Tag Archives: essence and energies

Ainulindalë: The Secret of the Secret Fire

Posted on 7 March 2023 by Fr Aidan Kimel

You cannot pass. I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass. Gandalf’s confrontation … Continue reading →

Posted in Ainulindale, Inklings & Company, Mythopoeia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Ainulindalë: The Secret of the Secret Fire

Posted on 19 February 2018 by Fr Aidan Kimel

This has been extensively revised and republished under the same title. You cannot pass. I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of … Continue reading →

Posted in Inklings & Company | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Reflecting the Mystery: Analogy Beyond Negation and Affirmation

Posted on 30 October 2017 by Fr Aidan Kimel

by Robert F. Fortuin Silence is a mystery of the age to come, but words are instruments of this world. ~ St Isaac the Syrian The Holy Spirit, in delivering to us the Divine mysteries, conveys its instruction on those … Continue reading →

Posted in Gregory of Nyssa, Robert Fortuin | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Theosis and the Palamite Distinction: Questions & Concerns

Posted on 2 October 2017 by Fr Aidan Kimel

by Fr Aidan Kimel That there exists in God a real distinction between his essence and his energies, theologians assure us, is an irreformable dogma of the Orthodox Church. If so, it is a curious dogma, originating in a question … Continue reading →

Posted in Patristic and Byzantine theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Action is the Revelation of Being

Posted on 29 January 2017 by Fr Aidan Kimel

Action is the revelation of being. This principle, Norris Clarke tells us, is central to the metaphysics of St Thomas Aquinas. It also seems to be true. Try to imagine a non-acting being—an entity that never interacts with other entities, … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Is the Palamite Distinction Ecumenical Dogma?

Posted on 21 June 2016 by Fr Aidan Kimel

1. The official "Message" of the Council (think cover letter), still in draft form, will affirm other Councils as "Ecumenical." — George Demacopoulos (@GDemacopoulos) June 21, 2016 2. Council of 879 (ending poorly-named Photian Schism) and Councils of 1350s, endorsing … Continue reading →

Posted in Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 73 Comments