THE IDEA OF LIGHT AND ITS REFLECTION INRELIGIOUS ONTOLOGY
The paper considers ontological visions of light in Plato s philosophy and Eastern Orthodox Church mystical tradition of Hesychasm. The basic qualities of light as Gods energy have been determined, the most significant images of light in St. Symeon the New Theologian and St. Gregory Palamas works have been analysed. The postulate of light as the central ontological category of the philosophy of icon has been substantiated. In Russian philosophy understanding the idea of light is connected with the golden age of icon drawing in the 14th century, which served the formation of theology of image and then philosophy of image as a theoretical understanding of spiritual and physical portrayal. Historical and philosophical analysis allows us to reveal the meaning of the idea of light for religious ontology