THE CONCEPT OF ‘BEING’ IN AQUINAS AND PALAMAS

Abstract

The aim of the present dissertation is a comparative analysis of the issue of being as found in the writings of St. Gregory Palamas and St. Thomas Aquinas. Primarily, I set two main focuses for my research: firstly, an overview of the life and work of the great Byzantine theologian and, secondly, a comparative analysis with St. Thomas Aquinas on the issue of being.
Although the present dissertation deals with both theological and philosophical issues, my research remains mainly a theological one. I am not interested in a merely theoretical evaluation of the history of being, but rather in how this notion is applied in the dynamics of the relation between God and man.
I structured my thesis around the evaluation of the concept of being in its applicability on God, on man, and on the way in which the two are linked. Therefore, I developed my analysis on each of the two authors, discussing in separate sections on: the divine being, the created being, the issue of grace and the views on deification. Before commencing the examination of the proposed issue, I found relevant to include an introduction dealing with the historical matters concerning each of the two theologians and their ‘dialogue’ within Eastern and Western theological framework. A final section concluded this study tracing the reception of their thought within the twentieth century Theology.