Examine individual changes

'[[File:Георгий Флоровский.jpg|thumb|Georges Florovsky]] '''Georges Vasilievich Florovsky''' ([[Russian language|Russian]]: Гео́ргий Васи́льевич Флоро́вский; September 9 [O.S. August 28], 1893 – August 11, 1979) was an [[Eastern Orthodox|Orthodox Christian]] [[priest]], [[theologian]], historian and [[ecumenist]]. Born in [[Kropyvnytskyi|Yelisavetgrad]], in the [[Kherson Governorate]] of the [[Russian Empire]], he spent his working life in Paris (1920–1949) and New York (1949–1979). With [[Sergei Bulgakov]], [[Vladimir Lossky]], [[Justin Popović]] and [[Dumitru Stăniloae]] he was one of the more influential Orthodox Christian theologians of the mid-20th century. He was particularly concerned that modern Christian theology might receive inspiration from the lively intellectual debates of the patristic traditions of the undivided Church rather than from later Scholastic or Reformation categories of thought. == Life == Georgiy Vasilievich Florovsky was born in Russian Empire on 9 September 1893 at [[Odessa]] (then in the [[Kherson Governorate]] of the [[Russian Empire]]), as the fourth child of an Orthodox Christian [[priest]]. Raised in an erudite environment, he learned [[English language|English]], [[German language|German]], [[French language|French]], [[Latin language|Latin]], [[Greek language|Greek]], and [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] while a schoolboy, and at eighteen he started to study [[philosophy]] and [[history]]. He graduated from the University of Odessa in 1916. After his first graduation he taught for three years at high schools in [[Odessa]], and then made his full graduation including the [[licentia docendi]] at all universities in the Russian empire. In 1919 Florovsky began to teach at the [[University of Odessa]]; but in 1920 his family was forced to leave Russia. Florovsky realized at that time that there would be no return for him, because [[Marxism]] did not accept the history and philosophy he taught. He was part of the [[emigration]] of Russian [[intelligentsia]], which also included [[Nikolai Berdyaev]], [[Sergei Bulgakov]], [[Nicholas Lossky]] and his son [[Vladimir Lossky]], [[Alexander Schmemann]], and [[John Meyendorff]] (the last two of whom would follow him in the USA as Dean of [[Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], New York). In the 1920s Florovsky had a personal and vocational friendship with the existentialist philosopher [[Nikolai Berdyaev]], but the two became distanced later, through Berdyaev's not understanding Florovsky's ordination to the presbyterate (1932), and because of the critical attitude to Berdyaev's [[philosophy of religion]] expressed in Florovsky's ''Ways of Russian Theology'' (1937). In 1924 Florovsky received his M.A. in Prague. In 1925 he became professor of [[patristics]] at the [[St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute|St. Serge Institute of Orthodox Theology]] in [[Paris]]. In this subject he found his vocation. The lively debates of the thinkers of the early Church became for him a benchmark for Christian [[theology]] and [[exegesis]], as well as a base for his critique of the ecumenical movement, and despite his not having earned an academic degree in theology (he was later awarded several honorary degrees) he would spend the rest of his life teaching at theological institutions. In 1932 Florovsky was [[ordination|ordained]] [[priest]] of the [[Orthodox Church]]. During the 1930s he undertook extensive research in European libraries and published in Russian valuable patristic studies, such as his book on 'Eastern fathers of the fourth century' (1931) and 'The Byzantine fathers fifth to eighth centuries' (1933). These were followed by his [[Masterpiece|magnum opus]], ''Ways of Russian Theology'' (1937). In this work he questioned the Western-European Christian influences of [[scholasticism]], [[pietism]], and [[idealism]] on Orthodox, and especially Russian, Christian theology, and called for its reformulation in the light of patristic writings. The work was received with enthusiasm or condemnation—there was no neutral attitude to it among Russian émigrés. One of his most prominent critics was [[Nikolai Berdyaev]]. Florovsky remained professor of patristics at the Institute until 1939, and from 1939 to 1948 taught there as professor of dogmatics. In 1949 Florovsky moved to the United States of America, to take a position as Dean of [[Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] in [[New York City]]. There his development of the curriculum led to the Board of Regents of the [[University of the State of New York]] granting the Seminary an Absolute [[Charter]] in 1953. In 1955 Florovsky was asked by his synod overseers to "lay down the deanship."<ref>Andrew Blane, ed., ''George Florovsky—Russian Intellectual and Orthodox Churchman'' (1993. St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood NY), pp.&nbsp;109ff.</ref> He became a professor of divinity at Harvard University, and ended his academic years as a professor at Princeton University. He died on 11 August 1979. ==Works== * Eastern Fathers of the Fourth Century (1931. Paris) * The Ways of Russian Theology ([http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/florovsky_ways.html online]) * The Catholicity of the Church [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/catholicity_church_florovsky.htm online] * The Lost Scriptural Mind [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/scriptural_mind.htm online] * On Church and Tradition: An Eastern Orthodox View [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/church_tradition_florovsky.htm online] * St. John Chrysostom. The Prophet of Charity [http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles4/FlorovskyChrysostom.shtml online] * The Ascetic Ideal and the New Testament. Reflections on the Critique of the Theology of the Reformation [https://web.archive.org/web/20050214212901/http://www.stpaulsirvine.org/html/ascetic_ideal.htm online] * The Limits of the Church, Church Quarterly Review, 1933 ([http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/limits_church.htm online]) * Following the Holy Fathers (Excerpt of The Collected Works of Georges Florovsky Vol. IV, "Patristic Theology and the Ethos of the Orthodox Church," Part II, p.&nbsp;15-22) [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/phronema/florov_fathers.aspx online] * St Gregory Palamas and the Tradition of the Fathers, 1961 [http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/florovski_palamas.html online] * Revelation and Interpretation [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/revelation_interpretation.htm online] * Scripture and Tradition: an Orthodox View [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/sipture_tradition_florovsky.htm online] * The Work of the Holy Spirit in Revelation [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/holy_spirit_revelation_florovsky.htm online] * Holy Icons [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/ikons_florovsky.htm online] * Collected works published 1972-1979 (vol. 1-5) in Belmont, Mass. by Nordland Pub., and 1987-1989 (vol. 6-14) in Vaduz, Europa by Büchervertriebsanstalt. **''Collected Works. Volume 1: Bible, Church, Tradition'' **''Collected Works. Volume 2: Christianity and Culture'' [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/christianity_and_culture_florovky.htm excerpts online] **''Collected Works. Volume 3: Creation and Redemption'' [excerpts online] **''Collected Works. Volume 4: Aspects of Church History'' [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/aspects_church_history_florovsky.htm excerpts online] **''Collected Works. Volume 5: Ways of Russian Theology, Part I'' **''Collected Works. Volume 6: Ways of Russian Theology, Part II'' **''Collected Works. Volume 7: Eastern Fathers of the Fourth Century'' **''Collected Works. Volume 8: Byzantine Fathers of the Fifth Century'' **''Collected Works. Volume 9: Byzantine Fathers of the Sixth to Eight Centuries'' **''Collected Works. Volume 10: Byzantine Ascetic and Spiritual Fathers'' **''Collected Works. Volume 11: Theology and Literature'' **''Collected Works. Volume 12: Philosophy'' **''Collected Works. Volume 13: Ecumenism I: A Doctrinal Approach'' **''Collected Works. Volume 14: Ecumenism II: An Historical Approach'' ==See also== *[[List of Russian philosophers]] *[[Eastern Orthodox Christian theology|Orthodox Christian theology]] *[[Philosophers' ship]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== * A. Blane, ''Georges Florovsky; Russian Intellectual and Orthodox Churchman'' (1993) {{ISBN|0-88141-137-X}} * Peter A. Chamberas, "Georges Vasilievich Florovsky: Russian intellectual historian and orthodox theologian - 1893-1979 - Religious Historians, East and West", ''Modern Age,'' Winter 2003 ([http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0354/is_1_45/ai_99699590 FindArticles online Version]) * Steven Aguzzi, "Florovsky’s 'The Boundaries of the Church' in Dialogue with the Reformed Tradition: Toward a Catholic and Charismatic Ecumenical Ecclesiology," ''Ecumenical Trends''; 39: 3 (2010), 8-14 [https://web.archive.org/web/20110906044555/http://www.duq.edu/theology/_pdf/symbolon-logo/Aguzzi_Spr_09.pdf] == External links == {{wikiquote}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20021123193446/http://pages.sbcglobal.net/c.parks/florovsky.html Collected Works of Fr Georges Florovsky, in part online] * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928223702/http://www.sain.org/WINDOW/Ecclesio.txt |date=September 28, 2007 |title=Lewis Shaw, ''Georges Florovsky's Model of Orthodox Ecclesiology'' }} * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611130511/http://startingontheroyalpath.blogspot.com/2013/02/georges-florovsky.html |date=June 28, 2014 |title=Bishop Chrysostomos of Etna, ''Protopresybter Georges Florovsky''}} * [http://www.romanity.org/htm/rom.29.en.f_georges_florovsky.htm John S. Romanides, ''F. Georges Florovsky, the theologian in service of the church in ecumenical dialogue''] Lecture at St. Vladimir's Seminary 23 May 1980 *[http://div.hds.harvard.edu/library/bms/13001/bms13001florovsky.html Harvard Divinity School Faculty Writings File: Georges Florovsky] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110610175656/http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?eadid=C0586&kw Princeton University Library: Georges Florovsky Papers] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20141010072031/http://library.svots.edu/archival-collections/fr-georges-florovsky-papers St. Vladimir's Seminary Library: The Fr. Georges Florovsky Papers] *[http://www.berdyaev.com/berdiaev/berd_lib/1937_424.html Nikolai Berdyaev, Ortodoksia and Humanness], 1937, Critique of Florovsky's "The Way of the Russian Church" * Matthew Baker, 'The Eternal ‘Spirit of the Son’: Barth, Florovsky and Torrance on the Filioque', in ''International Journal of Systematic Theology''; 12:4 (2010 October), p.&nbsp;382–403. [https://fordham.academia.edu/BakerMatthew/Papers/487803/The_Eternal_Spirit_of_the_Son_Barth_Florovsky_and_Torrance_on_the_Filioque] * Matthew Baker and Nikolaos Asproulis, 'Secondary Bibliography of Scholarly Literature and Conferences on Florovsky', in ''ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΑ: The Journal of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece'', 81/40, Vol. 4 (2010), pp.&nbsp;557–396. [https://web.archive.org/web/20111006094801/http://fordham.academia.edu/BakerMatthew/Papers/487850/_Secondary_Bibliography_of_Scholarly_Literature_and_Conferences_on_Florovsky_] * Fr. Georges Florovsky Orthodox Christian Theological Society: A graduate student organization of Princeton University dedicated to promoting the study of the life and work of Fr. Georges Florovsky and of Orthodox theology. [http://www.princeton.edu/~florov/] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Florovsky, Georges}} [[Category:1893 births]] [[Category:1979 deaths]] [[Category:People from Kropyvnytskyi]] [[Category:People from Yelisavetgradsky Uyezd]] [[Category:Eastern Orthodox theologians]] [[Category:American theologians]] [[Category:Eastern Orthodox priests in the United States]] [[Category:Eastern Orthodox writers]] [[Category:Schoolteachers of the Russian Empire]] [[Category:Emigrants from the Russian Empire to France]] [[Category:Christian writers]] [[Category:Forced migration in the Soviet Union]] [[Category:20th-century Eastern Orthodox priests]]'