Hypostasis

In Trinitarian theology, hypostasis refers to the three Persons of the Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — each a distinct, concrete reality sharing the same divine essence. The term appears in the Philokalia primarily in theological contexts. For the practical reader, the key insight is this: the God the tradition describes is not an impersonal force or abstract principle. It is a personal reality — or more precisely, a communion of Persons — which is why prayer is understood as a relationship, not a technique.