Cappadocian Legacy

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Euiteu by
Boiu Costache anu Philip Kaiiatlis
St Anuiew's 0ithouox Piess
Syuney, 2u1S
StAndrewsBook2013_R.indd 1 5/09/13 12:10 AM
Text copyiight 2u1S iemains with the authois
All iights ieseiveu. Except foi any faii uealing peimitteu unuei the Copyiight Act,
no pait of this book may be iepiouuceu by any means without piioi peimission.
Inquiiies shoulu be maue to the publishei.
National Libiaiy of Austialia Cataloguing-in-Publication entiy
Title: Cappauocian legacy Boiu Costache anu Philip Kaiiatlis (eus).
ISBN: 978-u-977S974-9-9 (papeiback)
Notes: Incluues bibliogiaphical iefeiences anu inuex.
Subjects: uiegoiy, of Nazianzus, Saint.
Basil, Saint, Bishop of Caesaiea,
appioximately S29-S79.
uiegoiy, of Nyssa, Saint,
appioximately SSS-appioximately S94
Theology--Eaily woiks to 18uu
Chiistian saints--Biogiaphy--Eaily woiks to 18uu.
0thei AuthoisContiibutois:
Costache, Boiu, euitoi.
Kaiiatlis, Philip, euitoi.
Bewey Numbei: 2Su
St Anuiew's 0ithouox Piess
242 Clevelanu Stieet, Reufein, NSW, 2u16
www.stanuiewsoithouoxpiess.com.au
!"#$%#$&
PREFACE ..................................................................................................................................................S
1. TBE CAPPAB0CIANS WITBIN TRABITI0N
The Cappauocian Fatheis as Founueis of Byzantine Thought
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Weie the Fatheis Pioponents of a Familial 34(56 7$%8%&(&%+9
!.(4 :2 #66*;$ .................................................................................................................................. 2S
2. TBE LEuACY 0F ST BASIL TBE uREAT
St Basil the uieat's Exposition of Nicene 0ithouoxy
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Why Biun't St Basil Wiite in New Testament uieek.
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Light (uuot) anu its Lituigical Founuation in the Teaching
of St Basil the uieat
!.$%(8 >($%8;+'? 222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222277
Chiistian Woiluview: 0nueistanuings fiom St Basil the uieat
,6$? #6+&('0; 2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222297
St Basil's Tiinitaiian Boctiine: A Baimonious Synthesis of
uieek B(%.;%( anu the Sciiptuial Woiluview
B0%)%* C($%(&)%+ 2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 127
The Recapitulation of Bistoiy anu the "Eighth Bay":
Aspects of St Basil the uieat's Eschatological vision
>($%6 /(506+2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 1S1
St Basil the uieat as Euucatoi: Implications fiom the Auuiess to Youth
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S. TBE LEuACY 0F ST uREu0RY TBE TBE0L0uIAN
The Teachings of uiegoiy of Nazianzus on the Tiinity
!$'0D%+06* E&=)%(86+ 6F !?+&$()%( 222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 187
Self-Knowleuge anu Knowleuge of uou
accoiuing to St uiegoiy the Theologian
:;6$5%6+ >(8&G($%.;+ 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2uS
uiegoiy the Theologian - A Spiiitual Poitiait
!$'0D%+06* E&=)%(86+ 6F !?+&$()%( 222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 21S
Seeking 0ut the Anteceuents of the Naximian
Theoiy of Eveiything: St uiegoiy the Theologian's H$(&%68 28.
,6$? #6+&('0; 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 22S
"What then. Is the Spiiit uou. Ceitainly!" St uiegoiy's Teaching
on the Boly Spiiit as the Basis of the Woilu's Salvation
B0%)%* C($%(&)%+ 2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 24S
Sciiptuie in the Woiks of St uiegoiy the Theologian
>($5($;& /;%$8; 2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 261
St uiegoiy the Theologian's Existential Netanaiiative of Bistoiy
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Featuies of the Theanuiic Nysteiy of Chiist in
the Chiistology of St uiegoiy the Theologian
!8&068= B(*(8&68%6? 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 299
4. TBE LEuACY 0F ST uREu0RY 0F NYSSA
Bivine Pioviuence anu Fiee Will in uiegoiy of Nyssa
anu his Theological Nilieu
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"Bazzling Baikness" The Nystical oi Theophanic
Theology of St uiegoiy of Nyssa
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Appioaching !8 !*6)65= F6$ &0; J;K(;4;$68:
Its Aims, Nethou anu Biscouise
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Spiiitual Eniichment thiough Exegesis: St uiegoiy of Nyssa
anu the Sciiptuies
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Reconsiueiing !*6@(&(+&(+%+ in St uiegoiy of Nyssa's
H8 70; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 anu the #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68
>($%6 /(506+2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 S87
INF0RNATI0N AB00T TBE C0NTRIB0T0RS .................................................................. 417
S87
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67&$+3($8 This aiticle auuiesses St uiegoiy of Nyssa's notion of (*6M
@(&(+&(+%+, aiming at uistinguishing it fiom the concept of univeisal
salvation imputeu onto it by mouein scholaiship. Refuting the con-
sensus that the saint claimeu the inevitable eschatological salvation
of eveiyone, it will focus on two of the Nyssen's woiks - H8 &0; E6?)
(8. L;+?$$;'&%68 anu the #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68 - maintaining that
whilst he uiu expiess the legitimate Chiistian hope that all things will
be iestoieu to uou, neveitheless he emphasiseu the fiee cultivation
of viitue in the heie anu now as having an impact on oui expeiience
of the afteilife. Noieovei, this aiticle will uemonstiate that the saint
contextualiseu (*6@(&(+&(+%+ within the peison of Chiist anu his
Chuich, meaning that, whilst in the ages to come all will be given the
possibility to ietuin to uou, it is especially significant that we begin
this piocess 0%' ;& 8?8' within the ecclesial context.
St uiegoiy of Nyssa useu the teim (*6@(&(+&(+%+ (oxu+o+uot) oi 'ies-
toiation' in uiffeient ways anu in a vaiiety of contexts,
1
but it pieuominantly
appeais in his wiitings with iefeience to the eschatological iestoiation of
humanity's uou-intenueu state, thiough the geneial iesuiiection.
2
Insofai
as it is ielateu to the eschatological expeiience - which, it will be shown,
is not exclusively ciicumsciibeu by the 'last things' - this aiticle will iefei
to (*6@(&(+&(+%+, the eschaton, the life oi ages to come, anu so on, as mu-
!$&%'); $;*$%8&;. 1%&0 4%86$ $;-%+%68+ F$64 Phionema NOPN QNRSNT2 3 (4 .;;*)= 5$(&;F?) &6
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)(&%68 6F &0%+ ($&%');W (8. &6 &0; Phionema $;-%;1;$+2 !8= $;4(%8%85 +06$&'64%85+ D;)685
;K')?+%-;)= &6 4;2
1
Cf. uiulio Naspeio, 'Apocatastasis,' in 70; /$%)) ,%'&%68($= 6F :$;56$= 6F I=++(, eu. Lucas
Fiancisco Nateo-Seco anu uiulio Naspeio, tians. Seth Cheiny (Leiuen: Biill, 2u1u), SS-
S6.
2
Ibiu, S6.
S88
tually inclusive teims foi the same state of being often expiesseu by the
Nyssen with iefeience to the complete eiauication of evil when uou will
ieconcile all things to himself. The iesuigence of inteiest in St uiegoiy's
wiitings since the Seconu Woilu Wai is in fact uiiectly ielateu to his tieat-
ment of these themes, a tieatment which unfolus in iesponse to the Nan-
ichean belief that evil has an ontological significance, which he affiimeu
compiomiseu uou's goouness. Taking up this geneial tiack, many scholais,
vexeu by the piofounu evils that took place in the twentieth centuiy, came
to see in St uiegoiy's wiitings a view of univeisal salvation, the belief that,
since uou is entiiely goou anu evil must cease to exist, at the eschaton all
people will inevitably be saveu.
S
0n the suiface, all of this seems consonant
with Chiistian tiauition. But just because the saint shaieu in the legitimate
Chiistian hope that all will be saveu anu evil entiiely uestioyeu when uou
will be "all in all" (1 Coi 1S:28),
4
this uoes not necessaiily mean that he
believeu that this woulu take place iegaiuless of oui fieeuom oi apait fiom
the ecclesial expeiience; both of which aie uevalueu in the uoctiine of a
stiict univeisalism put foiwaiu by mouein scholaiship.
S
Foi this ieason,
in this aiticle (*6@(&(+&(+%+ will be uistinguisheu fiom univeisal salvation
in an attempt to positively evaluate the contiibution of theouicy anu fiee
will along with the ioles of Chiist anu the Chuich in St uiegoiy's appioach
towaius 'the last things.' In oiuei to uo so, it will examine two of his majoi
texts auuiessing these themes. The fiist of these is H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'M
&%68, which is often iegaiueu as pioviuing the most compiehensive account
S
Not suipiisingly, the tiageuies of Woilu Wai Two compelleu some scholais to exploie
the avenue of univeisalism. }ohn Bick affiimeu that if uou uoes not finally ieconcile all
people to himself, this woulu impeue his ultimate goouness. Thus, he asseiteu "the ul-
timate salvation of all uou's chiluien." }ohn Bick, X-%) (8. &0; :6. 6F A6-; (uieat Biitain:
Palgiave NcNillan, 2uu7), S4S, S61. But Bick's pluialistic views on ieligion uetiact fiom
tiauitional patiistic theouicy, an attituue that may have influenceu the foiemost expo-
nent of univeisalism in the wiitings of St uiegoiy, Noiwena Luulow, who uemonstiates
a familiaiity with Bick's woik. Cf. Noiwena Luulow, :$;56$= 6F I=++(P !8'%;8& (8. QB6+&T
>6.;$8 (0xfoiu: 0xfoiu 0niveisity Piess, 2uu7), 14S, 287. 0thei the scholais who claim
that St uiegoiy espouseu univeisalism aie iefeiieu to in the /$%)) ,%'&%68($= 6F :$;56$=
6F I=++( unuei 'Apocatastasis,' on page S7.
4
This Pauline veise is the basis of an eponymous tieatise by the saint, tianslateu with
a lengthy intiouuction by Biothei Casimii, 0.C.S.0, 'When (the Fathei) will subject all
things to (the Son), then (the Son) himself will be subjecteu to him (the Fathei) who sub-
jects all things to him (the Son) - A Tieatise on Fiist Coiinthians 1S:28 by Saint uiegoiy
of Nyssa,' :$;;@ H$&06.6K 70;6)65%'() L;-%;1 28:1 (198S): 1-2S. This title omits the last
phiase "so that uou may be all in all."
S
Such as, foi instance in Thomas Talbott, '0niveisalism,'in 70; HKF6$. J(8.D66@ 6F X+'0(M
&6)65=W euiteu }eiiy L Walls (0xfoiu, NY: 0xfoiu 0niveisity Piess, 2uu8), 4S2, 4SS-S7.
S89
of the saint's uoctiine of univeisal salvation.
6
The seconu is the #(&;'0;&%'()
H$(&%68W which is not only notable foi its iefeiences to (*6@(&(+&(+%+ but
pioviues a compiehensive outline of Chiistian faith anu histoiy; theieby
acting as a holistic lens thiough which to view the uialogue, which is nai-
iowei in scope.
7

I will begin by contextualising St uiegoiy's views on (*6@(&(+&(+%+ in
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 in light of his ieaction against the Naniche-
an woiluview that piompteu him to engage with the pioblem of evil anu
fiee will. These aspects, heietofoie iemaining insufficiently auuiesseu in
scholaiship in ielation to the Nyssen's views of (*6@(&(+&(+%+,
8
will con-
tiibute to my contention that the saint uiu not affiim the inevitability of
univeisal salvation. Rathei, anu uespite some inconsistencies, he positeu
that although it is possible to be puiifieu in the futuie life, neveitheless it is
impoitant to stiive fieely foi viitue in the heie anu now. I will then tuin to
his #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68, wheie it will be uemonstiateu that whilst the saint
was pieoccupieu with the same Nanichean challenge as in the uialogue,
he once again emphasiseu oui fieeuom anu moieovei affiimeu that puiifi-
cation-salvation in the life to come iemaineu only a possibility - anu not a
ceitainty - foi the unbaptiseu. Bowevei, in staik contiast to H8 &0; E6?) (8.
L;+?$$;'&%68 which seluom mentions Chiist in ielation to the eschaton,
9
in
the #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68 St uiegoiy ingeniously fiameu (*6@(&(+&(+%+ with-
in the peison of Chiist anu his Chuich; claiming that although all things
have alieauy been iestoieu eschatologically within the peison of }esus,
6
Baimon noteu that this uialogue is a "key expiession of uiegoiy's eschatology." Steven
R. Baimon, 'The Subjection of All Things in Chiist: The Chiistocentiic 0niveisalism of
uiegoiy of Nyssa,' in Y!)) E0()) D; Z;))[P XK*)6$(&%68+ %8 \8%-;$+()%+4 (8. #0$%+&%(8 70;6)M
65=W F$64 H$%5;8 &6 >6)&4(88, eu. uiegoiy Nacuonalu (Eugene, 0iegon: Cascaue Books,
2u11), Su. Ramelli spoke of the uialogue as "one of the main woiks in which he uiscusses
the question of apokatastasis." Cf. Ilaiia L. E. Ramelli, 'Chiistian Soteiiology anu Chiis-
tian Platonism: 0iigen, uiegoiy of Nyssa, anu the Biblical anu Philosophical Basis of the
Boctiine of Apokatastasis,' ]%5%)%(; #0$%+&%(8(; 61 (2uu7): S24.
7
The pieceuent foi selecting anu ielating these two texts has been establisheu in ueoiges
Baiiois' aiticle, 'The Allegeu 0iigenism of St uiegoiy of Nyssa,' E& ])(.%4%$V+ 70;6)65%'()
^?($&;$)= Su:1 (1986): 12.
8
I am giateful to Fi Bi Boiu Costache foi suggesting that Nanichaeism may have tiig-
geieu St uiegoiy's ieaction that leu to his view of (*6@(&(+&(+%+. Inueeu, apait fiom the
bioauei Bellenistic backgiounu, few attempts have been maue to contextualise St uieg-
oiy's view beyonu its connection with 0iigen, who, accoiuing to Luulow, was the fiist
to systematically uiscuss the uoctiine. Noiwena Luulow, '0niveisalism in the Bistoiy of
Chiistianity,' in \8%-;$+() E()-(&%689 70; #?$$;8& ,;D(&;, eu. Robin A. Paiiy anu Chiisto-
phei B. Patiiuge (uianu Rapius, NI: William B. Eeiumans Publishing Co., 2uu4), 191.
9
This pioblem has been iuentifieu by Baimon in 'The Subjection of All Things in Chiist,'
Su.
S9u
neveitheless what iemains is foi us to actively paiticipate in this 'iealiseu'
(*6@(&(+&(+%+ thiough oui fiee imitation of - anu communion with - Chiist
within the Chuich. In this way, it will be shown that the #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68
constitutes the piopei lens thiough which to ieau anu unueistanu the Nys-
sen's iefeiences to (*6@(&(+&(+%+ in H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68; foi it is in
the foimei that the saint places these iefeiences within the sacieu ecclesial
context anchoieu in the peison of Chiist.
9:);< =+%% >);; 3#* !"#$%&%'&%'(' )# )* &,- .#/0 %*1 2-'/33-4&(#*
Wiitten just aftei the ueath of his oluei biothei St Basil in S79, H8 &0; E6?)
(8. L;+?$$;'&%68 unfolus as a uialectic uiscussion between St uiegoiy anu
his uying sistei St Naciina, whom he useu as a mouthpiece to espouse his
views.
1u
The uialogue begins with a conciete set of ciicumstances that aie
auveisely affecting St uiegoiy's confiuence in the suivival of the soul af-
tei ueath; ciicumstances which aie ievealeu as both the iecent passing of
his biothei anu his sistei's ailing health. Taken at face value, in this text
the Nyssen tiansfoimeu his peisonal giief into a positive pietext foi au-
uiessing contempoiaiy challenges facing the Chuich, which is eviuent in
the contiaiy piopositions that he makes to his sistei, who, in hei iole as a
spiiitual Nothei anu guiue, ueftly iefutes them in oiuei to establish the ve-
iacity of the Chiistian appioach towaius the natuie of the soul, ueath, anu
the iesuiiection. Baving establisheu the suivival of the soul, its natuie, anu
the emotions in the fiist thiee chapteis consecutively,
11
the concept of the
(*6@(&(+&(+%+ appeais foi the fiist time in chaptei foui when, in uiscussing
the conuition of the soul aftei ueath, St uiegoiy asks his sistei whethei oi
not Baues shoulu be consiueieu topogiaphically. St Naciina suggests that
Baues is a state of being, only to be met with the following question by St
uiegoiy:
1u
An attempt not unlike that of Plato, who consistently employeu his mastei Sociates as
the piincipal exponent of his own iueas. In fact, Cathaiine P. Roth noteu that the uia-
logue shows many paiallels with Plato's B0(;.6 as well as his E=4*6+%?4. Foi moie in-
foimation see Catheiine P. Roth, 'Intiouuction' in H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68, Populai
Patiistic Seiies 12 (Ciestwoou, NY: St vlauimii's Seminaiy Piess, 199S), 11. Foi a com-
piehensive account of the philosophical backgiounu to St uiegoiy's wiitings, see Antho-
ny Neieuith, S.}., :$;56$= 6F I=++(, The Eaily Chuich Fatheis Seiies (Lonuon: Routleuge
1999), S9-7S.
11
These chapteis coiiesponu to the English tianslation by Roth (citeu above) useu in this
aiticle. They uo not appeai in the uieek text fiom the B(&$6)65%( :$(;'( iefeienceu in
this aiticle. 0nless otheiwise stateu, all iefeiences to H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 will be
fiom Roth's tianslation anu will incluue the chaptei anu page numbeis. The B(&$6)65%(
:$(;'( will be iefeienceu only when I have incluueu the uieek text, oi have tianslateu it
myself.
S91
'"What then," I saiu, "If the opponent shoulu cite the apostle who says
that all iational cieation at the iestoiation of the univeise looks to-
waiu the uoveinoi of the whole. |ouv icyov+u +qv ioytxqv x+lotv
cv +q +o uv+o oxu+uo+oct po +ov +o uv+o c(qyocvov
icctvj Among the iational cieation he mentions ceitain subteiia-
nean beings, saying in his Epistle to the Philippians that to Bim eveiy
knee shall benu of heavenly, eaithly, anu subteiianean cieatuies."
12
The paiaphiase of Philippians 2:1u appeais in connection with St uiegoiy's
views on the (*6@(&(+&(+%+ anu ostensibly implies univeisal salvation. St
Naciina's iesponse also seems to confiim this, insofai as she claims that,
in seeing the "haimony of all the iational natuie in the goou which at some
time will come into existence,"
1S
St Paul was inspiieu to uesignate the thiee
cosmic iealities (the heavenly, eaithly, anu subteiianean),
14
going as fai to
say that, at the (*6@(&(+&(+%+, "the confession of Chiist's loiuship will be
unanimous even fiom the uemons."
1S
In the following chaptei, howevei, the
saint contiauicts any notion of univeisal salvation within the context of an
inteipietation of the paiable of the iich man anu Lazaius (Lk 16:19-S1),
wheie, in hei exegesis, his sistei affiims that the paiable uiscloses a gieat
uoctiine conceining humanity's oiiginal paiticipation in "the goou things
of paiauise"
16
that was ievokeu by the "impulse of the fiee will"
17
towaius
evil anu iesulteu, pioviuentially, in ueath.
18
This ueath, continues St Nacii-
na, uiviueu human life into two paits; the pait insiue the bouy of a limiteu
uuiation, anu the pait outsiue the bouy (i.e. the soul), of an eteinal uuia-
tion.
19
Neveitheless,
The uivine Pioviuence gave us powei because of Bis love foi mankinu
to have each of these (I mean the goou anu the evil) in whichevei
we wish |cv +t oic+utj, eithei in this shoit anu tiansient life
12
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 4, at 62-6S (Pu 46, 69C).
1S
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 4, at 6S.
14
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 4, at 6S.
1S
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 4, at 64.
16
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 S, at 7u.
17
Ibiu.
18
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 S, at 71-72.
19
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 S, at 71. Although this may sounu like a Platonic musing,
the saint uoes fiequently maintain the tiuth of the iesuiiection of the bouy thioughout
the uialogue, as will be shown below. Foi moie on the ielationship between the soul anu
bouy in the Nyssen, see }ohn L. Biuiy, 'uiegoiy of Nyssa's Bialogue with Naciina: The
Compatibility of Resuiiection of the Bouy anu Immoitality of the Soul,' 70;6)65= 76.(=
62 (2uuS): 21u-222.
S92
oi in those enuless ages whose limit is infinity |+o +cicu+q+ou
cxclvou uluvu, uv cpu q ctplu co+lvj.
2u
The unavoiuable conclusion that can be uiawn fiom this passage is that
fiee will helps to secuie a human being's paiticipation in goou oi evil eithei
in this age, oi in the (*6@(&(+&(+%+ (i.e. "the enuless ages"). St Naciina then
goes on to explain the existential uiffeience between those who "stoie up
goou foi the subsequent age,"
21
anu those who uo not. The foimei, she as-
seiteu, manage theii piesent "life with ciitical ieasoning anu self-contiol,"
wheieas the lattei, having neglecteu to tiain theii ieasoning, anu, failing to
examine what is bettei, "save up nothing foi the life heieaftei."
22
Then, in
iemaiking upon the chasm sepaiating the iich man anu Lazaius in the pai-
able, she highlighteu the extent to which oui fiee will affects oui expeiience
of the eschaton, stating
So this is the gulf |+o ouj, in my opinion, which uoes not come
fiom the opening of the eaith but is maue by the uecisions of human
lives uiviueu towaius opposite choices. Be who has uefinitely pui-
sueu pleasuie foi this life anu has not cuieu his misguiueu choice by
iepentance makes the lanu of the goou inaccessible to him heieaf-
tei |uu+ov cuu+ c+u +u+u +qv +uv yuuv upuv cpy(c+utj.
Be uigs foi himself this impassable necessity, like an immense pit
which cannot be ciosseu |+qv otu+ov +u+qv vyxqv, xucp
+t pupov uvc +c xul upoocu+ov xu cuu+o otop(uj.
2S
This claim, that the uniepentant will be sepaiateu fiom the "lanu of the
goou," piecluues any notion of univeisalism tiansposeu onto St uiegoiy by
mouein scholaiship. Insteau, the saint (thiough Naciina) emphasiseu the
neeu to become "athlete|sj of patience" (+q oovq iq+qv)
24
in the
piesent so that we may be gianteu aumission into the "bosom of Abiaham"
(xoiov +o Apu)
2S
in the life to come. Conveisely, those who have not
cultivateu "the life of viitue" (+q xu+u pc+qv (uq)
26
in the heie anu now
will expeiience "anothei ueath" (uiiou uv+ou)
27
wheie
2u
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 S, at 71 (Pu 46, 81C).
21
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 S, at 712
22
Ibiu.
2S
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 S, at 71 (Pu 46, 84B).
24
Beie I have tianslateu oovq as "patience," wheieas the English tianslation ieaus
"enuuiance." H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 S, at 72 (Pu 46, 84B).
2S
Ibiu.
26
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 6, at 76 (Pu 46, 88A).
27
Ibiu.
S9S
. the uepiivation of the things which they consiuei goou becomes
a flame buining the soul |+uv . yuuv o+cpqot io( ylvc+ut +qv
uqv otuoououj, which neeus but uoes not obtain a uiop fiom
that sea of goou things which suiges aiounu the holy ones.
28
Baseu on this, the holy anu the unholy seem to be peimanently tiansfixeu
on eithei siue of an eschatological uiviue, with the lattei pieventeu fiom
paitaking in the "goou things" suiging aiounu the foimei. Suipiisingly, in
chaptei six theie occuis a uiscussion on whethei oi not the uesiiing im-
pulse is left in the soul aftei its puiification fiom the passions, with St Na-
ciina suggesting that the soul can be fieeu fiom iiiational emotions eithei
by ascetic effoit in this life oi in the puiification heieaftei,
29
that is, the es-
chatological state. In contiast, theiefoie, to the chasm that he positeu be-
tween the "holy ones" anu the uniepentant, St uiegoiy uiu in fact affiim the
possibility of puiification in the futuie life, which he giauually enunciateu
as the uialogue piogiesses to its enu.
Befoie moving to an assessment of the natuie anu scope of this puiifica-
tion, it is impoitant to account foi this seeming inconsistency by analysing
a featuie that piefiguies the Nyssen's entiie uiscussion of (*6@(&(+&(+%+.
Caiefully illustiating the ontological uiffeience between the soul anu uou
in chaptei six, St uiegoiy affiimeu that uespite theii likeness (expiesseu
heie in teims of beauty),
Su
oui natuie, being impoveiisheu of the beautiful,
constantly stiives towaius what it neeus, that is, goouness,
S1
wheieas the
uivine natuie, which "suipasses eveiy goou,"
S2
is completely self-sufficient,
with nothing outsiue it
. except evil only, which (paiauoxical though this may be), has its
being in non-being |cv + q cvut +o cvut ctj; foi theie is no othei
oiigin of evil but the uepiivation of being |o yup uiiq +l co+t xul
xuxlu ycvcot, cl q +o ov+o o+cpqotj. That which may piopeily
be saiu to exist is the natuie of the goou. So that which is not in tiue
existence must be in non-existence.
SS
28
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 S, at 72 (Pu 46, 84C).
29
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 6, at 77.
Su
Ibiu.
S1
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 6, at 78.
S2
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 6, at 79.
SS
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 6, at 79 (Pu 46, 9SB).
S94
Foi St uiegoiy, evil uoes not exist in "natuie outsiue of fiee choice"
S4
mean-
ing that "it ieally has no being"
SS
but, as something outsiue of the wholly
goou cieatoi, paiauoxically subsists in non-existence.
S6
Inteiestingly, fiom
this point onwaius the text manifests moie anu moie of a pieoccupation
with theouicy anu the pioblem of evil; a pieoccupation that coulu only be
piompteu by the immeuiate challenges faceu by the Chuich in this epoch.
Since the Nyssen ihetoiically assumeu the guise of the Chuich's opponents
in the uialogue, we can infei that the only gioup he mentioneu by name
(with the exception of some geneialisations)
S7
woulu constitute the main
souice of these challenges, that is, the Nanicheans,
S8
whose cosmology po-
sitioneu the 'Fathei of uieatness' (uou) anu the 'Fathei of Baikness' (Satan)
as mutually opposeu "co-eteinal natuies"
S9
anu the cieation of mateiiality
as an outcome of theii violent conflict; a iefashioning of the bouies of ue-
mons slain by the agents oi uemiuiges of uou into a seiies of heavenly anu
mateiial woilus.
4u
Accoiuing to Bakei-Biian, the uemiuiges iesponsible foi
this iefashioning weie essentially positive entities.
41
Bowevei, this uoes not
uetiact fiom the fact that, foi the Nanicheans,
. evil existeu inuepenuently of the goou within its own iealm, al-
though it was co-eteinal with it: like the goou it was a natuie (some-
times also calleu a piinciple) which iuleu ovei a teiiitoiy populateu
with companion woilus.
42

In the uialogue, St uiegoiy openly ciiticiseu the Nanicheans foi asseiting
that theie existeu "some mateiial |i.e. evilj natuie outsiue the uivine Es-
sence |.j equal with uou in unbegottenness because its being woulu also
S4
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 7, at 8S. The uieek text ieaus: (u +q poutpcocu q xuxlu
cvut otv ox ct. Pu 46, 1u1A.
SS
Beie I have incluueu my own tianslation of the uieek text that ieaus: +o ov+u q ov.
The English tianslation, on the othei hanu, ieaus that evil "uoes not ieally exist." Ibiu.
S6
Cf. Aluen A. Nosshammei, 'Non-Being anu Evil in uiegoiy of Nyssa,' L;';8& E&?.%;+ %8
X($)= #0$%+&%(8%&=P ! #6));'&%68 6F E'06)($)= X++(=+, eu. Eveiett Feiguson (New Yoik: uai-
lanu Publishing, Inc., 1999), 141-42.
S7
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 4, at 61, 6S, anu ch. 9, at 98.
S8
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 9, at 98.
S9
Nicholas }. Bakei-Biian, >(8%'0(;%+4P !8 !8'%;8& U(%&0 L;.%+'6-;$;. (New Yoik: T&T
Claik Inteinational, 2u11), 11u.
4u
Cf. Ibiu, 11S.
41
Ibiu.
42
Bakei-Biian, >(8%'0(;%+4P !8 !8'%;8& U(%&0 L;.%+'6-;$;., 1u6.
S9S
be eteinal."
4S
0pposing this uualism, the saint exhibiteu the tiauitional
Chiistian iesponse against unosticism; that the souice of the cieation lies
in uou's will anu not in some exteinal agent that woulu have compelleu
him to oiganise it; foi this woulu, it is implieu, compiomise his absolute
fieeuom to cieate. Inueeu, the followeis of Nani hau been accuseu by Chiis-
tian authois of uispaiaging human fieeuom on account of theii belief that
mattei impeueu the will fiom puisuing goouness.
44
Although iecent schol-
aiship has uemonstiateu that foi the Nanicheans this uiu not leau to an
absolute ueteiminism,
4S
neveitheless theii belief in the bouy's natuial ten-
uency towaius evil openeu up the possibility foi unethical behavioui, as
attesteu to by St Augustine, an ex-Nanichean 'heaiei,' in his #68F;++%68+.
46
It
was this thieat of libeitaiianism - coupleu with theii belief in the ontologi-
cal existence of evil - that compelleu St uiegoiy to ciiticise theii eiioneous
belief that "the Cieatoi of human natuie is evil."
47
This iefeience appeais in
his #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68, wheie the Nyssen iefuteu the Nanicheans on sev-
eial occasions;
48
anu although it seems that St uiegoiy has heie confuseu
the iesponsibility of the uemiuigic agents of the 'Fathei of Light' with the
'Fathei of Baikness' (foi the foimei, as cieatois of the univeise, aie in fact
entiiely goou accoiuing to Nanichaean tiauition), this accusation is a logi-
cal outcome of his position on theouicy, which, although inexplicit, is infei-
able fiom the text anu can be constiueu as follows: since evil uoes not exist
(outsiue of human fiee will) because uou, being entiiely goou (anu beyonu
the goou), cannot be iesponsible foi anything apait fiom goouness, then
any theological system that posits the ontological existence of evil must, by
way of infeience, attiibute the souice of evil to its cieatoi figuie(s).
49
The
fact that foi the Nanicheans the woilu was cieateu fiom the flayeu skins of
4S
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 9, at 98. That this is the evil natuie is claiifieu not only fiom
Bakei-Biian's summaiy above, but also fiom St Augustine, #68F;++%68+ S.1u, tians. R. S.
Pine-Coffin, eu. Betty Rauice (Lonuon: Penguin uioup, 1961), at 1u4.
44
Cf. Bakei-Biian, >(8%'0(;%+4P !8 !8'%;8& U(%&0 L;.%+'6-;$;., 117.
4S
Ibiu, 116-117.
46
Cf. St Augustine, #68F;++%68+ S.1u, at 1uS.
47
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 7 |i.e. the Catechetical 0iationj in :$;56$= 6F I=++(P E;);'&;. Z6$@+
(8. A;&&;$+, tians. William Nooie anu Beniy Austin Wilson, The Nicene anu Post-Nicene
Fatheis, 2
nu
Seiies, vol. S (uianu Rapius, Nichigan: WN. B. Eeiumans Publishing Compa-
ny, 1979), at 481-82. 0nless otheiwise stateu, all quotations fiom the #(&;'0;&%'() H$(M
&%68, iefeienceu thioughout as 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4, will be fiom this tianslation anu will
incluue the chaptei anu page numbeis. The B(&$6)65%( :$(;'( will be iefeienceu only
when I have incluueu the uieek text, oi have tianslateu it myself.
48
Cf. 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 'Piologue,' at 47S, 474, anu ch. 7, at 481. Although he only men-
tioneu them explicitly in these passages, the text ieflects a consistent engagement with
the pioblems iaiseu by the Nanichean woiluview.
49
The aigument was in fact maue explicit in the 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 7, at 481-82.
S96
uemons woulu have only contiibuteu to the saint's iesolve in asseiting that
uou will annihilate eveiy tiace of evil in the ages to come.
All of this is ielevant to oui topic, foi although the saint uistinguisheu
between the iespective eschatological expeiiences of the iighteous anu the
uniighteous, the challenges put foiwaiu by the Nanicheans - namely, that
uou is the cause of evil anu that human beings, enslaveu by mateiiality, aie
unable to sufficiently exeicise theii fieeuom - seem to have influenceu St
uiegoiy's view of (*6@(&(+&(+%+, which he iaiely auuiesseu apait fiom the
pioblem of evil anu the fieeuom of the will, both of which aie peitinently
intei-ielateu in the following statement:
. evil must be altogethei iemoveu in eveiy way fiom being, anu, as
we have saiu befoie, that which uoes not ieally exist must cease to ex-
ist at all. Since evil uoes not exist by its natuie outsiue of fiee choice,
when all choice is in uou, evil will suffei a complete annihilation
|Tctoq yup (u +q poutpcocu q xuxlu cvut otv ox ct, +uv
ou poulpcot cv + 0c ycvq+ut, cl uv+ciq uvtoov q xuxlu
q upqoctj because no ieceptacle iemains foi it.
Su
It is cleai foi St uiegoiy that uou anu evil cannot co-exist, but the lattei's
"complete annihilation," which the saint asseiteu will occui when "all
choice is in uou" at the (*6@(&(+&(+%+,
S1
is complicateu by his uesciiption
of the puiifying fiie in the ages to come. In a mannei consonant with his
inteipietation of the Lukan paiable, he uesciibeu this fiie as "sleepless"
(+ xotq+ upl), lasting both "foi an age" (+ uluvl upl)
S2
anu "the
entiie age" ( po iov uluvu).
SS
Conceining the fiist two phiases, both
xotq+ anu uluvl aie missing fiom the most iecent English tianslation
of the uialogue.
S4
These omissions may have been uelibeiate; as any faithful
tianslation of his above iemaiks woulu contiauict the scholaily consensus
that upholus the Nyssen's univeisalistic view of salvation, which is uifficult
to maintain if he is seen to be affiiming the peimanent existence of the pu-
iifying fiie; implying as it uoes that some peisons, insteau of choosing uou,
may choose to iesiue in evil at the eschaton2
Su
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 7, at 8S (Pu 46, 1u1A).
S1
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 7, at 86-87.
S2
Pu 46, 1uuA.
SS
Pu 46, 1u1AB.
S4
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 7, at 84.
S97
When taken at face value the saint seems to be contiauicting himself
in these passages; on the one hanu he asseiteu the salvation of all anu the
complete eiauication of evil, anu, on the othei, that the fiie neeueu to puige
evil is 'sleepless,' that is, eveilasting. The only solution to this inconsistency
is to view any allusion to univeisal salvation in St uiegoiy as an expiession
of uou's intention foi humanity, which is in fact attesteu to when his holy
sistei Naciina states that uou has "one goal |.j some stiaightway even in
this life puiifieu fiom evil, otheis healeu heieaftei thiough fiie foi the ap-
piopiiate length of time."
SS
That we can choose to eithei accept oi ignoie
this puiification is confiimeu by the saint's many exhoitations that we fiee-
ly unueitake the viituous path. Bence, although the natuie anu scope of pu-
iification may be univeisal insofai as uou intenus that all be saveu, whethei
oi not this will happen uepenus entiiely upon oui fiee will;
S6
uenoting a
syneigetic uimension to salvation that may piecluue it as a possibility foi
those who uo not willingly cultivate viitue.
S7
This means that although the
saint cleaily uiu not piecluue the possibility of the puiification of all leauing
to a univeisal salvation at the eschaton, neithei uiu he asseit it with abso-
lute ceitainty; peihaps on account of his awaieness of the vicissituues of
the human will affecteu by the passions.
Relateu to the Nyssen's views on puiification, that which will inevitably
take place at the (*6@(&(+&(+%+ foi all people (that is, univeisally), in St uieg-
oiy's minu, was the iesuiiection fiom the ueau,
S8
which he aiticulateu in
vaiious ways thioughout the uialogue, uepenuing on the challenge piesent-
eu, but which was pieuominantly signifieu by "the iestoiation of oui natuie
to its oiiginal conuition" (+o pulov +q ocu quv oxu+uo+ot).
S9

This ietuin to an "oiiginal conuition" is not necessaiily claiifieu in the uia-
logue. Assessing the significance of the image of uou in us in St uiegoiy's H8
&0; >(@%85 6F >(8, Baley suggesteu that this oiiginal state was conuitioneu
SS
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 11S-16.
S6
0n moie than one occasion Noiwena Luulow implieu that St uiegoiy's notion of +=8M
;$5;%( anticipateu Pelagianism. Cf. Noiwena \8%-;$+() E()-(&%68P X+'0(&6)65= %8 &0;
706?50& 6F :$;56$= 6F I=++( (8. C($) L(08;$, The 0xfoiu Theological Nonogiaphs Seiies
(0xfoiu, NY: 0xfoiu 0niveisity Piess, 2uuu), 2SS, 268. As this aiticle piogiesses we will
see that the opposite is tiue, foi, accoiuing to the saint, although we must actively anu
fieely stiive to imitate Chiist within the ecclesial context, this is only possible because of
the Loiu's uivine initiative; in his iealisation (anu uivinisation) of all things - incluuing
oui humanity - within himself, anu in the giace which he fieely uistiibutes within the
ecclesial context (Pu 4S, 8SB-88A; 97B).
S7
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 7, at 8S.
S8
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68, at 1uS.
S9
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 11S (Pu 46, 14SA).
S98
by the teleological maik impiinteu on human beings fiom the outset. Thus
it is piecisely this image that is
. cieateu as the final ieality of human existence by the same uivine
act that cieateu them 'male anu female,' but now maiieu by the ten-
sions anu ambiguities of fleshly existence (,; J64 H*%F 16).
6u

In othei woius, foi the saint piotology conuitioneu teleology anu vice-veisa,
so that the goal foi which humanity was cieateu, lost aftei the fall fiom the
paiauisial life, was to be ieconstituteu at the eschaton. Luulow was theie-
foie iight in claiming that "uiegoiy's iuea of the peifection of humankinu is
moie a foiwaiu-looking attainment of an iueal than a ietiospective iesto-
iation to an actual pievious state."
61
In othei woius, this iestoiation is not
entiiely cyclical, but neithei is it meiely ciicumsciibeu by the two points -
the beginning anu the enu - of the histoiical continuum. Foi, in auuition to
St uiegoiy's afoiementioneu emphasis on cultivating viitue in the heie anu
now, he uiu mention in this uialogue, howevei biiefly, the significance of the
piesent ecclesial expeiience with iefeience to (*6@(&(+&(+%+.
This uiscussion unfolus in ielation to the following allegoiical intei-
pietation of Bebiews 8-1u. The appioach is baseu on St Paul's typologi-
cal uepiction of the tabeinacle in Bebiews 9:11 as signifying "the gieatei
anu peifect tent" (olu +q cl(ovo xul +cicto+cpu oxqvq), which is ie-
lateu by the Nyssen to uou's appeaiance as the "tiue tabeinacle" (q iqq
oxqvoqylu)
62
in the peison of Chiist, who, at the eschaton, will "inaugu-
iate foi human natuie the feast of the tabeinacle of oui uestioyeu uwelling
which woulu again be coveieu with a bouy when the elements shoulu come
back togethei."
6S
Aftei ielating this feast once again to Psalm 117:27, the
iesuiiection is uesciibeu by St Naciina as a univeisal celebiation "estab-
lisheu foi all the iational cieation."
64
This feast is contiasteu to the cuiient
spiiitual ciicumstances, which Naciina uelineates with iefeience to the
conuitions of entiy into the temple mentioneu in Bebiews, which is a type
of the Chuich. Those who auheie to false beliefs iemain outsiue its enclo-
suies, wheieas
6u
Biian E. Baley, S.}. 70; J6*; 6F &0; X($)= #0?$'0P ! J(8.D66@ 6F B(&$%+&%' X+'0(M
&6)65= (Wiltshiie, uieat Biitain: Cambiiuge 0niveisity Piess, 199S), 86.
61
Luulow, \8%-;$+() E()-(&%68, 49.
62
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 1u4 (Pu 46, 1S2B).
6S
Ibiu, 1uS.
64
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 1uS.
S99
. among those who have come insiue by the stiength of theii confes-
sion, those who have cleanseu themselves in auvance by puiifications
anu chastity aie honouieu moie than otheis; anu among these, those
who have ueuicateu themselves to this life alieauy have fullness, so
that they aie counteu woithy to entei into the innei mysteiies |xul
+o+uv ol tcpucv+c qoq +o icov ouotv, uo+c +q cou+cptxq
(toout uo+uyuyluj.
6S
It is latei maue cleai that these innei mysteiies, which peitain to the in-
nei life of the Chuich - its saciaments, lituigical ihythms, anu so on - aie
in fact ieseiveu "only foi those who aie cleanseu by the puiifying bath."
66

This means that whilst puiifications, chastity, anu those aspects peitaining
to a viituous life aie necessaiy to expeiience these mysteiies, neveithe-
less initiation into the sacieu ecclesial context thiough baptism iemains
a pieiequisite. What is stiange is that St uiegoiy then jumpeu to fuithei
iuminations on the annihilation of evil in the futuie life anu the union of
all cieatuies in "one anu the same joy,"
67
without uesciibing how initiation
into the Chuich anu the cultivation of viitue contiibutes to oui expeiience
of the (*6@(&(+&(+%+. Even his culminating iuminations on the iesuiiection
as iestoiing us to the "passionless beatituue" (uq uxupto+q+u)
68
of
oui oiiginal, uou-intenueu state - befoie the onset of evil - fail to auuiess
how it is that we might anticipate, in the heie anu now, this eschatological
expeiience within the Chuich, which is Chiist's bouy. In fact, in this text
theie is a conspicuous lack of chiistological ieflection with iefeience to the
(*6@(&(+&(+%+, maue all the moie suipiising by the fact that it is piecisely
Chiist's iesuiiection that iemains the basis foi the geneial iesuiiection at
the eschaton.
69
It is my suggestion that this lack of Chiist-centeieu eschato-
logical ieflection is an outcome of the Nyssen's pieponueiant concein foi
the pioblem of evil anu fiee will; foi, as we have uemonstiateu, it is mainly
in light of these topics that he ieflecteu upon the (*6@(&(+&(+%+. Bis claim,
appeaiing just befoie the above inteipietation of Bebiews, that "the mys-
teiy of the iesuiiection is being pioclaimeu to the Chuich,"
7u
hence iemains
unsubstantiateu in this paiticulai woik. Foi this ieason, we must now tuin
to his #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68, wheie, aftei auuiessing similai themes to those
6S
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 1uS-6 (Pu 46, 1SSB).
66
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 1u6.
67
Ibiu.
68
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 114 (Pu 46, 148B).
69
Baimon noteu the "paucity of iefeiences to the peison anu woik of Chiist in connection
with some of uiegoiy's cleaiest affiimations of the univeisal iestoiation." Baimon, 'The
Subjection of All Things in Chiist,' Su.
7u
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 1u4.
4uu
in the uialogue, he thoioughly contextualiseu the (*6@(&(+&(+%+ within both
the peison of the Son of uou incainate - }esus Chiist - anu his Chuich.
9:);< =+%% >);;< 3#* !"#$%&%'&%'(' )# $5% 5%&-4,-&(4%0 )3%&(#*
The puipose of St uiegoiy's #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68 is ieflecteu in its piologue,
which is auuiesseu to the catechists to assist them in theii systematic foi-
mation of uou's people.
71
Composeu aftei H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68, it is
impossible to asceitain a piecise uate foi the tieatise. It coulu be that the
iole confeiieu on the Nyssen by the seconu ecumenical council in Constan-
tinople to ie-establish oiuei in the chuiches of Pontus,
72
may have com-
pelleu him to foimulate a compiehensive guiue to ingiain the Chuich's cat-
echists in the main tenets of Chiistianity, thus facilitating an innei ienewal
of both cleigy anu laity conuucive towaius the stability anu giowth of the
people of uou. This woulu place the composition of the text sometime in the
S8u's. In any case, the #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68 begins with a uemonstiation of
the unity anu uiveisity within Boly Tiinity (with a specific focus on pie-in-
cainational chiistology, as well as pneumatology) anu piogiesses to an il-
lustiation of the uou-intenueu paiauisial state of humanity, its fall fiom this
state anu its subsequent salvation in the incaination of the Son anu Logos
as Chiist }esus; anu the methou by which we may inteiioiise this salvation
within the Chuich. Noieovei, the text is inteispeiseu with - anu culminates
in - nuanceu iuminations on the (*6@(&(+&(+%+.
Without having this as its focus, the geneial scheme of the H$(&%68 en-
compasses all of cieation histoiy fiom beginning to enu. But it soon be-
comes cleai that as the saint moveu fiom one topic to anothei, his abiuing
conceins weie piecisely the same as those ieflecteu in H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+M
?$$;'&%68; to auuiess the pioblem of evil in light of uou's goouness anu to
maintain the fieeuom of humanity cieateu in uou's image.
7S
Concluuing his
exposition on uou the Logos at the enu of chaptei foui anu the beginning
of chaptei five, St uiegoiy outlineu the compatibility between uou anu hu-
manity, manifesteu in the fact that the lattei was "boin foi the enjoyment of
the uivine goou" (cl +q +uv cluv yuuv oiuoct ycvocvov)
74
which
71
Cf. 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 'Piologue,' at 47S.
72
Cf. Anthony Neieuith, 70; #(**(.6'%(8+ (Ciestwoou, NY: St vlauimii's Seminaiy Piess,
199S), SS.
7S
Cf. 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S, at 479.
74
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S, at 479 (Pu 4S, 21B).
4u1
is an outcome of the uesiie to ieach "uivine eteinity."
7S
uoouness anu uivine
eteinity aie heie two complementaiy ways of expiessing paiticipation in
uou's life leauing to ueification, although St uiegoiy uiu not use the teim
(that is, cuot oi its ueiivatives) in this context.
76
Insteau, in this chaptei
he fiameu this uesiie anu enjoyment within the paiauisial naiiative, ie-
lateu by Noses in "a style moie in the way of histoiy"
77
which - as can be
seen fiom his inteipietation - is not to be unueistoou liteially. Insteau, it
is a metaphoi uenoting that human natuie, being a "summaiy of all things
that chaiacteiise Beity"
78
- incluuing life, thought, skill, anu "all those ex-
cellences that we attiibute to uou"
79
- was at its beginnings goou anu "in
the miust of goou."
8u
St uiegoiy then immeuiately opposeu those who, bas-
ing theii assumptions on the piesent conuitions of life (aftei the fall), cast
uoubt upon the paiauisial expeiience anu its ielateu aspects.
81
Foi him, this
was tantamount to uoubting uou's goouness anu to suggesting that human-
ity was being maue by its cieatoi "in the miust of evil."
82
This asseition ini-
tiates a seiies of ieflections maintaining uou's goouness by affiiming that
he has maue human beings foi a specific puipose, to paiticipate in his pai-
ticulai goou,
8S
which he enables them to uo by enuowing them with the
"most excellent anu piecious of all goous" (+o xuiilo+ou xul +ttu++ou
+uv yuuv),
84
namely the gift of fiee will.
8S
So, of all those afoiementioneu
attiibutes of the ueity which aie impaiteu by uou to human beings, foi St
uiegoiy fiee will was the most impoitant; foi it is this fieeuom which not
only testifies that human beings aie cieateu in the image of theii makei
(alteinately expiesseu in H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 with iefeience to
'likeness'), but which enables theii "paiticipation of the goou to be the ie-
7S
Ibiu. The uieek ieaus +q clu toto+q+o cq, which I have tiieu to ienuei moie accu-
iately above. The English tianslation ieaus the "uivine anu eteinal life."
76
Foi moie on St uiegoiy's appioach to ueification, see Noiman Russell, 70; ,6'&$%8; 6F
Beijicotion in tbe 6reek Potristic TroJition, The 0xfoiu Eaily Chiistian Stuuies Seiies (0x-
foiu, NY: 0xfoiu 0niveisity Piess, 2uu4), 226.
77
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S, at 479. The oiiginal ieaus lo+optxu+cpov o Nuuoq otc(cpc+ut,
cv otqyqocu (Pu 4S, 24A). At the suggestion of Fi Bi Boiu Costache, I woulu piefei to
ienuei the oiiginal uieek heie as "in a moie sublime way of histoiy."
78
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S, at 479.
79
Ibiu.
8u
Ibiu.
81
These aspects aie the uivine iesemblance in the soul, fieeuom fiom suffeiing, anu etei-
nal life. Ibiu.
82
Ibiu.
8S
Cf. Ibiu.
84
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S, at 479 (Pu 4S, 24C).
8S
Ibiu.
4u2
waiu of viitue."
86
But since this life of goouness oi the paiauisial expeii-
ence, as a iewaiu foi the cultivation of viitue, uoes not chaiacteiise the
piesent ciicumstances - which aie uesciibeu as evil - it was impoitant foi
St uiegoiy, in upholuing uou's goouness, to iuentify the souice of evil not in
the uivine will, but as engenueieu within the will of human beings "at that
moment when theie is a ietiocession of the soul fiom the beautiful,"
87
i.e.
uou. Theiefoie, ieiteiating a theme that we have seen was pievalent in H8
&0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68, St uiegoiy affiimeu that it is not uou who is the
"authoi of the piesent evils."
88

That all of this is once again uiiecteu against the Nanicheans is evi-
uenceu in the text. Foi although St uiegoiy explicitly iefeiieu to them only
once in ielation to the pioblem of evil,
89
he continueu to ieauuiess this
topic thioughout the tieatise, giouping the Nanicheans amongst the oppo-
nents of the Chuich on seveial occasions in its piologue.
9u
The Nyssen then
moveu to an emphasis of the non-existence of evil in a fuithei attempt to
uemonstiate that since uou is the cieatoi of things that aie, he cannot be
the cieatoi of that which uoes not exist apait fiom the "motion of oui self-
will" which has contiacteu "a fellowship with evil."
91
In oiuei foi this evil
to be eiauicateu, ueath was peimitteu by uou to affect human natuie in an
exteinal mannei with iefeience to the bouy; foi inteinally the soul iemains
uestineu foi immoitality.
92
Even so, the uissolution of the bouy is not pei-
manent, anu St uiegoiy continueu that when evil is altogethei iemoveu by
the iesuiiection at the (*6@(&(+&(+%+, then human beings will be iestoieu to
theii oiiginal beauty; the uou-intenueu state. But that this iestoiation uoes
not equate to univeisal salvation is confiimeu by the saint's ensuing ieflec-
tions on the healing of the soul, which, when not unueitaken in this life
thiough the 'meuicine' of viitue, is "uispenseu in the life that follows this."
9S

This asseition echoes a similai statement conceining puigation in his H8
&0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68,
94
anu, just as was the case in that text, theie is
no inuication heie as to whethei oi not the futuie healing of the soul, ue-
sciibeu as a painful puigation, will automatically be applicable to all people
86
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S, at 479.
87
Ibiu.
88
Ibiu, at 48u.
89
Cf. 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 7, at 481.
9u
Cf. 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 'Piologue,' at 47S, 474.
91
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 8, at 482.
92
Cf. 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 8, at 48S.
9S
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 8, at 48S.
94
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 11S-16.
4uS
- theieby iesulting in univeisal salvation. Concluuing that this puigation
uoes in fact leau to univeisal salvation, Luulow asseiteu that this "expeii-
ence of ievelationpunishment |will bej a passive one . its effect will be
that humans will have no fieeuom to choose between goou anu evil."
9S
This
asseition is howevei compiomiseu both by St uiegoiy's silence conceining
the natuie of the will in the futuie life as well as his insistence, appeaiing
elsewheie in the text, that the piize of goouness (oi the paiauisial expeii-
ence) in this life, ieacheu thiough viitue, woulu be impossible if uou hau
compelleu human beings to behave accoiuing to his oiuinances.
96
uiven the
saint's belief that uou will not compel us to accept him in the heie anu now,
theie is no ieason to piesume that he will uo so in the heieaftei.
We have seen, on the one hanu, that in H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 the
Nanichean uispaiagement of uou's goouness anu human fieeuom cleaily
influenceu St uiegoiy's foimulations of (*6@(&(+&(+%+, which only appeai
in ielation to these themes. 0n the othei hanu, although it is cleai that the
same themes auuiesseu in the H$(&%68 aie similaily in iesponse to the Nan-
ichean thieat, neveitheless the iefeiences to the (*6@(&(+&(+%+, whilst of-
ten taking place within the scope of an assessment of evil anu fiee will,
aie thoioughly contextualiseu within the peison of uou the Son, who, aftei
waiting foi "long peiious of time" (uxpu cptcpc+ut cptooou)
97
sub-
mits himself to "the conuition of a human bouy"
98
foi oui salvation. It is to
the chiistological context of (*6@(&(+&(+%+ that I now tuin.
?5% !5+)&$";",)(3; !"#$%@$ "1 !"#$%&%'&%'(' )# $5% 5%&-4,-&(4%0 )3%&(#*
Aftei his above ieflections on the (*6@(&(+&(+%+ with iefeience to the pu-
iification of the soul, the saint biiefly ieiteiateu the position on pie-in-
cainational chiistology outlineu at length at the beginning of the H$(&%68,
befoie tuining to a lengthy illustiation of the incaination, life, ueath, anu
iesuiiection of Chiist (i.e. incainational chiistology); thiough which he af-
fiimeu that the Loiu has alieauy iecalleu humanity to the "oiiginal state."
99

Acting as a pietext foi this is a iefutation of those who woulu ueny the ui-
vine economy of uou in the peison of the incainate Son anu Logos - his
biith, ueath, anu iesuiiection. But of immeuiate inteiest to us is the enu
9S
Luulow, \8%-;$+() E()-(&%68, 11u.
96
Cf. 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 7, at 482.
97
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 1S, at 487 (Pu 4S, 48C).
98
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 1S, at 487
99
Ibiu 8, at 484-8S.
4u4
of the twenty-fifth chaptei, wheie St uiegoiy uefineu the incaination anu
the iesuiiection in teims of a 'iealiseu' eschatology, wheie the fullness of
uou's piesence expecteu at the last things of the histoiical continuum have
alieauy taken place:
Foi all things uepenu on Bim Who is, noi can theie be anything which
has not its being in Bim Who is. If, theiefoie, all things aie in Bim, anu
Be in all things, why aie they scanualiseu at the plan of Revelation,
when it teaches that uou was boin amongst people, that same uou
whom we aie convinceu even now is not outsiue humankinu. Foi al-
though this last foim of uou's piesence amongst us is not the same as
that foimei piesence, still Bis existence amongst us equally both then
anu now is eviuenceu; only now Be Who holus togethei Natuie in ex-
istence is tiansfuseu in us; while at that othei time Be was tiansfuseu
thioughout oui natuie, in oiuei that oui natuie might by this tiansfu-
sion of the Bivine become itself uivine, iescueu as it was fiom ueath,
anu put beyonu the ieach of the capiice of the antagonist. Foi his ie-
tuin fiom ueath becomes to oui moital iace the commencement of
oui ietuin to the immoital life.
1uu
Not only is uou the Logos evei-piesent in all things that have come into
being thiough him, but at the piesent time he iemains within human be-
ings because by his incaination "he was tiansfuseu thioughout oui natuie"
thiough which he uestioyeu ueath, iescueu us fiom the uevil, anu maue
us uivine. Foi this ieason, it is peihaps peitinent to speak of a 'iealiseu'
(*6@(&(+&(+%+, insofai as all those aspects peitaining to the eschaton, the
iesuiiection of the ueau, the uefeat of Satan, the uivinisation of humanity
- in othei woius, the ietuin to the uou-intenueu, paiauisial expeiience -
have alieauy taken place in the peison of }esus. Bowevei, it uoes not follow
that the univeisal salvation that mouein scholaiship imputes on the saint's
vision of the last things has alieauy happeneu foi all people. 0n the con-
tiaiy, the Nyssen's concluuing statement above that Chiist's "iesuiiection
fiom the ueau initiates oui jouiney towaius eteinal life" - as well as his
peisistent emphasis on human fieeuom - imply an existential piocess that,
beginning in the heie anu now (anu culminating in the heieaftei), shoulu
be unueitaken as a willing iesponse to Chiist's uivine initiative.
0tilising his favouieu motifs of healingpuiification, St uiegoiy uelin-
eateu this initiative beginning with Chiist's ueception of Satan, affiiming
that it was not by puie ueity alone "but by Beity veileu in a human natuie,
1uu
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 2S, at 49S.
4uS
|thatj uou, without the knowleuge of Bis enemy, got within the lines of him
who hau man in his powei,"
1u1
so that
Be who fiist ueceiveu man by the bait of sensual pleasuie is himself
ueceiveu by the piesentment of the human foim. But as iegaius the
aim anu puipose of what took place, a change in the uiiection of the
noblei is involveu; foi wheieas he, the enemy, effecteu his ueception
foi the iuin of oui natuie, Be Who is at once the just, anu goou, anu
wise one, useu Bis uevice, in which theie was ueception, foi the salva-
tion of him who hau peiisheu, anu this not only confeiieu benefit on
the lost one, but on him, too, who hau wiought oui iuin.
1u2
'Beceiving' the ueceivei by viitue of his unpieceuenteu assumption of the
human natuie - which as we have seen iecapitulates the whole of humanity
- the Son of uou bestows benefits not only on the human iace, misguiueu
by the uevil's machinations, but on the temptei also. Befoie explaining just
how these benefits have been bestoweu, St uiegoiy bioaueneu the scope
of this uiscussion by affiiming that the Chiist expeiience facilitates a gen-
eial tiansition fiom "ueath to life," "uaikness to light," anu "coiiuption to
incoiiuption" which iesults in "an obliteiation of what is woise, anu a pass-
ing away of it into nothing."
1uS
In othei woius, the "appioach of the Bivine
powei" (o poocyytoo +q clu ouvcu)
1u4
in the incaination, acting
like fiie, puiges evil %8 &6&6 fiom both the natuie of Satan anu the human
natuie with which it has been mixeu.
1uS
Both natuies, cieateu puie but ue-
fileu thiough sin aie compaieu to golu that has been mixeu with a lessei,
coiiupting metal. It is not until the golu-iefineis buin up the "foieign anu
iefuse pait in the consuming fiie" (+q otu +o upo ouvq +o iio+ptov
+c xul oiq+ov)
1u6
that it is ietuineu to its oiiginal lustei. The uifficulty
poseu by this paiticulai chaptei is obviously the possibility of the salvation
of the uevil, which we have seen was implieu in H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'M
&%68 with St uiegoiy's statement conceining the potential salvation of the
uemons,
1u7
not to mention his insistence on the complete eiauication of
evil. St uiegoiy iepeateu this at the enu of the twenty-sixth chaptei:
1u1
Ibiu 26, at 49S.
1u2
Ibiu.
1uS
Ibiu.
1u4
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 26, at 496 (Pu 4S, 69A).
1uS
Cf. 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 26, at 49S-96.
1u6
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 26, at 49S (Pu 4S, 69A).
1u7
Cf. H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 4, at 64.
4u6
These anu the like benefits the gieat mysteiy of the incaination be-
stows. Foi in those points in which Be was mingleu with humanity,
passing as Be uiu thiough all the acciuents piopei to human natuie,
such as biith, ieaiing, giowing up, anu auvancing even to the taste of
ueath, Be accomplisheu all the iesults befoie mentioneu, fieeing both
man fiom evil, anu healing even the intiouucei of evil himself.
1u8

Although many scholais take foi gianteu the Nyssen's belief that even Sa-
tan will be saveu at the (*6@(&(+&(+%+,
1u9
heie the uevil's healing is cleaily
aiticulateu with iefeience to the incaination, which, we have seen, can be
uesciibeu as a iealiseu (*6@(&(+&(+%+. Bowevei, in an eailiei passage in the
same chaptei St uiegoiy iemaikeu hypothetically that the healing of the
uevil woulu uepenu upon its fiee acceptance of the benefits of the incaina-
tion; just as the healingsalvation of human beings piesupposes an existen-
tial piocess wheieby one fieely cultivates the viituous path. Bence we may
infei that although its healing was maue possible by the tiansfiguiation of
all things in Chiist's incaination, it was not in fact actualiseu because Satan
has nevei willingly accepteu the Loiu oi his exhoitations to viitue.
11u

In H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68, the puigation of fiie was only uiscusseu
with iefeience to the eschaton.
111
In the H$(&%68, we see that the puigation
is fiist uiscusseu with iefeience to the incaination anu life of Chiist, who
in his own peison puiges the accietions of evil afflicting both the uemonic
anu the human natuies. All of this ieinfoices oui contention of a iealiseu
(*6@(&(+&(+%+ in the incaination that has yet to be woikeu out on a peisonal
level in the lives of human beings, anu inueeu will not become univeisal-
ly available until the 'last things,' which the saint went on to uesciibe in a
mannei that iesonates with his analogous ieflections in H8 &0; E6?) (8.
L;+?$$;'&%68 (see above)
. when aftei long peiious of time |+ul uxpul cptoootj, the evil
of oui natuie, which now is mixeu up with it anu has giown with its
1u8
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 26, at 496.
1u9
Luulow claimeu that "the salvation not only of sinneis but also of uevils accoius with
the uiiection of the iest of uiegoiy's eschatology" anu that "uiegoiy asseits that the
uevil 1%)) be saveu." Luulow, \8%-;$+() E()-(&%68, 96. Neieuith also mentioneu, howevei
biiefly, that the #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68 speaks of "the ultimate salvation even of the uevil."
Neieuith, :$;56$= 6F I=++(, 22.
11u
"Theiefoie, even the auveisaiy himself will not be likely to uispute that what took place
|i.e. the incainationj was both just anu salutaiy, that is, if |ccpj he shall have attaineu
to a peiception of the boon." 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 26, at 496 (Pu 4S, 69AB).
111
Pu 46, 1uuA; 1u1AB.
4u7
giowth, has been expelleu, anu when theie has been a iestoiation
|oxu+o+uotj of those now lying in sin to theii piimal state |+o
pulovj, a haimony anu thanksgiving will aiise fiom all the cieation
as well as those who in the piocess of the puigation have suffeieu
chastisement, as fiom those who neeueu not any puigation at all.
112
The iestoiation of oui oiiginal, uou-intenueu state, whilst alieauy having
been inauguiateu in Chiist's peison, has neveitheless not yet taken place
on a univeisal scale, anu will not take place until the "long peiious of time"
initiateu by the eschaton mentioneu above. St uiegoiy was not heie affiim-
ing univeisal salvation, but insteau he was pointing to two possible exis-
tential conuitions in the ages to come, albeit in a negative sense. The fiist
is maikeu by the neeu foi puiification in oiuei foi this iestoiation to be
completeu, anu the lattei is not. Recalling his statement in H8 &0; E6?) (8.
L;+?$$;'&%68 that "some stiaightway even in this life |will bej puiifieu fiom
evil,"
11S
in the thiity-fifth chaptei of the H$(&%68 St uiegoiy went beyonu his
emphasis on the life of viitue as the means by which one can immeuiately
anu uiiectly paiticipate in the eschatological state, theieby obviating the
necessity of puiification in the life to come. Foi it is in these final chapteis
that St uiegoiy auuiesseu the ielationship between (*6@(&(+&(+%+ anu the
ecclesial expeiience as facilitateu by baptism
114
anu giauually inteiioiiseu
thiough an imitation of Chiist anu paiticipation in the Euchaiist, theieby
placing it in its piopei context, which is the expeiience of the Chuich, the
bouy of the Loiu.
?5% 9((;%&)3; !"#$%@$ "1 !"#$%&%'&%'(' )# $5% 5%&-4,-&(4%0 )3%&(#*
St uiegoiy began the thiity-fifth

chaptei of the H$(&%68 with an exposition
on the mysteiy of baptism, which he uesciibeu as a thiice immeision in wa-
tei, making it cleai that an 'objective' iestoiation, heie expiesseu in teims
of ueification, has alieauy occuiieu in the peison of }esus on account of his
incaination
But the uescent into the watei anu the tiiple immeision of the pei-
son in it, involves anothei mysteiy. Foi since the methou of oui sal-
vation was maue effectual not so much by Bis piecepts in the way of
teaching as by the ueeus of Bim Who has iealizeu an actual fellow-
ship with man, anu has effecteu life as a living fact, so that by means
112
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 26, at 496 (Pu 4S, 69B).
11S
H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$$;'&%68 1u, at 11S-16.
114
0n the saciamental uimension of (*6@(&(+&(+%+, see Naspeio, 'Apocatastasis,' 6S.
4u8
of the flesh which Be has assumeu, anu at the same time ueifieu,
eveiything kinuieu anu ielateu may be saveu along with it |vu otu
+q vuiqcloq up' u+o xul ouvuocucloq oupxo uv
ouvotuouq +o ouyycvc u+q xul oouiovj, it was necessaiy
that some means shoulu be ueviseu by which theie might be, in the
baptismal piocess, a kinu of affinity anu likeness |ouyycvct +c xul
ooto+qj between him who follows anu Bim Who leaus the way.
Neeuful, theiefoie, is it to see what featuies aie to be obseiveu in the
Authoi of oui life, in oiuei that the initiation on the pait of those that
follow may be iegulateu, as the Apostle says, aftei the pattein of the
Captain of oui salvation.
11S
It is not only human natuie which is alieauy saveu oi ueifieu, but "eveiy-
thing kinuieu oi ielateu to it," which, when ieau in light of the Nyssen's
uesciiption of the human peison as a miciocosm - a "commixtuie of the
intellectual anu sensible" (cx voq+o +c xul uloq+o . lyu)
116
woilus
- in chaptei six, points to the entiie cieateu univeise. Neveitheless, anu to
iepeat a point stiesseu often in this aiticle, although the Loiu has effecteu
the iestoiation oi ueification of all things in himself, this uoes not mean
that we automatically paiticipate in this iestoiation, eithei in this age oi
in the age to come. 0n the contiaiy, St uiegoiy once again highlighteu the
significance of oui fieeuom, affiiming that we can only begin to paiticipate
in this ueification by means of baptism, which establishes "a kinu of affinity
anu likeness" between Chiist's followeis anu the Loiu himself. The act of
following Chiist is highlighteu as a necessaiy outcome of baptism, which, in
this instance, consists of an ensuing %4%&(&%6 #0$%+&% that the saint uesciibeu
as follows
. it is impeiative on all those who have an equally eainest uesiie foi
the uoou as Be has to be followeis by the path of an exact imitation
|lqotj of Bim Who leaus the way into salvation, anu to caiiy into
action what Be has shown them.
117
This means that foi the saint, baptism on its own uoes not suffice; iathei, it
is to be followeu by oui fiee cultivation of goou woiks baseu on the example
given in Chiist, which he expiesseu as an exact imitation of "Bim Who leaus
the way into salvation," incluuing his buiial anu iesuiiection. The lattei is
accomplisheu thiough the thiice immeision in the watei, which Nyssen ue-
11S
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 SS, at Su2 (Pu 4S, 8SB-88A).
116
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 6, at 48u (Pu 4S, 2SB).
117
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 SS, at Su2 (Pu 4S, 88AB).
4u9
sciibeu as an element akin to that of eaith, a metaphoi meant to point out
the neeu foi oui peisonal connection with Chiist though baptism.
Now eaith anu watei have a mutual affinity |+qv ouyycvctuv ct yq
+c xul oupj. Alone of the elements they have weight anu giavitate
uownwaius; they mutually abiue in each othei; they aie mutually
confineu. Seeing, then, the ueath of the Authoi of oui life subjecteu
Bim to buiial in eaith anu was in accoiu with oui common natuie, the
imitation which we enact of that ueath is expiesseu in the neighboui-
ing element. Anu as Be, that Nan fiom above, having taken ueauness
on Bimself, aftei his being uepositeu in the eaith, ietuineu back to
life the thiiu uay, so eveiy one who is knitteu to Bim by viitue of his
bouily foim, looking foiwaiu to that same successful issue, I mean
this aiiiving at life by having, insteau of eaith, watei pouieu on him,
anu so submitting to that element, has iepiesenteu foi him in the
thiee movements the thiee-uays-uelayeu giace of the iesuiiection.
118
Baving alieauy expounueu the affinity establisheu between us anu Chiist
by his assumption of human natuie, St uiegoiy elaboiateu on the affinity
between the natuial elements of eaith anu watei in oiuei to explain the
mannei in which we, thiough baptism, imitate anu actually paiticipate in
the ueath anu iesuiiection of the Loiu. Chiist submitteu himself to the foi-
mei element, that is, the eaith, anu, on account of the natuial ielationship
between the two - expiesseu by St uiegoiy in teims of theii weightiness
anu uownwaiu giavitation - we aie calleu to submit ouiselves to the lattei,
that is, watei, so that by submeiging anu iising fiom it we might paitake
of the "thiee-uays-uelayeu giace of the iesuiiection." The saint went on to
explain that in Chiist's ueath, not only weie things that weie once togethei
put asunuei - i.e. the soul anu the bouy - but things "that hau been uis-
uniteu weie again biought togethei."
119
In othei woius, in the sepaiation of
Chiist's soul anu bouy sin was uestioyeu, so that upon theii ieunion in his
iesuiiection the "foieign aumixtuie"
12u
of sin might have no place. In this
way, the incainate 0ne's iesuiiection constitutes the basis foi the geneial
iesuiiection at the eschaton. St uiegoiy continueu that uivine pioviuence
intiouuceu ueath into human natuie foi piecisely this puipose, so that sin
anu evil which affect both soul anu bouy, "having floweu away at the uisso-
lution" of the two, might be eliminateu when we aie iefashioneu as "sounu,
passionless, stainless, anu iemoveu fiom any touch of evil."
121
In Chiist,
118
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 SS, at SuS (Pu 4S, 88CB).
119
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 SS, at SuS.
12u
Ibiu.
121
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 SS, at SuS.
41u
theiefoie, humanity, anu "eveiything kinuieu anu ielateu to it," is iestoieu.
The (*6@(&(+&(+%+ has alieauy taken place. But the saint explaineu that al-
though in Chiist's iesuiiection we have alieauy been iestoieu, this piocess
has not yet been consummateu foi the iest of humanity:
But as iegaius those who follow this Leauei, theii natuie uoes not
aumit of an entiie anu exact imitation, but it ieceives now as much as
it is capable of ieceiving, while it ieseives the iemainuei foi the time
that comes aftei |+ c+u +u+u +utcc+ut povj. In what, then,
uoes this imitation consist. It consists in effecting the suppiession of
that aumixtuie of sin, in the figuie of moitification that is given by the
watei, not ceitainly a complete effacement, but a kinu of bieak in the
continuity of evil, two things concuiiing to this iemoval of sin - the
penitence of the tiansgiessoi anu his imitation of ueath.
122
Beie, the saint ieiteiateu what he wiote in chaptei twenty-five conceining
oui iestoiation as taking place aftei long peiious of time. But whilst the ies-
toiation to oui intenueu conuition as paiticipants in uou's life, beginning
0%' ;& 8?8', will not be consummateu until "the time that comes aftei" oi the
ages to come, still the saint maue an impoitant qualification; that this ies-
toiation will only occui in those who "follow this Leauei," }esus Chiist. This
means that although Chiist has inauguiateu the (*6@(&(+&(+%+ - the escha-
tological state - in his veiy peison, oui paiticipation in this state uepenus
upon oui willing acceptance anu assimilation of this piofounu mysteiy, ex-
piesseu by St uiegoiy as beginning with both penitence anu the imitation
of ueath in baptism.
This immeuiate paiticipation in Chiist thiough baptism, effectuating a
kinship with his ueath anu iesuiiection anu a bieak with evil, is an outcome
of faith that iesiues within the will. Biawing on the bipaitite constitution
of the human being, St uiegoiy explaineu that although the blessing that
spiings fiom these two things - i.e. the "faith anu watei"
12S
- constitutes the
soul's union with uou, neveitheless the bouy neeus an antiuote to "unuo
the mischief intiouuceu" to it "by the poison"
124
of evil. This antiuote is the
"immoital bouy" (vu+ov ouu)
12S
of Chiist in the Euchaiist, which, "by
being within that which ieceives it, changes the whole to its own natuie."
126

122
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 SS, at SuS (Pu 4S, 89AB).
12S
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S6, at Su4.
124
Ibiu S7, at Su4.
12S
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S7, at SuS (Pu 4S, 9SC).
126
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S7, at SuS.
411
In explaining how the fullness of the bouy of Chiist is uisseminateu to myii-
aus of the faithful but nevei uiminisheu, the Nyssen embaikeu on a lengthy
analogy between the human bouy anu its main souices of nouiishment,
namely bieau anu wine, which, when consumeu, become iuentical with
the one who consumeu them. In a similai mannei, the bouy which uou the
Logos assumeu as Chiist }esus, "by paitaking of the nouiishment of bieau
|anu winej was, in a ceitain measuie, the same with it."
127
The fact that the
Son anu Logos assumeu a human bouy, which was sustaineu by bieau anu
wine anu is thus likeneu to them, makes it possible even now foi this same
Logos to conseciate both the bieau anu the wine foi the puiposes of oui
ueification,
128
so that
. by uispensation of Bis giace, Be uisseminates Bimself in eveiy
believei thiough that flesh, whose substance comes fiom bieau anu
wine, blenuing Bimself with the bouies of believeis, to secuie that, by
this union with the immoital, man, too, may be a shaiei in incoiiup-
tion.
129
The Chiistian jouiney foi St uiegoiy is thus piopeily contextualiseu within
the ecclesial expeiience. Inueeu, it iemains nothing othei than a paiticipa-
tion in Chiist leauing to ueification, beginning with baptism anu continually
sustaineu by both the imitation of Chiist mentioneu above anu the paitak-
ing of the Euchaiist, which happens in the lituigical assembly. In ielating
beginnings to theii final puiposes oi enus, the saint went on to suggest the
impact of this jouiney upon the way human beings will expeiience the (*6M
@(&(+&(+%+ at the enu of the piesent age, with iefeience to baptism:
. the gieat iesuiiection, essentially vastei though it be, has its be-
ginnings anu causes heie; it is not, in fact, possible that that shoulu
take place |i.e. the iesuiiection at the eschatonj, unless this hau gone
befoie; I mean, that without the lavei of iegeneiation |baptismj it is
impossible foi the man to be in the iesuiiection; but in saying this
I uo not iegaiu the meie iemouluing anu iefashioning of oui com-
posite bouy; foi towaius this it is absolutely necessaiy that human
natuie shoulu auvance, being constiaineu theieto by its own laws ac-
coiuing to the uispensation of Bim Who has so oiuaineu, whethei it
have ieceiveu the giace of the lavei, oi whethei it iemains without
that initiation.
1Su
127
Ibiu.
128
Cf. 70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S7, at SuS-6.
129
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 S7, at Su6
1Su
Ibiu SS, at SuS-4.
412
At the gieat iesuiiection oi the eschaton, the enu to which all things aie in-
heiently uisposeu, the iestoiation that has alieauy occuiieu in the peison
of }esus will be uistiibuteu to all people. In othei woius, theie will occui
a geneial iestoiation oi (*6@(&(+&(+%+ of all of humanity, baptiseu anu un-
baptiseu. But, accoiuing to the Nyssen, not all people will be "in the iesui-
iection" in piecisely the same way. St uiegoiy went on to explicate that the
mannei in which we will expeiience this (*6@(&(+&(+%+ will uiffei uepenu-
ing on whethei oi not we have, in the piesent age (oi this life), been bap-
tiseu anu have fieely unueitaken the iequiieu imitation of Chiist:
Foi not eveiything that is gianteu in the |gieatj iesuiiection a ietuin
to existence will ietuin to the same kinu of life. Theie is a wiue intei-
val between those who have been puiifieu, anu those who still neeu
puiification. Foi those in whose life-time heie the puiification by the
lavei |baptismj has pieceueu, theie is a iestoiation to a kinuieu state.
Now, to the puie, fieeuom fiom passion is that kinuieu state, anu that
in this fieeuom fiom passion blesseuness consists, aumits of no uis-
pute. But as foi those whose weaknesses have become inveteiate, anu
to whom no puigation of theii uefilement has been applieu, no mystic
watei |baptismj, no invocation of the Bivine powei, no amenument
by iepentance, it is absolutely necessaiy that they shoulu come to be
in something that is piopei to theii case, - just as the fuinace is the
piopei thing foi golu alloyeu with uioss - in oiuei that, the vice which
has been mixeu up in them being melteu away aftei long succeeu-
ing ages |uxpol o+cpov uluotj, theii natuie may be iestoieu puie
again to uou. Since, then, theie is a cleansing viitue in fiie anu watei,
they who by the mystic watei have washeu away the uefilement of
sin have no fuithei neeu of the othei foim of puiification, while they
who have not been aumitteu to that foim of puigation must neeus be
puiifieu by fiie.
1S1
It is heie that St uiegoiy maue cleai the fact that the ecclesial context is the
piopei fiamewoik foi (*6@(&(+&(+%+. This is something altogethei misseu
by some scholais in theii assessment of the Nyssen's views, peihaps on
account of a lack of ecclesial awaieness anu ciicumsciiption of the (*6@(M
&(+&(+%+ to the enu of the histoiical continuum. Inueeu, the ecclesial expeii-
ence is explicitly uevalueu in, foi example, Luulow's asseition that the ieve-
lation in the afteilife "is much moie effective than uou's teaching in this life
anu that it will eventually leave humans in no uoubt as to what tiue goou
is."
1S2
0nuoubteuly this aiises fiom a univeisalistic piesupposition, but in
St uiegoiy we see that although all of humanity will expeiience this iesto-
1S1
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 SS, at Su4 (Pu 4S, 92BC).
1S2
Luulow, \8%-;$+() E()-(&%68, 11u.
41S
iation at the enu of the age, puiification in the Chuich (implying satuiation
in its teachings) iemains the necessaiy pieiequisite foi a positive, ueify-
ing expeiience in the (*6@(&(+&(+%+. Those who have been baptiseu anu, as
inuicateu above, have been puiifieu both thiough the act of baptism, the
ensuing imitation of Chiist in viitue anu the paitaking of the Euchaiist, will
attain, accoiuing to the saint, to an immeuiate fieeuom fiom passion anu a
state of blesseuness; which is none othei than a iestoiation to the uou-in-
tenueu, paiauisial expeiience. As foi those who have neithei been baptiseu
noi puisueu Chiist in the piesent age, St uiegoiy iepeateu an analogy
that he useu eailiei with iefeience to the incaination, that of puigation by
fiie, which will take place foi "long succeeuing ages" until they aie finally
iestoieu to uou. Nowheie, howevei, uoes he claim that this will iesult in
the negation of fieeuom, as Luulow has suggesteu.
1SS
To this enu, the saint
biought this tieatise to a close by highlighting the uissimilaiity between
oui own expeiience of goouness anu punishment, anu that which awaits
the gouly anu sinneis iespectively in the life to come. Conceining the lattei,
he juxtaposes oui immeuiate expeiience of a fiie that can be extinguisheu
to that fiie which is "nevei quencheu" (o ocvvq+ut)
1S4
theieby echoing
his inteipietation of the paiable of the iich man anu Lazaius in H8 &0; E6?)
(8. L;+?$$;'&%68 which implies the peiennial existence of the cleansing fiie.
But fai fiom intenuing to instil feai in his ieaueis, anu in contiast to his own
fiequent suggestions that the eiauication of evil will inevitably take place at
the (*6@(&(+&(+%+ - which we saw above weie aiticulateu in uiiect iesponse
to the pioblems of theouicy anu fiee will - the saint insteau encouiageu
them to actively anu fieely
. lay uown the founuations foi that unspeakable blesseuness uuiing
this shoit anu fleeting life, anu by a goou choice to wean themselves
fiom all expeiience of evil, now in theii lifetime heie, heieaftei in
eteinal iecompense.
1SS

!"#(;A&)"#
Fai fiom espousing a belief in an inevitable univeisal salvation, St uiegoiy
of Nyssa's view of (*6@(&(+&(+%+ was incieuibly nuanceu anu complex; the
iesult of the immeuiate challenges that he faceu as a bishop of the Chiis-
tian Chuich, inspiieu by anu to an extent iesponsible foi its eschatological
1SS
Cf. Ibiu.
1S4
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 4u, at Su9 (Pu 4S, 1uSA).
1SS
70; :$;(& #(&;'0%+4 4u, at Su9.
414
tiauition. In iegaius to the foimei, we saw in his H8 &0; E6?) (8. L;+?$M
$;'&%68 that he iesponueu to the woiluview of the Nanicheans by iefuting
theii position on the ontological existence of evil, affiiming insteau that,
at the (*6@(&(+&(+%+, oui entiiely goou uou will become "all in all" (1 Coi
1S:28). Noieovei, insofai as the same woiluview positeu evil's impeuiment
to human fieeuom, St uiegoiy asseiteu that the cultivation of viitue in the
heie anu now will uiiectly impact upon oui expeiience of the (*6@(&(+&(+%+;
some will be gianteu immeuiate entiy into paiauise, with otheis neeuing
to be puiifieu fiist. But nowheie uiu the Nyssen claim that this puiification
will take place automatically anu apait fiom oui fieeuom, anu whilst he
uoes iemain silent on the concept of the fiee will in the eschaton, we can-
not infei its annihilation. In fact, the inconsistency that appeais in this text
- anu which ieappeais in the #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68 - between the complete
eiauication of evil at the eschaton anu the eteinal existence of the puii-
fying fiie (with iefeience to the Lukan paiable) iesults fiom a tension in
the Nyssen's appioach to these challenges; the fiist being the emphasis on
uou's goouness, anu the othei being his emphasis on the neeu to fieely cul-
tivate viitue to avoiu this fiie. In any case, given the syneigetic uimension
of salvation we can piesume that St uiegoiy heie expiesseu the hope that
whilst uou uesiies eveiyone to be saveu, whethei oi not this will take place
uepenus upon oui fiee will. But foi St uiegoiy, this syneigy must take place
within a ceitain context that, whilst not cleaily foimulateu in the uialogue,
is peisistently affiimeu in his #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68, which shoulu act as the
piopei lens thiough which to ieau the foimei. Nanifesting his foimation in
the ecclesial tiauition, the #(&;'0;&%'() H$(&%68 cleaily exhibits the saint's
view of (*6@(&(+&(+%+ as pait of an eschatological expeiience which has
been fulfilleu in the peison of Chiist (a 'iealiseu' (*6@(&(+&(+%+) anu must
be paitaken of fieely, but which has not yet been consummateu on a univei-
sal scale. This is significant because many scholais, in theii attempt to infei
an inevitable univeisal salvation fiom St uiegoiy's woiks, have often uone
so in a simplistic mannei which not only ciicumsciibes St uiegoiy's vision
of (*6@(&(+&(+%+ to the last things of the histoiical continuum (i.e. an exclu-
sively 'futuie' eschatology), but which compiomises oui fiee paiticipation
in the saving woik of Chiist; a saving woik which, the Nyssen fiequently
emphasiseu, must be actively inteiioiiseu thiough viitue in the ecclesial
context beginning with baptism anu paiticipation in the Euchaiist. Bence,
the ostensible necessaiy univeisalism in St uiegoiy's woiks seems to be a
constiuct auvocateu by those unable to ieconcile the eschatological hope
that uou will be "all in all" anu the ieality of syneigy within the ecclesial
context. But this conclusion shoulu not be inteipieteu as exclusivist - foi al-
though the saint affiimeu the Chuich as the piopei context foi oui peisonal
(*6@(&(+&(+%+ in the Loiu, still those who have not puiifieu themselves in
41S
the heie anu now will be given an oppoitunity to uo so in the futuie life; an
oppoitunity which signifies the infinite iiches of uou's meicy anu love foi a
humanity that he uesiies to save in its entiiety.

Cappadocian Legacy

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