The theology of history at the turn of the epoch: from venerable maximus the confessor to venerable Simeon the New Theologian

The author of this article considers the problems of the theology of history at the turn of two epochs in the life of the Church - the Ecumenical Councils and the Lost Ecumene [see the justification and periodization of this epoch: Legeyev et al., 2018b, 64-72]. The various tasks facing church thought during these periods also determine the different approaches to understanding the history of the two most important representatives of these eras - the Venerable Maximus the Confessor (7th century) and the Venerable Simeon the New Theologian (10th century). Christological tasks of one epoch are replaced by tasks related to the theme of the “individual person”, and an “autobiographical theology” arises. In accordance with this paradigm shift, also in the field of historical perspective, attention focused on macro- processes is replaced by attention focused on those historical and synergistic processes that take place in separate personalites. Both scales of history are connected one with another, but this connection is understood differently by the two eminent theologians of antiquity.