Reason, Revelation, and Sceptical Argumentation in 12th‐ to 14th‐Century Byzantium

Abstract In middle to late Byzantium, one finds dogmatic‐style sceptical arguments employed against human reason in relation divine revelation, where revelation becomes the sole criterion of certain truth contrast reason. This argumentative strategy originates early Christian authors, especially Clement Alexandria (c. 150–215 CE) and Gregory Nazianzen 329–390 CE), who maintain that is only domain knowledge certainty possible. Given this, two striking variations this approach: a “mild” variant (represented by Clement), derived from admits partial access truths manifested if imperfect; “strict” Gregory), does not admit any revelation. paper analyzes three Byzantines, Nicholas Methone (d. 1160/66 Theodore Metochites (1270–1320 Palamas (1296–1357/59 each display tendencies toward these “poles” their respective epistemological positions on through faith.