Nicolae Turcan, “Affective Discernment as a Boundary Experience”. Human Studies (2024).

This article is a theo-phenomenological study on discernment in Eastern Orthodox spirituality, particularly as it is described in the Philokalia and the Apophthegmata Patrum. The article focuses on two fundamental dimensions: firstly, discernment as both theoretical and practical wisdom, characterized by the importance of preliminary discernment criteria; secondly, discernment as a spiritual gift of the Holy Spirit, which can be interpreted phenomenologically through the figure of the saturated phenomenon. In its concluding sections, the article proposes a new approach to religious thought, termed “diacritical thought”. This innovative approach evolves from objective thought, grounded in value criteria and contextual understanding, towards relational thought. It emphasizes affectivity and the importance of engaging with others, ultimately leading to prayer and mystical experiences. Throughout these stages, discernment undergoes a transformation: it evolves from a poor phenomenon into a saturated phenomenon, going on a journey from ordinary experience to testing the boundaries of human experience.