Saint Symeon, the new theologian, and Orthodox tradition

The teachings of St Symeon (949-1022) created much controversy in Byzantium and led to his short-lived exile to Asia Minor in 1009. This book examines St Symeon from within the Byzantine mystical tradition, looking at him as both a highly personal and a very traditional ecclesiastical writer. For the first time in modern scholarship, this study explores St Symeon's attitude to Scripture and to church worship; his relations with his spiritual father, Symeon the Studite; and the Studite tradition in general. This book is a study of the mystical nature of tradition, and the traditional nature of mysticism, and of St Symeon as both a highly personal and very traditional ecclesiastical writer. The teachings of St Symeon (late tenth to early eleventh century) created much controversy in Byzantium and even led to a short-lived exile to Asia Minor. For the first time in modern scholarship St Symeon's attitude to Scripture and to church worship, his relations with his spiritual father, Symeon the Studite, and the Studite tradition in general are examined. Separate chapters are dedicated to Symeon's cycle of daily reading, to his attitude to hagiographical literature, to his trinitarian theology, ecclesiology, anthropology, and mysticism. Special attention is also paid to the links between Symeon and preceeding authors such as Gregory Nazianzen. In this book Dr Alfeyev aims to redress the balance existing in the modern scholarly approach to Symeon and, more generally, to the Byzantine mystical tradition. By examining Symeon from within the tradition to which both he and the author belong Dr Alfeyev breaks new ground in original research. Hilarion Alfeyev Considers The Mystical Nature Of Tradition, And The Traditional Nature Of Mysticism In This Study Of St Symeon And His Relationship To The Orthodox Christian Church. Part I : The Historical, Monastic, Scriptural, And Liturgical Background Of St. Symeon The New Theologian -- Symeon The New Theologian In The Context Of Studite Monastic Tradition -- Symeon And Holy Scripture -- Symeon And Divine Worship -- The Influence Of Symeon The Studite On Symeon The New Theologian -- Part Ii : St. Symeon The New Theologian And The Patristic Tradition Of The Orthodox Church -- Symeon And The Cycle Of His Daily Reading -- Triadological Polemic In Symeon's Writings -- Symeon's Theology As Based On That Of The Church Fathers -- The Patristic Basis Of Symeon's Anthropology -- The Patristic Background Of Symeon's Ecclesiology -- Some Aspects Of Symeon's Asceticism And Mysticism With Patristic Parallels. Hilarion Alfeyev. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [288]-315) And Indexes. 000......Page 1 001......Page 3 002......Page 4 004......Page 6 005......Page 7 006......Page 13 007......Page 15 008......Page 36 009......Page 57 010......Page 78 011......Page 94 012......Page 95 013......Page 107 014......Page 116 015......Page 131 016......Page 143 017......Page 156 018......Page 202 019......Page 213 020......Page 238 021......Page 252