Ideas of hesychasm in the literature of the late Middle Ages

The East Slavs did not know the term “hesychasm”, but easily accepted this doctrine in the late Middle Ages, as evidenced by the fiction of these times. The article’s objective is to examine the peculiarities of this perception. The methods of hermeneutic, stylistic, ideological and artistic, contextual analysis are used. The corpus of literary texts, translated into Rus language of the considered period, contains works by prominent teachers of continuous prayer and deification. However, lack of hesychastic theological treatises in East Slavic translations causes the features of “Rus” hesychasm that distinguish it from Byzantine one, actually from palamism. The fiction of XIV – XV cent. helps to explain these features, study the worldview of our ancestors who were hesychasm followers, clarify the ways of this doctrine penetration into our lands and the peculiarities of its reception. Current research is based on the works of Epiphanius the Wise – the disciple of Sergius of Radonezh and Metropolitan Cyprian, who implemented hesychastic ideals. Epiphanius never mentions the term “hesychasm” in the life stories he wrote, but his texts consistently reflect a hesychast’s worldview: their style that he named “flowery style”, their rhythm, composition, attention to subtle psychological moments, use of keywords associated with hesychastic practice, and many lyrical digressions revealing the author’s intense prayerful mood. The article’s novelty is in the first attempt to state distinctiveness of the Rus perception of hesychastic ideas that is reflected in the late Middle Ages fiction. Epiphanius’ works are first analyzed as prayer texts associated with hesychasm ascetic practice. The prayer intonations of “flowery style” literature are caused not only by it, but also by immersion in liturgical works and temple ceremonies.