Dimensiunea filocalică a creației teologice la Dumitru Stăniloae
The Philokalic Dimension in Dumitru Stăniloae’s Theological Creation

Summary/Abstract: The goal of this article is to analyse the means by which the philokalic spirituality had influenced and shaped Dumitru Stăniloae’ theological discourse, whose personality is regarded as defining an epoch within Romanian theology, and also to emphasize the implications of this philokalic theology upon the models of human existence in the contemporary world. The fact that he is considered one of the greatest theologian of the 20th centrury by some of the authors belonging to various Christian confessions is due to his very ability to be involved in the contemporary, modern man’s existence, as a true witness and confessor of his epoch. This involvement does not mean that he identifies or abandons to the modernity structures, but he remains a real, original creator, that continues to be the spokesperson, deeply anchored within the patristic discourse, thus outlining that the Orthodox philokalic spirituality has something to say to the contemporary world and to provide original solutions to its challenges. Dumitru Stăniloae offered a model consisting in a living “alive” theology, experiated throughout his own life, theology that, although maintaining the philosophical means of exposure, has a philocalic content, his writing being a conversation with God rather than a talk about God. Therefore, he frantically revised the traditonal theology, that was blocked within an abstract scholastic discourse, emphasizing that the role of theology resides in extracting from the divine revelation the patterns of thought and existence characterizing every age/epoch. The Christological foundation and structure of the Philokalia have entitled Father Stăniloae to ensure a philokalic basis to his dogmatic theology, thus providing one of his most important contributions.

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