Georgian National Committee of Byzantine Studies
Independent Researcher
PhD in Theology
Tbilisi, Georgia
chkhaberidzenari59@gmail.com
The Relationship Between Time and History in Contemporary Orthodox Thought According to John Zizioulas
Abstract
The Relationship Between Time and History in Contemporary Orthodox Thought: According to John Zizioulas Abstract Christian experience understands historical reality not merely as a chronological succession of events unfolding within time, but as a dynamic space of encounter and relationship between God and humanity. The present study aims to analyze the theological understanding of the relationship between time and history, with particular emphasis on the thought of Metropolitan John Zizioulas of Pergamon. Zizioulas does not interpret the historical process as a sequence of events determined by the past; instead, he develops an eschatological ontology grounded in the future. According to his thought, Christian existence is fundamentally eschatological, and its authentic meaning is revealed in the future reality of the Kingdom of God. Time, therefore, is not understood as a closed or self-contained process, but as a dynamic reality determined from the future, where the eschaton functions not as the boundary of history, but as its inner foundation and ontological basis. In examining this question, the study engages major representatives of contemporary Orthodox theology, including Alexander Schmemann and Georges Florovsky, whose works emphasize the close relationship between history and ecclesial experience. To demonstrate the broader intellectual development of theological reflection on history, the research also considers the dramatic Christocentric understanding of history proposed by Hans Urs von Balthasar, as well as the theology of history articulated by the medieval Franciscan theologian and philosopher Saint Bonaventure. Their contributions provide important theological foundations for understanding history within the perspectives of divine providence and eschatological teleology. The study also draws upon Georgian theological scholarship concerning the liturgical and ecclesial perception of time. Particular attention is given to the theological and terminological understanding of the liturgical Hours, where time appears not merely as a chronological category but as a sacred mode of experience. Within the Georgian ecclesiastical tradition, the concept of zhami (“time” or “hour”) frequently carries profound philosophical and theological significance, opening a perspective for understanding the relationship between time, eternity, and liturgical experience. Methodologically, the research employs historical-theological, hermeneutical, and comparative approaches, including the analysis of contemporary Orthodox theological texts. The originality of this study lies in its treatment of time and history not solely from historical or dogmatic perspectives, but as a point of intersection between theology of history and eschatological ontology. Such an approach allows contemporary Orthodoxy to be interpreted as a theological model for a renewed understanding of history. Furthermore, it contributes to the development of the academic field known as “Theology of History,” a discipline whose establishment and integration into Georgian theological scholarship remains an important objective.