TABOR - Tradition and Contemporaneity in the Romanian Orthodox Church
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The Theology of Light of Saint Symeon The New Theologian as seen by Father Dumitru Stăniloae
One of the greatest Byzantine mystics, Saint Symeon The New Theologian frequently uses the theme of light in his theology. Saint Symeon The New Theologian uses this word to designate divine light, that is God Himself and all the gifts of His grace. Saint Simeon sees man’s connection with Christ as a living relationship of communion in prayer, and the encounter of man with Christ in the light is the proof of his personalistic Christology. The profound Christological character of his theology is a true source of inspiration for Father Dumitru Stăniloae’s Christology, which considers man’s relationship with God as the conscious approach of the Person of Christ by man, as a dialogue based on love. The merit of Father Stăniloae is to rediscover the theology of Saint Symeon the New Theologian which he valorizes and emphasizes in his own way to make God known to the people of the contemporary society often alienated from God and lacking moral guidelines.
 

ADRIAN IONIŢĂ