The use of the concept of beauty in the description of mystical experience in greek patristics

Abstract

The epistemological possibilities of man are one of the important questions of theology. In the Sacred Tradition of the Eastern Church, man’s ability to mystical knowledge is affirmed, i.e., to direct knowledge of God, not mediated by either aesthetic observation of the external world or introspective observation of the inner world of the soul. The task of separating the normative mystical experience in the Orthodox tradition from non-Christian mysticism seems relevant. The article analyzes the use of the concept of Divine beauty in the mystical theology of Greek patristics. It is shown that starting with the Great Cappadocians, the concept acquires the character of a multifunctional theological tool. It is used in the mystical theology of the Greek fathers to describe the experience that a person experiences when experiencing God directly. Generalizing conclusions are drawn about the characteristics of mystical experience, which should be considered normative from the point of view of the authors of Greek patristics.