Alexandros Chouliaras | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (original) (raw)
Videos by Alexandros Chouliaras
A very interesting and important recent approach to deification according to Palamas; among other... more A very interesting and important recent approach to deification according to Palamas; among others, it has a reference to our book [The Anthropology of St Gregory Palamas] too.
165 views
Books by Alexandros Chouliaras
How are we to regard our body? As a prison, an enemy, or, maybe, an ally? Is it something bad tha... more How are we to regard our body? As a prison, an enemy, or, maybe, an ally? Is it something bad that needs to be humiliated and extinguished, or should one see it as a huge blessing, that deserves attention and care? Is the body an impediment to human experience of God? Or, rather, does the body have a crucial role in this very experience? Alexandros Chouliaras’ book The Anthropology of St Gregory Palamas: the Image of God, the Spiritual Senses, and the Human Body argues that the fourteenth-century monk, theologian, and bishop Gregory Palamas has interesting and persuasive answers to offer to all these questions, and that his anthropology has a great deal to offer to Christian life and theology today.
Amongst this book’s contributions are these: for Palamas, the human is superior to the angels concerning the image of God for specific reasons, all linked to his corporeality. Secondly, the spiritual senses refer not only to the soul, but also to the body. However, in Paradise the body will be absorbed by the spirit, and acquire a totally spiritual aspect. But this does not at all entail a devaluing of the body. On the contrary, St Gregory ascribes a high value to the human body. Finally, central to Palamas’ theology is a strong emphasis on the human potentiality for union with God, theosis: that is, the passage from image to likeness. And herein lies, perhaps, his most important gift to the anthropological concerns of our epoch.
1st Online Edinburgh Byzantine Book Festival (February 6, 2021)
Summary of the book (15 pages)
Reviews on my book: The Anthropology of St Gregory by Alexandros Chouliaras
The Heythrop Journal, 2023
“Indeed, in this excellent book Chouliaras shows how Palamas is not simply of Eastern interest bu... more “Indeed, in this excellent book Chouliaras shows how Palamas is not simply of Eastern interest but is a thinker of much broader significance.” (p. 136)
Review of Ecumenical Studies (Sibiu) 13, 2021
"Adorned with a lavish collection of primary and secondary sources, the book by Fr. Chouliaras sh... more "Adorned with a lavish collection of primary and secondary sources, the book by Fr. Chouliaras should be a must-read for theologians, students in theology, scholars in religious studies, and simple believers."
Theologische Literaturzeitung, 2023
'[this book]...opens a broad window for the elucidation of Greek-Byzantine, patristic anthropolog... more '[this book]...opens a broad window for the elucidation of Greek-Byzantine, patristic anthropology on the basis of Gregory Palamas and thus helps us to understand the inner core of the mystical theology of Hesychasm, one of the building blocks of Orthodox spiritual teaching and experience'
Theologische Revue, 2022
‘One can hope that with this book and from the point of view it has chosen, a dialogue can begin ... more ‘One can hope that with this book and from the point of view it has chosen, a dialogue can begin with Western “mystics” such as the Dominican Meister Eckhart and his theology and anthropology.’
Papers by Alexandros Chouliaras
Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai - Theologia Orthodoxa, 2022
In our current world, the human body has a most central place. On the one hand, we are called to ... more In our current world, the human body has a most central place. On the one hand, we are called to respect and take care of our body. On the other hand, we often face cases of a strong disregard for the body or even attempts to damage or destroy it. What can Christian theology offer to the relevant debates? This article takes Hesychast theology, and in particular the writings of Gregory Palamas, as a case study, and tries to show that this teaching provides many opportunities to articulate and explain our enormous respect for the body. The following topics are analyzed: a) the spiritual dispositions imprinted (ἐνσημαινόμεναι) on the body; b) the participation of the body in theōsis, now and in the age to come; c) the transformation of the body; and d) the role of the human heart.
Studia Patristica, 2021
in Markus Vinzent (ed.), Studia Patristica CXXIX (Papers presented at the Eighteenth Internationa... more in Markus Vinzent (ed.), Studia Patristica CXXIX (Papers presented at the Eighteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2019), Volume 26, Following the Holy Fathers: Patristic Sources in the Palamite Controversy (edited by Tikhon Alexander Pino) (Leuven-Paris-Bristol, CT: Peeters, 2021), 271-87.
The article revisits the use of certain Augustinian expressions and passages in the works of St G... more The article revisits the use of certain Augustinian expressions and passages in the works of St Gregory Palamas, mainly regarding the Trinitarian reflections in man, the imago Dei, and the notion of eros (love). First, we present Palamas’ theology regarding the eros of the nous (intellect) for its logos. Second, we provide a brief review of the literature regarding the Augustinian presence in Palamas, and then continue with our assessment of this presence. We demonstrate that Gregory does indeed borrow phrases from Augustine, but he does not always use or incorporate the latter’s ideas; sometimes (e.g., in the case of the Filioque) he even comes to the opposite conclusion. In other words, despite similarities, one also finds crucial differences between Augustine’s and Palamas’ relevant approaches. Finally, four possible
reasons—not often stressed in scholarship; the third probably mentioned for the first time—are proposed to explain why Palamas takes up the notion of eros from the Bishop of Hippo: a) the ‘eternal rest’ (ἀίδιος
ἐπανάπαυσις) of the Holy Spirit on the Son; b) his willingness to oppose the Filioque; c) the appeal to a major notion in Palamas’ anthropology, namely the ‘vivifying power’ (ζωοποιὸς δύναμις) of the human
soul; and d) the Holy Spirit’s ‘eternal resplendence’ (ἀίδιος ἔκλαμψις/ἔκφανσις). In conclusion, it is argued that this endeavour of Palamas could nowadays also inspire Orthodox theology in its effort to engage in
dialogue with Western thought and in its attempt to articulate a genuine and persuasive voice in our era.
Studia Patristica, 2017
St Gregory Palamas (ca. 1296-1357), in considering the image of God in man, finds, like many befo... more St Gregory Palamas (ca. 1296-1357), in considering the image of God in man, finds, like many before him, reflections of the Holy Trinity in the human soul. In particular he posits a number of analogies between the three Divine Persons and the human intellect, reason, and spirit (νοῦς, λόγος, πνεῦμα). Palamas’ sources for such analogies are a matter of scholarly discussion. The most plausible include Gregory Nazianzen, Augustine, Maximos the Confessor, John Damascene and, more immediately in Palamas’ case, Gregory the Sinaite and Theoleptos of Philadelpheia. However, in recent scholarship, two other sources have been suggested as being more likely: Symeon the New Theologian and his disciple Niketas Stethatos (10th-11th century). This article tests this hypothesis, which, at first glance, would seem successfully to resolve the question of Palamas’ sources. Thus, the article examines this potentially promising suggestion by analyzing the theological presuppositions and approaches of Symeon and Stethatos and comparing them with those of Palamas. In conclusion, it will be shown that, despite sharing certain points of commonality, the differences regarding this issue between Symeon and Niketas on the one hand, and Gregory Palamas on the other preclude any definitive argument for dependence. Finally, the article discusses in brief a very crucial question, which is closely related to the aforementioned subject: Did Palamas really have a direct knowledge of Symeon’s and Niketas’ corpus?
Sobornost, 2018
In the patristic tradition many attempts can be found to exalt man over the angels. An important ... more In the patristic tradition many attempts can be found to exalt man over the angels. An important contribution is that of St John Damascene (seventh-eighth c.), who argues that man is superior to the angels by virtue of his corporeality and his capacity to receive Holy Communion. Thus man becomes ‘partaker of the divine nature’. About seven centuries later, St Gregory Palamas employs similar arguments in his oeuvre. In particular, he uses a number of different arguments to justify man’s superiority over the angels, often based on human corporeality. Moreover, he also exalts man in terms of his participation in the Eucharist. One would wonder, can one contend that St Gregory knows and makes use of St John’s relevant theology? This paper provides an analysis and comparative presentation of these two approaches, and argues that Palamas does not make exact use of John’s specific teaching, most likely because he did not have access to it.
![Research paper thumbnail of ‘The Biblical and Patristic Tradition on the Image of God in Man and the Contribution of St Gregory Palamas: Introductory Approach’, [Ἡ Βιβλική καί Πατερική παράδοση γιά τό κατ᾿ εἰκόνα τοῦ Θεοῦ στόν ἄνθρωπο καί ἡ συμβολή τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου Παλαμᾶ: εἰσαγωγική προσέγγιση] (in Greek)](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/61077888/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](ΒΕΛΛΑ (Scientific Anniversary of the University Ecclesiastical Academy of Vella, Ioannina) 8 (2017-9), 2019
This article is an introductory approach to the theology of St Gregory Palamas on the imago Dei (... more This article is an introductory approach to the theology of St Gregory Palamas on the imago Dei (κατ᾿ εἰκόνα). In particular, after sketching its biblical and patristic background, the issues that are examined are the precise location of the imago, its Christological dimension, and how the transition towards the likeness to God (καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν) is achieved. Finally, reference is made to those elements that need to be considered in a future thorough study, so that the theology of Palamas on the imago be sufficiently analysed.
[Τό ἄρθρο ἀποτελεῖ εἰσαγωγική προσέγγιση στή θεολογία τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου Παλαμᾶ γιά τό κατ᾿ εἰκόνα. Συγκεκριμένα, μετά τή σκιαγράφηση τοῦ βιβλικοῦ και πατερικοῦ ὑπόβαθρού του, εξετάζονται τά θέματα: ποῦ ἀκριβῶς ἐντοπίζεται τό κατ᾿ εἰκόνα, ποιά εἶναι ἡ χριστολογική του διάσταση καί πῶς γίνεται ἡ μετάβαση πρός τό καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν. Τέλος γίνεται ἀναφορά στά σημεῖα πού πρέπει νά ἐρευνηθοῦν σέ μία μελλοντική ἐνδελεχῆ μελέτη, ὥστε νά ἀναλυθεῖ ἐπαρκῶς ἡ θεολογία τοῦ Παλαμᾶ γιά τό κατ᾿ εἰκόνα.]
Conference Presentations by Alexandros Chouliaras
(Oxford Patristic Conference) My paper is an initial effort to cover this lacuna, showing that th... more (Oxford Patristic Conference) My paper is an initial effort to cover this lacuna, showing that these two authors have not only differences, as far as spiritual perception, visio Dei, and the theophanies are concerned, but they also share many common points.
(Part of my ongoing post-doc research) IOTA - 2nd International Conference // Volos, Greece, Jan... more (Part of my ongoing post-doc research)
IOTA - 2nd International Conference // Volos, Greece, January 10-15, 2023
Special session: Spiritual Senses in the Eastern Christian Tradition
Chair: Prof. Marcus Plested (USA)
Prof. Paul Gavrilyuk (USA): “Introducing the Spiritual Perception Research Project: Historical and Systematic Approaches”
Prof. Fred Aquino (USA): “The Spiritual Senses in St. Symeon the New Theologian”
Rev. Dr. Alexandros Chouliaras (Greece): “Spiritual Senses and Vision of God in St. Augustine and St. Gregory Palamas”
Dr. Norman Russell (UK): “Spiritual Senses and Deification”
A very interesting and important recent approach to deification according to Palamas; among other... more A very interesting and important recent approach to deification according to Palamas; among others, it has a reference to our book [The Anthropology of St Gregory Palamas] too.
165 views
How are we to regard our body? As a prison, an enemy, or, maybe, an ally? Is it something bad tha... more How are we to regard our body? As a prison, an enemy, or, maybe, an ally? Is it something bad that needs to be humiliated and extinguished, or should one see it as a huge blessing, that deserves attention and care? Is the body an impediment to human experience of God? Or, rather, does the body have a crucial role in this very experience? Alexandros Chouliaras’ book The Anthropology of St Gregory Palamas: the Image of God, the Spiritual Senses, and the Human Body argues that the fourteenth-century monk, theologian, and bishop Gregory Palamas has interesting and persuasive answers to offer to all these questions, and that his anthropology has a great deal to offer to Christian life and theology today.
Amongst this book’s contributions are these: for Palamas, the human is superior to the angels concerning the image of God for specific reasons, all linked to his corporeality. Secondly, the spiritual senses refer not only to the soul, but also to the body. However, in Paradise the body will be absorbed by the spirit, and acquire a totally spiritual aspect. But this does not at all entail a devaluing of the body. On the contrary, St Gregory ascribes a high value to the human body. Finally, central to Palamas’ theology is a strong emphasis on the human potentiality for union with God, theosis: that is, the passage from image to likeness. And herein lies, perhaps, his most important gift to the anthropological concerns of our epoch.
1st Online Edinburgh Byzantine Book Festival (February 6, 2021)
Summary of the book (15 pages)
The Heythrop Journal, 2023
“Indeed, in this excellent book Chouliaras shows how Palamas is not simply of Eastern interest bu... more “Indeed, in this excellent book Chouliaras shows how Palamas is not simply of Eastern interest but is a thinker of much broader significance.” (p. 136)
Review of Ecumenical Studies (Sibiu) 13, 2021
"Adorned with a lavish collection of primary and secondary sources, the book by Fr. Chouliaras sh... more "Adorned with a lavish collection of primary and secondary sources, the book by Fr. Chouliaras should be a must-read for theologians, students in theology, scholars in religious studies, and simple believers."
Theologische Literaturzeitung, 2023
'[this book]...opens a broad window for the elucidation of Greek-Byzantine, patristic anthropolog... more '[this book]...opens a broad window for the elucidation of Greek-Byzantine, patristic anthropology on the basis of Gregory Palamas and thus helps us to understand the inner core of the mystical theology of Hesychasm, one of the building blocks of Orthodox spiritual teaching and experience'
Theologische Revue, 2022
‘One can hope that with this book and from the point of view it has chosen, a dialogue can begin ... more ‘One can hope that with this book and from the point of view it has chosen, a dialogue can begin with Western “mystics” such as the Dominican Meister Eckhart and his theology and anthropology.’
Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai - Theologia Orthodoxa, 2022
In our current world, the human body has a most central place. On the one hand, we are called to ... more In our current world, the human body has a most central place. On the one hand, we are called to respect and take care of our body. On the other hand, we often face cases of a strong disregard for the body or even attempts to damage or destroy it. What can Christian theology offer to the relevant debates? This article takes Hesychast theology, and in particular the writings of Gregory Palamas, as a case study, and tries to show that this teaching provides many opportunities to articulate and explain our enormous respect for the body. The following topics are analyzed: a) the spiritual dispositions imprinted (ἐνσημαινόμεναι) on the body; b) the participation of the body in theōsis, now and in the age to come; c) the transformation of the body; and d) the role of the human heart.
Studia Patristica, 2021
in Markus Vinzent (ed.), Studia Patristica CXXIX (Papers presented at the Eighteenth Internationa... more in Markus Vinzent (ed.), Studia Patristica CXXIX (Papers presented at the Eighteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2019), Volume 26, Following the Holy Fathers: Patristic Sources in the Palamite Controversy (edited by Tikhon Alexander Pino) (Leuven-Paris-Bristol, CT: Peeters, 2021), 271-87.
The article revisits the use of certain Augustinian expressions and passages in the works of St G... more The article revisits the use of certain Augustinian expressions and passages in the works of St Gregory Palamas, mainly regarding the Trinitarian reflections in man, the imago Dei, and the notion of eros (love). First, we present Palamas’ theology regarding the eros of the nous (intellect) for its logos. Second, we provide a brief review of the literature regarding the Augustinian presence in Palamas, and then continue with our assessment of this presence. We demonstrate that Gregory does indeed borrow phrases from Augustine, but he does not always use or incorporate the latter’s ideas; sometimes (e.g., in the case of the Filioque) he even comes to the opposite conclusion. In other words, despite similarities, one also finds crucial differences between Augustine’s and Palamas’ relevant approaches. Finally, four possible
reasons—not often stressed in scholarship; the third probably mentioned for the first time—are proposed to explain why Palamas takes up the notion of eros from the Bishop of Hippo: a) the ‘eternal rest’ (ἀίδιος
ἐπανάπαυσις) of the Holy Spirit on the Son; b) his willingness to oppose the Filioque; c) the appeal to a major notion in Palamas’ anthropology, namely the ‘vivifying power’ (ζωοποιὸς δύναμις) of the human
soul; and d) the Holy Spirit’s ‘eternal resplendence’ (ἀίδιος ἔκλαμψις/ἔκφανσις). In conclusion, it is argued that this endeavour of Palamas could nowadays also inspire Orthodox theology in its effort to engage in
dialogue with Western thought and in its attempt to articulate a genuine and persuasive voice in our era.
Studia Patristica, 2017
St Gregory Palamas (ca. 1296-1357), in considering the image of God in man, finds, like many befo... more St Gregory Palamas (ca. 1296-1357), in considering the image of God in man, finds, like many before him, reflections of the Holy Trinity in the human soul. In particular he posits a number of analogies between the three Divine Persons and the human intellect, reason, and spirit (νοῦς, λόγος, πνεῦμα). Palamas’ sources for such analogies are a matter of scholarly discussion. The most plausible include Gregory Nazianzen, Augustine, Maximos the Confessor, John Damascene and, more immediately in Palamas’ case, Gregory the Sinaite and Theoleptos of Philadelpheia. However, in recent scholarship, two other sources have been suggested as being more likely: Symeon the New Theologian and his disciple Niketas Stethatos (10th-11th century). This article tests this hypothesis, which, at first glance, would seem successfully to resolve the question of Palamas’ sources. Thus, the article examines this potentially promising suggestion by analyzing the theological presuppositions and approaches of Symeon and Stethatos and comparing them with those of Palamas. In conclusion, it will be shown that, despite sharing certain points of commonality, the differences regarding this issue between Symeon and Niketas on the one hand, and Gregory Palamas on the other preclude any definitive argument for dependence. Finally, the article discusses in brief a very crucial question, which is closely related to the aforementioned subject: Did Palamas really have a direct knowledge of Symeon’s and Niketas’ corpus?
Sobornost, 2018
In the patristic tradition many attempts can be found to exalt man over the angels. An important ... more In the patristic tradition many attempts can be found to exalt man over the angels. An important contribution is that of St John Damascene (seventh-eighth c.), who argues that man is superior to the angels by virtue of his corporeality and his capacity to receive Holy Communion. Thus man becomes ‘partaker of the divine nature’. About seven centuries later, St Gregory Palamas employs similar arguments in his oeuvre. In particular, he uses a number of different arguments to justify man’s superiority over the angels, often based on human corporeality. Moreover, he also exalts man in terms of his participation in the Eucharist. One would wonder, can one contend that St Gregory knows and makes use of St John’s relevant theology? This paper provides an analysis and comparative presentation of these two approaches, and argues that Palamas does not make exact use of John’s specific teaching, most likely because he did not have access to it.
ΒΕΛΛΑ (Scientific Anniversary of the University Ecclesiastical Academy of Vella, Ioannina) 8 (2017-9), 2019
This article is an introductory approach to the theology of St Gregory Palamas on the imago Dei (... more This article is an introductory approach to the theology of St Gregory Palamas on the imago Dei (κατ᾿ εἰκόνα). In particular, after sketching its biblical and patristic background, the issues that are examined are the precise location of the imago, its Christological dimension, and how the transition towards the likeness to God (καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν) is achieved. Finally, reference is made to those elements that need to be considered in a future thorough study, so that the theology of Palamas on the imago be sufficiently analysed.
[Τό ἄρθρο ἀποτελεῖ εἰσαγωγική προσέγγιση στή θεολογία τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου Παλαμᾶ γιά τό κατ᾿ εἰκόνα. Συγκεκριμένα, μετά τή σκιαγράφηση τοῦ βιβλικοῦ και πατερικοῦ ὑπόβαθρού του, εξετάζονται τά θέματα: ποῦ ἀκριβῶς ἐντοπίζεται τό κατ᾿ εἰκόνα, ποιά εἶναι ἡ χριστολογική του διάσταση καί πῶς γίνεται ἡ μετάβαση πρός τό καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν. Τέλος γίνεται ἀναφορά στά σημεῖα πού πρέπει νά ἐρευνηθοῦν σέ μία μελλοντική ἐνδελεχῆ μελέτη, ὥστε νά ἀναλυθεῖ ἐπαρκῶς ἡ θεολογία τοῦ Παλαμᾶ γιά τό κατ᾿ εἰκόνα.]
(Oxford Patristic Conference) My paper is an initial effort to cover this lacuna, showing that th... more (Oxford Patristic Conference) My paper is an initial effort to cover this lacuna, showing that these two authors have not only differences, as far as spiritual perception, visio Dei, and the theophanies are concerned, but they also share many common points.
(Part of my ongoing post-doc research) IOTA - 2nd International Conference // Volos, Greece, Jan... more (Part of my ongoing post-doc research)
IOTA - 2nd International Conference // Volos, Greece, January 10-15, 2023
Special session: Spiritual Senses in the Eastern Christian Tradition
Chair: Prof. Marcus Plested (USA)
Prof. Paul Gavrilyuk (USA): “Introducing the Spiritual Perception Research Project: Historical and Systematic Approaches”
Prof. Fred Aquino (USA): “The Spiritual Senses in St. Symeon the New Theologian”
Rev. Dr. Alexandros Chouliaras (Greece): “Spiritual Senses and Vision of God in St. Augustine and St. Gregory Palamas”
Dr. Norman Russell (UK): “Spiritual Senses and Deification”
For the Church Fathers of early Christianity, being in the image of God makes it possible for hum... more For the Church Fathers of early Christianity, being in the image of God makes it possible for humans to know God, who ontologically is utterly different and therefore unknowable. But it seems that much more important for the Greek Fathers is not how to identify the image, but how the idea of an image provides them with a way of thinking about God's relationship to humanity, and vice versa... For the Fathers, far more important than finding the image in various qualities is the idea that the Logos is the Image of God, and the human being, as logikos, is created kat' eikona. By 'logikos' is suggested something more than 'rational'; it implies that the human person is created in the image of the Logos, something that has important implications in our spiritual life.
International Conference HOLINESS, PRAYER AND HESYCHAST SPIRITUALITY IN ORTHODOX TRADITION West U... more International Conference
HOLINESS, PRAYER AND HESYCHAST SPIRITUALITY IN ORTHODOX TRADITION
West University Timișoara
18-19 and 28 November
International Conference St Gregory Palamas and Hesychasm: Past and Contemporary Challenges and P... more International Conference
St Gregory Palamas and Hesychasm: Past and Contemporary Challenges and Perspectives
Cyprus, July 1-3, 2022
Holy Metropolis of Trimithountos
Palamas Seminar (an International Research Co-operative on the work and legacy of St Gregory Palamas)
IOTA Conference, 2019
Initially, after a brief review of the scholarship, the paper demonstrates that the Palamite spir... more Initially, after a brief review of the scholarship, the paper demonstrates that the Palamite spiritual senses are based on the concept of "intellectual and divine perception" (αἴσθησις νοερὰ καὶ θεία). This is a notion that combines in itself both the spiritual and the bodily. Palamas maintains that man sees the divine light through ἔκστασις or ἁρπαγή, namely ravishing beyond all objects. Through ecstasis man moves from perceiving with the physical to the spiritual senses. This vision is not effected through negation (apophasis)-because man is indeed "seeing something"-but in a manner superior to negation. The body itself is able to participate in theoptia, but only if the intellect (νοῦς) is purified. Furthermore, contrary to what the opponents of the hesychasts argued, the passionate part of the soul should be transformed and sanctified, but not annihilated. Undoubtedly, this approach of Palamas is not only of academic value; it has vital implications for contemporary Christian spirituality.
![Research paper thumbnail of Interview about the PhD thesis (“Man is more − and less − than the angels”) [Dutch original, Engl. and Greek translation]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/58908822/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Reformatorisch Dagblad, 2019
This interview was published on 8.2.19 in the Dutch journal 'Reformatorisch Dagblad'. It is a fai... more This interview was published on 8.2.19 in the Dutch journal 'Reformatorisch Dagblad'. It is a fairly large circulation (about 40,000 copies a day) Christian (Protestant) newspaper. The journalist / interviewer was Mr Klaas van der Zwaag.