SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN. - Well-known Byzantine mystical author, b. ca. 949 at Galatai in Paphlagonia, d. 12 March 1022; he is venerated as a saint by the Byzantine dissidents.

According to the biography written by Nicetas Stethatos (ed. I. Hausherr, Rome 1928), S. after his first studies completed in court circles withdrew to the Studion monastery where he was formed by Simeon Studites. Expelled for his austere and mystical spirit, he moved to the monastery of St. Mamas and in 980 was ordained a priest. He was also made hegumen of it, and during 25 years of governance he distinguished himself as a promoter of the cult, a preacher and a writer. Stephen of Nicomedia unleashed a persecution against S., taking as a pretext the cult he rendered to his former spiritual father and his scant theological learning. Exiled in 1009 and recalled after a year to Constantinople, S. preferred to withdraw to Asia and to erect a monastery where he died.

S. wrote, among other things, discourses, hymns, ascetic chapters and letters. With a style of an inspired "God-taught" man, S. recommends conscious deification and the vision of God under the species of an ineffable light.

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: works: ed. D. Zagorasso, Venice 1790; PG 120, coll. 321-710. Studies: I. Hausherr, in Or. Christ., Rome 1927, p. 173 ff.; P. Mass, Aus d. Poesie des Mystikers S., in Festgabe für A. Ehrhard, Bonn 1922, p. 328-41; G. Soyser, Byz. Dichtung, Heidelberg 1931, p. 28 ff.; H. M. Biedermann, Das Menschenbild bei S. dem Jüngeren dem Theologen, Würzburg 1949; J. Gouillard, s. v. in DThC, XIV, 2941-59.

Ignazio Ortiz de Urbina

@incollection{ec11_simeone_il_nuovo_teologo, author = {Ortiz, de Urbina Ignazio}, title = {Simeone Il Nuovo Teologo}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XI}, pages = {624--625}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/simeone-il-nuovo-teologo} }

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Symeon the New Theologian

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