The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1694 page)
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Authors: John Bowker
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Nicholas Cavasilas
(Nikolaos Cavasilas)
(Greek Orthodox theologian):
(Nikolaos Cavasilas)
(Greek Orthodox theologian):
Nicholas of Cusa
or Cusanus
or Cusanus
(
c.
1400–64)
. German Christian philosopher. He was made a
cardinal
and was briefly
vicar-general
of Rome. As a philosopher he was a late
Neoplatonist
, indebted to Meister
Eckhart
. The two fundamental principles of his thought are
docta ignorantia
(‘learned ignorance’—the furthest the human mind can reach) and the
coincidentia oppositorum
(‘coincidence of opposites’), which is found in God who is at once transcendent and immanent, the centre and circumference of the universe, the infinite and the infinitesimal, and therefore beyond the grasp of the human intellect. This position was defended in his most famous work,
De Docta Ignorantia
. He is often regarded as a precursor of the Renaissance.
c.
1400–64)
. German Christian philosopher. He was made a
cardinal
and was briefly
vicar-general
of Rome. As a philosopher he was a late
Neoplatonist
, indebted to Meister
Eckhart
. The two fundamental principles of his thought are
docta ignorantia
(‘learned ignorance’—the furthest the human mind can reach) and the
coincidentia oppositorum
(‘coincidence of opposites’), which is found in God who is at once transcendent and immanent, the centre and circumference of the universe, the infinite and the infinitesimal, and therefore beyond the grasp of the human intellect. This position was defended in his most famous work,
De Docta Ignorantia
. He is often regarded as a precursor of the Renaissance.
Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, the Hagiorite
(
c.
1749–1809).
Greek monk and spiritual writer. Born in Naxos, he became a monk on Mount
Athos
in 1775. He was immensely prolific in editing and publishing traditional monastic texts on spiritual, ascetic, and liturgical subjects, and a great advocate of the Jesus prayer and frequent
communion
. His most important work, with Macarius of Corinth, was the
Philokalia
(1782), an anthology of spiritual texts treasured by the
hesychasts
.
c.
1749–1809).
Greek monk and spiritual writer. Born in Naxos, he became a monk on Mount
Athos
in 1775. He was immensely prolific in editing and publishing traditional monastic texts on spiritual, ascetic, and liturgical subjects, and a great advocate of the Jesus prayer and frequent
communion
. His most important work, with Macarius of Corinth, was the
Philokalia
(1782), an anthology of spiritual texts treasured by the
hesychasts
.
Nicolai, Père
(1836–1912)
. Russian
Orthodox
pioneer
missionary
to Japan, raised to
archbishop
in 1906. Nicolai, whose personal name was Ivan Kasatkin, was the pioneer leader in what has been called the most spectacular achievement in the long history of Russian missionary work. The unique aspect of this work lay in Nicolai's making an almost complete separation from Russian political aims or interests its basic working principle.
Nicolai arrived in Japan on 2 June 1861 to serve as chaplain of the Russian consulate in Hakodate. His proficiency in Japanese and growing understanding of the people and their culture enabled the Orthodox Mission to become indigenized quickly and to raise up Japanese leaders of distinction. By these methods Nicolai and his colleagues, Russian and Japanese, were able to hold together the growing Japanese Orthodox Church even through the intense strains of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–5.
. Russian
Orthodox
pioneer
missionary
to Japan, raised to
archbishop
in 1906. Nicolai, whose personal name was Ivan Kasatkin, was the pioneer leader in what has been called the most spectacular achievement in the long history of Russian missionary work. The unique aspect of this work lay in Nicolai's making an almost complete separation from Russian political aims or interests its basic working principle.
Nicolai arrived in Japan on 2 June 1861 to serve as chaplain of the Russian consulate in Hakodate. His proficiency in Japanese and growing understanding of the people and their culture enabled the Orthodox Mission to become indigenized quickly and to raise up Japanese leaders of distinction. By these methods Nicolai and his colleagues, Russian and Japanese, were able to hold together the growing Japanese Orthodox Church even through the intense strains of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–5.
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