Dumitru Staniloae’s Trinitarian Ecclesiology: Orthodoxy and the Filioque

Dumitru Stăniloae is one of the most important but routinely neglected 20th-century Orthodox theologians. Viorel Coman explores the ecumenical relevance of Dumitru Stăniloae’s reflections on the interplay between the doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of the Church in the context of the debates on the ecclesiological ramifications of the filioque. Comancombines a historical and theological analysis of Stăniloae’s approach to the filioque, Trinity, and the Church. The historical analysis shows the changes that have taken place over time in Stăniloae’s approach to the issue of the filioque and the doctrine of the Church. The theological analysis emphasizes the ecumenical contribution of the Romanian thinker to field of Trinitarian theology and ecclesiology. Even though this book centers primarily around Stăniloae’s vision on the link between the doctrine of the Trinity and the Church, it places his theological reflections in a solid dialogue with other Eastern (Georges Florovsky, Vladimir Lossky, John Zizioulas) and Western theologians (Karl Barth, Yves Congar, Karl Rahner, Walter Kasper).

Table of Contents:
1. Dumitru Staniloae: A Neo-Patristic Theologian 2. Staniloae’s Early Approach (1964–1978) to the Filioque 3. Staniloae’s Approach to the Filioque in an Ecumenical Context: Methodology of Conversation (1971) and Engagement in Dialogues (1979–1993) 4. The “Holy Grail” of 20th-Century Christian Theology: The Ecclesiological Synthesis between Christology and Pneumatology 5. Staniloae’s Early Ecclesiology (1938–1964): A Christological Approach to the Church 6. The Church in Light of the Mystery of the Trinity: Staniloae’s Late Ecclesiology (1964–1993)

About the Author :
Viorel Coman is postdoctoral researcher of the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) in the faculty of theology and religious studies at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Review :
This excellent book introduces the reader to one of the twentieth century’s most important Orthodox thinkers, whose writings on ecclesiology, Christology, and Trinitarian theology are set forth here with great skill. Especially enlightening is the author’s analysis of Dumitru Staniloae’s views on the filioque, how they developed, and how they impacted his evolving understanding of the church. Still largely unknown in the English-speaking world, Staniloae’s theology finally gets the attention it deserves in Viorel Coman’s first-rate treatment. Coman is already the specialist on the Romanian Orthodox theologian Dumitru Staniloae’s position on the filioque. Since Staniloae’s thought evolved over a decades-long career and a monumental oeuvre, Coman’s study is bound to become the main resource on this subject. Bringing a significant ecumenical contribution, the present volume also corrects the mischaracterization of Staniloae as an anti-Western theologian, proving that he wrote tirelessly in the hope of Christian unity In this rigorous academic work, Coman offers original research on Stanliloae’s views on filioque and Trinitarian ecclesiology in dialogue with the Roman Catholic and Orthodox theologians of his era.