The paths of incorruptibility according to the tradition of the Fathers

This article by Father Gabriel Patacsi examines the theological foundations of human incorruptibility in the patristic and Byzantine tradition. Proceeding through a systematic doctrinal study, it traces the major stages of this reflection from Gregory of Nyssa and Athanasius of Alexandria to Gregory Palamas, Nicholas Cabasilas and Symeon the New Theologian. The central idea is that incorruptibility, lost through original sin which broke the hierarchy between God, the soul and the body, is restored by the Incarnation of the Word and transmitted to believers through the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist. The article makes a notable theological contribution by showing that this doctrine implies a positive valorization of the body, an anthropological foundation common to sacramental theology, iconography and hesychast spirituality, against all Manichaean dualism or disincarnating rationalism.