The Orthodox neo-patristic renaissance remains one of the most significant achievements of Christian thought in the 20th century. The main author and inspirer of the concept of neo-patristic synthesis, which has been widely discussed in academic journals, was Archpriest Georges Florovsky (1893–1979). However, even today, there is still debate in academic circles about the ideological origins on which Fr. George based his theological program.
In his 2011 article “‘Waiting for the Barbarians’: Identity and Polemicism in the Neo-Patristic Synthesis of Georges Florovsky,” Dr. Brandon Gallaher, Associate Professor of Systematic and Comparative Theology at the University of Exeter (Devon, UK), has analyzed the thematic and linguistic borrowings characteristic of Florovsky’s system.
According to the British scholar, neo-patristic synthesis should be interpreted as an attempt to discover Orthodox theological identity through polemics with non-Orthodox intellectual traditions. Although the researcher acknowledges that the use of the concepts of “experience,” “faith,” “image,” “vision,” “witness,” “memory,” “freedom,” and “mind” is a strong indication of the influence of Western thinkers of the Romantic era on Florovsky’s thinking. The review by Archpriest Andrii Shymanovych of Brandon Gallagher’s article is available at:
The review by Archpriest Andrii Shymanovych of Brandon Gallagher’s article is available at:
