Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-after 394), with his brother Basil the Great and friend Gregory of Nazianze, belongs to the company of the Cappadocian church fathers. In On the soul and resurrection, the Eastern church father engages in a conversation with his sister Macrina (324-379) as she lies on her deathbed. In the introduction, theologian and classicist Piet Hein Hupsch discusses the nature of the dialogue, and various aspects of it such as its literary form, context, structure, argumentation technique and the main themes are addressed. The introduction also has a biographical portrait of Gregory of Nyssa, mentions Gregory's predecessors and followers where the soul and resurrection are concerned, and talks about the original Greek text in which the work was written. The text of Gregory of Nyssa that then follows in a Dutch translation consists of an introduction by the church father himself and six sections, each of which has a short introduction by Hupsch. At the very end is an index of Bible quotations from the text. The book frequently quotes from or refers to the Bible.
The book begins with Macrina comforting her brother Gregory, who is grieving over the imminent death of his sister. The subsequent five parts discuss the soul, with the sixth and final part focusing on the resurrection. The first two parts deal with the soul before death. First, the soul is seen as an immaterial, created substance endowed with intellect, which brings life force to the body. Gregory then wonders whether the passions that a person is afflicted with belong to the inherent nature of the soul. Macrina’s answer is that the Bible commands that nothing characteristic of the soul is also not inherent to the divine nature. Passions do not belong to the essence of the soul; they parasitize it. Parts three and four address the soul after death. The fifth part discusses the rejection of the idea of reincarnation of the soul. The pagan doctrine of transmigration of the soul, presented as occurring between humans but also between humans, animals, and plants, is rejected here.
In the final part, Gregory of Nyssa discusses the resurrection. There are people who deny the resurrection. Based on what has been said about the soul in the preceding five parts, the resurrection is discussed as the transformation of the individual human being into immortality. The resurrection is the return and restoration to the original state of human nature, which is one of immortality and glory as the image of God. Remarkably, throughout Gregory’s argument, there is no mention of damnation. Even the notorious sinner, after undergoing purification, partakes in the resurrection.
There are some striking elements in the dialogue between Gregory and Macrina. Within the framework of the dialogue, Gregory plays the role of an opponent to points of faith such as the soul and the resurrection. It is noted that Gregory himself would not deny these matters: his “criticism” merely serves to clarify the dialogue. Macrina is the one who defends the faith, as it were. She frequently refers to the Bible. Gregory refers to her as the teacher. It is remarkable how Macrina conducts herself as a true theologian throughout the dialogue, making her something of a church mother.
‘On the Soul and the Resurrection’ is a fascinating text that introduces us to how certain people in the Early Church thought about central points of faith. For those who are willing, it can be an invitation to reflect on what the soul and resurrection might mean for us.
Read the article (Dutch) on the Platform Oosters Christendom
