Franck Damour

This article by Franck Damour offers an analytical study of the life and work of the French Orthodox theologian Olivier Clément (1921-2009). Drawing on a close reading of his writings and biographical sources, the author reconstructs the internal coherence of an apparently scattered body of work by identifying three structuring axes: metanoia as an anthropological key, the dialectic of eros and the cosmos, and the transfiguration of time. The article shows that Olivier Clément developed a "theological spirituality" rooted in his conversion to Orthodoxy, distinct from systematic academic theology. His contribution lies in bringing to light a paschal theology of witness, nourished by patristics, literature and poetry, which articulates personal spiritual experience and theological proclamation addressed to his contemporaries, particularly on anthropological, ethical and ecumenical questions.