The Philokalic – Palamite Revival and the Rationality of a Tradition

In what follows, I offer a brief overview of some of the main themes of the Philokalia and Palamite corpus in relation to tradition and the Church. In so doing, I eventually bring Florovsky, Yannaras and Bulgakov into the picture. In my argument, I initially turn to intuitions regarding the rationality of tradition from MacIntyre and Henry and, in the end, draw conclusions that might interest philosophicallyâ€minded inquirers about how a work like the Philokalia might offer a suggestive way of conceiving rationality that differs significantly from those derived from what it has come to mean in modern times and that, accepting presently its remnant status, promises nevertheless to outlast contending positions at the end of the day.