13 Facts About Gregory Palamas

Gregory Palamas was a Byzantine Greek theologian and Eastern Orthodox cleric of the late Byzantine period.

Gregory Palamas's teaching unfolded over the course of three major controversies, with the Italo-Greek Barlaam between 1336 and 1341, with the monk Gregory Akindynos between 1341 and 1347, and with the philosopher Gregoras, from 1348 to 1355.

Gregory Palamas's father, Constantine, was a courtier of the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos, but died when Gregory was still young.

The Emperor himself took part in the raising and education of the fatherless boy and hoped that the gifted Gregory would devote himself to government service, but Palamas chose monastic life on Mt.

Athos, Gregory Palamas received a broad education at the University of Constantinople, including the study of Aristotle, which he would display before Theodore Metochites and the Emperor.

Gregory Palamas served for a short time as Abbot of the Esphigmenou Monastery but was forced to resign in 1335 due to discontentment regarding the austerity of his monastic administration.

Gregory Palamas wrote a number of works in its defense and defended hesychasm at six different synods in Constantinople ultimately triumphing over its attackers in the synod of 1351.

Around 1336, Gregory Palamas received copies of treatises written by Barlaam against the Latins, condemning their insertion of the Filioque into the Nicene Creed.

Gregory Palamas's teaching was affirmed by the superiors and principal monks of Mt.

The tome provides a systematic presentation of Gregory Palamas' teaching and became the fundamental textbook for Byzantine mysticism.

However, in 1347 when Patriarch Isidore came to the Ecumenical Throne, Gregory Palamas was released from prison and consecrated as the Metropolitan of Thessalonica.

Gregory Palamas was obliged to spend a year in detention at the Ottoman court where he was well treated.

At the Synod of Zamosc it was agreed to obey this policy, but out of the new celebrations included in those books, only the office of Gregory Palamas was to be left out.