Page "Hesychasm" Paragraph 43

From Palamas's time until the 20th century, Roman Catholic theologians generally rejected the contention that, in the case of God, the distinction between essence and energies is real rather than, albeit with a foundation in reality, notional ( in the mind ).

In their view, affirming an ontological essence-energies distinction in God contradicted the teaching of the First Council of Nicaea on divine unity.

According to Adrian Fortescue, the Scholastic theory that God is pure actuality prevented Palamism from having much influence in the West.

According to Fortescue, it was from Western Scholasticism that hesychasm's philosophical opponents in the East borrowed their weapons.