19 Facts About Gennadius Scholarius

Gennadius Scholarius was a strong advocate for the use of Aristotelian philosophy in the Orthodox Church.

Gennadius Scholarius II had studied and written extensively on Catholic theology.

Gennadius Scholarius was born Georgios Kourtesios in Constantinople c and he belonged to an ethnic Greek family originally from the island of Chios; the name Scholarios is thought to derive from a family member's position in the Byzantine Navy or the imperial palace.

Gennadius Scholarius had been a teacher of philosophy before entering the service of the emperor John VIII Palaiologos as a theological advisor.

From this, the Catholic Encyclopedia speculates that Gennadius Scholarius II was likely writing an academic exercise to inform his former master that Thomas Aquinas' opinions did not constitute a universally Latin approach to questions on the Trinity.

Gennadius Scholarius was at a serious disadvantage because, being a layman, he could not directly take part in the discussions of the council.

At the behest of his mentor Mark of Ephesus, who converted him completely to anti-Latin Orthodoxy, until his death, Gennadius Scholarius was known as the most uncompromising enemy of the union.

Gennadius Scholarius wrote many works to defend his new convictions, which differ so much from the earlier conciliatory ones that Leo Allatius thought there must be two people of the same name; to whom Edward Gibbon: "Eusebe Renaudot has restored the identity of his person, and the duplicity of his character".

The city's famous patriarchal basilica, the Hagia Sophia, had already been converted into a mosque by the conquerors, so Gennadius Scholarius II established his seat at the Church of the Holy Apostles.

Gennadius Scholarius II became a political authority as well as a religious one, as were all his successors under the Ottomans.

Gennadius Scholarius II was unhappy as patriarch, and tried to abdicate his position at least twice; in 1456 he resigned.

Gennadius Scholarius was later called two times to guide the Christian community as Patriarch during the turbulent period that followed the patriarchate of Isidore II of Constantinople.

Gennadius Scholarius lived in the monastery of John the Baptist near Serrae in Macedonia, where he wrote books until he died in about 1472.

Gennadius Scholarius was the last of the old school of polemical writers and one of the greatest.

Gennadius Scholarius was as skillful an opponent of Catholic theology as Mark of Ephesus, and a more learned one.

Gennadius Scholarius's writings show him to be a student not only of Western philosophy but of controversy with Jews and Muslims, of the great Hesychast question, in short, of all the questions that were important in his time.

Gennadius Scholarius has another kind of importance as the first Patriarch of Constantinople under the Ottomans.

Gennadius Scholarius II was a prolific writer during all the periods of his life.

Some translations of works of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and polemical treatises against his theology by Gennadius Scholarius II are still unedited, as is his work against the Barlaamites.