Palamite

Palamite refers to adherents of the theological program associated with Gregory Palamas, a 14th-century Byzantine monk and theologian. Palamites defended the Hesychast tradition of contemplative prayer and articulated the essence–energies distinction, a framework that preserves God’s transcendence while asserting real divine presence in creation through divine energies.

Palamite theology holds that God’s essence remains incomprehensible to created beings, but humans can know and experience God through his uncreated energies. The central example is the experience of the uncreated light during contemplative prayer, such as the theophanies associated with Mount Tabor. The distinction allows epistemic access to God without implying that creation shares in God’s essence.

Historically, Palamas argued against critiques by Barlaam of Calabria and Akindynos, who questioned the legitimacy of Hesychastic experience and the energy–essence framework. In the 1340s–1350s, a series of synods and scholarly debates followed, culminating in the broader acceptance of Palamite theology within the Orthodox Church. The Palamite approach came to underpin Byzantine and later Russian and Greek Orthodoxy’s understanding of prayer, grace, and theosis.

Influence and legacy: Palamite doctrine became a defining feature of Orthodox theology, shaping spirituality, liturgy, and ecclesiology. While it remains central to Eastern Orthodox thought, it has faced critique from some Western theologians and has been revisited by modern scholars in ecumenical dialogue.