Gregory of Nyssa's Doctrinal Works

The first monograph on Gregory of Nyssa’s entire corpus of works on the Trinity and the economy of Christ, this book argues that the numerous explicit parallels and links among the works suggest that the corpus is best studied synoptically. Despite differences of theme and intention, Gregory’s Trinitarian works center on the baptismal confession of Matthew 28:19, which Gregory reads as Christ’s own creed, and which, on his reading, presents an account of all divine activity as being accomplished in the Spirit. Gregory argues against both Eunomius and the Pneumatomachians that the Spirit’s act of giving the divine life in baptism should not be deemed inferior to the act of creation; Gregory’s metaphysical and epistemological arguments are subservient to this theme. The book also proposes a developmental reading of Gregory’s works Christ’s saving economy. Rather than assessing Gregory’s Christology by reference to a single systematic model, the book’s second part shows how the governing metaphors and models by which Gregory articulated his position shifted as he responded to various criticisms and addressed the various feasts of the Christian liturgical cycle. An integrated study of the various types of writing in Gregory’s corpus—from public orations proclaimed before imperially sponsored councils to festal homilies to extended treatises—the book offers new insights into the role of a leading bishop in the Theodosian empire and connects important parts of his literary output with the tasks given to him by the councils meeting in Constantinople in the years AD 381–3.