Niphon Kausokalybites

Early life

A Greek, Niphon was born in the village of Lukovë, Himarë municipality,

Monastic life

Niphon went to the monastic state of Mount Athos sometime after 1335, where he dedicated himself to asceticism, under the guidance of the monastic Elders, Neilos Erichiotes, Theognostos and Maximos Kausokalybites. In 1345, Niphon was the protos of Mount Athos. At that time Athos came under the protection of the Serbian Tsar Stefan Dušan, who accused him for heresy and Bogomilism, but he was successfully defended by Gregory Palamas. In 1347-8 Niphon was tried and deposed from his position as protos after being accused by fellow monks of heresy. He was succeeded by the Serbian monk Antonios. His deposition is regarded as either part of the struggles between rival religious factions that predated the Serbian control of the Athonite community or attempts of Stefan Dušan to gain control of Athos by appointing a Serbian official as its head. This intervention resulted in serious contradictions between the Greek dignitaries and the Serbs of Hilandar monastery of Athos.

During 1355-63 he was again accused of heresy when his servant Bardarius revealed before dying that he had joined the Euchite movement, but was defended by Patriarch Callistus. It is considered unclear from contemporary accounts whether Niphon was a Euchite or Hesychast at that time. Niphon lived the rest of his life as a hesychast, until his death in 1411.

Works

Niphon was also the author of the first biography of Maximos Kausokalybites, his spiritual tutor.

Dedications

A church dedicated to Saint Niphon was erected in February 2013 at Gjirokastër, southern Albania.

References

References

1. Great [[Synaxarium. Synaxaristes]]: {{in lang. el ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/3799/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ὅσιος Νήφων ὁ Καυσοκαλυβίτης].'' 14 Ιουνίου. Μέγας Συναξαριστής.
2. (1996). "Monuments of Orthodoxy in Albania". Doukas School.
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4. (1979). "Charanis studies : essays in honor of Peter Charanis". Rutgers University Press.
5. Stoyanov, Selected sources translated and annotated by Janet Hamilton and Bernard Hamilton; Assistance with the translation of Old Slavonic texts by Juri. (1998). "Christian dualist heresies in the Byzantine world, c.650-c.1450". Manchester University Press.
6. Korac, Dusan. (1993-01-01). "Mount Athos under the rule of Stephen Dusan". North American Society for Serbian Studies.
7. Pavlikianov, Cyril. "The Athonite Period in the Life of Saint Romylos of Vidin". Byzantina Symmeikta.
8. Obolensky, Dimitri. (2004-08-19). "The Bogomils: A Study in Balkan Neo-Manichaeism". Cambridge University Press.
9. Kallistos of Diokleia. (2004-08-19). "St Maximos of Kapsokalyvia and Fourteenth-Century Athonite Hesychasm". Camberley.
10. (2017). "Η μηνιαία εφημερίδα NGJALLJA (ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΗ) και το αναστάσιμο μήνυμά της". Ikee.lib.auth.gr.