The Influence of Thomas Aquinas on Late Byzantine Philosophical and Theological Thought: À propos of the Thomas de Aquino Byzantinus Project

This article discusses the extent of influence Thomas Aquinas’ teachings exercised on Byzantine intellectuals by examining Greek translations of, and commentaries on, his writings produced between the mid-fourteenth and mid-fifteenth century. These writings provided the Byzantines with a ‘dialectical’ model of discussion, which implied a positive answer to the question of the dignitas hominis; contrary to the ‘obscurantism’ inspired by Gregory Palamas, man was seen as a being able to reach truth and attain happiness in his own terms. After Nicephoros Gregoras, Thomas’ theonymical doctrine was adopted by most Palamites and all anti-Palamites in their attempt to reconcile the notions of simplicity and multiplicity in God. Aquinas’ apologetics against Islam were also adopted by many Byzantine authors, whereas his apologetics against paganism-especially Averroism-were used by Scholarios, a fervent Aristotelian, against the fervent Platonist Plethon. Aquinas’ metaphysics and interpretation of Aristotle’s philosophy were put in the service of this objective. Finally, several specific theological issues with philosophical implications, such as God’s providence and predestination and the nature and knowledge of the angels, were treated by some Byzantines in the light of Aquinas’ ideas.