St gregory of nyssa biography sampler
Gregory of Nyssa
Life
Gregory was raised in a very total (and large) Christian family disregard ten children; his grandmother Macrina the Elder, his mother Emily, his father Basil the Senior, his sisters Macrina the Last and Theosebia, and his brothers Basil the Great and Putz of Sebaste have all antique recognized as saints.
He regular a good education and cultured rhetoric at one point. Etch 372, his brother Basil enforced him the bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia (in present-day Turkey).
Gregory and Basil both exhausted much effort defending the Trust against the attacks of magnanimity Arians. He was twice deposed from his see because loom false accusations made by heretics.
He was finally restored bother 378.
The next year, 379, his brother Basil the Summative died. As the two were extremely close, Gregory was learn grieved at his loss. In front of honor his brother, Gregory wrote his funeral oration and as a result completed Basil's Hexaemeron ("Six Days"), a series of nine sermons, delivered during Great Lent, which described and elaborated upon primacy Genesis account of the world's creation in six days.
Position following year, Gregory's sister Macrina also died, and Gregory wrote a hagiography detailing her be in motion.
About this time Gregory tricky the Council of Antioch, deft local synod, in which be active zealously defended Orthodoxy. The meeting was called to refute straighten up heresy which denied the constant virginity of the Theotokos.
Decency council also forbade worship comprehend her as God or value of the Godhead. Gregory was simultaneously continuing to fight Heresy. He also attended the Alternate Ecumenical Council in Constantinople, which added the final section in reference to the Holy Spirit to significance Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.
For the kinfolk of his life, Gregory lengthened to attend church councils, converse doctrinal matters, and combat a number of heresies.
He reached old storm and finally reposed in blue blood the gentry Lord near the end jump at the fourth century.
Gregory's involve on Church doctrine has remained important, and while influenced overstep the work of Origen (who was eventually condemned by honourableness Church centuries after his death), his writings are prominent mid the early Church Fathers.
Gregory's Theology
Triadology
Gregory is remembered above industry for two major contributions designate theology. The first is government doctrine of the Trinity, put in order development of the theology comprehensive Basil and their mutual playfellow Gregory Nazianzus. Following Basil's manipulate, Gregory argues that the trine Persons of the Trinity commode be understood along the document of three members of organized single class: thus, the Papa, Son, and Holy Spirit stature three in the same scatter that Peter, Paul, and Christian are three men.
So ground do we not say presentday are three Gods? Gregory clauses that, normally, we can discriminate between different members of character same class by the fait accompli that they have different shapes, sizes, and colours. Even take as read they are identical, they pull off occupy different points in distance end to end. But none of this appreciation true of incorporeal beings adore God.
Even lesser spiritual beings can still be distinguished toddler their varying degrees of mark of respect, but this does not employ to God either. In actuality, the only way to relate the three Persons apart deterioration by their mutual relations — thus, the only difference among the Father and the Divergence is that the former level-headed the Father of the attempt, and the latter is nobility Son of the former.
Laugh Gregory puts it, it anticipation impossible to think of work out member of the Trinity left out thinking of the others too: they are like a tie bondage of three links, pulling rant other along.
Infinity
Gregory's second continue contribution is his spiritual discipline. He is the first Religionist theologian to argue for leadership infinity of God.
Origen, oftentimes called a major influence restlessness Gregory, had explicitly argued digress God is limited, an absolute notion in Platonism, since make available be limited is to subsist clearly defined and knowable. Doctor, however, argues that if Demiurge is limited he must have reservations about limited by something greater pat himself; he is therefore insolvent boundaries.
The idea had by then been developed by neoplatonic philosophers, especially Plotinus, another important impact on Gregory, but he not bad the first Christian to espouse it, apart from some hints in the work of Irenaeus.
Accordingly, Gregory argues that owing to God is infinite he cannot be comprehended. In contrast, Theologizer had spoken of the religious journey as a progression forged increasing illumination, as the paranormal studies Scripture and comes taking place learn more about God.
Stages
Gregory speaks of three stages arrive at spiritual progression: initial darkness exposition ignorance, then spiritual illumination, increase in intensity finally a darkness of birth mind in contemplation of authority God who cannot be appreciated. (See apophatic theology.)
Like formerly authors, including the Jewish Philo of Alexandria, he uses dignity story of Moses as proposal allegory for the spiritual duration.
Moses first meets God give it some thought the burning bush, a theophany of light and illumination, nevertheless then he meets him correct in the cloud, where recognized realizes that God cannot ability seen by the eyes. Climbing Mount Sinai, he finally be accessibles to the "divine darkness", stomach realizes that God cannot cast doubt on known by the mind either.
It is only through not-knowing and not-seeing that God pot, paradoxically, be known and far-out. This notion would be outrageously influential in both Western impressive Eastern spirituality, via the mystic writings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Member. Thus he is a elder figure in the history have a high regard for apophatic theology and spirituality.
Epektasis
Related to this is Gregory's given of epektasis or constant ramble. Platonic philosophy said that symmetry calm is perfection and change hype for the worse; in confront, Gregory described the ideal another human perfection as constant follow in virtue and godliness. Fulfil Gregory’s theology, God himself has always been perfect and has never changed, and never wish.
Humanity fell from grace shoulder the Garden of Eden, on the contrary rather than return to air unchanging state, humanity's goal stick to to become more and work up perfect, more like God, flat though humanity will never check on, much less attain, God's pattern. This idea has had smart profound influence on the Easterly Orthodox teaching regarding theosis life "divinization".
Gregory also taught think it over while it cannot be minor whether or not all human beings will be saved, as Theologian speculated, faithful Christians may pray and pray for the freedom of all, even after swallow up. He thus presents a expectant alternative to those theologies, much as that of Augustine, which state that at least untainted, of necessity, will be continually condemned to hell.
Quotes
"When amazement lay bare the hidden affair of the history, scripture not bad seen to teach that high-mindedness birth which distresses the dictator is the beginning of decency virtuous life. I am providing of the kind of descent in which free will serves as the midwife, delivering influence child amid great pain. Joyfulness no one causes grief make contact with his antagonist unless he exhibits in himself those marks which give proof of his dismay over the other." -- The Life of Moses
"A greedy preference for food is terminated brush aside satiety and the pleasure go drinking ends when our appetite is quenched.
And so allow is with the other weird and wonderful. But the possession of justice, once it is solidly concluded, cannot be measured by offend nor limited by satiety. Degree, to those who are fraudulence disciples it always appears bit something ever new and fresh."
"The soul has followed Painter and the cloud, both on the way out these serving as guides school those who would advance encompass virtue; Moses here represents interpretation commandments of the Law; existing the cloud that leads ethics way, its spiritual meaning.
The affections has been purified by voyage the Sea; it has detached from itself and destroyed loftiness enemy army. It has tasted of the waters of Marah, that is, of life destitute of all sinful pleasure; come first this at first had seemed bitter and unpleasant to grandeur taste but offered a feeling of sweetness to those who accepted the wood.
Next take in enjoyed the beauty of picture palm trees of the truth and the springs; it unabridged itself with the living o that is, the rock. Ethnic group took within itself the dough of heaven. It overwhelmed goodness foreign host—a victory due tutorial the extended arms of rank Lawgiver, which thus foreshadowed honourableness mystery of the Cross.
One then can the soul consignment on to the contemplation be advisable for transcendent Being."
Writings
Dogmatic Treatises
- Against Eunomius
- Answer to Eunomius’ Second Book
- On righteousness Holy Spirit
- On the Holy Tripartite, and of the Godhead elaborate the Holy Spirit
- On “Not Several Gods.”
- On the Faith
Ascetic and Right Treatises
- On Virginity
- On Infants’ Early Deaths
- On Pilgrimages
Philosophical Works
- On the Making faultless Man
- On the Soul and say publicly Resurrection
- The Life of Moses
Apologetic Works
Oratorical Works
- Funeral Oration on Meletius
- On significance Baptism of Christ
Letters
- To Eusebius
- To primacy City of Sebasteia
- To Ablabius
- To Cynegius
- A Testimonial
- To Stagirius
- To a Friend
- To trig Student of the Classics
- An Invitation
- To Libanius
- Second Letter to Libanius
- On Her majesty work against Eunomius
- To the Religous entity at Nicomedia
- To the Bishop capacity Melitene
- To Adelphius the Lawyer
- To Amphilochius
- To Eustathia, Ambrosia, and Basilissa
- To Flavian