Symeon the New Theologian

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Symeon the New Theologian (949–1022) is the latest of three saints of the Eastern Orthodox church to have been given the title of Theologian thus, also his title of "new". The others are St. John the Apostle and St. Gregory Nazianzen). St. Symeon was a poet who embodied the mystical hesychastic tradition. He wrote that humans could and should experience God directly. His works influenced the hesychastic controversy of the 14th century. His most famous disciple was Nicetas Stethatos, his cell attendant who also wrote his life.

Born in Galatia, Paphlagonia and his father prepared him for education at Constantinople in official life. He was afterwards assigned as a courtier in attendance to the Emperors Basil and Constantine Porphyrogenitus. He abandoned his life as a courtier to retreat to a monastery at the age of 27 under Elder Simeon the pious at Studion monastery. Later he became abbot of the monastery of St. Mammas in Constantinople.

The strict monastic discipline for which Symeon aimed rankled some in the monastery. One day after the liturgy some of the monks attacked and nearly killed him. After they were expelled from the monastery Symeon asked that they be treated leniently. From church authorities too, Symeon endured severe opposition who found his works irksome enough to ban him from Constantinople. So, he left and resided in the monastery of St. Makrina across the Bosphorus. Eventually he became a recluse.

Symeon was not educated in greek philosophy but was quite familiar with the life of the church. He often spoke from direct personal experience and on occasion attacked certain scholars whom he viewed as pretending to have a knowledge they didn't have.

Some of Symeon's works include his Catechetical discourses, Hyms of Divine Love and the Three Theological Discourses.

[edit] References

• Hilarion Alfeyev, St Symeon the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition, 2000, Oxford U. Press, ISBN 0-19-827009-7

• Symeon, the New Theologian On the Mystical Life, The ethical discourses, Translated and Introduced by Alexander Golitizin, 1995, St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, ISBN 0-88141-142-6

• Nikolai Velimirovic, The Prologue of Ohrid: Volume One, January to June: Lives of Saints, Hymns, Reflections and Homilies for Every Day of the Year, 2002, Sebastian Press, Serbian Orthodox Diocese Western America; 1st edition,

[edit] See also

• Christian mysticism
• Saint Seraphim of Sarov

[edit] External links

• Symeon the New Theologian texts in English and Greek, Select Resources
• biography at Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia (accessed September 30, 2005)
• The writings of Symeon in Greek, download