On the issue of the methodology of metropolitan John (Zizioulas): neopatristics or method of correlation?

The article presents a hypothesis that there is affinity between the theology of Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) and Archpriest George Florovsky's neopatristic synthesis and Paul Tillich's correlation method. The degree of influence of Zizioulas' theological ideas on the moods and minds of the modern Orthodox community requires deep studying of the issue of Zizioulas' methodology. The review of the sources shows that Russian and foreign scientific literature did not pay enough attention to this issue, and the most common point of view is that there is relationship between Zizioulas' methodology and the methodology of neopatristic synthesis. The article compares the goals, objectives and methods of Florovsky's neopatristics and Tillich's systematic theology with those of Metropolitan John's theology, and considers the issue of how these theological systems influenced the formation of Zizioulas' theological method. The conclusion is made that the hypothesis about the post-neopatristic nature of Zizioulas' theology is justified, and his methodology draws on the correlation method developed by P. Tillich, which can be traced both at the level of setting goals and objectives of theology, and at the level of the methodological techniques used by Zizioulas.