Theological discourse and ecclesial experience in the context of the hesychast conflict of the fourteenth century

This article examines the relationship between theological discourse and ecclesial experience through the lens of the fourteenth-century Hesychast controversy. The study adopts a historical and dogmatic approach, taking as its central object the thought of Gregory Palamas and his contribution to defining the foundations of Orthodox theology. The main argument put forward is that theological discourse does not constitute an autonomous and closed system, but necessarily proceeds from the concrete life of the ecclesial community and the lived experience of divine grace. The contribution of the article lies in the articulation between scholarly theology and mystical theology: dogmatic formulation is presented therein as the putting into words of an authentic spiritual experience, which gives the Hesychast controversy an epistemological significance that extends beyond the purely historical framework of the fourteenth century.