Hesychasm
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: Medieval Europe
Forum Discription: The Middle Ages: AD 500-1500
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13252
Printed Date: 20-Apr-2024 at 01:47
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.56a - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Hesychasm
Posted By: Decebal
Subject: Hesychasm
Date Posted: 10-Jul-2006 at 13:32
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While reading John Fine's "History of the Late Medieval Balkans", I came across his mention of the movements known as Hesychasm, which was quite influential in orthodox monastic orders in Europe in the 14th and early 15th centuries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesychasm - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesychasm
------------- What is history but a fable agreed upon? Napoleon Bonaparte Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.- Mohandas Gandhi 
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Replies:
Posted By: Komnenos
Date Posted: 10-Jul-2006 at 14:36
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Neither Runciman nor Nicol (whom I just looked up) mention any external influences on the Hesychast movement. In view of the long standing line of Christian ascetic and introspective mystics, who in the early centuries of Christianity had initiated the monastic tradition, I think it was probably autonomous.
As the Wikipedia article says, the parallels with Eastern religions are rather superficial, hesychast practises are somewhat generic to religions, like sacrifices and prayers etc, and can be found everywhere.
Interesting and characteristic though, that the Hesychast controversy succeeded to split the Byzantines once again on religious lines, not on the same scale as the Iconoclast controversy of the 8th and 9th centuries, but as the Empire in the 14th century was facing imminent collapse, it was totally superflous and damaging. ------------- [IMG]http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/komnenos/crosses1.jpg"> |