Hesychasm in the Eastern Rites

[Errham]

How is the subject generally viewed in the Eastern Rite Churchs? Is it and the accompanying theology accepted? From what I understand, Western Rite Catholics have traditionally been very skeptical of Hesychasm, and most contemporary Catholic theologians have rejected the accompanying Palamatian theology. However, John Paul II called Palamas a saint and described him a a great writer and an authority on theology. Does this serve to reconcile a (kind of) Western-Eastern schism on the topic?

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

It’s been some time since I’ve looked into this, but from what I remember, the issue that the West had with hesychasm and St. Gregory Palamas’ theology was primarily based off of a misunderstanding of the Eastern/Byzantine paradigm of theology and spirituality. Instead of understanding it on its own terms, the West tried to understand it within a Latin paradigm. Obviously, this simply does not work.

Hesychasm and the theology of St. Gregory Palamas are both adhered to in the Byzantine East (note: They do not hold the same weight for the Syriac, Chaldean, Maronite, Coptic, Ethiopian, or other Oriental Churches, Catholic or Orthodox). Palamas is venerated liturgically in the Byzantine calendar on the second Sunday of Lent (or is it the third?).

 

[ByzCathCantor]

Yes, Second Sunday of the Great Fast. Hope you are well, friend!

 

[thinkandmull]

It’s been some time since I’ve looked into this, but from what I remember, the issue that the West had with hesychasm and St. Gregory Palamas’ theology was primarily based off of a misunderstanding of the Eastern/Byzantine paradigm of theology and spirituality. Instead of understanding it on its own terms, the West tried to understand it within a Latin paradigm. Obviously, this simply does not work.

Hesychasm and the theology of St. Gregory Palamas are both adhered to in the Byzantine East (note: They do not hold the same weight for the Syriac, Chaldean, Maronite, Coptic, Ethiopian, or other Oriental Churches, Catholic or Orthodox). Palamas is venerated liturgically in the Byzantine calendar on the second Sunday of Lent (or is it the third?).

“within a Latin paradigm”. You mean this is a misunderstanding of words? A Latin paradigm means beliefs about ideas. If the East doesn’t fit that with those beliefs, a dodge to a paradigm doesn’t save them. I will try to read more

 

[Peter_J]

How is the subject generally viewed in the Eastern Rite Churchs? Is it and the accompanying theology accepted? From what I understand, Western Rite Catholics have traditionally been very skeptical of Hesychasm, and most contemporary Catholic theologians have rejected the accompanying Palamatian theology. However, John Paul II called Palamas a saint and described him a a great writer and an authority on theology. Does this serve to reconcile a (kind of) Western-Eastern schism on the topic?

I don’t think there’s any better answer to this than the, if you will, simple common sense answer: it may help … but only to a point, because it doesn’t take the place of doctrinal agreement. To consider a situation where Rome is on the receiving end, suppose the Archbishop of Canterbury calls St Thomas Aquinas a great saint … that doesn’t take the place of agreement on the Eucharist.

Granted, there are probably some Catholics who would be offended by the very act of comparing an action of the Pope with an action of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

 

[shestelle]

As far as I understand this, “hesychasm” is acquiring an inner silence, quiet, stillness, calm and union with the Will of God, through the Grace of God in the aquisition of the Holy Spirit. It is needed if a person is to grow and mature in Christ Jesus. The study of Hesychasm is a spiritual state/study/prayer that monastics- monks and nuns - pratice in their life-style whether in monasteries or otherwise.

Saint Gregory Palamas is in a sense considered a Theologian of Hesychasm. This is very deep material, and to be approached with reverence and humility. It’s not a put the hat on one day and remove it the next kind of approach to life and prayer in the spirituaual Christian Life. It is a life-time of inner practice and struggle that can little by little bring a person to a deeper understanding of what “Hesychasm” a true hesychasm entails.

I don’t pretend to understand and know much about this practice or state of one’s inner soul; but, I do point to the word of Jesus in the Gospel: " when you pray go into your inner room and pray to your Father in secret." ( quote ? )

In the Western Church, many of its Saints speak of the path towards inner silence, like Saint Theresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross, and other Carmelite Saints. Many others do also. And, some of you may have read these books, and are practicing the Jesus Prayer. It’s all part of God’s Grace acting through the Holy spirit in a person’s inner soul-life.

Hope this is matter for thought!

 

[thinkandmull]

So the only difference between the East and West on this is open talk about controlled breathing in the East?

 

[shestelle]

So the only difference between the East and West on this is open talk about controlled breathing in the East?

Have no idea what you mean by the words of your post quoted above. ? Who are you addressing? Please clarify!

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

So the only difference between the East and West on this is open talk about controlled breathing in the East?

I don’t know that I’d say that. Controlled breathing is actually a controversial topics even among Eastern Christians. Many of the great Russian saints have pointed out that it is potentially detrimental to both one’s spiritual and physical health, when practiced without the supervision of an experienced guide. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware also points out that the written guidelines for controlled breathing are actually deliberately quite vague. This is because the elders who wrote about it were aware of the need to have an experienced guide when undertaking this form of recollection. In the end, controlled breathing is just one way among many to focus one’s attention on prayer itself - as St. Theophan would say, it is simply another way to bring the mind into the heart and remain there.

Between East and West the goal of prayer and the spiritual life is the same; i.e. communion/fellowship/intimate relationship with God. Because the goal is the same, many aspects of spirituality will also be the same. The difference will be in overarching emphases and approaches. But again, any approach to the spiritual life cannot be completely categorized as “Eastern” or “Western” because spirituality is, ultimately, a personal relationship. It will, therefore, vary from one individual to another.

One final thing I will point out. Hesychasm isn’t the universal spirituality of the East; nor is it the even the universal spirituality of the Byzantine East. It is one Eastern Christian spirituality among many, just as Carmelite spirituality is one Western/Latin Catholic spirituality among many.

 

[TimothyH]

Any problems there might be with hesychasm are in the West, specifically confusing hesychasm with the heresy of quietism. The fact that the Greek word hesychos means quiet doesn’t help.

I wish Western Catholics would not be so quick to jerk the knee or believe every uneducated blogger on the internet. Even the original Catholic Encyclopedia article on the topic is extremely biased.

My comments are made as a Roman Catholic.

-Tim-

 

[dochawk]

Granted, there are probably some Catholics who would be offended by the very act of comparing an action of the Pope with an action of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

And maybe a few who don’t! (unless, of course, you mean +Thomas . . .)

hawk

 

[thinkandmull]

I don’t know that I’d say that. Controlled breathing is actually a controversial topics even among Eastern Christians. Many of the great Russian saints have pointed out that it is potentially detrimental to both one’s spiritual and physical health, when practiced without the supervision of an experienced guide. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware also points out that the written guidelines for controlled breathing are actually deliberately quite vague. This is because the elders who wrote about it were aware of the need to have an experienced guide when undertaking this form of recollection. In the end, controlled breathing is just one way among many to focus one’s attention on prayer itself - as St. Theophan would say, it is simply another way to bring the mind into the heart and remain there.

Between East and West the goal of prayer and the spiritual life is the same; i.e. communion/fellowship/intimate relationship with God. Because the goal is the same, many aspects of spirituality will also be the same. The difference will be in overarching emphases and approaches. But again, any approach to the spiritual life cannot be completely categorized as “Eastern” or “Western” because spirituality is, ultimately, a personal relationship. It will, therefore, vary from one individual to another.

One final thing I will point out. Hesychasm isn’t the universal spirituality of the East; nor is it the even the universal spirituality of the Byzantine East. It is one Eastern Christian spirituality among many, just as Carmelite spirituality is one Western/Latin Catholic spirituality among many.

So then what is Hesychasm?

 

[Errham]

So then what is Hesychasm?

There’s quite a significant difference between hesychastic theology and hesychastic practice. Hesychastic theology essentially involves the distinction of God into unknowable “essence” and manifested “energies”, which is standard Orthodox theology. Hesychastic practice, on the other hand, is a spiritual practice in which one attempts to withdraw themselves from the material world, and to focus all of their inner thoughts on prayer, attempting to pray from the heart rather than the mind, with the end result being an inner stillness, quiet, a peace between soul and God, which is what the word “hesychasm” literally means. The connection between the two occurs when the Hesychast succeeds at his efforts, having the divine energies manifested in him and through him.

Now, that may sound exactly like the concept of theosis, which it is exactly, and which is thus why I would disagree that hesychasm is merely a “spiritual tradition”. Hesychastic theology, hesychastic practice, and theosis are all intimately connected. Theosis is essentially the end result of hesychasm, and hesychasm is essentially the end result of theosis. One must be at peace with God to join in his energies, and one must join in his energies in order to be at peace with God.

The really interesting question, is how this all ties into traditional Catholic theology. In my opinion, as I have stated before, Eastern and Western theologies should complement, not contradict, each other. So an attempt to reconcile the two can and should be made. The interesting point is that, unlike in Catholicism, in the East there is no strict distinction made between meditation and contemplation; the two are viewed as intimately connected, and the end result of one another. This is a belief that I believe is true in Catholicism as well. Take the order of Lectio Divina. First, we prepare ourselves for communion with God by communion with the Logos. Next, we prepare ourselves for interaction with God’s energies through meditation, learning to view them as not merely words on paper but as the actual life-giving spirit of God. Then, we actively invoke and directly address these energies through prayer, having realized what they truly are. And then, we partake in them through contemplation, in a mini-theosis of sorts.

As you might have noticed, all the terminology makes this sound extremely confusing and illogical. That is because in the scholarly-oriented West, precise liturgical terminology for even hypothetical subjects has been greatly developed, whereas in the more mystical and practical oriented East the terminology has been developed based on the experiences themselves, with little distinction made as to what actually defines them. So, in reality, Eastern and Western theology work in perfect harmony with each other: they’re just looking at the same sculpture from two vastly different angles.

 

[thinkandmull]

There’s quite a significant difference between hesychastic theology and hesychastic practice. Hesychastic theology essentially involves the distinction of God into unknowable “essence” and manifested “energies”, which is standard Orthodox theology. Hesychastic practice, on the other hand, is a spiritual practice in which one attempts to withdraw themselves from the material world, and to focus all of their inner thoughts on prayer, attempting to pray from the heart rather than the mind, with the end result being an inner stillness, quiet, a peace between soul and God, which is what the word “hesychasm” literally means. The connection between the two occurs when the Hesychast succeeds at his efforts, having the divine energies manifested in him and through him.

Now, that may sound exactly like the concept of theosis, which it is exactly, and which is thus why I would disagree that hesychasm is merely a “spiritual tradition”. Hesychastic theology, hesychastic practice, and theosis are all intimately connected. Theosis is essentially the end result of hesychasm, and hesychasm is essentially the end result of theosis. One must be at peace with God to join in his energies, and one must join in his energies in order to be at peace with God.

The really interesting question, is how this all ties into traditional Catholic theology. In my opinion, as I have stated before, Eastern and Western theologies should complement, not contradict, each other. So an attempt to reconcile the two can and should be made. The interesting point is that, unlike in Catholicism, in the East there is no strict distinction made between meditation and contemplation; the two are viewed as intimately connected, and the end result of one another. This is a belief that I believe is true in Catholicism as well. Take the order of Lectio Divina. First, we prepare ourselves for communion with God by communion with the Logos. Next, we prepare ourselves for interaction with God’s energies through meditation, learning to view them as not merely words on paper but as the actual life-giving spirit of God. Then, we actively invoke and directly address these energies through prayer, having realized what they truly are. And then, we partake in them through contemplation, in a mini-theosis of sorts.

As you might have noticed, all the terminology makes this sound extremely confusing and illogical. That is because in the scholarly-oriented West, precise liturgical terminology for even hypothetical subjects has been greatly developed, whereas in the more mystical and practical oriented East the terminology has been developed based on the experiences themselves, with little distinction made as to what actually defines them. So, in reality, Eastern and Western theology work in perfect harmony with each other: they’re just looking at the same sculpture from two vastly different angles.

Nothing you’ve spoken of is absent from the West. Even Divine Energies. We just call it grace.

 

[Errham]

Nothing you’ve spoken of is absent from the West. Even Divine Energies. We just call it grace.

That’s exactly my point. The difference is one of terminology, not doctrine. Western terminology works from a very legalistic standpoint; Orthodox terminology works from a very practical standpoint. They both refer to the sane things. That’s all that it boils down too in the end.