Constantin Brâncoveanu and the Byzantine Epinoia
Constantin Brâncoveanu and the Byzantine Epinoia

Summary/Abstract: In the Christian tradition the martyric model was a stimulus of the spiritual life, it has ensured the cohesion of the Christian community, and was the source of a lifestyle inspired by Christ the Savior, Apostles and Saints, and the source of a modality of considering and understanding one’s relation with himself and with the others - epinoia. In the Christian thinking, epinoia is closely related to makrothymia, a neotestamentary noun which designates the Christian virtues: forgiveness, kindness, humbleness, and depicts the Christian’s attitude to the world, the ability to endure any trial not with resignation, yet with hope. The decline of Byzantium- parakme was motivated by the mentality of the Turks, sins of the Christians and punishment of God. Ducas thus explains the elements defining the Byzantine epinoia. Epinoia – the Byzantine mentality thus maintains, throughout the centuries, its neotestamentary meaning, of traditional way of thinking, political and religious attitude funded on the Christian identity.

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