Gregory of Nyssa 335 AD – 395 AD
Gregory of Nyssa was a fourth-century Cappadocian bishop and theologian and one of the architects of orthodox Trinitarian theology. The younger brother of Basil the Great and friend of Gregory of Nazianzus, he played a decisive role at the Council of Constantinople in 381. His writings on the Trinity, the soul, and the spiritual life, especially the Life of Moses and the Commentary on the Song of Songs, develop a deeply Platonic mystical theology of unending ascent toward an infinite God. He remains one of the most important fathers of Eastern Christianity.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Christian, Platonism
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Gregory of Nyssa:
“He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end.”
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Attributed to Gregory of Nyssa:
“Concepts create idols of God; only wonder grasps anything.”
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Attributed to Gregory of Nyssa:
“What we cannot reach by knowledge, we may reach by love.”
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Attributed to Gregory of Nyssa:
“The soul that has tasted of the divine grows hungry for more.”
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Attributed to Gregory of Nyssa:
“Every concept formed by the understanding becomes an obstacle to those who seek God.”