Maximus the Confessor 580 AD – 662 AD
Maximus the Confessor (580 AD – 662 AD) was a Greek philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Christian Philosophy and Platonism.
Maximus the Confessor was a seventh-century Greek Christian monk and theologian and one of the great architects of Eastern patristic thought. After service in the imperial court at Constantinople, he entered the monastic life and traveled to North Africa and Rome, where he led the opposition to the imperially backed monothelite Christology. For this opposition he was tried at Constantinople, his tongue and right hand were cut off, and he was exiled to the Caucasus, where he died. His writings, including the Ambigua and the Mystagogia, develop a synthesis of Cappadocian theology, Pseudo-Dionysian mysticism, and Christology that has shaped Eastern Orthodox thought down to the present.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Christian Philosophy, Platonism
Selected quotes
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“God is love, and the way to God is love.”
Ambiguum 10, 1189B-C; trans. Andrew Louth , Maximus the Confessor (Routledge, 1996) pp. 144 -145. -
Attributed to Maximus the Confessor:
“He who loves God cannot help loving every man as himself.”
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Attributed to Maximus the Confessor:
“Theology without practice is the theology of demons.”
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Attributed to Maximus the Confessor:
“Knowledge of God is found in the love of one's neighbor.”
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Attributed to Maximus the Confessor:
“The mystery hidden from all eternity is Christ.”
Maximus the Confessor by topic
Frequently asked about Maximus the Confessor
- When did Maximus the Confessor live?
- Maximus the Confessor was born in 580 AD and died in 662 AD.
- Where was Maximus the Confessor from?
- Maximus the Confessor was a Greek philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Maximus the Confessor associated with?
- Maximus the Confessor was associated with Christian Philosophy and Platonism.
- What was Maximus the Confessor known for?
- Maximus the Confessor was a seventh-century Greek Christian monk and theologian and one of the great architects of Eastern patristic thought.
- How many quotes are attributed to Maximus the Confessor?
- There are 6 attributed quotations from Maximus the Confessor in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.