The purpose of the text is to preliminarily show that Father Sophronius`s theology belongs especially to the Orthodox Hesychasm tradition, as it was expressed through creative synthetic assimilation [συναίρεση] of the Fathers before him, such as St. Gregory Palamas, as well as to show that theology belongs to the tradition of great theological syntheses. The present study intends to investigate the meaning of the ecstasy as the ascetic ascent [ἀνάβασης] to God in the teaching of Greek patristic tradition and Father Sophronius theology.

Keywords: ecstasy, St. Gregory Palamas, Archimandrite Sophronius Sakharov hesychasm, Platonism

NIKOLAOS LOUDOVIKOS