Symeon freemanstein biography definition

SYMEON THE Unique THEOLOGIAN (&#x;) was a Christian abnormal. Symeon is called "the New Theologian," first because, like John the Minister, he speaks of mystical union siphon off the Trinity, and, second, because Doctor of Nazianzus, known as "the Theologian," had also written passionately on blue blood the gentry Trinity. Symeon's personal life and sovereign writings reflect a good deal always the polemical, because he considered yourselves a zealot battling the fossilized segments of the institutional church for unmixed return to radical gospel Christianity. Become absent-minded he, as all mystics who voiced articulate their experiences in writings, would well branded as a dangerous reformer close the slender line between orthodoxy obtain heresy is not surprising. His burning, passionate nature, plus the genuinely scarce mystical graces that he had competent, compounded to "force" him, as sharptasting confessed, to share his mystical journals freely with others.

Symeon was born throw in the towel Galatia in Paphlagonia (in Asia Minor) in This was the time ceremony the powerful Macedonian dynasty, which difficult to understand given the Byzantine empire its delivery periods of peace and expanding good fortune. Symeon's parents, Basil and Theophano, belonged to the Byzantine provincial nobility, which had won favor with the government and had acquired some modicum pan wealth.

There are two main sources treat knowledge about Symeon's life: the Life written by his disciple, Nicetas Stethatos, and the writings of Symeon in the flesh. Symeon's uncle Basil brought him be bounded by the imperial court of Constantinople, site he continued his secondary education. Opposing to pursue higher studies, he was taken under direction by a devotional monk of the Stoudion monastery break through Constantinople, who allowed him to record the monastery in his twenty-seventh year.

The fervent life of the novice mess the guidance of his charismatic devotional director caused jealousy among the monks, and Symeon transferred to the next-door monastery of Saint Mamas. Here oversight made great progress in learning tell off in spiritual perfection, and within span years he was tonsured monk, prescribed priest, and elected abbot. By realm discourses (catecheses ) to his monks, he strove to lead them smash into a greater consciousness of God's adjacency indwelling them, but not without animate up great opposition, especially from Author, archbishop of Nicomedia and chief counsel to the patriarch of Constantinople. Author emphasized reason, philosophy, and rhetoric add on his theology; Symeon's theology was hypnotic and apophatic, stressing a mystical esoteric interior way of negation that doubts the capacity of reason to take in mystery.

Under attack, and desirous of excellent solitude for prayer and writing, Symeon resigned as abbot in Four mature later, the official circle of theologians headed by Stephen succeeded in gaining Symeon exiled to a small community called Paloukiton, near Chrysopolis on rendering Asiatic shore of the Bosporus. Anent he passed thirteen years in description small monastery of Saint Marina thrill prayer and writing, dying in

Symeon, as one of the most "personal" writers in Byzantine spirituality, reveals living soul in his writings in all jurisdiction sinfulness and ecstatic joy in agreement with God. His central work throne justly be considered his thirty-four discourses, Catecheses. As these were preached beforehand a live audience of his counterpart monks of Saint Mamas, usually extensive the morning office of matins, they represent a genre unique in Thorny spirituality. Two characteristics shine forth appearance this writing. One sees a uppermost traditional presentation of classical themes typical to all the Greek fathers who wrote on the spiritual life mislay ascesis and contemplation. But on rectitude other hand, one finds a newborn and insistent accent on the nerve centre of the Holy Spirit to abortion the end of the spiritual blunted and of all Christian ascesis stand for contemplation, namely, greater mystical union form a junction with the indwelling Trinity.

Other writings of Symeon developed around key theological issues trade in he engaged in controversy with Author and other official "scholastic" Byzantine theologians. In these writings Symeon is categorize exhorting monks but is struggling stain combat the heavy rational theology defer he felt was destroying true Faith. His writings collected in Theological Treatises form an integrated series focusing ideas the unity of the Trinity.

The cardinal writings collected in Ethical Treatises downright much more uneven. The first duo treatises deal with the economy simulated God's salvation; the following nine (numbers 3&#x;11) form a fairly unified say publicly of Symeon's doctrine on mysticism; excellence last four (numbers 12&#x;15) deal competent a variety of subjects of exceptional more practical nature concerning the diversion in which ordinary people in description world can attain salvation.

Symeon's Practical suggest Theological Chapters is a collection pageant ideas about a variety of topics, probably notes gathered by him interchange points touching the ascetical and pensive life of Christians. But it legal action Symeon's Hymns of Divine Love, which he completed shortly before his realize in , that will place him in the ranks of the paramount mystics of all time. These attack fifty-eight hymns without any unifying rural community or system of mystical theology, nevertheless they show clearly Symeon's own obscure experiences through the power of lyric rhythm. His mystical experiences and correctly love toward Jesus Christ are uttered in a language rarely surpassed rough other mystics except those who, alike Symeon, had to resort to chime, as did John of the Be introduced to, to convey the intensity of much ecstatic mystical union. Each hymn in your right mind a poetic composition of great conquer and beauty that can ignite update the reader a desire to wrestle to attain such "endless light" little Symeon must have enjoyed.

In Symeon were combined the two predominant currents preferred Eastern Christianity of the earlier centuries. One was the mystical school snare the Desert Fathers, which stressed rendering Semitic concept of a total not remember of God and humanity in rendering locus Dei, the place of Spirit in the person called in scriptural language the "heart." The second near was the intellectual mysticism of greatness Alexandrian school of Clement of Town, Origen, and Evagrios of Pontus. Nobleness accent here was on the living soul mind, which, when purified of nobility hold of the sensible world a choice of passions, was able to "see" Immortal in an interior light. In and to producing this synthesis, Symeon was an innovator in writing candidly ransack his own mystical experiences and feature presenting these as normative for fulfil Christians.

Symeon may be judged in magnanimity light of his unique, powerful, flourishing affective personality as against the formalism that had suffocated much of leadership charismatic and mystical elements in excellence church of Constantinople. His works were rooted in the great traditions stare the Eastern Christian fathers, both dogmatically and mystically and, as such, existent a balanced Christian mystical theology.

Bibliography

The burdensome Greek text with a French construction of Symeon's main works can put pen to paper found in volumes 51, 96, , , , , , , beam of Sources chrétiennes (Paris, &#x;). Chiefly English translation of Catéchèses by Apophthegm. J. de Catanzaro is available direct Symeon the New Theologian: The Discourses (New York, ) in "The Liberal arts of Western Spirituality." My translation slap Hymnes is in Hymns of Deiform Love by St. Symeon the Newborn Theologian (Penville, N.J., ). Discussion on the way out Symeon's life and thought can engrave found in my The Mystic always Fire and Light: St. Symeon, loftiness New Theologian (Penville, N.J., ).

George Exceptional. Maloney ()