Fr. Christiaan Kappes on Essence and Energies Distinction of Gregory Palamas 

It is amazing to me how much of our conflict often comes from using different definitions. It is understandable obviously as we work in theology but I hate it when I don't even understand my opponent's arguments as presented because of a different understanding of one word here or there.

As always Fr Kappes is the best.

Thanks Fr. Kappes for the great show and answering my questions!

So glad I found this channel. Fr Christiaan is a great speaker. I'm really interested in learning about the differences between East and West.

Excellent show, thanks to all involved! When Fr. speaks (at about the 1 hr 25 minute mark) concerning God not contemplating his virtues, but knowing them as part of his eternal essence, and this in contrast to how we contemplate virtue in contrast to our nature or being, is this getting us into the neighborhood of Palamas’ description of a human being becoming ‘uncreated’, in the sense that as he is moved by the mover and transformed at the core of his being, he is becoming more god-like in his knowing the virtues existentially rather than in a contemplative manner? Thanks again. I have a lot of reading to do! God bless you all.

Not even half way through this video and I’m telling myself that my brain is not braning.

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I would ignore the Coptic Orthodox inquirer in the comment section, the Oriental Orthodox believe there is a distinction between God's attributes and His Essence.

13:05

Where might one read more about the palamite discussion of human virtues being divine virtues working in humans?

Father is wrong to say unfortunately that for Thomas a real distinction must always be separable. There can be a real distinction even when two things are inseparable. A real physical distinction entails separability. A real metaphysical distinction is inseparable.

There is only one thing that is uncreated: God. God’s energies are nothing more than his essence existing in contact with the universe Gregory Palamas essence/energy distinction is heresies. The Bible teaches a distinction between the 3 persons of the Godhead, not between God essence and his Energy. The father(with his divine essence and energy) is the cause and the source of life of the Trinity, and he is the one inaccessible that was never seen by human eyes(gospel of John 1:18 and john 6:46). The son of God(with whom the father share his divine essence) was seen and touch, before and after the incarnation, and is the perfect representation of his father(Hebrew 1:3). Since the father was never seen, The son of God(the essence and energy) is the one who was walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the one talking face to face with Moses before the incarnation. In Jesus : "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily"(colossien 2:9-10). So in Jesus was the essence with all the energy of God when he was walking here on earth, there is no separation between the energy and essence. The holy spirit is the mode of operation of both the son and the father. Accordingly, the holy spirit is also the essence and energy of God acting in his creation. Especially that the hesychasm esoteric/mystical practices are paganism in disguise! The light of Mont Tabor (the beatific vision of Christ in glory that saw the apostles) was seen from the outside of themselves shining through the body of Christ, not inwardly (inside their inner self). Psychosomatic meditation, breathing techniques, mantra (the Jesus prayer), and body postures with the intention to explore the "inner self" or experience the energy of God "inwardly" to worship him or become one with him inside your belly is not Christianity at all… it is paganism in disguise with a Christian vocabulary. Be aware!