Description
Book SynopsisThe Revival of Political Hesychasm in Contemporary Orthodox Thought focuses on the retrieval of the spiritual theology of the Orthodox Church and how it is being used in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries to develop a political ideology that allows for the creation of a unique Eastern Orthodox identity, which is against western globalization. The author approaches the phenomenon from the standpoint of constructivism as understood in the social science tradition of Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. The author argues in the text that the construction of this unique Orthodox identity, especially by the Greek theologians John S. Romanides and Christos Yannaras, is similar to what is occurring in other religious traditions around the world. Additionally, the author examines the retrieval of the hesychastic tradition of the Orthodox Church using a genealogical approach. Here the thought of the Russian emigration, especially the thought of Georges Florovsky, is of primary importance. The text concludes with an appraisal of this revival in the Orthodox world and its ecumenical possibilities for a pluralistic world.
Trade ReviewPayne provides us with a thorough and theoretically challenging examination of some influential theological and intellectual currents within the contemporary Greek Orthodoxy, their socio-historical background, and their multifaceted repercussions. This is a well-documented, thoughtful, and thus indispensable book for anyone wishing to learn more about Orthodox Christianity in general, its specific worldview, and its overall evolution in (post)modern times. -- Vasilios N. Makrides, author of Hellenic Temples and Christian Churches: A Concise History of the Religious Cultures of Greece from Antiquity to the Present
At a time when “political hesychasm” is frequently being used to characterize Orthodox political theology, Daniel P. Payne presents us with a much needed critical analysis of the sources of this concept and its contemporary usage in Greek Orthodox theological thought. -- Kristina Stoeckl, Università di Roma 'Tor Vergata
Table of Contents1 Preface 2 Introduction: The Neo-Orthodox Movement as a Social Constructivist Project 3 Chapter 1: Hellene or Romaios? The Debate over Modern Greek Identity 4 Chapter 2: The Hesychast Controversy and the Birth of Political Hesychasm in the Fourteenth Century 5 Chapter 3: The Rediscovery of Orthodox Spiritual Theology in the Twentieth Century 6 Chapter 4: The Neo-Patristic Synthesis of Georges Florovsky 7 Chapter 5: The Synthesis of Hesychasm and Romeosyne in the Thought of John S. Romanides 8 Chapter 6: The Political Hesychasm of Christos Yannaras 9 Conclusion 10 Bibliography 11 About the Author
