Philotheos Mihailidis

Philotheos ( el, Φιλόθεος, "friend of God"), - derived from the original ancient Greek words ''philos'' meaning 'love' and ''theos'' meaning 'god'. The compound word therefore literally means ''love of God'' which may be translated "friend of God". Note that the appropriate compound word with reference to 'gods' luralis ''polytheism''.

God centred philosophy

The word 'Philotheos' has existed for some time - reference, for example, the list of names under the headings "People" and "other" below as well as the original Greek used in the New Testament of the Christian Bible at 2 Timothy 3, 4. Since 2001, Philotheos has been used as the title of a Journal describing itself as 'The International Journal for Philosophy and Theology' - see the link below under the heading 'Other'. That Journal discusses philosophy and theology, with a special focus on the dialogue between the two. See Philotheos (journal) - Wikipedia

In March 2021, the word 'Philotheos' was used for what is believed to be the first time as a name for a particular system of thinking. That system of thinking was asserted by Graham R.Catlin on the website platform at https://philotheos.org In response to Descartes cogito ergo sum, 'I think therefore I am''Catlin asserted deus ergo sumus 'God is therefore we are'' Catlin used the word 'philotheos' to describe a Supreme Being centred conception of philosophy in contrast to the current anthropocentric uman centredconception assumed since the prevalence of Enlightenment Materialism.

Catlin specifically asserts that the God centred philosophy he refers to as ''philotheos'' is based on the fundamental concept that God exists - and that the notion that God exists is the fundamental and determining characteristic of God: reference the assertion recorded in the book of Exodus in the Bible, chapter 3, verse 14 where the name of God is recorded as "I AM". This definition is valid in all 3 of the world's major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is in accordance with this definition that the nature and activity of God is predicated: Omnipresence; omnipotence; Omniscience - all present, all powerful, all knowing. These are the essential attributes of the concept of one supreme Being ie God who must necessarily be conceived of as quintessentially and definitively "I AM".

Given this simple and fundamental premise about God, Catlin calls the framework of thinking and terminology he ''paradigm''which necessarily arises
''philotheism''
- a system derived from the basic concept of ''philotheos''.

Catlin regards Theology - see Theology - Wikipedia - as being effectively now a discipline within Philosophy, adopting the approach and methods of anthropocentric, materialistic Philosophy - see Philosophy - Wikipedia By contrast, Philotheos/ism is predicated on the premise of God being "I AM" and therefore all consideration of the subject of God should be consistent with that conception, not by reference to comparative religion or trends of thought in theology over time. ''If God exists, God by definition remains constant and consistent; God does not change according to changing conceptions arising in different cultures and at different periods of history''.

By taking the premise of God as true, the philotheist answers the fundamental questions of human existence, including the philosopher's question: "Where does God come from ?" Catlin answers this question at https://philotheos.org/index.php/philotheism The word ''philotheist'' necessarily describes a person who adheres to the fundamental concept of ''philotheos'' and its associated paradigm ''philotheism''. Graham R. Catlin was the first to use the 3 words ''philotheos'', ''philotheism'' and ''philotheist'' with reference to a system of theocentric philosophy which he describes a
www.philotheos.org
That philosophy is both internally coherent and also consistent with the essential meaning of those 3 words in the ancient Greek language.

People

* Philotheos Bryennios (1833–1918), Greek Orthodox bishop
* Pope Philotheos of Alexandria, in office 979-1003
* Philotheus of Pskov (1465–1542), Russian abbot
* Philotheus of Samosata, a companion in martyrdom of Romanus of Samosata
* Patriarch Philotheus I of Constantinople (c. 1300-1379)
* a Byzantine court official, the author of the ''Kletorologion'' treatise, written in 899
* Saint Philotheos

Other

* Philotheos: International Journal for Philosophy and Theology, founded in 2001 and based at Belgrade
* Philotheou Monastery on Mt Athos

See also

* Filotije, Serbian variant

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