Jaarboek Thomas Instituut 1989 - Thomas Instituut te Utrecht

PALAMISME EN THOMISME 41
SUMMARY
Palamism and Thomism
A comparative study of the theologies of Gregorius Palamas and
Thomas Aquinas concerning our knowledge of God results in the
following conclusions:
(1)The 'being' of God is conceived of differently: Thomas identifies
divine 'being' with God's 'essence', whereas Palamas does not
reduce God's 'being' to God's 'essence' or nature, but maintains a
distinction between both, without thereby denying God's 'simplicity'.
(2) God's 'simplicity' presents a problem also for Thomas in that
the divine attiributes should not be conceived of as 'empty and idle
names'.
(3) Both theologies may be called 'apophatic' in that both underline
the limitations of man's knowledge of God.
(4) Thomas's approach of our knowledge of God may be called intellectualistic
(the knowledge of God concerns the human intellectus),
whereas that of Palamas may be characterized as mysticalascetic
(the knowledge of God concerns the complete human being,
including his body).
(5) There is a different approach of God's transcendence: Thomas's
thinking about God is marked by his awareness of man's
finitude, whereas Palamas starts form a direct experience of God's
'darkness' or unknowability, communicated to man by God Himself.
(6) Concerning the doctrine of Grace, we see Palamas underline
the direct and immediate union of man with God, whereby human
nature is transfigured as a whole, whereas Thomas distinguishes
sharply God from man, the 'natural' from the 'supernatural'.