Constantine Cavarnos


Constantine Cavarnos was an American philosopher, Byzantinist, and Eastern Orthodox monk.

Early life and education

Cavarnos was born in Boston on October 19, 1918. Cavarnos attended the English High School in Boston.
In 1941, Cavarnos graduated from Harvard with an Bachelor of Arts, received magna cum laude. That same year, he won the Francis Bowen Prize for writing an essay about Plato and the individual life. In 1945, he again won the Francis Bowen Prize for an essay he wrote on Plato. In 1947, he won a Bowdoin Prize for a thesis on Henri Bergson. He graduated from Harvard University in 1948 with a doctorate in philosophy. His PhD thesis focused on the metaphysics of Plato, Aristotle, and Thomism.

Career

Cavarnos taught philosophy at Tufts University, the University of North Carolina, and Wheaton College. In 1956, he founded and became director of the Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies in Belmont, Massachusetts. In 1978, he joined Hellenic College [Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology] in Brookline, Massachusetts, as a professor of philosophy, later becoming professor of Byzantine art. He also lectured at various Orthodox seminaries.
In the last three years of his life, Cavarnos became a monk at St. Anthony's [Greek Orthodox Monastery (Florence, Arizona)|St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery] in Florence, Arizona. He died there on March 3, 2011.

Publications

Cavarnos wrote almost 100 books and various papers on philosophy, theology, history, among other topics.
His 15-volume Modern Orthodox Saints series consists of the following titles.
  1. St. Cosmas Aitolos.
  2. St. Macarios of Corinth.
  3. St. Nicodemos the Hagiorite.
  4. St. Nikephoros of Chios.
  5. St. Seraphim of Sarov.
  6. St. Arsenios of Paros.
  7. St. Nectarios of Aegina.
  8. St. Savvas the New.
  9. St. Methodia of Kimolos.
  10. Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesvos.
  11. Blessed Elder Philotheos Zervakos.
  12. Blessed Hermit Philaretos of the Holy Mountain.
  13. Blessed Elder Gabriel Dionysiatis.
  14. Blessed Elder Iakovos of Epiros, Elder Joseph the Hesychast, and Mother Stavritsa the Missionary.
  15. St. Athanasios Parios.
His various books include the following, organized by topic.
Art, music, and iconography:
Ancient philosophy:
Modern Greek studies:
Lives of saints:
Monasticism:
Collected works:
Theology and spirituality:
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