Georges Florovsky Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Georges Florovsky

Church	Eastern Orthodox Church
Personal details
Birth name	Georgi Vasilievich Florovsky
Born	September 9, 1893 Yelisavetgrad, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	August 11, 1979 Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.

Georges Florovsky (born Georgi Vasilievich Florovsky; September 9, 1893 – August 11, 1979) was an important Eastern Orthodox priest, theologian, and historian. He was born in the Russian Empire. He spent most of his life working in Paris, France, and later in New York, USA.

Georges Florovsky was one of the most influential Christian thinkers of the mid-1900s. He believed that modern Christian ideas should be inspired by the early Church. He felt it was important to learn from the lively discussions of the first Christian leaders. These leaders lived before the Church split into different groups.

Life Story of Georges Florovsky
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Life Story of Georges Florovsky

Early Life and Education

Georgiy Vasilievich Florovsky was born on September 9, 1893. His birthplace was Yelisavetgrad, in the Russian Empire. He was the fourth child in his family. His father was an Eastern Orthodox priest. Georges grew up in the city of Odessa.

He lived in a very educated home. As a schoolboy, he learned many languages. These included English, German, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. When he was 18, he began to study philosophy and history. He finished his first university degree from the University of Odessa in 1916.

After graduating, he taught at high schools in Odessa for three years. He then completed his full university studies. This allowed him to teach at any university in the Russian Empire.

Moving to a New Life

In 1919, Florovsky started teaching at the University of Odessa. However, in 1920, his family had to leave Russia. He realized he could not go back. The new government's ideas did not fit with what he taught. He was part of a group of Russian thinkers who left the country. Many other famous scholars were in this group.

In 1924, Florovsky earned his Master's degree in Prague. In 1925, he became a professor in Paris, France. He taught about the early Christian thinkers, a subject called patristics. This became his main focus. He found great joy in studying the ideas of the early Church.

Becoming a Priest and Teacher

The discussions of the early Church leaders became very important to him. They helped him understand Christian theology and how to interpret the Bible. Even though he did not have a theology degree at first, he spent his life teaching theology. He later received several honorary degrees.

In 1932, Florovsky became an ordained priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church. During the 1930s, he did a lot of research in European libraries. He published important studies on early Christian leaders. These included books on "Eastern fathers of the fourth century" (1931) and "The Byzantine fathers fifth to eighth centuries" (1933).

His most famous work was Ways of Russian Theology (1937). In this book, he questioned how Western European ideas had influenced Orthodox theology. He believed that Orthodox Christian thought should return to the writings of the early Church fathers. This book was met with strong reactions. Some loved it, others strongly disagreed.

Florovsky taught at the St. Serge Institute in Paris until 1948. He taught patristics and later dogmatics.

Life in the United States

In 1949, Florovsky moved to the United States of America. He became the Dean of Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York City. He helped improve the school's programs. Because of his work, the seminary received an important official recognition in 1953.

In 1955, he left his role as dean. He then became a professor of divinity at Harvard University. He finished his teaching career as a professor at Princeton University.

Georges Florovsky passed away on August 11, 1979, in Princeton, New Jersey.

Works

Georges Florovsky wrote many important books and articles. His writings helped people understand the history of Christian thought. He focused on the ideas of the early Church. Some of his notable works include:

Eastern Fathers of the Fourth Century (1931)
The Ways of Russian Theology (1937)
The Catholicity of the Church
St Gregory Palamas and the Tradition of the Fathers (1961)

His collected works were published in many volumes. They cover topics like the Bible, Church history, culture, and different aspects of theology.

Georges Florovsky facts for kids

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