The doctrine of St. Gregory Palamas and the doctrine of Grigory Akindin about uncreated and created energies

Abstract

Introduction. The purpose of this article is to carry out a critical analysis of the doctrine of St. Gregory Palamas and the doctrine of Grigory Akindin, to identify significant contradictions regarding different understanding these authors of the "nature" of the Tabor Light, the relationship between God's essence and God's energy, and the different understanding these authors of communion to God by essence (nature) and by grace.Materials and Methods. In this article the methodology of critical analysis and the methodology of the rational reconstruction of the researched materials are used, combined with the methods of comparative analysis of doctrine of St. Gregory Palamas and the doctrine of Grigory Akindin.Results. The article considers the point of view according to which uncreated energies are the outpouring (exodus) of the essence of God. This point of view is shared by St. Gregory Palamas and Gregory Akindin. But this point of view is the only thing that unites these authors. Wanting to preserve the simplicity of God (fearing to introduce unacceptable complexity and multiplicity into God), Akindin, unlike Gregory Palamas, essence of God and the energies of the essence of God binds stronger. According to Akindin, the energies of the essence of God do not go beyond the essence of God. So, without excluding the presence of God's energies, Akindin excludes the possibility of the presence in God of something other than the essence of God. According to St. Gregory Palamas, God is simple in His essence (the essence of God is simple), but complex and multiple in its properties and actions (actions-properties) in the form of uncreated energies. Uncreated energies, from Akindin's point of view, do not come from the Trinity, but only from Its Second embodied Hypostasis – from Jesus Christ, who in His one God's Person unites two essences, two natures: God's nature and human (created nature). Since the energies are the outpouring of the essence, we so have two different energies-grace: created and uncreated. It is precisely the created energy-grace that man takes communion.Discussion and Conclusions. we proved that, despite the similarity of the positions of St. Gregory Palamas and Gregory Akindin regarding their understanding of uncreated energies as outpourings of the essence of God, there is complete incompatibility between these two authors. This incompatibility forms an area for the further discussion.