Palamas and Aquinas
Are there any resources in the Logos/Verbum library (or that should be in it) that deal specifically with the contrasts in the theologies and theological approaches of Thomas Aquinas and Gregory Palamas (ideally from an Orthodox perspective)?
(NB: I do not want to start a discussion of their works' respective merits.)
“The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks about reforming himself.” St. Peter of Alcántara
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Sounds like you want Orthodox Readings of Aquinas. Or perhaps The Ground of Union: Deification in Aquinas and Palamas. Can't find them in Logos yet, though.
Somewhat cheaper, I found a couple of videos:
Mac Pro (late 2013) OS 12.6.2
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fgh said:
Sounds like you want Orthodox Readings of Aquinas. Or perhaps The Ground of Union: Deification in Aquinas and Palamas. Can't find them in Logos yet, though.
Thank you! Both of those books look interesting. I might be able to find them in a library.
fgh said:Somewhat cheaper, I found a couple of videos:
Excellent price for those two.
“The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks about reforming himself.” St. Peter of Alcántara
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SineNomine said:
Excellent price for those two.
Yes, it is, isn't it.[:D]
If you happen to have a similar interest regarding St John of the Cross, you can find a Swedish dissertation for free at The Dark Night: St John of the Cross and Eastern Orthodox Theology.
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fgh said:
Although I couldn't get one of the links to work (in Firefox or IE).
fgh said:If you happen to have a similar interest regarding St John of the Cross, you can find a Swedish dissertation for free at The Dark Night: St John of the Cross and Eastern Orthodox Theology.
I do now. Thank you!
“The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks about reforming himself.” St. Peter of Alcántara
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I am sorry. But every time I see this thread title I think it says "Pajamas" and I have to force myself to read it correctly.
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TCBlack said:
I am sorry. But every time I see this thread title I think it says "Pajamas" and I have to force myself to read it correctly.
If you know of any Orthodox takes on Thomistic conceptions of pajamas, let me know.
“The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks about reforming himself.” St. Peter of Alcántara
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SineNomine said:
If you know of any Orthodox takes on Thomistic conceptions of pajamas, let me know.
Pajamas are never an accident.
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[:D]
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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FWIW, my colleagues who have read Orthodox Readings...Aquinas report that it does not do the best job with these (admittedly complex) issues. I haven't read it myself, so take that with a grain of sea salt.
A more direct comparison would obviously be between Barlaam of Calabria and St. Gregory Palamas, but that investigation will focus more on prayer and spirituality than anything else (although it touches on deeper ones).
This work on Balthasar touches on some Palamas/Aquinas issues, but only in part (and we're still waiting on it to ship).
Hopefully the stuff on the way from St. Tikhon's Monastery and St. Vladimir's Seminary Press will address these sorts of questions better.
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Gabe Martini said:
A more direct comparison would obviously be between Barlaam of Calabria and St. Gregory Palamas, but that investigation will focus more on prayer and spirituality than anything else (although it touches on deeper ones).
I had never heard of Barlaam of Calabria. He doesn't seem - albeit my source is Wikipedia - to have been or to have become a Thomist, even after he became a Catholic. Nonetheless, he does seem to be a very interesting figure. However, as a Thomist myself, I would prefer to try to begin to understand and engage with Palamas's thought, which is foreign to me, by means of comparing and contrasting it with something which is familiar to me, i.e., some recognizable form of Thomism. (I also happen to be quite familiar with the mystical theology of St. John of the Cross - an excellent Thomist himself - so fgh's pointer in that area is also particularly useful to me.)
“The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks about reforming himself.” St. Peter of Alcántara
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SineNomine said:Gabe Martini said:
A more direct comparison would obviously be between Barlaam of Calabria and St. Gregory Palamas, but that investigation will focus more on prayer and spirituality than anything else (although it touches on deeper ones).
I had never heard of Barlaam of Calabria. He doesn't seem - albeit my source is Wikipedia - to have been or to have become a Thomist, even after he became a Catholic. Nonetheless, he does seem to be a very interesting figure. However, as a Thomist myself, I would prefer to try to begin to understand and engage with Palamas's thought, which is foreign to me, by means of comparing and contrasting it with something which is familiar to me, i.e., some recognizable form of Thomism. (I also happen to be quite familiar with the mystical theology of St. John of the Cross - an excellent Thomist himself - so fgh's pointer in that area is also particularly useful to me.)
Right, I wouldn't say that Palamas' disagreements with Barlaam centered on Thomism. I only mention him as he's the stereotypical pairing with Palamas as a contrasted figure/thought perspective. Might be worth investigating in its own right, as a separate matter.
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I found it useful to use Sufism as entry into Palamas - I can't remember if it was Schimmel or Arberry who sent me this direction. However, I do remember the more recent work of Peter Samsel "A Unity With Distinctions: Parallels in the Thought of St. Gregory Palamas and Ibn Arabi" in Paths to the Heart: Sufism and the Christian East by James Cutsinger.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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