He criticized contemporary prelates of [[w:Simony|Simony]], and also upheld the theory of the "'''Trisynthetou'''" (triple constitution of humanity, i.e, ''Psyche'' (soul), ''Pneuma'' (spirit), ''Soma'' (body). He was arguably one of the most important religious personalities of the 19th century, and one whose innovations turned the Holy Synod against him. He was condemned and jailed several times (''Tolika''). He was also an extremely prolific writer whose works were widely translated outside of Greece.

:"Makrakis intended to be a teacher of the people of Greece,...this child of the [[w:Greek War of Independence|revolution of 1821]]. The [[w:Søren Kierkegaard|Kierkegaard]] who speaks here has a Hellenistic soul. Philosophy, <nowiki>'</nowiki>''the love and science of the [[w:Christ the Logos|God-equal WORD]], or [[w:Christ the Logos|LOGOS]]'',<nowiki>'</nowiki> has as its purpose <nowiki>'</nowiki>''the acquisition of God's omniscience...and the deification of the philosophical investigator''.<nowiki>'</nowiki> Its object is the same as that of religion and government. The system traces the journey of the soul in its ascent from the <nowiki>'</nowiki>''primary cognition [noein]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> through the philosophical sciences to its deification. The means of ascent are provided by the <nowiki>'</nowiki>''right reason''<nowiki>'</nowiki> that is the object of logic and is incarnate in [[Jesus Christ]].....right reason being the nexus between temporal fact and eternal being. In this system, the primary cognition, or what [[w:Phenomenology|phenomenology]] might call the basic intellectual intuition, is that I exist, the world exists, and God exists...The soul is conscious of its own existence, perceives the world, and knows God's existence, but it does not know the nature of each of them. The aim of science is to make the unknown known. Philosophy as [[w:Christology|Christology]] and Christology as Philosophy, it is at least a theme that makes one think."

===Preaching in Patras and Zakynthos===