Durham E-Theses THE CONCEPT OF `BEING' IN AQUINAS AND PALAMAS UNTEA, CRISTIAN How to cite: UNTEA, CRISTIAN (2010) THE CONCEPT OF `BEING' IN AQUINAS AND PALAMAS, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/848/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk THE CONCEPT OF ‘BEING’ IN AQUINAS AND PALAMAS CRISTIAN COSTIN UNTEA MA by Research Durham University Department of Theology and Religion 2010 CRISTIAN COSTIN UNTEA THE CONCEPT OF ‘BEING’ IN AQUINAS AND PALAMAS Abstract The aim of the present dissertation is a comparative analysis of the issue of being as found in the writings of St. Gregory Palamas and St. Thomas Aquinas. Primarily, I set two main focuses for my research: firstly, an overview of the life and work of the great Byzantine theologian and, secondly, a comparative analysis with St. Thomas Aquinas on the issue of being. Although the present dissertation deals with both theological and philosophical issues, my research remains mainly a theological one. I am not interested in a merely theoretical evaluation of the history of being, but rather in how this notion is applied in the dynamics of the relation between God and man. I structured my thesis around the evaluation of the concept of being in its applicability on God, on man, and on the way in which the two are linked. Therefore, I developed my analysis on each of the two authors, discussing in separate sections on: the divine being, the created being, the issue of grace and the views on deification. Before commencing the examination of the proposed issue, I found relevant to include an introduction dealing with the historical matters concerning each of the two theologians and their ‘dialogue’ within Eastern and Western theological framework. A final section concluded this study tracing the reception of their thought within the twentieth century Theology. This dissertation is the product of my own work, and the work of others has been properly acknowledged throughout. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................3 1. Gregory Palamas and his Writings............................................................................5 2. Thomas Aquinas and his Writings ..........................................................................10 3. Gregory Palamas – from East to West ....................................................................14 4. Thomas Aquinas – From West to East....................................................................18 I. AQUINAS ON BEING ...............................................................................................24 I.1. Being, Essence and Existence...............................................................................24 I.2. The Divine Being..................................................................................................30 I.2.1. The Simplicity of God ...................................................................................30 I.2.2. Essence and Persons ......................................................................................34 I.2.2.1. Relation and Opposition.............................................................................36 I.2.2.2. What is a Person.........................................................................................38 I.2.2.3. Persons and Relations ................................................................................41 I.3. The Created Being ................................................................................................45 I.3.1. The Essential Structure of the Created ..........................................................45 I.3.1.1. The Trinitarian Model of Creation.............................................................48 I.3.1.2. Essence in Composite Substances...............................................................49 I.3.1.3. Essence in Non-Composite Substances ......................................................51 I.3.2. Deiformity and Deformity .............................................................................53 I.3.2.1. The Likeness of Creation............................................................................54 I.3.2.2. The Likeness of Man...................................................................................56 I.3.2.3. Image, Likeness, and the Fall.....................................................................59 1 I.4. The Meaning of Divine Grace ..............................................................................61 I.5. The Limits of Knowledge and Participation.........................................................66 I.5.1. Negative Theology and the Vision of the Divine Essence ............................68 I.5.2. The Light of Glory and the Eternity of Being ...............................................71 II. PALAMAS ON BEING.............................................................................................74 II.1. Being, Essence and Energies...............................................................................74 II.2. The Divine Being ................................................................................................81 II.2.1. Essence .........................................................................................................81 II.2.2. Hypostasis ....................................................................................................86 II.3. The Created Being...............................................................................................92 II.3.1. Creation and the Image of God ....................................................................92 II.3.2. The Fall.........................................................................................................96 II.3.3. The Unity of the Human Being ....................................................................98 II.4. The Uncreated Energies ....................................................................................101 II. 5. The Vision of the Divine Light and the Union with God.................................106 CONCLUSIONS...........................................................................................................110 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................115 2 INTRODUCTION My thesis proceeds from a primary interest on a detailed analysis of Gregory Palamas’ doctrine: its origins in previous patristic writings and its effects on the Orthodox theological tradition. There are two main points of my research: firstly, an overview of the life and work of the great Byzantine theologian and, secondly, a comparative analysis with Thomas Aquinas on the issue of being. The purpose of my research is to find divergent and convergent points in the two Christian traditions, in the way these were considered in the fourteenth century Byzantine theological scene and the circumstances in which the two theologians later became representative for East and West. History has preserved a somewhat antagonistic image of the two authors whose doctrines I am proposing to analyse in more depth. The Palamite and Thomist doctrines are considered by most modern critiques as irreconcilable in certain points. They are the expression of an extremely divergent development in the Eastern and Western Christian tradition. In the Orthodox world, the twentieth century represented a significant re-evaluation of the works and thought of Gregory Palamas (from Dumitru Stăniloae’s first translation in a modern language and monograph in the early 30’s, to Panayotis Christou’s editions in Greek and the multitude of studies published in the West). Nonetheless, a considerable part of his writings still remains un-translated into modern languages. The evaluations on this theme still allow for substantial research effort, which can be developed beyond the simple analysis of the monastic treaties and hesychast spirituality, to a deeper systematic evaluation. The problem of being can be considered a sensible interference point between church doctrine and Greek philosophy and also between Eastern and Western theological traditions. I shall be attempting to provide a detailed analysis of the theological and patristic resources on this matter, and also of its philosophical background, considering that the distinctions disputed in fourteenth century Byzantium presupposed a metaphysical and 3 linguistic background which was interpreted differently by the two traditions. From the Eastern point of view, the assimilation of Aristotle’s philosophy by Thomist theology looked