Acknowledgements
I extend my deepest gratitude to all who contributed to the weaving of this book, initially conceived as a dissertation, for their support in every sense throughout its course and for the seeds they sowed in the past that, in some way, have blossomed in this work.
I am especially thankful to Professor Manuel Sumares for his passionate reception of my philosophical stances, our intense and challenging debates, and his profound engagement with my ideas. My thanks also go to Joana Serrado, a vessel of divine providence, for her patient listening, thoughtful readings, and valuable suggestions and comments on this book. Her belief in me and encouragement have been a source of strength in moments of despair. Additionally, I am grateful to my PhD supervisor, Professor José Meirinhos, for his unwavering support of my scientific endeavors and encouragement during difficult times.
I am thankful for the significant contributions of two anonymous reviewers, whose thoughtful remarks and constructive suggestions greatly improved the quality of the final manuscript. I would also like to extend my appreciation to Professor Han van Ruler, the editor of Brillâs Studies in Intellectual History, for his sustained interest in this work since its onset and his invaluable bibliographic advice. Special thanks are due to Ivo Romein at Brill Academic Publishers for his consistent assistance and empathetic support during this project. Their insights and aid were crucial to the completion of this work.
I am grateful to Father Theophanes (Constantine), who completed his earthly pilgrimage in 2016. He described himself as a wandering monk, and I first encountered him at an international conference on Gregory Palamas in Thessaloniki. The conferenceâs audience was intimidating due to the large number of longâbearded monks. During one of the lectures, a monk â an imposing figure â was deeply and unorthodoxly asleep in the amphitheater chairs. It was Father Theophanes. I had the opportunity to speak with him during one of the conference dinners, where he candidly admitted to being a glutton and a drinker. This monk seemed immediately quite eccentric to me. Indeed, he was an astonishing man, a fact I came to realize over the four days I had the privilege of interacting with him. On the last day of the conference, which was reserved for monastery tours, the men headed to Mount Athos and the women to Meteora, Souroti, and Ormylia. I was scheduled to return to Portugal, skipping these tours, with a flight around 1 PM. However, at around 8 AM, I found myself embarking on a crazy trip with Fr. Theophanes and a Ukrainian theology student, who spoke only his native language, to a monastery located more than 100 km from the airport. I never met Fr. Theophanes in person again, but for more than two years, we continued to exchange letters and emails, which I now cherish as treasures. I owe much of the bibliography used in this work to him, particularly the digitized books from the library of Simonos Petras Monastery, his own writings, and a printed translation of John Climacusâ The Ladder of Divine Ascent. I also thank Fr. Theophanes for our debates and for clarifying many questions I had about Gregory Palamas and hesychasm.
I extend a word of thanks to Nuno Afonso for his erudition, bibliographic suggestions, and dialogues. My gratitude also goes to Professor Costa Macedo, whose enlightening conversations at Café Oriental, insightful remarks and suggestions, keen interest in the topics I research, and friendship are deeply appreciated. Though he is no longer with us, his influence and presence remain vivid in my memories and work. Special thanks to the community of Valaam, particularly Father David and Brother Theophilos, for opening the most secret parts of the island with generosity, kindness, and hospitality. I am grateful to the community of Solan, especially Hegumena Hypandia. Finally, my appreciation to Dmitry Biriukov and Elga Kanaeva for their helpful bibliographies and for always being available to exchange ideas.