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Opuscula theologica et polemica

work by Maximus the Confessor

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Opuscula theologica et polemica, meaning "Short Theological and Polemical Treatises," is a collection of works by St. Maximus the Confessor, a significant Byzantine theologian of the 7th century. These writings, along with his commentaries on Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and the Greek Church Fathers, profoundly influenced medieval theology and mysticism.1

Maximus's Opuscula explore his Christocentric theology, focusing on the transcendental nature of the divinity, the Trinity, and Christ's divine communication. He also authored 400 Capita de caritate ("Four Hundred Chapters on Charity"), which advocates for a Christian humanism that integrates asceticism with daily life and active charity. Maximus's work aimed to balance spiritual theory and practice, establishing him as an original thinker in Christian speculation.1

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