Divine Essence and

Divine Energies

Ecumenical Reflections
on the Presence of God
in Eastern Orthodoxy

Edited by

C. Athanasopoulos and C. Schneider

C

Divine Essence and Divine Energies

Ecumenical Reflections on the Presence of God
in Eastern Orthodoxy
Edited by C. Athanasopoulos and C. Schneider
ISBN: 9780227173862 25.00
Publication Date: November 2012
For many contemporary Orthodox theologians the distinction between divine energy and
divine essence belongs to the very core of the Orthodox tradition and has no equivalent in the
West.This position has been restated and developed by Prof David Bradshaw in his crucial
publication Aristotle East and West: Metaphysics and the Division of Christendom (Cambridge:
CUP, 2004). Yet the views expressed in this book have not remained uncontested. The present
volume takes Bradshaws work as the starting point for an ecumenical debate about this
doctrine. Leading Anglican, Calvinist and Roman Catholic, as well as Orthodox, theologians
are given the opportunity to critically assess the nature and significance of this doctrine from a
historical, theological and philosophical perspective.
The authors contributing to this volume present very different and often mutually incompatible
narratives, but all of them try to answer some of the following questions: In what way were
the Aristotelian concepts of ousia and energeia used by the Church Fathers and how are they
related to the Christological and Trinitarian doctrines? What theological function does the
essence-energy distinction fulfil in Eastern Orthodoxy? Is it possible to identify different
notions of divine presence and participation in the Cappadocians, Dionysius the Areopagite,
Maximus the Confessor and Gregory Palamas? What is the relationship between the essenceenergy distinction and theWestern ideas of divine presence in Augustine, Thomas Aquinas,
Duns Scotus, Martin Luther, John Calvin and Karl Barth? How is this doctrine related to
Kantian and post-Kantian thought?
This collection of essays originated from a colloquium organised by the Institute for Orthodox
Christian Studies (Cambridge, UK). However, the number of papers and the scope of the
questions discussed in Divine Essence and Divine Energies by far exceed the original
conference programme.
Contributors
Dr Constantinos Athanasopoulos (The Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, UK)
Prof David Bradshaw (University of Kentucky)
Prof Roy Clouser (University of New Jersey)
Rev Prof Antoine Levy OP (Studium Catholicum, Helsinki/University of Helsinki)
Rev Prof Nikolaos Loudovikos (University Academy of Thessaloniki)
Prof Georgios Martzelos (University of Thessaloniki)
Prof John Milbank (University of Nottingham)
Dr Christoph Schneider (The Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, UK)
Dr Nick Trakakis (Australian Catholic University)
Metropolitan Vasilios (Karayiannis) of Constantia and Ammochostos (Cyprus)

Earliest Christian Hymnbook: The Odes of Solomon, James

H. Charlesworth. Based on a lifetime of careful study, this is
a translation of the The Odes of Solomon, one of the earliest
collections of Christian and proto-Christian odes and hymns. (PB
9780227173558, 172pp, 18.00)
Encyclopedia of the Early Church (2 Vol Set), Angelo di
Berardino
The definitive work of reference on the early Christian Church and
the patristic period to the 7th century.
(HB 9780227679388, 1220pp, 184.00)
Gates of Mystery: The Art of Holy Russia, Roderick Grierson.
The religious art of Russia, with its Byzantine roots, is portrayed
here in its full richness, spanning the whole medieval period
from the first appearance of a Christian state in the 11th century,
to the reforms of Peter the Great. (PB with colour illustrations,
9780718829001, 336pp, 37.00)
Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early Church, W.H.C. Frend
The definitive survey of martyrdom and persecution during the first four centuries of the Church.
(PB 9780227172292, 648pp, 33.50)
The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, Vladimir Lossky
The authoritative study of Eastern Orthodox theology, presenting a tradition in which doctrine and mystical
experience are mutually supporting. (PB 9780227679197, 260pp, 19.00)

For more information on these and all the

other titles in our extensive range, visit us
online at: www.lutterworth.com and
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Patrology: The Eastern Fathers from the
Council of Chalcedon to John of Damascus,
Angelo di Berardino. A monumental work
bringing together in an accessible and digestible
form the current status of scholarship on the
writings of the Eastern Fathers in a highly
formative period. (HB 9780227172650 85, PB
9780227172643, 51.25, 736pp)
The Rise of the Monophysite Movement,
W.H.C. Frend.
A detailed and scholarly historical study of the
schism between orthodox Christians and the
Monophysites during the 5th to 7th centuries.
(PB 9780227172414, 424pp, 25.50)
Theosis: Deification in Christian
Theology, Vol 1 S. Finlan & V. Kharlamov
(PB 9780227173299,194pp, 20.00) Vol 2 V.
Kharlamov (PB 9780227680339, 296pp, 24.00)
Essentially practical in its manifestation and
uplifting in its content, ideas of deification are
nevertheless always evasive and arcane in
comprehension. These volumes explore ideas of
theosis from numerous perspectives.

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Divine
Essence and Divine Energies
22.50
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Earliest
Christian Hymnbook
16.20
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Encyclopaedia
of the Early Church
165.60
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Gates
of Mystery
33.30
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Martyrdom
& Persecution in the Early Church 30.15
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Mystical
Theology
of the Eastern Church
17.10
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Patrology
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Rise
of the Monophysite Movement
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Theosis
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Theosis
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