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Language and Theology in St Gregory of Nyssa Durham E-Theses Language and theology in St Gregory of Nyssa Neamµu, Mihail G. How to cite: Neamµu, Mihail G. (2002) Language and theology in St Gregory of Nyssa, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4187/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk University of Durham Faculty of Arts Department of Theology The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Language and Theology in St Gregory of Nyssa Mihail G. Neamtu St John's College September 2002 M.A. in Theological Research Supervisor: Prof Andrew Louth This dissertation is the product of my own work, and the work of others has been properly acknowledged throughout. Mihail Neamtu Language and Theology in St Gregory of Nyssa MA (Research) Thesis, September 2002 Abstract This MA thesis focuses on the work of one of the most influential and authoritative theologians of the early Church: St Gregory of Nyssa (f396). My topic of research consists in the relationship between language and theology, as it shaped in Gregory's polemical works against the radical Arians, in particular against Eunomius of Cyzicus (1395). The first chapter tackles the historical side of the controversy and provides the chronology of the dogmatic disputes on the dogma of Trinity following the Council of Nicaea (325). The second chapters illustrate the conflict being at stake between two theological methodologies: Gregory's grammar of thought is scriptural, whereas Eunomius' theology is much more philosophical and inflexible in its terms. Eunomius claimed that one can know God by his essence in the concept of 'ingenerate'. On the contrary, for Gregory of Nyssa, God 'is above all names'. For him, language and sexuality are realitites of the post-lapsarian world, which made human mind opaque and the exercise of interpretation indispensable. Gregory included also the episode of Babel in the genealogy of our linguistic finitude. The third and the fourth chapters focus on the relationship between language and theological knowledge in St Gregory's third book Contra Eunomium. All words used in human language - including Eunomius' concept of agennetos - have complementary meanings, since no one can describe the essence of an object or of any part of reality. On this basis, Gregory develops his 'theory of relativity' of names, which can never befit God's majesty and glory. In the last chapter, under the heading 'Pragmatics of Language', I investigate the immediate consequences of Gregory's 'theory of relativity'. Speech is treated as a sphere, which resembles the creative power of the hypostatic Word. Therefore, rhetoric becomes the perfect tool for his pastoral concern in doing theology. By choosing rhetoric, Gregory is free to start his theological argument from anywhere, since theology is a discourse about God's redemptive economy. In conclusion, I try to emphasise the actuality of Gregory's theory of names and its importance for the contemporary debates in the Church on thorny issues as Trinitarian theology or gender. I also evaluate Gregory of Nyssa's self-consistency in positive terms. Acknowledgements In its genuine sense, theology is dialogic and eucharistic. Therefore, I would like to thank here some of the Church people whose support was invaluable during my MA research. My thanks go to Metropolitan Joseph (Paris), Archbishop Bartolomeu (Cluj- Napoca, Romania), Bishop Vasile Somesanul (Cluj-Napoca, Romania), Archimandrite Symeon (Maldon, Essex), Archimandrite Ephrem Lash (Manchester), Hieromonk Gabriel Bunge OSB (Roveredo, Switzerland), Hieromonk Agapie Corbu (Almas-Romania), Fr John Behr (Crestwood, NY), Fr Radu Mar&sescu (Bussy, France), Fr Audrey Kordochkin, the community of the Stavropegic Monastery St John the Baptist (Maldon-Essex), and the orthodox parish of St Bede and Cuthbert (Durham). From them all, I learned the importance of remaining a dilettante in the exploration of theology. In the past twelve months, at different stages, many friends helped me to refresh my approach towards various aspects of my research. I am especially indebted to Alan Brown (Cambridge), Dr Augustine Cassiday (Cambridge, UK), Eugen Ciurtin (Bucharest), Dr Adam Cooper (Adelaide, Australia), Dr Daniel Hanc (Arad), Professor loan I. Ica Jr. (Sibiu, Romania), Mihaela Timus (Bucharest), and Mika Toronen (Durham). I am particularly grateful to Magnus Wheeler and to Maria Lastochkina who read earlier drafts of this paper and improved it considerably. All the mistakes left, in style and substance, are mine. My postgraduate studies at Durham University were made possible through the generosity of Society of Sacred Mission (at St Antony's Priory), which offered me the ideal condition for studying during the whole year. I should also mention The Rafiu Family Foundation (London), Dr Stefan Balan (New York) and Mrs. Mihaela Scherer, who helped me to benefit from the exceptional libraries of her adoptive city (Munich). The confidence of my parents was also substantial and helped me to overcome many impasses. Finally, I would like to thank Professor Andrew Louth, for his great support and sympathy, and for giving me the enormous and rare privilege of learning from him so much. MlHAIL NEAMTU Durham, September 2002 i Abbreviation a) Works of St Gregory of Nyssa Ad Abl.: Ad Ablabium, quod non sunt trei dei GNO III, 1 Adv. Apol.: Adversus Apolinarium GNO III, 1 Ad. Eust.: Ad Eusthatium, de Sancta Trinitate GNO III, 1 Ad. Greac: Ad Graecos, ex communibus notionibus GNO III, 1 CE: Contra Eunomium I, II, III GNO I-II De an. et. res.: De anima et ressurectione PG 44 De beat.: De beatitudinibus GNO VII, 2 De deit. Fil.: De deitate Filii et Spiritus Sancti GNO X, 3 De diff.: De diferentia ousiae et hypostaseos BASIL, Letter 38 De horn, op.: De hominis opificio PG 44 De inf.: De infantibuspraemature abreptis GNO III, 2 De or. dom. : De oratione dominica GNO VII, 2 De perf.: De perfectione GNO VIII, 1 De inst. chr.: De institute Christiana GNO VIII, 1 De prof, chr.: De profesione Christiana GNO VIII, 1 De virg.: De virginitate GNO VIII, 1 In Basil.: In Basilium fratrem GNO X, 1 In Cant.: In Canticum Canticorum GNO VI In Eccl.: In Ecclesiastem GNO V Epist.: Letters GNO VIII, 2 Inscr. : In Inscriptiones Psalmorum GNO V DC = Or. cat.: Oratio catehetica GNO III, 4 Ref Eun.: Refutation confessionis Eunomii GNO II Vit. Moys.: De vita Moysis PG 44 The works of Gregory of Nyssa are included in the volumes 44-46 of the collection Patrologia Graeca (ed. J.-P. Migne). b) Journals, Books and Collections A Apologia (Eunomii) AA Apologia Apologiae (Eunomii) ACW Ancient Christian Writers ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers Arch, de Phil. Archives de Philosophic CH Church History CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium DS Dictionnaire de spiritualite ECR Eastern Churches Review GCS Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten drei Jahrhunderte GNO Gregorii Nysseni Opera GOTR Greek Orthodox Theological Review HTR Harvard Theological Review JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies JEH Journal of Ecclesiastical History ii JTS Journal of Theological Studies MT Modern Theology NPNF Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers OCA Orientalia Christiana Analecta OCP Orientalia Christiana Periodica OECT Oxford Early Christian Texts PG Patrologia Graeca PL Patrologia Latina PO Patrologia Orientalis PTS Patristische Texte und Studien REA Revue d Etudes Augustiniennes REG Revue des Etudes Grecques HR History of Religions RHE Revue d 'Histoire Ecclesiastique RScPhTh Revue des Sciences Philosophiques et Theologiques RSR Recherches de Science Religieuse SC Sources Chretiennes SP Studia Patristica SVTQ Saint Vladimir'1 s Theological Quarterly TS Theological Studies JR Journal of Religion TU Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur VC Vigiliae Christianae ZKG Zeitschrift fur Kirchengeschichte HeyJ Heyhrop Journal JLT Journal of Literature and Theology ZAC Zeitschrift fur antikes Christentum: Journal of Ancient Christianity ZKG Zeitschrift fur Kirchengeschichte iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction. Why Language Matters I. PRE-TEXTS 1. Nicene Aftermath 2. Forty Years of Uncertainty (341-381) 3. The Emergence of the Cappadocians 4. Aetius' Legacy 5. Eunomius of Cyzicus 6. Eunomius' Double Apologies 7. A Search not for Doctrine, but for Truth II. THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE 1. Background 2. The Scriptural Grammar 3. The Biblical Panoply 4. Gregory's Scriptural Mind 5. Conflict Between Methodologies 6. What Makes the Difference? m. PROTOLOGY OF LANGUAGE 1. Language and the Ministry of Hands 2. Conversion and Conversation 3. Angelic Silence and Human Speech 4. From Babel to Pentecost 5. Acknowledging Cultural Diversity 6. The Virtues of the Intellectual Pessimism 7. Scientific Disillusionment and Spiritual Progress IV. THINKING THE LANGUAGE 1. Thought and Language 2. Abstraction 3. Reality and Imperfection of Knowledge 4. Epinoia 5. Criticism of Semantic Univocity 6. AGENNETOS: Privation and Correlation 7. Contradiction and Contrariety V. PRAGMATICS OF LANGUAGE 1. Gregory's Pastoral Theology 2. Meaning of Rhetoric 3. Economical and Hypostatic Names 4. Gender Issues 5. Desire of Infinity and Infinity of Desire 6. Doxological Icons iv Introduction. Why Language Matters It happens so that a certain usage of language always gives the interpretation of the 'divine', and viceversa.
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