On March 17 of the current year,
another scientific seminar was held at Tbilisi Theological Academy
and Seminary. The doctoral student Vakhtang Qurdashvili presented
his speech to the audience (the scientific supervisor of the
student’s work is Doctor of Theology Irakli Orzhonia). The topic of
the talk was “Messalianism According to Saint Gregory Palamas’
‘Tomos of the Holy Mountain’”. As is known, in the writing of the
greatest theologian of the Orthodox Church, Saint Gregory Palamas
“The Tomos of the Holy Mountain about the Hermits”, the issue of
the heresy of Messalianism is highlighted. The speaker discussed
significant dogmatic issues, the errors that led to the polemic of
the author of “Tomos” against Messalians. He spoke about the most
important teaching about the uncreated divine action (energy),
which Barlaam the Calabrian called ditheism or Messalianism. While
discussing these and other dogmatic questions, Saint Gregory
thoroughly exposes Messalianism and provides us with the true
Church Teaching - said Vakhtang Qurdashvili.
The doctoral student spoke at
length about the special authority of the “Tomos of the Holy
Mountain” in the Christian world. Its signatories are the greatest
spiritual figures of Mount Athos; in addition, the infallibility of
the teachings of the Archbishop of Thessalonica is confirmed by the
14th-century Church Councils of Constantinople, which further
strengthens the truth of the dogmas conveyed in “Tomos”.
At the end of the meeting,
Vakhtang Qurdashvili gave interesting and exhaustive answers to the
questions put forth by the audience.