The Spiritual Development of the Athonite Community

The Development of the Theological Thought

From the beginnings of the 14th century, Athos, as the spiritual capital of Orthodoxy, developed intense intellectual activity that influenced all individual aspects of the life of the monks, as well as of Christians throughout the Orthodox world. Despite the fact that this period was particularly difficult, due to geopolitical upheavals, it is worth noting that Athos never before reached such high levels of theological and spiritual development.

This prosperity was the result of different factors. An important role was played by the close relationship between Mount Athos and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which was strengthened by the golden bull of the Emperor Andronicus II (1312).  Furthermore, the consolidation of cooperation between the monasteries and representatives of other Orthodox countries was particularly important.  Finally, even though the invasions of foreign invaders made the living conditions of the monks more difficult, they were an occasion for further theological reflection and the development of theoretical discourse.

Examining the contribution of Mount Athos to the development of theology, particular attention is paid to the phenomenon of Hesychasm, which is intensified by forming a theoretical reflection. From the 4th century onwards, monasticism is confronted with a dilemma, to choose between practice and theory. The practical aspect of monasticism is the state of virtuous life. The theoretical aspect is participation in the Divine Providence through prayer and other spiritual processes. Saint Gregory the Theologian states:

"Which do you prefer, practice or theory? Observation is the state of the perfection, practice is the work of many. Both are beneficial and necessary. However, you will devote yourself to the one in which you are more inclined by nature."

Practice is usually developed in the worldly way of life, while theory is the prerogative of hermits and ascetics. The goal of the monastic life is the union with God, which is achieved through prayer and tranquility. Since ancient times, monks have sought their own particular methods to achieve their goal. In the 5th century, the use of the noetic prayer of Jesus Christ became predominant. Monks still spent much of their time performing practical tasks within the monastery. However, they believed that only solitude could bring them to a higher spiritual level.

According to his reports, the monk Nikiforos, after being exiled from the Western Church, came to Mount Athos, on the border between God and man, where he found himself surrounded by hesychasts. There, he organized a "school" where he was teaching theological thought to his monastic disciples.

Theoleptus of Philadelphia is another venerable figure of that time. He was born in Nicaea, where he was ordained deacon. In 1277, fleeing because of persecution, he came to Athos, where he became a monk and practiced in the region of Karyes. Thanks to his virtuous life, he became a teacher of Saint Gregory Palamas.

Patriarch Athanasios I of Constantinople also became a monk on Mount Athos. Having great discipline, he wanted to carry out an ecclesiastical reform by tightening the rules. However, he caused great discontent among the clergy and was forced to leave his position twice.

Hesychasm spread widely thanks to the efforts of Saint Gregory of Sinaiticus, who was a monk on Athos. When he was forced to leave, because of endless pirate raids, Gregory of Sinaiticus settled in Thrace, where he gathered around him a group of faithful disciples. It was there that he wrote most of his works.

The method followed by the hesychast monks required full concentration in prayer, as well as the direct participation of the body in the spiritual processes. The concentration of the mind was on the inner world rather than the outer, the breathing was synchronized with the silent recitation of the prayer, and the gaze had to remain focused on a particular part of the body. The ultimate goal was the contemplation of the Divine grace. This method was mainly used by novice monks.

Soon the practices of hesychasm became associated with the name of Varlaam Kalavros, a monk, theologian and philosopher who had arrived in Thessaloniki from Constantinople. Varlaam launched a campaign against the methods of the hesychasts, thus inaugurating a theology contrary to the aforementioned practices. His theory was formulated before a theory of Hesychasm had even been formed. The latter was born during the period of opposition to Varlaam, as he associated Hesychasm with concepts of philosophy and theology. On the contrary, the hesychasts had not until then seen theology as an object of study, but as a means of gaining spiritual experience.

Varlaam based his thought on biology and anthropology, arguing that soul and body cannot be one and the same thing. His view was supported by a Neoplatonic philosophy. According to his statements, God is not only invisible but is also described as inconceivable and unapproachable. A large number of clergymen sided with him. To counter the opposition, Saint Gregory Palamas travelled from Mount Athos to Thessaloniki. Although he himself did not particularly endorse the practical method of the hesychasts, he nevertheless considered it suitable for the first steps of novice monks, and so he supported it theologically in a great number of his speeches and written works. Saint Gregory Palamas divided the concept of God into two categories, essence and energy, noting that understanding and apprehending the Lord is both possible and impossible. As he argued, we cannot understand His essence, but we can see His works, that is, the results of His actions.

In response to the argument about the absolute separation of the soul from the body, the Saint noted that when the body engages in spiritual practices, it participates equally in Divine grace. It cannot be absolutely distinguished from the soul, just as the soul cannot be distinguished from the body. Thus, the Saint laid the foundations of the theology of Hesychasm. The first condition for approaching God was the union of the mind with the whole human essence, while the second was constant prayer, in which human powers transcend the limits of reason. As a result of this practice, the Divine illumination radiating from the Holy Trinity descends to man, while the mind is taken over by the Divinity and becomes light itself. Man remains a creature of God and thus their relationship is that between the creator and the creature.

Hesychasm was a spiritual movement on Mount Athos. By the 14th century, Athos exerted such a strong influence that all the prominent personalities of the era spoke of it with awe, using expressions such as: 'heavenly city', 'frontier of mundane and supramundane reality', 'house of grace' and 'laboratory of piety'.

Athonite Academy

For several years each monastery was, in a sense, a separate school for young people. Thus, there was no need to establish a separate educational institution. However, when Karyes became the capital of the peninsula and the main administrative body of Athos, the need for the education of young people by a central authority arose. The first attempt was made by Catholic monks, but it failed.

It was only in the mid-18th century, in the light of general cultural and educational progress, and with the support of many centers of Greek enlightenment, that plans for the creation of an educational institution began to bear fruit. The monk Meletios of the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi, took the initiative in 1749 to organize a school. The number of students was so large that it immediately became necessary to construct a separate building. Its design included classrooms for lessons, common areas and 170 rooms. Very soon the monastery, unable to cope with the needs of such large construction, asked help from the Patriarch Cyril V, who favored in every way the completion of the building. In 1750 the Patriarch issued a decree according to which the foundation was to be governed by a council consisting of two metropolitans, two bankers and the monk Meletios. The curriculum included courses of grammar, logic, philosophy, ethics, mathematics and theology. The new building was located quite far from the sea, on a hill near the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi. While at the beginning there were only 20 students, the number soon increased to 200, as new students began to arrive, not only from the surrounding monasteries, but also from areas outside the Mount Athos. In the Patriarch's decree, this educational institution was considered to be a higher school. The teacher Eugene Voulgaris gave it the name Athonite Academy, infusing the school with the glamour of Plato's ancient academy.

One of the most important fruits of Eugene Voulgaris' efforts was the opening of the printing house in Daphne of Karyes in 1759. In the same year, Eugene was forced to leave the Athonite Academy, as controversy and discontent had begun to build up. The latter remained on Mount Athos, devoted himself to study and writing, continuing to transmit his passion for knowledge to young people.

Education

The Athonite Academy, which first opened its doors in 1847, operated until 1916. Its operation was only interrupted at the beginning of the First World War and the French invasion. The school reopened in 1930, lasting only a few years until the outbreak of the World War II. The school was housed in one of the wings of the Saint Andrew's hermitage building complex. It reopened in the same place in 1953.

Important scholars of Mount Athos contributed drastically to the development of science and theology, creating a great tradition on the Athos peninsula. They compiled detailed catalogues and made an inventory of the manuscripts of 18 monasteries. They compiled chronicles and recorded the history of Mount Athos from the very first years of its creation. They also paid special attention to the period of the Ottoman rule, highlighting the contribution of the Athonite peninsula to the Greek revolution.

During the same period, the first magazines published for Athos were distributed both inside and outside the monastic state. The first magazine that was published was called "Athos", printed in 1919 and continued until 1931. The second publication "Athos Calendar" was printed in 1927. From 1936 to 1961 there was also the magazine "Mount Athos Library", which was printed in the city of Volos. The monasteries made their own publications from time to time. Until 1981 the magazine 'Athonite Dialogues' was published, which contained texts of the Holy Fathers with translations and commentaries. Finally, the news bulletin 'Protato' has been known since 1982.