A composite book of essays from ten scholars, Divine Essence and Divine
Energies provides a rich repository of diverse opinion about the
essence-energy distinction in Orthodox Christianity - a doctrine which
lies at the heart of the often-fraught fault line between East and West,
and which, in this book, inspires a lively dialogue between the
contributors. The contents of the book revolve around several key
questions: In what way were the Aristotelian concepts of ousia and
energeia used by the Church Fathers, and to what extent were their
meanings modified in the light of the Christological and Trinitarian
doctrines? What theological function does the essence-energy distinction
fulfil in Eastern Orthodoxy with respect to theology, anthropology, and
the doctrine of creation? What are the differences and similarities
between the notions of divine presence and participation in seminal
Christian writings, and what is the relationship between the
essence-energy distinction and Western ideas of divine presence? A
valuable addition to the dialogue between Eastern and Western
Christianity, this book will be of great interest to any reader seeking
a rigorously academic insight into the wealth of scholarly opinion
regarding the essence-energy distinction.