Yesterday, I discussed the innovation and heresy of Iconoclasm, and explained how Orthodoxy confronted it and triumphed over it. In this evening's homily, I shall speak about certain other innovations and heresies that have appeared since then, and how the defenders of Orthodox Christianity opposed them with wisdom and vigor, and brought victory to the Church . . . .
I shall begin with an account of the 14th century heresy regarding the Light that emanated from our Lord Jesus Christ at His Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, and the nature of Orthodox mysticism known as Hesychasm. That heresy was defended by the Latin-minded Byzantine theologians Barlaam, Akindynos, Gregoras, and some others. It was vigorously and effectively opposed by St. Gregory Palamas, one of the greatest mystics and theologians of the Orthodox Church.
St. Gregory is also known as St. Gregory of Thessalonica, because he served as Archbishop of that historic city. His memory is celebrated on the Second Sunday of Great Lent, and also on November 4th, the day of his death. This Second Sunday of Great Lent is regarded as a continuation of last Sunday's feast (the Sunday of Orthodoxy). The reason for this is the fact that while last Sunday we commemorated the definitive victory of the Orthodox Church over the heresy of Iconoclasm, today we shall celebrate the definitive victory of our Church over the heresy of the 14th century Latinizers: two of the greatest victories of Orthodoxy.
What was the nature of the heresy of the Latinizers? They taught that the Light which emanated from Christ at His Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor was created light, temporary and subjective. The Orthodox Church teachers, on the contrary, following Holy Tradition, taught that the Light was of an uncreated nature, was the eternal "energy" (energeia) or glory (doxa) of God.
In opposing the view of the Latinizers, of Roman Catholicism, the Orthodox theologians, chief of whom was St. Gregory Palamas, were defending not a personal view of theirs, but the traditional teaching of the Orthodox Church regarding God and man's relation to Him, in particular the teaching of Orthodox mysticism, of Hesychasm.
According to Orthodox mysticism, man has the possibility, by duly purifying himself through fasting, prayer, and other forms of spiritual struggle (askesis), and the acquisition of the virtues, of attaining theosis, "deification" or "divinization," that is, union with God. This union, according to Orthodox theology, is not with God's essence (ousia), but with His "energy" or "energies." Participation in God's essence is not possible. Man's participation in the Divine energies is experienced by Orthodox mystics as supernatural light, warmth, fragrance, and joy. More widely, it is experienced by Orthodox Christians as Divine grace that strengthens one in his struggle to attain purity and holiness.
The Latinizers, in rejecting the Orthodox distinction between God's essence and His "energy" or "energies," and the claim of Orthodox mystics to experience the latter as Uncreated, Divine Light, were denying the very possibility of man's coming into immediate contact with God, of achieving theosis. They were not following Holy Tradition, but the Roman Catholic philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, who had lived a century before them. Their view implied that there is an unbridgeable chasm separating man from God.
A consequence of this heresy was the appearance of Deism in Western Europe. Deism is the relegation
of God to a sphere altogether beyond human experience. This in turn leads to Agnosticism, the view that
neither the nature of God nor His existence is knowable. Agnosticism, in turn, led to Atheism -- the
assertion that God does not exist. And Atheism has led to Nihilism, which is a very widespread
contemporary disease of the human mind. Nihilism is the state of mankind when people do not believe in
the existence of God, do not believe in spiritual values, do not believe in the reality of truth.
St. Gregory of Thessalonica refuted the heretical, spiritually destructive view of the Latinizers, and defended the traditional Orthodox view. He asserted that the Light seen at the Transfiguration of Christ and by Orthodox mystics is an objective manifestation of God. His defense was declared sound by three synods which met in Constantinople in his lifetime. Two of them met in 1341, and one in 1351. A fourth synod met in the same city in 1368, nine years after his death, and again upheld his refutation of the heresy of the Latinizers. At that time he was officially proclaimed a Saint.
St. Gregory's victory, like the earlier victory of Orthodoxy over Iconoclasm, was a definitive triumph over a major heresy.
The very high esteem in which St. Gregory Palamas has been held through the centuries by the Orthodox for this victory and for his other contributions in the field of theology, as well as for his very holy character and way of life, is vividly expressed by the following Dismissal Hymn that is chanted in his honor:
Light of Orthodoxy, pillar and teacher of the Church, adornment of monastics, invincible champion of theologians, O Gregory thou wonderworker, boast of Thessalonica, preacher of grace: ever pray that our souls be saved.