The concept of St. Theophan the Recluse about the human spirit in the context of patristic anthropology

This article analyses beliefs on the human spirit by the outstanding Russian theologian, Bishop Theophan the Recluse. The article considers the threefold doctrine of a man who became a mainstream in patristic theology; it examines correlation of biblical and patristic terms denoting concepts of spirit and soul. In this context ideas of St. Theophan about the spirit lead to the conclusion that the Saint has largely followed the traditions of the Church fathers believing that the presence of spirit defines the essence of man, because without the spirit a man is an anthropomorphic animal. Freshness of St. Theophan’s idea lies in the fact that he was researching the role of the spirit in the human person and revealed its role in communicating with God.