Thomism in Late Byzantine Theology:  The Contributions of Demetrios Kydones and Gennadios Scholarios

Hafize Toparslan

Makale detayları

Thomism in Late Byzantine Theology: The Contributions of Demetrios Kydones and Gennadios Scholarios

Yazarlar:

Hafize Toparslan

Yayıncı:

Bursa Uludağ University

Ana Başlıklar:

Hrıstiyanlık Araştırmaları

Dergi:

Oksident Vol.7 Issue 1, pp.23-40

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001349022

pISSN:

2687-2749

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Thomas Aquinas 12251274, one of the most influential scholastic thinkers of the Middle Ages, found resonance not only within the intellectual circles of the Latin West but also among the Greek-speaking scholars of the Byzantine Empire shortly after his death. This intellectual interaction was initially facilitated by the missionary activities of the Dominican Order -of which Aquinas himself had been a member- across the Eastern Mediterranean. However, it was not until the 14th century that this influence gained momentum, particularly through the efforts of Byzantine intellectuals proficient in Latin. Among them, Demetrios Kydones stands out for translating several of Aquinass major works -most notably the Summa contra Gentiles- into Greek. These translations marked one of the most tangible and effective points of entry for Thomistic thought into Byzantine intellectual life. They laid the groundwork for what could be termed the Byzantine reception of Aquinas. This study aims to examine the ways in which Aquinass thought was introduced into and received by Byzantine theological discourse. It offers a detailed analysis of how Aquinass influence manifested in the shaping of late Byzantine theology and investigates the intellectual, theological, and political contexts in which this reception occurred. Kydoness translations proved influential not only within restricted scholarly circles but also within certain layers of the Byzantine bureaucracy and educational system, serving as a crucial conduit for the transmission of Aristotelian thought from Latin into Greek traditions. Through these translations, Aquinas was engaged not merely as a dogmatic theologian but also as a subject of philosophical debate among Greek Orthodox thinkers. This process did not proceed without resistance. A number of Byzantine authors argued that Thomistic approaches were incompatible with Orthodox theology, prompting figures such as Gennadios Scholarios to respond directly to these criticisms. This study also addresses the influence of Aquinass ideas on Scholarios himself, including his attempts to systematize those ideas and his broader engagement with scholastic methodology. Scholarios is widely regarded as the most committed Byzantine proponent of Thomism. However, his appropriation of Aquinas must be understood within the constraints of his historical context: just as Thomistic thought began to take root in Byzantium, the fall of the empire in 1453 abruptly curtailed its institutional continuity. As a result, Scholarioss works reflect not a fully established and enduring theological tradition but rather a limited and idiosyncratic mode of receptionwhat might be called a Byzantine Thomism. Particular attention is paid to how Thomistic thought reverberated beyond the fall of Byzantium, especially through Scholarioss presence at the court of Sultan Mehmed II. The study frames Aquinass thought not merely as a case of theological transmission, but as a constitutive element in the late Byzantine worlds broader intellectual and teopolitical transformation -one that continued to echo into the early Ottoman context as a significant site of theological-philosophical rupture and reconfiguration.

 Thomas Aquinas 12251274, one of the most influential scholastic thinkers of the Middle Ages, found resonance not only within the intellectual circles of the Latin West but also among the Greek-speaking scholars of the Byzantine Empire shortly after his death. This intellectual interaction was initially facilitated by the missionary activities of the Dominican Order -of which Aquinas himself had been a member- across the Eastern Mediterranean. However, it was not until the 14th century that this influence gained momentum, particularly through the efforts of Byzantine intellectuals proficient in Latin. Among them, Demetrios Kydones stands out for translating several of Aquinass major works -most notably the Summa contra Gentiles- into Greek. These translations marked one of the most tangible and effective points of entry for Thomistic thought into Byzantine intellectual life. They laid the groundwork for what could be termed the Byzantine reception of Aquinas. This study aims to examine the ways in which Aquinass thought was introduced into and received by Byzantine theological discourse. It offers a detailed analysis of how Aquinass influence manifested in the shaping of late Byzantine theology and investigates the intellectual, theological, and political contexts in which this reception occurred. Kydoness translations proved influential not only within restricted scholarly circles but also within certain layers of the Byzantine bureaucracy and educational system, serving as a crucial conduit for the transmission of Aristotelian thought from Latin into Greek traditions. Through these translations, Aquinas was engaged not merely as a dogmatic theologian but also as a subject of philosophical debate among Greek Orthodox thinkers. This process did not proceed without resistance. A number of Byzantine authors argued that Thomistic approaches were incompatible with Orthodox theology, prompting figures such as Gennadios Scholarios to respond directly to these criticisms. This study also addresses the influence of Aquinass ideas on Scholarios himself, including his attempts to systematize those ideas and his broader engagement with scholastic methodology. Scholarios is widely regarded as the most committed Byzantine proponent of Thomism. However, his appropriation of Aquinas must be understood within the constraints of his historical context: just as Thomistic thought began to take root in Byzantium, the fall of the empire in 1453 abruptly curtailed its institutional continuity. As a result, Scholarioss works reflect not a fully established and enduring theological tradition but rather a limited and idiosyncratic mode of receptionwhat might be called a Byzantine Thomism. Particular attention is paid to how Thomistic thought reverberated beyond the fall of Byzantium, especially through Scholarioss presence at the court of Sultan Mehmed II. The study frames Aquinass thought not merely as a case of theological transmission, but as a constitutive element in the late Byzantine worlds broader intellectual and teopolitical transformation -one that continued to echo into the early Ottoman context as a significant site of theological-philosophical rupture and reconfiguration.

 Thomas Aquinas 12251274, one of the most influential scholastic thinkers of the Middle Ages, found resonance not only within the intellectual circles of the Latin West but also among the Greek-speaking scholars of the Byzantine Empire shortly after his death. This intellectual interaction was initially facilitated by the missionary activities of the Dominican Order -of which Aquinas himself had been a member- across the Eastern Mediterranean. However, it was not until the 14th century that this influence gained momentum, particularly through the efforts of Byzantine intellectuals proficient in Latin. Among them, Demetrios Kydones stands out for translating several of Aquinass major works -most notably the Summa contra Gentiles- into Greek. These translations marked one of the most tangible and effective points of entry for Thomistic thought into Byzantine intellectual life. They laid the groundwork for what could be termed the Byzantine reception of Aquinas. This study aims to examine the ways in which Aquinass thought was introduced into and received by Byzantine theological discourse. It offers a detailed analysis of how Aquinass influence manifested in the shaping of late Byzantine theology and investigates the intellectual, theological, and political contexts in which this reception occurred. Kydoness translations proved influential not only within restricted scholarly circles but also within certain layers of the Byzantine bureaucracy and educational system, serving as a crucial conduit for the transmission of Aristotelian thought from Latin into Greek traditions. Through these translations, Aquinas was engaged not merely as a dogmatic theologian but also as a subject of philosophical debate among Greek Orthodox thinkers. This process did not proceed without resistance. A number of Byzantine authors argued that Thomistic approaches were incompatible with Orthodox theology, prompting figures such as Gennadios Scholarios to respond directly to these criticisms. This study also addresses the influence of Aquinass ideas on Scholarios himself, including his attempts to systematize those ideas and his broader engagement with scholastic methodology. Scholarios is widely regarded as the most committed Byzantine proponent of Thomism. However, his appropriation of Aquinas must be understood within the constraints of his historical context: just as Thomistic thought began to take root in Byzantium, the fall of the empire in 1453 abruptly curtailed its institutional continuity. As a result, Scholarioss works reflect not a fully established and enduring theological tradition but rather a limited and idiosyncratic mode of receptionwhat might be called a Byzantine Thomism. Particular attention is paid to how Thomistic thought reverberated beyond the fall of Byzantium, especially through Scholarioss presence at the court of Sultan Mehmed II. The study frames Aquinass thought not merely as a case of theological transmission, but as a constitutive element in the late Byzantine worlds broader intellectual and teopolitical transformation -one that continued to echo into the early Ottoman context as a significant site of theological-philosophical rupture and reconfiguration.

 Orta Çağın en önemli skolastik düşünürlerinden biri olan Thomas Aquinasın 1225-1274 düşünce sistemi ölümünden kısa bir süre sonra yalnızca Latin Batı dünyasında değil, aynı zamanda Bizans İmparatorluğunun sınırları içindeki Grek entelektüel çevrelerde de yankı bulmuştur. Bu düşünsel etkileşim, büyük ölçüde Aquinasın da bir parçası olduğu Dominiken Tarikatının Doğu Akdenizde yürüttüğü misyonerlik faaliyetlerinin etkisiyle başlamış ve asıl ivmesini 14. yüzyılda Latince bilen Bizanslı entelektüellerin faaliyetleriyle kazanmıştır. Özellikle Demetrios Kydonesin, Aquinasın başlıca eserlerinden biri olan Summa contra Gentiles başta olmak üzere birçok metnini Yunancaya çevirmesi, Thomistik düşüncenin Bizans entelektüel hayatına girişinin en somut ve etkili örneklerinden biridir. Bu çeviri faaliyetleri, Aquinas düşüncesinin Bizanstaki entelektüel serüveninin temelini oluşturmuştur. Bu çalışma, Thomas Aquinasın düşünce sisteminin Bizanslı düşünürlerin dünyasına dahlini ve alımlanma şeklini tartışmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu bağlamda, geç dönem Bizans teolojisinin şekillenişinde Aquinasın etkisini ayrıntılı biçimde analiz etmekte ve bu etkinin hangi entelektüel, teolojik ve politik bağlamlarda ortaya çıktığını araştırmaktadır. Kydonesin çevirileri yalnızca dar entelektüel çevrelerde değil, Bizans bürokrasi ve eğitim sisteminin bazı katmanlarında da etkili olmuş, Aristotelesçi düşünceyi Latince gelenekten aktaran önemli bir kanal oluşturmuştur. Bu çeviriler aracılığıyla Aquinas yalnızca bir dogmatik teolog olarak değil, aynı zamanda Grek-Ortodoks düşünürlerce felsefi düzlemde de tartışılabilmiştir. Aynı zamanda bu dönemde yalnızca kabul değil, ciddi bir direniş ve polemik de ortaya çıkmıştır. Bazı Bizanslı yazarlar, Thomist yaklaşımların Ortodoks inançla uyuşmadığını savunmuş ve Gennadios Scholarios gibi figürler de bu tepkilere doğrudan cevaplar üretmiştir. Çalışmada, Thomas Aquinasın düşüncesinin Gennadios Scholarios üzerindeki etkileri, bu düşüncenin sistematikleştirilmesi yönündeki çabalar ve Scholariosun skolastik yöntemi benimseme biçimi de ele alınmaktadır. Bizanslı düşünürler arasında Scholarios, Thomizmin en güçlü temsilcisi olarak kabul edilir. Ancak bu temsil, içinde bulunduğu tarihsel bağlamla sınırlıdır: Thomistik düşünce Bizansta ancak yeni yeni kök salmaya başlamışken, imparatorluğun çöküşüyle birlikte bu yönelimin kurumsal devamı da fiilen kesintiye uğramıştır. Bu nedenle Scholariosun eserleri, tam anlamıyla yerleşmiş ve süregelen bir teolojik geleneği değil, Bizans Thomizmi olarak adlandırabileceğimiz özgül ve sınırlı bir alımlama biçimini yansıtmaktadır. Özellikle Gennadios Scholariosun Fatih Sultan Mehmedin sarayındaki varlığı aracılığıyla Thomistik geleneğin Osmanlı bağlamında nasıl yankı bulduğu da bu çerçevede değinilen hususlardan biri olmuştur. Böylece Aquinasın düşüncesi, Bizansın çöküşüne yaklaşan yıllarda yalnızca Latince gelenekten aktarılmış bir teolojik miras değil, aynı zamanda Grek entelektüel geleneği içinde dönüştürülerek şekillenmiş; geç Bizans düşüncesinin sınırlarında ortaya çıkan ve Osmanlı sonrası döneme de yansıyan bir teolojik-felsefi kırılma hattı olarak konumlandırılmaktadır.

Makale detayları

Thomism in Late Byzantine Theology: The Contributions of Demetrios Kydones and Gennadios Scholarios

Yazarlar:

Hafize Toparslan

Yayıncı:

Bursa Uludağ University

Ana Başlıklar:

Hrıstiyanlık Araştırmaları

Dergi:

Oksident Vol.7 Issue 1, pp.23-40

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001349022

pISSN:

2687-2749

History of Religions

Theology

Thomas Aquinas

Byzantine Thomism

Demetrios Kydones

George ScholariosDinler Tarihi

Teoloji

Thomas Aquinas

Bizans Thomizmi

Demetrios Kydones

Georgios Scholarios

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Hafize Toparslan

Yayıncı: Bursa Uludağ University

Ana Başlıklar: Hrıstiyanlık Araştırmaları

Dergi: Oksident Vol.7 Issue 1, pp.23-40

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 6/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001349022

pISSN: 2687-2749

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Hafize Toparslan

Yayıncı:

Bursa Uludağ University

Ana Başlıklar:

Hrıstiyanlık Araştırmaları

Dergi:

Oksident Vol.7 Issue 1, pp.23-40

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

6/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001349022

pISSN:

2687-2749