Vladimir N. Lossky (May 26, 1903–February 7, 1958) was a 20th century Greek or Eastern Orthodox theologian. He emphasized the mysticism of Saint Paul and theosis, or the deification/divinization of the human person through Jesus as the main principle of Orthodox Christianity. Image File history File links Vlad_lossky_200. ... May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). ... 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... Theology is literally rational discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, rational discourse). By extension, it also refers to the study of other religious topics. ... Paul of Tarsus (d. ... In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis, meaning divinization (or deification or, to become god), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Vladimir Lossky was an influential theologian and Russian expatriate. He was the son of Nikolas O. Lossky, professor of philosophy in St Petersburg. Vladimir was born May 26, 1903, but was exiled from Russia in 1922. He moved to Paris two years later and remained there until his death in 1958. He served as the first dean of the St. Dionysus Institute in Paris, where he also taught dogmatic theology. Lossky is remembered best for his book, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of his upbringing or legal residence. ... From the bookcover Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical by C.M. Sciabarra Nikolai Onufriyevich Lossky Николай Онуфриевич Лосский, (November 24 N.S. December 6, 1870–January 24, 1965) was a Russian philosopher, representative of Russian idealism, intuitionism, personalism, ethics and his intuitivism. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... -1... St. ...

Theology

V. Lossky stated in The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church that the Orthodox maintained its mystical tenets. While the East-West Schism caused within the Western churches a loss of these tenets due to a misunderstanding of Greek terms such as ousia, hypostasis, theosis, and theoria. Much of the mysticism of the eastern church being the churchs' dogmas expressed in such works as Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, the Philokalia, Ladder of Divine Ascentby St John Climacus, St Gregory of Nyssa, St Basil the Great, St Gregory Nazianzus, and St Gregory Palamas. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... In Christianity, the Greek word hypostasis [1] is usually translated into Latin as natura and then into English as nature, although the specific Greek word for nature and substance is physis. ... In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis, meaning divinization (or deification or, to become god), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection. ... Theoria is contemplation or perception of beauty, esp. ... Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, also known as pseudo-Denys, is the name scholars have given to an anonymous theologian and philosopher of the 5th century, who wrote a collection of books, the Corpus Areopagiticum, falsely ascribed to Dionysius the Areopagite, mentioned in Acts 17:34. ... The Philokalia (Gk. ... John Climacus (ca. ... Gregory of Nyssa ( 335 – after 394) was a Christian bishop and saint. ... Basil (ca. ... An icon of Saint Gregory Nazianzen the theologian holding a Gospel Book Saint Gregory Nazianzen (AD 329 - January 25, 389), also known as Saint Gregory the Theologian, was a 4th century Christian bishop of Constantinople. ... Gregory Palamas (1296 - 1359) was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece, and later became Archbishop of Thessalonica. ...

V. Lossky also expressed in The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church that the Trinity is a doctrine with roots in Hebrew hermeneutics, Greek Platonic and Neoplatonic philosophy as well. Being that the Father of the Trinity is an infinite, primordial or original, unknowable origin, hypostasis. The Son of God or Jesus Christ expressing the logos or perfection in the material world and God in the flesh. Christ as well, representing mankind, which he inherited from the Theotokos as another hypostasis. The Holy Spirit himself being light, life, animation and the source of uncreated light, enlightenment, illumination, hypostasis. The Holy Spirit and the Christ being the hands of God the father, reaching in from the infinite into the finite. All three hypostasis sharing a common essence or ousia which is referred to as God. Hermeneutics may be described as the development and study of theories of the interpretation and understanding of texts. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is the modern term for a school of philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, based on the teachings of Plato and earlier Platonists. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Originality refers to something being new or novel. ... In Christianity, the Greek word hypostasis [1] is usually translated into Latin as natura and then into English as nature, although the specific Greek word for nature and substance is physis. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Greek word λόγος or logos is a word with various meanings. ... Theotokos of Kazan Theotokos (Greek: , translit. ... In Christianity, the Greek word hypostasis [1] is usually translated into Latin as natura and then into English as nature, although the specific Greek word for nature and substance is physis. ... The Energies of God are a central principle of theology in the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... Illumination is either Illumination as the practice of living in Love and Light lighting — supplying light to an area Enlightenment (Satori), see also Illuminati the art of decorating letters or pages with ink and embossing techniques. ... In Christianity, the Greek word hypostasis [1] is usually translated into Latin as natura and then into English as nature, although the specific Greek word for nature and substance is physis. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

For Lossky, Christian mysticism and theology are intimately connected. The Christian life of prayer and worship is the foundation for dogmatic theology, and the dogma of the church help the Christian in his struggle for sanctification and deification.

See also

• Hesychasm
• Essence-Energies distinction
• Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
• Neoplatonism
• Apotheosis
• Theophany
• theosis
• theoria
• Philokalia
• Phronema
• Uniatism
• Praxis
• Archimandrite Sophrony
• Fr John Meyendorff
• Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

Hesychasm (Greek ησυχασμός, from ησυχία, stillness, rest, quiet) is an eremitic tradition of prayer in Eastern Orthodox Christianity practised (Gk: ησυχάζω: keep stillness) by the Hesychast (Gr. ... The Energies of God are a central principle of theology in the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, also known as pseudo-Denys, is the name scholars have given to an anonymous theologian and philosopher of the 5th century, who wrote a collection of books, the Corpus Areopagiticum, falsely ascribed to Dionysius the Areopagite, mentioned in Acts 17:34. ... Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is the modern term for a school of philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, based on the teachings of Plato and earlier Platonists. ... Apotheosis means glorification, usually to a divine level, coming from the Greek word apotheoun, to deify. ... John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ as Angels look on in wonder in an Eastern Orthodox icon of the Theophany A theophany is a visible appearing or other local manifestation of Gods presence to humans. ... In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis, meaning divinization (or deification or, to become god), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection. ... Theoria is contemplation or perception of beauty, esp. ... The Philokalia (Gk. ... Phronema is a Greek term that is used in Eastern Orthodox theology to refer to mindset or outlook; it is the Orthodox mind. ... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ... Praxis is the customary use of knowledge or skills, distinct from theoretical knowledge. ... Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), also Elder Sophrony, was best known as the disciple and biographer of St Silouan the Athonite and compiler of St Silouans works, and as the founder of the Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. ... John Meyendorff (1926-1992) was a leading Orthodox theologian, writer and teacher. ... The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Rowan Douglas Williams, DPhil, DD, FBA, (born 14 June 1950) is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, metropolitan of the province of Canterbury, Primate of All England and head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ...

Bibliography

• The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, SVS Press, 1997. (ISBN 0-913836-31-1) James Clarke & Co Ltd, 1991. (ISBN 0-227-67919-9)
• Orthodox Theology: An Introduction, SVS Press, 2001. (ISBN 0-913836-43-5)
• In the Image and Likeness of God, SVS Press, 1997. (ISBN 0-913836-13-3)
• The Vision of God, SVS Press, 1997. (ISBN 0-913836-19-2)
• The Meaning of Icons, with Leonid Ouspensky, SVS Press, 1999. (ISBN 0-913836-99-0)
• Sept jours sur les routes de France: Juin 1940 Cerf, 1998. (ISBN 2-204-06041-0)
• Theologie Negative et Connaissance de Dieu Chez Maitre Eckhart 1960. Vrin, 2002. (ISBN 2-7116-0507-8)

External links

• "Theology and Mysticism in the Tradition of the Eastern Church" from The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, pp. 7-22.
• "Obituary by Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann" from St. Vladimir's Seminary Quarterly, Vol. 2 - New Series, No, 2, Spring 1958, pp 47-48
• Free PDFs of some of Lossky's writings
• Sobernost