Keywords: exegesis, hesychasm, East, West, Ioan Cornoiu, scholastics, 20th Century
Abstract:
Romanian hesychasm also had a beneficial theological and cultural influence on Romanian theological creation, allowing it to maintain the line of Patristic spirituality, while the Greek and Russian theology pendulated between the Catholic and Protestant influence. Among the best-known representatives of Romanian hesychast spirituality during the second half of the 19th century was Saint Irodion of Lainici (1821-1900). One of the first professors of Exegesis of the New Testament and later dean of the Bucharest Faculty of Theology was Professor PhD. Ioan Cornoiu, who as a child was under the spiritual guidance of Protosynkellos Irodion, the one who initiated him in the Orthodox hesychast faith. The hesychia of the Romanian theologian was the gift and power of the Holy Baptism of the clothing in Christ, seen as an entrance in the land promised to Abraham, in the “land of the living” (cf. Psalms 141, 5), both for reading the Holy Scriptures and for his life in Christ. The differences between East and West originate in the sacrament of baptism, and Protestant Christians are sensible to these differences. In Rome, the judicial view of “created grace” will bring forth the permanent protest of the Reform, due to a lack of baptismal, hesychast, and apostolic spirituality (cf. Mark 8, 34). For the Orthodox faith, hesychasm will be the “burning bush” of Christ’s Resurrection through the “girded loins and burning lights” (Luke 12, 35) for the fulfilment of the prophecy. “His truth shall be thy shield and buckler” (Psalms 90, 4). The girting of one’s mind with the “truth” (cf. Ephesians 6, 14) is the “weapon” by which Christ keeps the lantern of the wise maidens lightened (cf. Matthew 25, 1-13) with the “oil of joy” (Psalms 44, 9).
Pages: 32-42