Panayotis Nellas

This article by Panayotis Nellas offers a theological study devoted to the place of the Virgin Mary in the economy of salvation, drawing on the Eastern patristic tradition, particularly Nicholas Cabasilas and Gregory Palamas. The approach articulates christology, anthropology, and mariology around three axes: Mary as the condition of divine Revelation, as an active cooperator in historical salvation, and as the fulfillment of the original vocation of human nature. The central idea is that the Theotokos is not an isolated figure, but the fruit of divine pedagogy and human synergy running throughout the entire Old Testament. The major theological contribution lies in the demonstration that the dogma of Ephesus establishes an authentic theocentric humanism, offering a response to atheist critiques of Christianity and underscoring the irreducible dignity of human freedom in the fulfillment of the divine plan.