Nicholas Kavasilas Chamaëtos (c. 1322–c. 1390): A Unique Voice Amongst his Contemporaries

The debate regarding a perceived dichotomy between secular and spiritual wisdom has long divided scholars of the Byzantine world. This dichotomy has been fiercely argued about not only by modern scholars but also by the Byzantines themselves, who had organized education into two distinct categories: ‘inner’ (Christian) and ‘outer’ (pagan or secular) learning. A more specific aspect of the same dilemma was the one surrounding hesychia or hesychasm and the stance of the clergy and laymen towards it. It is this aspect of this wider intellectual context that this paper will deal with. In particular, it will focus on one of the main thinkers of late Byzantium, Nicholas Kavasilas, the nephew of hesychast Neilos Kavasilas. Although Nicholas Kavasilas has received significant scholarly attention, his laudatory works in honour of St Demetrius have not been commented upon to any great extent before. This new analysis will form part of a re-appraisal of Nicholas Kavasilas in an attempt to paint afresh his multi-faceted intellectual profile.