Restore the Image of God in the Human Person
The Cappadocian region in Turkey is home to three great saints—Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa. They were outstanding theologians who made important contributions to the doctrine of the Trinity. Of these three saints, Gregory of Nyssa is considered to be an eminent spiritual writer. His books, The Life of Moses and Commentary on the Song of Songs are considered to be spiritual classics. Gregory of Nyssa was born between 335 and 340 CE to a pious family. He did not go to the famous ‘schools’ of the time, but was well versed in rhetoric, philosophy and other sciences of his time. It is believed that he married Theosebeia and on the division of the Province of Capadocia in 372, was named bishop of Nyssa. His episcopate can be divided into two parts—with the first part until his exile in 374 being rather uneventful. However, after his return in 379 to the joyous acclaim of the faithful, his theological and spiritual brilliance stood out. He was a prominent figure in the synods of Antioch and Constantinople. It is believed that he died a few years after the synod of Constantinople in 394.
He was a prolific writer and his writings cover a variety of themes, such as Christology, Trinity, Biblical exegesis, writings against heresies, biographies, sermons, discourses, catechetical teachings and various letters. His spiritual classic, The Life of Moses is also considered an exegetical work and was probably written in his old age because of its mature spiritual wisdom and insights. Gregory of Nyssa made use of the person of Moses, a revered figure among Jews and Christians, and presented it as a model for spiritual life. The text contains a prologue (Part I: 1-15), biblical history (Part I:16-77), contemplation (Part II: 1-318) and conclusion (Part II: 319-321). Moses began his life by a desire for solitude in order to return and serve society. Though the book speaks about the need of asceticism, dealing with one’s passions and a life of virtues, the main focus is on having an internal knowledge of God and right behaviour. His spirituality of ‘following God’ stands out because of its emphasis on spiritual life as an unending progress towards God.
Cardinal Jean Daniélou titles his book on the mystical writings of Gregory of Nyssa as From Glory to Glory. The creation of the human person reflects the glory of God. The distorted use of free will led to the fall; the spiritual process consists in the restoration of the fallen nature. Thus the spiritual process is a movement from the glory of being created in God’s image towards greater glory. The three ways proposed by Gregory of Nyssa were built upon the idea of Origen. These are: a) the way of light for beginners; b) knowledge of God akin to being in a cloud and c) knowledge of God in the darkness. This paradoxical movement from light to darkness offers us one of the most sublime expression of apophatic (negative) mysticism and depicts the call to Christian perfection as an ongoing process. Instead of depicting perfection as an immobile state, it is presented as something dynamic leading the human person towards every greater participation in divine life—a continual transformation which leads from ‘glory to glory’ (2 Cor. 3,18).
The great Moses, as he was becoming ever greater, at no time stopped in his ascent, nor did he set a limit for himself in his upward course. Once having set foot on the ladder which God set up (as Jacob says), he continually climbed to the step above and never ceased to rise higher, because he always found a step higher than the one he had attained.
(The Life of Moses, Bk. 2, 228)
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