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This chapter explores a pivotal period in Henry Corbin’s intellectual trajectory, focusing on his relocation to Istanbul at the end of 1939. During this time, Corbin developed a deep engagement with Eastern Orthodoxy and Byzantine mystical theology, profoundly shaped by his interactions with Russian émigré theologians and philosophers such as Fr. Sergei Bulgakov, Fr. Georges Florovsky, and Nikolai Berdyaev. Aligning himself with their critiques of modern Western philosophy and theology, Corbin grew increasingly disillusioned with Protestant neo-orthodoxy, particularly the theology of Karl Barth (1886–1968), whom he had previously supported in the early 1930s. Central to this reorientation was Florovsky’s notion of “Christian Hellenism,” which emphasized the integration of Greek philosophy and Christian revelation, and Bulgakov’s sophiology, which sought to reconcile philosophy and theology through the concept of Divine Wisdom (Sophia). In this period, Corbin came to see Eastern Orthodoxy and Islamic mysticism as part of shared “Eastern” theological tradition rooted in “Hellenism”—an inheritance he positioned in stark contrast to the secular ideologies of the “Latin West.” The chapter begins with an overview of Corbin’s theological activities in the late 1930s, tracing his intellectual break with Barth and his turn toward Russian Orthodox thought. It then examines his conception of Orthodoxy as represented in his unpublished manuscripts and correspondence from his Istanbul years, shedding light on how he sought to integrate Orthodox theology with Islamic spirituality. Finally, the chapter explores Corbin’s postwar shift away from Eastern Orthodoxy toward Islamic esotericism and his advocacy of an eschatological Christianity, which he framed in contrast to institutional Christianity. Despite this evolution, the chapter argues that Orthodox theological concepts and Russian religious thought remained a lasting influence throughout Corbin’s intellectual career, ultimately shaping his ecumenical vision centered on Eternal Wisdom (Sophia Æterna).

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Henry Corbin and Russian Orthodox Theology (1939–1942)

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • Hadi Fakhoury

摘要

This chapter explores a pivotal period in Henry Corbin’s intellectual trajectory, focusing on his relocation to Istanbul at the end of 1939. During this time, Corbin developed a deep engagement with Eastern Orthodoxy and Byzantine mystical theology, profoundly shaped by his interactions with Russian émigré theologians and philosophers such as Fr. Sergei Bulgakov, Fr. Georges Florovsky, and Nikolai Berdyaev. Aligning himself with their critiques of modern Western philosophy and theology, Corbin grew increasingly disillusioned with Protestant neo-orthodoxy, particularly the theology of Karl Barth (1886–1968), whom he had previously supported in the early 1930s. Central to this reorientation was Florovsky’s notion of “Christian Hellenism,” which emphasized the integration of Greek philosophy and Christian revelation, and Bulgakov’s sophiology, which sought to reconcile philosophy and theology through the concept of Divine Wisdom (Sophia). In this period, Corbin came to see Eastern Orthodoxy and Islamic mysticism as part of shared “Eastern” theological tradition rooted in “Hellenism”—an inheritance he positioned in stark contrast to the secular ideologies of the “Latin West.” The chapter begins with an overview of Corbin’s theological activities in the late 1930s, tracing his intellectual break with Barth and his turn toward Russian Orthodox thought. It then examines his conception of Orthodoxy as represented in his unpublished manuscripts and correspondence from his Istanbul years, shedding light on how he sought to integrate Orthodox theology with Islamic spirituality. Finally, the chapter explores Corbin’s postwar shift away from Eastern Orthodoxy toward Islamic esotericism and his advocacy of an eschatological Christianity, which he framed in contrast to institutional Christianity. Despite this evolution, the chapter argues that Orthodox theological concepts and Russian religious thought remained a lasting influence throughout Corbin’s intellectual career, ultimately shaping his ecumenical vision centered on Eternal Wisdom (Sophia Æterna).