The Mystical and Moral in Gregory of Nyssa: Recovering a Critical Link

If the states and goals proper to the mystic are not accounted for in conceptions of moral formation and knowledge, then the object of the mystic’s pursuit – the infinitely greater God – inevitably likewise lacks the centrality it deserves. Consequently, our moral wisdom is finitized. To discover af...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Karger, Noah (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group 2024
In: Medieval mystical theology
Year: 2024, Volume: 33, Issue: 1, Pages: 14–27
Further subjects:B mystical theology
B Infinity
B Gregory of Nyssa
B anagogy
B Virtue
B Epektasis
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:If the states and goals proper to the mystic are not accounted for in conceptions of moral formation and knowledge, then the object of the mystic’s pursuit – the infinitely greater God – inevitably likewise lacks the centrality it deserves. Consequently, our moral wisdom is finitized. To discover afresh a way for moral theology to take the infinitely greater God as its source and end, this paper draws on Gregory of Nyssa’s Life of Moses. I argue that Gregory’s depiction of moral progress, epektasis, along with his corresponding scriptural hermeneutic, anagogy, present a foundation from which moral and mystical theology can exist in their proper harmony. By contextualizing moral formation within the infinite mystery of God, epektasis establishes an essential continuity between seeing and following God. Likewise, in discovering behind every literal detail of Moses’ life a spiritual meaning, Gregory’s anagogic hermeneutic opens the virtuous life to the mystic’s transcending vision.
ISSN:2046-5734
Contains:Enthalten in: Medieval mystical theology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/20465726.2024.2334622