Orthodox readings of Aquinas

289 Pages·2015·1.19 MB·English

by  Plested

CHANGING PARADIGMS IN HISTORICAL
AND SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
General Editors
Sarah Coakley Richard Cross
CHANGING PARADIGMS IN HISTORICAL
AND SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
General Editors: Sarah Coakley (Norris-Hulse Professor of Divinity,
University of Cambridge) and Richard Cross (John A. O’Brien Professor
of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame)
Thisseriessetsouttoreconsiderthemoderndistinctionbetween‘historical’
and ‘systematic’ theology. The scholarship represented in the series is
marked by attention to the way in which historiographic and theological
presumptions (‘paradigms’) necessarily inform the work of historians of
Christian thought, and thus affect their application to contemporary
concerns. At certain key junctures such paradigms are recast, causing a
reconsideration of the methods, hermeneutics, geographical boundaries,
or chronological caesuras which have previously guided the theological
narrative.Thebeginningofthetwenty-firstcenturymarksaperiodofsuch
notable reassessment of the Christian doctrinal heritage, and involves a
questioning of the paradigms that have sustained the classic ‘history-of-
ideas’ textbook accounts of the modern era. Each of the volumes in this
series brings such contemporary methodological and historiographical
concerns to conscious consideration. Each tackles a period or key figure
whosesignificanceisripeforreconsideration,andeachanalysestheimplicit
historiography that has sustained existing scholarship on the topic.
A variety of fresh methodological concerns are considered, without
reducing the theological to other categories. The emphasis is on an
awareness of the history of ‘reception’: the possibilities for contemporary
theology are bound up with a careful re-writing of the historical narrative.
Inthissense,‘historical’and‘systematic’theologyarenecessarilyconjoined,
yet also closely connected to a discerning interdisciplinary engagement.
ThismonographseriesaccompaniestheprojectofTheOxfordHandbook
of the Reception of Christian Theology (OUP, in progress), also edited by
Sarah Coakley and Richard Cross.
RECENT SERIES TITLES
Calvin, Participation, and the Gift
The Activity of Believers in Union with Christ
J. Todd Billings
Newman and the Alexandrian Fathers
Shaping Doctrine in Nineteenth-Century England
Benjamin J. King
Orthodox Readings
of Aquinas
MARCUS PLESTED
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Acknowledgements
This has been very much a Princeton project. My initial researches
wereconducted duringtheSpring Semesterof2008atthe Centerof
TheologicalInquiry(CTI).IammostgratefultoCTIforitsprovision
of an exceptionally stimulating environment for theological endeav-
our. The bulk of the work was carried out as the George William
Cottrell,Jr.MemberoftheInstituteforAdvancedStudy(IAS)inthe
academicyear2010–11.IASisanacademicElysiumwithoutparand
it was perfectly exhilarating to work in the company of so many
prodigiously talented scientists, mathematicians, and historians.
I am particularly grateful to Caroline Bynum for graciously mentor-
ing those of us in the medieval history section of the School of
HistoricalStudies.ThelibrariansandsupportstaffofIASwerealways
exceptionallyhelpful.ThanksarealsoduetotheInstituteforOrtho-
dox Christian Studies and to its Principal, David Frost, for being
willingtograntmeextendedboutsofresearchleaveinshortsucces-
sion. Likewise to the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Cam-
bridge for a grant towards the cost of the index which was prepared
byJohannesBörjesson.Elementsofthisbookhavebeenpresentedat
the American Academy of Religion, Fordham University, Princeton
University, the University of Notre Dame, IAS, CTI, Holy Cross
Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and the Institut St-Serge. Dis-
cussionfollowingthesepapershasinvariablybeentothebetterment
of this book. Thanks also to those scholars who have read and
commentedonportionsofthisbook:BrianDaley,ThomasGuarino,
NadieszdaKizenko,andAssaadKattan.PhilipSteerreadthroughthe
textwithacarefuleyeforinfelicitiesofstyleandlanguage.Myeditors,
Richard Cross and Sarah Coakley have also, together withthe Press’
anonymous readers, provided some invaluable suggestions and
advice.Theremainingerrorsareofmyowndevising.
Cambridge
6August2012
FeastoftheTransfiguration
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Table of Contents
Abbreviations xi
Introduction:1354andallthat 1
PART I GREEK EAST AND LATIN
WEST: AN EXERCISE IN
MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVE
1. ThomasAquinasandtheGreekEast 9
1.1 ANewImageofThomas 11
1.2 AquinasandtheGreekFathers 15
1.3 AquinasandtheLatin–GreekSchism 21
1.4 Conclusion 27
2. GregoryPalamasandtheLatinWest 29
2.1 PalamasandAugustine 29
2.2 TheologicalMethodologyinPalamas:
AScholasticInheritance 44
2.3 PalamasandtheLatin–GreekSchism 58
2.4 Coda:PalamasandAquinas 60
PART II BYZANTINE READINGS
OF AQUINAS
3. TheFirstPhase 63
3.1 DemetriosKydones 63
3.2 ProchorosKydones 73
3.3 JohnVIKantakuzene 84
3.4 TheophanesofNicaea 89
3.5 NeilosKabasilas 96
3.6 NicholasKabasilas 100
4. FurtherReadings 108
4.1 Detractors 108
4.2 Devotees 115