In this article, focusing on the work of Nicholas of Methone entitled Refutation of Proclus’ Elements of Theology (Ἀνάπτυξις τῆς Θεολογικῆς Στοιχειώσεως Πρόκλου Πλατωνικοῦ Φιλοσόφου), I study the concept of movement as it appears in the metaphysical level of the Holy Trinity. My purpose is to show that the author preserves the philosophical meaning of the concept in question, but without getting out of the Christian frame. My study is divided into six particular sections. In the first one I attempt to approach Nicholas’ thoughts on the movement as a mode of communication between the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. In the second one, I investigate his views on movement in the sense of distinction of the divine essence from the divine energies. In the third one, I examine his positions on how movement is distinct from change. In the fourth one, I approach some more particular aspects of the divine movement. In the fifth one, I attempt to see in comparison his opinion regarding metaphysical self-movement and natural self-movement together with their epistemological extensions. Finally, I discuss his thought on the double movement of the angels. The most important conclusion that I draw is that, when speaking of the metaphysical level, movement is for Nicholas the factor which distinguishes the divine transcendence from the divine creativity.
In this article, the author attempts to present some of the differences between Nicholas of Methone and Proclus regarding the meaning of the production. More specifically, he gives emphasis to the following: Proclus, through his analytical description on the development of the divine beings, structures a rational Metaphysics and describes the special ways in which the production of the natural world is activated. On the other hand, Nicholas generally speaks about the characteristics of the production and avoids introducing human knowledge into the area of the divine providence. Proclus considers production to be a necessary step in the internal dialectic of the supreme Principle, which is almost set under a developmental process that is pushed by its internal powers, which then will organise the terms for the formation of the cosmic becoming. On his part, Nicholas, by giving emphasis particularly to the divine will, excludes the possibility of an inevitable appearance of the created world, the existence of which is considered to be possible or potential and is independent of any kind of stereotypical determinism.
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