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Gregory of Nyssa, St
Gregory of Nyssa, St (c.330–c.395), ‘Cappadocian Father’. The brother of St Basil, he entered a monastery. He was consecrated Bp. of Nyssa in Cappadocia c.371, deposed by the Arians in 376, but regained his see in 378.
His chief theological works are polemical treatises against Eunomius, Apollinarius, and the Tritheistic teaching of a certain Ablabius. In his ‘Catechetical Orations’ he expounded the doctrines of the Trinity, Incarnation, and Redemption, and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist for those whose duty it was to instruct catechumens. His exegetical works deal especially with the mystical sense of Scripture. He also wrote ‘On Virginity’, a spiritual guide for monks entitled De Instituto Christiano (almost certainly influenced by the ‘Great Letter’ of Macarius/Simeon), and a Life of his sister, St Macrina. He was an ardent defender of the Nicene doctrine of the Trinity, and he distinguished carefully between the generation of the Son and the procession of the Holy Spirit. In his account of the Atonement he uses, perhaps for the first time, the simile of the fishhook by which the devil was baited. Feast day, in the E., 10 Jan.; in the W., 9 Mar. (in CW, with Macrina, 19 July.) |
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Gregory of Nyssa, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Gregory of Nyssa, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-GregoryofNyssaSt.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Gregory of Nyssa, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-GregoryofNyssaSt.html |
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Saint Gregory of Nyssa
Saint Gregory of Nyssa , d. 394?, Cappadocian theologian; brother of St. Basil the Great and his successor as champion of orthodoxy. He became bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia in 371, was removed in 376, and was restored in 378. He was prominent in the First Council of Constantinople (see Constantinople, First Council of ). His fame rests on his theological works, most of which were controversial, against Eunomius, Apollinarians, and against the teachings of Jews and pagans ( Oratio catechetica ). Feast: Mar. 9. |
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Cite this article
"Saint Gregory of Nyssa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Saint Gregory of Nyssa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-GregoryNy.html "Saint Gregory of Nyssa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-GregoryNy.html |
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Gregory of Nyssa, St
Gregory of Nyssa, St (c.330–c.395). One of the Cappadocian fathers, and younger brother of Basil. Gregory was the most profound and skilful writer of the Cappadocians. Apart from important polemical works his major writings are the systematic Catechetical Orations, a Life of Moses in which mystical exegesis is used, and ascetical works such as On Virginity in which he develops the thought that in virginity the soul becomes a spouse of Christ.
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Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "Gregory of Nyssa, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Gregory of Nyssa, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-GregoryofNyssaSt.html JOHN BOWKER. "Gregory of Nyssa, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-GregoryofNyssaSt.html |
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