Representatives of the Moscow Theological Academy took part in the scientific-practical conference "Prayer doing and traditions of hesychasm in the Theosis of a man"

On March 8, the St. George of Meshchovsk Monastery in Meshchovsk, Kaluga Region, hosted an annual scientific and practical conference “Prayer doing and traditions of hesychasm in the Theosis of a man” dedicated to the theology of St. Gregory Palamas. 

The conference was organized by the Kaluga Theological Seminary at the St. George of Meshchovsk Monastery, Kaluga diocese. 

The Moscow Theological Academy was represented by Hegumen Adrian (Pashin), Associate Professor at the Theology Department, and P.S. Trofimov, an assistant at the Philology Department. 

Before the opening of the conference, the Bishop of Tarusa Leonid, Vicar of the Kaluga diocese, celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in St. George's Monastery.

Hegumen Adrian (Pashin) presented a report “The Teaching of St. Gregory Palamas on the Divine Nature and Energy” conderning key theological ideas expressed by the Thessalonian hierarch in his polemics with Barlaam of Calabria, Akindin and Grigora. 

P.S. Trofimov made a presentation on "Elements of the Teaching on the Theosis by St. Gregory the Dialogist". The speaker considered the issue of the Theosis doctrine among Latin Fathers before the Great Schism and identified parallels between the soteriology of St. Gregory the Dialogist and the Eastern doctrine of the Theosis. 

The presented reports aroused great interest and lively discussions.  

In their concluding speeches, the Bishop of Tarusa Leonid and Archimandrite Georgy (Evdachev), Abbot of the St. George of Meshchovsk Monastery, expressed the hope that such events gathering representatives of theological educational institutions would give deeper understanding of the ascetic Orthodox tradition.

MThA Press Office