St. Gregory Palamas

Saint Gregory Palamas: Defender of Orthodox Mysticism

Saint Gregory Palamas (1296–1359) was a prominent Byzantine theologian, monk, and archbishop whose teachings profoundly shaped Eastern Orthodox spirituality. Born in Constantinople to a noble family, he received a classical education at the imperial court but chose the monastic life over a political career.

Early Life and Monastic Calling
Around 1316, at age 20, Palamas retreated to Mount Athos, the heart of Orthodox monasticism. There, he embraced hesychasm—a contemplative practice of inner stillness, repetitive prayer (often the Jesus Prayer), and physical techniques to foster direct experience of God. Hesychasts sought union with the divine through "quietude" (hesychia), claiming visions of the uncreated light seen at Christ's Transfiguration.

The Hesychast Controversy
In the 1330s, Barlaam of Calabria, a Greek-Italian scholar influenced by Western rationalism, criticized hesychasm as heretical, dismissing claims of perceiving divine light as illusory or materialistic. Palamas vigorously defended the monks in works like *The Triads*. He argued that hesychasts experience God's uncreated energies—not His inaccessible essence.

Central to Palamas's theology is the **essence-energies distinction**: God's essence (ousia) is utterly transcendent and unknowable, while His energies (energeia)—His actions, grace, and light—are uncreated and participable. Humans can know and unite with God through these energies without compromising divine simplicity or transcendence. This, he asserted, enables true deification (theosis).

Councils in Constantinople (1341, 1347, 1351) affirmed Palamas's views, condemning his opponents. Despite imprisonment (1344–1347) amid political turmoil, he was vindicated and appointed Archbishop of Thessalonica in 1347.

Later Years and Legacy
As archbishop, Palamas continued writing, preaching, and performing miracles. He died on November 14, 1359, reportedly envisioning Saint John Chrysostom urging him "To the heights!" Canonized in 1368, he is celebrated on November 14 and the Second Sunday of Great Lent as a pillar of Orthodoxy.

Palamas's emphasis on experiential knowledge of God over pure intellect remains foundational in Orthodoxy, influencing prayer, theology, and the understanding of divine-human communion. His relics rest in Thessaloniki, where he is venerated as a wonderworker.

athosforum.org is doing research on Palamas at Megisti Lavra for the purpose of defending his thesis against Barlaam.

Further reading https://athosforum.org/node/295