Divine energies?

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LewisTheotokos

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Hello,

I have been researching icons and the history of the second council of Ephesus. In my studies I have found reference to an Eastern theology of Divine Energies. I was wondering if anyone has more information on what that refers to and how to really understand it. Are there parallel theologies of this in the West? Are there any good resources that I can use to study this further?

Thank you!

-LT
 
There are others here much more qualified to answer you, so I won’t attempt a complete answer. From the Western perspective we’ve often seen the Eastern idea of God having Energies which are uncreated yet distinct from His Essence to be very problematic, either dividing God into parts or constituting one or more divine emanations from God reminiscent of certain concepts in Neoplatonism, Gnosticism, and Kabbalah.

Obviously an Eastern Catholic or Orthodox would dispute those implications, and one way I’ve seen it described on this site is that even in their ultimate view God isn’t really divided, it’s just that our ability to perceive Him is partial. In Western theology we focus on the simplicity of God on the one hand and our own limited ability to perceive this infinite God on the other. The Easterns, some at least would hold, ultimately believe the same thing but speak of the distinction as if it were in God rather than our own limitations, such that the Divine Energies would be that of God that can be experienced by creatures and the Essence of God being that ultimate fullness of God that only God Himself can truly experience and understand. Obviously this begs the question of if the difference is in ourselves rather than God why they speak of it as though it were in God, and also why I’ve seen Orthodox attack the “Western concept of complete divine simplicity.”

Let’s see what light others can shed on this topic, including perhaps by debunking what I’ve suggested here.
 
In Eastern theology, there is the Essence of God, and the Divine Energies of God.

Both are uncreated. The Essence of God is that part of Him that no created being may ever truly comprehend; it is the awesome transcendence that is part of being the Ever-Living God, from being the Alpha and Omega.

And then you have the Energies. These too are uncreated. However, the Energies are how man (and ultimately, in some sense, all creation) Communes with God. The Energies are God’s acts in Creation; they are His Grace.

These things do not divide God. Rather, they are all in how we relate to Him. There is a portion that God had deigned and delighted to have us partake in- His Divine Energies, His Grace. There are some things that no created being can comprehend or partake in- this is His Essence.

Of course, there is a lot more to it than that. There is a lot of complex philosophical underpinnings here, which I do not necessarily know, and that which I do know would take a long time to explain. Needless to say, here is the main point:

God is Undivided. He is the Almighty and Transcendent God, Whom none may Commune with (Essence). He is the Good and Loving, Whom desires to share Himself with us, and deigns that we partake in the Divine Nature (Energies).

Hope that makes sense. Hopefully some other will come in and clear things up, and correct any mistakes I’ve made.
 
Is this somewhat like the distinction of the oikonomia and theologia?

From CCC 236 - The Fathers of the Church distinguish between theology (theologia) and economy (oikonomia). “Theology” refers to the mystery of God’s inmost life within the Blessed Trinity and “economy” to all the works by which God reveals himself and communicates his life. Through the oikonomia the theologia is revealed to us; but conversely, the theologia illuminates the whole oikonomia. God’s works reveal who he is in himself; the mystery of his inmost being enlightens our understanding of all his works. So it is, analogously, among human persons. A person discloses himself in his actions, and the better we know a person, the better we understand his actions.
 
LewisTheotokos said:
Is this somewhat like the distinction of the oikonomia and theologia?

From CCC 236 - The Fathers of the Church distinguish between theology (theologia) and economy (oikonomia). “Theology” refers to the mystery of God’s inmost life within the Blessed Trinity and “economy” to all the works by which God reveals himself and communicates his life. Through the oikonomia the theologia is revealed to us; but conversely, the theologia illuminates the whole oikonomia. God’s works reveal who he is in himself; the mystery of his inmost being enlightens our understanding of all his works. So it is, analogously, among human persons. A person discloses himself in his actions, and the better we know a person, the better we understand his actions.
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Er… perhaps. In a sense, it can be considered similar.
 
LewisTheotokos said:
Hello,

I have been researching icons and the history of the second council of Ephesus. In my studies I have found reference to an Eastern theology of Divine Energies. I was wondering if anyone has more information on what that refers to and how to really understand it. Are there parallel theologies of this in the West? Are there any good resources that I can use to study this further?

Thank you!

-LT
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Read this as an introduction:

orthodoxinfo.com/phronema/florov_palamas.aspx

I think you can get a hold of some works by St. Gregory of Nyssa. Reading the Patristic sources is best.
 
LewisTheotokos said:
Hello,

I have been researching icons and the history of the second council of Ephesus. In my studies I have found reference to an Eastern theology of Divine Energies. I was wondering if anyone has more information on what that refers to and how to really understand it. Are there parallel theologies of this in the West? Are there any good resources that I can use to study this further?

Thank you!

-LT
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Divine Energies is (uncreated) Grace
 
ComeHome2Rome said:
Divine Energies is (uncreated) Grace
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Not exactly. Uncreated Grace, in the Latin tradition, can refer to many different and mutually exclusive things. Some of these things are Divine Energy, such as Predestination, and some of these things are not, such as the Holy Spirit.

Peace and God bless!
 
Ghosty said:
Not exactly. Uncreated Grace, in the Latin tradition, can refer to many different and mutually exclusive things. Some of these things are Divine Energy, such as Predestination, and some of these things are not, such as the Holy Spirit.

Peace and God bless!
Click to expand...
Fr. Hardon lists three forms of uncreated grace (all are acts): the hypostatic union, the divine indwelling, and the beatific vision.
 
Vico said:
Fr. Hardon lists three forms of uncreated grace (all are acts): the hypostatic union, the divine indwelling, and the beatific vision.
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Yes, and you will find others who list only Predestination as uncreated Grace. Different theological traditions utilize the term very differently. 🙂

Peace and God bless!
 
Ghosty said:
Yes, and you will find others who list only Predestination as uncreated Grace. Different theological traditions utilize the term very differently. 🙂

Peace and God bless!
Click to expand...
You mentioned Latin, so do you mean different Latin Church theological traditions?
 
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