The Eucharist in Saint Gregory Palamas

This article by Joost van Rossum offers an exegetical and theological study of Gregory Palamas's homily entitled *The Holy and Awesome Mysteries of Christ*, delivered in Thessalonica late in his life. Through a careful analysis of this pastoral text, the author shows that Palamite theology cannot be reduced to the defense of monastic hesychast prayer, but is fully embedded in the sacramental life of the Church. The central idea is that the Eucharist constitutes the foundation, center, and goal of the spiritual life: hesychasm and liturgy appear therein as inseparable. The article also sheds light on the Palamite theology of the divine energies as applied to the eucharistic mystery, the role of the angels in the Liturgy, and the eschatological dimension of communion. It thus contributes to a more complete and balanced reading of Palamas, at once a mystical doctor and a pastor rooted in the Orthodox sacramental tradition.