Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of Diokleia, between the Neo-patristic synthesis and the Russian Religious Renaissance: an example of the reception of the patristic tradition

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn 1972, Fr Alexander Schmemann, claimed that two fundamental theological trends exist within modern Orthodox theology that may be sharply distinguished from each other by their difference of methodology and orientation. Even if these two currents of thought do not take the form of two radically distinct schools, it is nevertheless certain that for several decades until recently it was almost a commonplace in the relevant scholarship that the history of twentieth-century Orthodox theology may be characterised by the existence of two different, if not radically opposed, schools of thought. This polarity, however, has recently been questioned by a number of studies that seek a more synthetic and irenic understanding of the history and theology of the twentieth century Orthodox theology. In this light the person and work of Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of Diokleia may be regarded as a genuine attempt to achieve this sort of synthetic overview.