Course Content (Syllabus)
This course aims to present the hymnographical and hagiographical work of the Kollyvades or the fathers of the renaissance of Philokalia, which constitutes the epitome of the spiritual peak of enslaved Hellenism during the 18th century. This work is compiled in the collection, translation and edition of hagiographical and hymnographic texts for old or new saints. The emphasis of the work of the Kollyvades on the group of the Neomartyrs, to which they gave prominence, especially the group of the formerly Christ-renouncing Neomartyrs. This work was not limited only to the writing and edition of the respective neomartyrological texts, hagiographical and hymnographic alike, but also expanded on their teaching commitments for the spiritual solidification and preparation of some Christ deniers for the martyrdom of faith. The course furthermore examines the whole hagiographical and neomartyrological literature that came from the Kollyvades and persons close to them, as well as the theology of the sanctification and martyrdom emerging from these texts. Finally, it presents the writing methods for the composition of students’ papers.
1. The historical framework for the dispute of the Kollyvades and the spiritual renaissance of the 18th and 19th centuries.
2. Kollyvades and anti-Kollyvades - Theological criteria and development of the tradition of the Philokalia
3. Saint Makarios Notaras, his didactic and hagiographical work
4. Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite and his writings on the Neomartyrs and the new Saints
5. Saint Athanasios Parios and his hymnographic and hagiographical work
6. Other Kollyvades as contributors to the writings of the pioneers of the movement of the Philokalia
7. Kollyvades and the neomartyrs who had formerly renounced Christ: a major issue and its resolution
8. The groups of the Neomartryrs
9. Manuscript neomartyrological collections I: The collections of Manuel the Corinthian and Ioannis Karyofillis
10. Manuscript neomartyrological collections ΙΙ: The collections of father Ionas, Kesarios Dapontes and the Collection of the monastery of Xenophontos
11. Printed neomartyrological collections (the New Martyrology, the New Spiritual Meadow)
12. Theological issues about precision and economy around the martyrdom of the formerly Christ-renouncing Neomartyrs: Α) The theology of the Martyrdom through the neomartyrological texts; Β) Theological issues and parallelisms between old and new martyrs
13. The Neomartyrs in past and present Christian tradition: Hymnographic and hagiographical texts about the Neomartyrs – Analysis of and Commentary on neomartyrological texts
Course Bibliography (Eudoxus)
1. Σ. Πασχαλίδης, Κολλυβάδες και Νεομάρτυρες: Αγιότητα και Θεολογία του μαρτυρίου, εκδ. Αλτιντζής, Θεσσαλονίκη 2017
2. Σ. Πασχαλίδης, Νεομαρτυρολογικά σύμμεικτα Α΄: Η αυτόγραφη νεομαρτυρολογική συλλογή του Καισαρίου Δαπόντε (1713-1784), εκδ. Μυγδονία, Θεσσαλονίκη 2010
Additional bibliography for study
Σ. Πασχαλίδης, Το Υμναγιολογικό έργο των Κολλυβάδων. Συμβολή στη μελέτη της αγιολογικής γραμματείας κατά την περίοδο της Τουρκοκρατίας, Θεσσαλονίκη 2007.
Δ. Κακλαμάνος, Αγίου Νικοδήμου του Αγιορείτου, Κανόνες Οκτώηχοι εις τα Εισόδια της Θεοτόκου. Εισαγωγή - Κριτική Έκδοση, Άγιον Όρος 2017.