From Mariology to Tritheism. On Some Possible Late Byzantine Parallels to Leontius’ of Byzantium and John Philoponus’ Ideas (Theophanes of Nicaea, John XI Veccus, Georges Moskhambar). Part One
https://doi.org/10.31802/2658-4476-2019-3-3-140-174
Abstract
The article is the first part of our study concerning some possible repercussions and influences between the sixth-century thinker Leontius of Byzantium, in whose writings a complex logical, theological and philosophical apparatus for solving dogmatic controversies was being formed, on the one hand, and proto-Palamite and proto-anti-Palamite (Latinophile) thought of the thirteenth- and fourteenth-century Byzantium, on the other. Although one cannot say about Leontius’ direct influence upon the representatives of the both hostile camps (resp., Theophanes of Nicaea and John XI Veccus), we can still discern some links in the logical chain of continuity between their ideas and Leontius’. These links include: a typology of «vertical» and «horizontal» Divine — human relations in Leontius and Theophanes (this is an example of Leontius’ ideas being possibly positively received and appropriated by Theophanes); but on the other side we see an almost complete setback from Leontius’ ideas and heritage in the chaotic dogmatic system by Veccus, although some limited number of Leontius’ categories might have been used by John. We make the case study of Veccus’ On the Union Between the Churches of the Old and the New Rome in which text we single out and analyze the 34 points of thought in which the Latinophile patriarch dissociated himself from both the Orthodox dogmatics and Byzantine philosophy in general. As the main trait of Veccus’ doctrine which had been criticized earlier by Leontius we call tritheism.
About the Author
D. I. MakarovRussian Federation
Dmitri˘ı Igorevich Makarov, DhD in Philosophy Professor and Head of the Department of general humanities; Professor of the Department of Bible and Theology
Av. Lenina 26, Yekaterinburg 620014
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Review
For citations:
Makarov D.I. From Mariology to Tritheism. On Some Possible Late Byzantine Parallels to Leontius’ of Byzantium and John Philoponus’ Ideas (Theophanes of Nicaea, John XI Veccus, Georges Moskhambar). Part One. Bible and Christian Antiquity. 2019;(3):141-174. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31802/2658-4476-2019-3-3-140-174
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