance in the meaning of species, (2) individual nature, which, besides the natural qualities, includes also the hypostatic ones, (3) hypostasis itself rendering being to the whole described construction. This transformation has been done due to different polemical purposes (?). Leontius of Byzantium tries to justify not the common character of nature, but the way the common nature takes being in the singularity.

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This review article is a collective work of five scholars who have written their reviews and/or r... more This review article is a collective work of five scholars who have written their reviews and/or responses to the twelve chapters of the recently published Cambridge Intellectual History of Byzantium. These reviews discuss such issues as institutional settings, classical scholarship, rhetoric, political theory, literary criticism, historiography, logic, and
philosophy in Byzantium. They also deal with the reception of the Neoplatonic ideas in Byzantium as well as with some individual figures such as Maximos the Confessor and Michael Psellos.

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In his Ambigua, St. Maximus the Confessor dedicated some chapters to refuting the conception of e... more In his Ambigua, St. Maximus the Confessor dedicated some chapters to refuting the conception of eternity of the world. That was a keystone notion for John Philoponus' system, and Maximus partly repeats his proofs in its favor and partly rejects them. The authors converge in being convinced that spatial and temporal limitations, as well as staying in motion, are unalienable features of the creation distinguishing it from the Creator. Nevertheless, in interpreting the notion of the matter they go separately, for while John Philoponus denied the existence of the matter, Maximus Confessor needed the matter concept as a cosmological basis for Christological conclusions.

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«Theological orations» оf Saint Symeon the New Theologian are three polemical treatises, that dev... more «Theological orations» оf Saint Symeon the New Theologian are three polemical treatises, that devoted to the refutation of the fallacious teaching on the Holy Trinity. But triadological theme for Saint Simeon is secondary. An anthropology, a doctrine of true Holiness and ascetical practices, that leads a human being to it, are central for him.

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Historical and theological context of the composition of the «Theological orations» by Simeon the... more Historical and theological context of the composition of the «Theological orations» by Simeon the New theologian is still not reconstructed. Presumably the criticisms of Symeon the New theologian were a well-known theologian bishop Stephen of Nicomedia and members of his social set. Тhe opponents of Simeon found their speculations on the Church fathers, in particular on Gregory the Theologian, and it is quite possible that they hold emanation or subordinately doctrines (which probably not without influence of Neoplatonism occurred).

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There is a translation of the article «Saint Symeon the New Theologian and the theology of divine... more There is a translation of the article «Saint Symeon the New Theologian and the theology of divine substance» by Istvan Perczel, who argues that St. Symeon has taught a doctrine of substantial participation in God, based on a peculiar understanding of the hypostatic union of the divine and human substances in Christ, as well as on a specific Eucharistic doctrine.

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Drafts by Timur Schukin

Невозможно отрицать того исключительного влияния, которое на Михаила Пселла оказал Прокл: об этом... more Невозможно отрицать того исключительного влияния, которое на Михаила Пселла оказал Прокл: об этом влиянии свидетельствуют и слова самого византийского философа и многочисленные ссылки на сочинения диадоха Афинской академии и те концепции Михаила Пселла, которые могли возникнуть только под влиянием Прокла. Однако в случае дидактической формулы, на наш взгляд, ее источником можно считать либо обобщенное учение позднего неоплатонизма, в котором невозможно различить элементы, которые можно приписать Ямвлиху, Сириану, Проклу или Дамаскию, либо сочинения первого в этом ряду философа, являющегося автором многих специфичных для позднего неоплатонизма новаций. Присовокупив к этому, что Михаил Пселл не только был знаком с сочинениями Ямвлиха, но и вполне осознавал его философское первенство, можно заключить: именно халкидский является вдохновителем универсальной дидактической формулы Михаила Пселла.

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This study using an example of Michael Psellos’ interpretation of the book Song of Songs focuses ... more This study using an example of Michael Psellos’ interpretation of the book Song of Songs focuses on a transformation of the ‘big text’ of the Orthodox tradition, the corpus of texts, including the biblical books, as well as the works of the Church fathers, in the eleventh century. The verse of Song. 2: 6 was taken as a touchstone. Its interpretation is present in most of the comments on the Song of Songs and describes the closest connection of the main characters of this book, the Bride and Groom (in the Byzantine tradition: Christ and the human soul). The study shows that Michael Psellos revises the traditional interpretation of the Song of Songs and probably challenge the authority of the most authoritative commentary on this biblical book in the eleventh century – the catenas of ‘Three fathers’, formed within the tradition of Maximus the Confessor. Indeed, if the leitmotif of all Byzantine commentaries on the Song of Songs is the interpretation of the connection of Christ and the human soul as a real, effective communion of man and God, ‘deification’, Michael Psellos offers a reduced, rather moralistic interpretation of the images of the Song of Songs. It can be seen not only in the interpretation of Songs. 2: 6, but also in that of some other verses. Perhaps, such interpretation was polemically aimed against the concept of deification presented in the catenas of ‘Three fathers’, created largely on the basis of the works of Maximus the Confessor, the great theorist of deification. The fact that his theological authority in the 11th century was far from being universally recognized allowed Michael Psellos to be critical of him and his tradition.

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Целью данной статьи является демонстрация того, каким образом византийский энциклопедист XI века ... more Целью данной статьи является демонстрация того, каким образом византийский энциклопедист XI века Михаил Пселл воспринимал и интерпретировал конвенциональное для поздневизантийской традиции отождествление понятий «природа» (φύσις) и «сущность» (οὐσία).

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Предметом данной статьи является та роль, которую мыслитель XI века Михаил Пселл приписывал самом... more Предметом данной статьи является та роль, которую мыслитель XI века Михаил Пселл приписывал самому себе в истории византийской философии и богословия. Для прояснения его позиции проанализированы автобиографические и мемуарные выдержки из его «Хронографии», в которых содержится информация об интеллектуальной традиции, предшествующей Михаилу Пселлу. Ключевой фрагмент «мемуаров» Михаила Пселла содержит упоминание о некоторых богословских интересах интеллектуалов времен правления Романа III Аргира, которые, предположительно, были связаны с мариологической проблематикой. Была выдвинута гипотеза, что особое внимание к мариологии обусловлено антимонофизитской полемикой первой половины XI века, однако она не нашла подтверждения: ничего не известно о том, что в этой полемике какую-то специфическую роль играла мариология. Более продуктивной оказалась гипотеза о том, что специфический интерес к богородичной проблематики придворных богословов обусловлен особым почитанием Приснодевы со стороны императора Романа III Аргира. При этом предположительно богословы того времени опирались на определённую норму, сформулированную в одном из догматических компендиумов, популярных в XI веке. По мнению автора, таким компендиумом выступал «Путеводитель» Анастасия Синаита. Именно в этом тексте мариологическая проблематика вынесена на первый план в контексте противопоставления чуждой антиномичности античной философии и антиномичного православного богословия. Предположительно, именно этот тезис — о принципиальной несовместимости эллинской мудрости и христианской догматики — был ключевым для «допселловой» богословской традиции. Именно он стал объектом критики Михаила Пселла и именно преодоление соответствующей идеологической тенденции ставил себе в заслугу византийский мыслитель.

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Преподобный максим Исповедник в своем трактате «Амбигвы» посвятил ряд глав опровержению концепции... more Преподобный максим Исповедник в своем трактате «Амбигвы» посвятил ряд глав опровержению концепции о вечности мира. Аргументы Максима отчасти повторяют, отчасти расходятся с теми доводами, которые приводил против вечности мира Иоанн Филопон. Авторы сходятся в убеждении, что пространственная и временная ограниченность, а также бытие в движении являются неотъемлемыми свойствами твари, отличающими ее от Творца. Однако авторы расходятся в трактовке понятия материи. Если Иоанн Филопон отрицал ее существование, то Максиму Исповеднику концепт материи был необходим в качестве космологического базиса христологии.

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