St gregory of nyssa patron saint of

St Gregory of Nyssa (c – AD) was the youngest of the three Cappadocian Fathers, and the brother of Basil of Caesarea. Despite receiving the least formal education of the three, his writings skilfully present the Christian faith in terms of the contemporary philosophical worldview of his day.

Worthy of special note are his “mystical” texts, such as The Life of Moses and the Commentary on the Song of Songs, which use vivid metaphors to convey a profound understanding of the spiritual life.

It is on account of such texts, that some scholars have referred to him as the founder of Christian mysticism.

An important influence for Gregory was the works of Origen (the controversial third century Alexandrian Christian whose views on certain matters had by now begun to receive criticism).

The writings of St Gregory owe much to Origen after (sometimes subtle, and sometimes radical) corrections in the light of 4th century orthodoxy.

Quotes from Gregory of Nyssa

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