Spirituality in Late Byzantium: Essays Presenting New Research by International Scholars

This collection of essays on late Byzantine spirituality presents new research covering a very important but less than well-documented period of Byzantine culture. Its thematic cohesion, originality of thought, variety of methodological approaches and broad intellectual range, make it a valuable contribution to the field and an asset for academics and students alike. The essays discuss pertinent historical, textual, liturgical and doctrinal matters, and through new evidence and re-appraisals of accepted scholarly views they seek to make their mark. Table of Contents List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements Glossary Introduction - Eugenia Russell Part I: The Seeds of hesychia and the Theologians of hesychasm Chapter One: The Reforming Abbot and his Tears: Penthos in late Byzantium Hannah Hunt Chapter Two: The Patriarch Philotheos Kokkinos and His Defence of Hesychasm Norman Russell Chapter Three: Symeon of Thessalonica and his Message of Personal Redemption Eugenia Russell Chapter Four: Reading Denys in late Byzantium: Gregory Palamas’s Approach to the Theological Categories of ‘apophasis’ and ‘union and distinction’ James Blackstone Part II: Four Case Studies on Late Byzantine Spirituality Chapter Five: The ‘Testament of Job’: From Testament to Vita Maria Haralambakis Chapter Six: Donors and Iconography: The Case of the Church “St. Virgin” in Dolna Kamenitsa (XIV c.) Teodora Burnand Chapter Seven: The Church of the Most Pure Virgin at the Village of Graeshnitsa Robert Mihajlovski Chapter Eight: Journey of the Soul to Perfection: Nicetas Stethatos Jozef Matula Afterword - Eugenia Russell Illustrations List of Contributors About the Editor Index Hallowed be thy name
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