Maximus the Confessor as a European Philosopher

Is Maximus “European”? Is Maximus a “philosopher”? The two questions of our conference also entail the concomitant questions «what is Maximus’ contribution to Europe?» and “what is his contribution to philosophy?”. They might equally presuppose the questions “is Maximus something else than just a “Byzantine”?” and “is Maximus something else than just a theologian?”. These are not new questions and they have actually mobilized research in the last decades. It is to be reminded that Hans-Urs von Balthasar, who is considered to be a sort of “founder” of a new period of interest in Maximian scholarship, has regarded Maximus as a great European thinker who struggled against the “asianic” spirit and its despotism. He considered Maximus as a precursor of Hegel and he has linked him to the latter’s dialectical thought . Roman Catholic specialists from 1970 onwards have tried to interpret Maximus as a precursor of Thomas Aquinas. They have insisted on Maximus’ sojourn in the province of Africa, that is in the same places where Augustine of Hippo was active, as well as in Rome and they have highlighted Maximus’ conflict with the Byzantine state. Juan-Miguel Garrigues, in particular, has portrayed Maximus as a fugitive and a “refugee”, who was fleeing Persians and Arabs, but also, in a certain sense, struggling against Byzantines. In the experience of this clash with the world of Late Antiquity, Maximus has supposedly discovered historical contingency and formulated in his thought what has come to be a major problem of Western modernity. On the contrary, Orthodox scholars often consider Gregory Palamas as Maximus’ true heir . But for Orthodox scholars as well, the vindication of Maximus was related with all the important enjeux of European philosophy, both old and new. For example, Maximus’ theories on the person, logos and tropos were linked to the modernist philosophical program of existentialism, as well as with personalism. The idea was to promote Maximus as an alternative thinker of the person that is not in an occidental modernist sense, but in an alternative version that is nevertheless equally European . That was combined with an equal effort to regard Maximus as a more authentic continuator of Aristotle . In the last decades we witness an important turning to Maximus’ Psychology and a comparison with contemporary Psychology and Psychoanalysis, for example in its Lacanian version , or with other schools . All these bold interpretations have of course coexisted with patrological, philological and historical studies, feeding one another, and reaching the great interest in Maximus that we witness today.

Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies, 2018

Sotiris Mitralexis, Ever-Moving Repose: A Contemporary Reading of Maximus the Confessor's Theory of Time. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2017. http://wipfandstock.com/ever-moving-repose.html Sotiris Mitralexis offers a contemporary look at Maximus the Confessor’s (580–662 CE) understanding of temporality, logoi , and deification, through the perspective of contemporary philosopher and theologian Christos Yannaras, as well as John Zizioulas and Nicholas Loudovikos. Mitralexis argues that Maxi-mus possesses both a unique theological ontology and a unique threefold theory of temporality: time, the Aeon, and the radical transformation of temporality and motion in an ever-moving repose. With these three distinct modes of temporality, a Maximian theory of time can be reconstructed, which can be approached via his teaching on the logoi and deification. In this theory, time is not merely measuring ontological motion, but is more particularly measuring a relationship , the consummation of which effects the transformation of time into a dimensionless present devoid of temporal, spatial, and generally ontological distance —thereby manifesting a perfect communion-in-otherness. In examining Maximian temporality, the book is not focusing on only one aspect of Maximus’ comprehensive Weltanschauung, but looks at the Maximian vision as a whole through the lens of temporality and motion. "In this remarkable book, Dr. Mitralexis seeks more than an exposition of a central notion in St. Maximus the Confessor's metaphysical vision, but rather a genuine fusion of the horizons, in a Gadamerian sense, so that his understanding of Maximus is informed by the development of a relational ontology by the likes of Zizioulas and Yannaras, whose own thought has been inspired by their reading of Maximus. The result is a bold and original contribution to ontology and metaphysics." --ANDREW LOUTH, FBA, Professor Emeritus of Patristic and Byzantine Studies, Durham University "This book, written by a young and promising Maximus scholar, is an interesting study of a central set of notions in Maximus' writings, namely, the notions of time, the Aeon, and eternity. These notions have been studied by others as well, but never as extensively as by Mitralexis. He finds the roots of Maximus' notion of time in Aristotle, but has a quite original hermeneutical approach since he tries to unravel the Confessor's philosophy from the vantage point of the Greek modern philosopher Christos Yannaras, thus seeking to make Maximus' thought relevant for our own age. The depth of Mitralexis' knowledge of the sources and his grasp of modern scholarship on Maximus is impressive. I highly recommend this book." --TORSTEIN T. TOLLEFSEN, Professor of Philosophy, University of Oslo "This is a really welcome addition to the fast-growing literature on Maximus the Confessor. It is a first-class study of the original texts, but is distinctive in its willingness to bring Maximus' thought into fruitful conversation with contemporary philosophical discussions, so that the implications of this study will be of interest to many more than Byzantine specialists." --ROWAN WILLIAMS, Master of Magdalene College, University of Cambridge

American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, 93:3 (2019), 579a 583b.

2017

Religious Studies Review, 2007

Zagzebski's book offers a clear and accessible introduction to the philosophy of religion that includes both a historical overview of the subject and a taste of the latest research in the field. Because of its generally theistic approach to religion and its focus on monotheism, the book would be particularly well suited to those already acquainted with monotheism but who could benefit from a brief history of religion, philosophy, and philosophical argument. Particularly notable are Zagzebski's layout of the classical arguments for God's existence and the connection she makes between them and more contemporary arguments. With clarity and precision, Zagzebski not only traces through arguments for God's existence but also delves into questions of who God is and the implications of theism for free will, morality, the existence of evil, and the afterlife. She also addresses two problems associated with religion today: religious diversity and the alleged conflict between faith and reason. Although Zagzebki realizes that some of the most important and difficult philosophical questions remain unanswerable, her book ends on a hopeful note. She urges philosophers to continue to ponder the issues of ultimate significance without losing their "eagerness of spirit." While Zagzebski's Christian framework and overriding focus on monotheism might seem lopsided to some, her book serves as an excellent contribution to the field both for its historical approach to the philosophy of religion and its ability to contextualize current discussions in light of history and personal faith.

Report on the International Colloquium: Maximus the Confessor as a European Philosopher, held in Berlin, September 26-28, 2014, by the University of Athens and the Freie Universitat Berlin.

Studia Ceranea 8, 2018

Maximus the Greek born as Mikhail Trivolis in the Greek town of Arta, received his humanist education in North Italy, particularly in Florence and Venice, where he was engaged in the process of the first editions of printed books and where he would constantly deal with manuscript samples. The paper shows how Maximus the Greek managed to create his own, deeply personal language and to express the complexity of Byzantine patristic, hagiographic and iconographic issues. Finally, he successfully established his Orthodox theological system, significantly marked with the poetic effect that strongly inspired his theological works.

CONSTANTINE'S LETTERS 13/2, PP. 99 - 110, 2020

The paper investigates the foundations of the ethical values that shaped the deeply personal theology of St. Maximus the Greek. By providing the original evidence from his writings (as well as from manuscripts) and the precise biographical context, the author reveals significant disagreement between Maxim's Russian co-speakers and his previous philological, ascetic and monastic experience, concerning the Byzantine system of education, especially the Byzantine consideration of divine wisdom and human knowledge. In particular, this paper analyses Maxim's understanding of (Greek) grammar. It also discusses the question of 'the Jesus prayer' and its possible literal traces in the writings of Maxim the Greek. In conclusion, it seems that Maxim the Greek created a completely unique ethical system of intellectual knowledge that should be connected to the Athonite prayer and liturgical practice.