Come to think of it, jo, your question is wrong: you are confusing nature (essence, ousia) with God's uncreated energies. In the case of our Lord Jesus Christ we have a union, without confusion, of two natures: that of Jesus (human) and Christ (divine), each possessing fully its own energies, human and divine.
The very fact that the Church established Orthodox Christology based on two natures of Christ, and two wills or energies, is proof positivie that +Gregory Palamas was not proposing something new, but something that was known to the Church from the beginning.
As far as I can tell so far, an energy is the action of a being, correct? According to this Orthodox concept (which I admit know very little about, I am still struggling to understand it - forgive me, Westerners are slow!) Now, the Orthodox say that man cannot contact the Essence (nature) of God Himself, much like Platoism said, thus, necessitating the Logos. And thus, we have the Incarnate Logos, the Mediator between God and man. But yet, the Bible tells us that Jesus Himself comes into our hearts, along with the Spirit. Is the Essence present among us, or only a Divine Energy? Is this Energy God Himself? I am thoroughly confused on the distinction between Energy and Essence by the three of you so far!
I am sorry, forgive me, I was not raised on this point of view on God, so I am having a hard time understanding the distinction that the Orthodox make between God's Essence and God's Uncreated Energy. In the West, we see God's Energy as Created, and call it Sanctifying Grace. Both God and His Grace comes to men. How does this all work in the East.
I am just curious and trying to learn your point of view better.
The very fact that the Church established Orthodox Christology based on two natures of Christ, and two wills or energies
Is the uncreated energy the Divine Will?
Regards
I think that is one of the important points in this discussion. The question is really: what is the relation between the created and the uncreated? Or more specifically, how do you maintain the transcendence of God and yet acknowledge his revelation and involvement in history?
Communion with creation--even a divine creation--cannot save or deify man and the world. The creature man can only experience salvation or deification--eternal life--through communion with the uncreated. Hence the idea of uncreated energies--the relation of the Holy Trinity to creation. And by distinguishing between uncreated energies and essence, God's transcendence and mystery are preserved.
Anyway, that is my reading of Palamis, and I think his theological language many help as now Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox are all talking to each other.