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Gregory Of Nyssa Is Firmly Established In Today's Theological Curriculum And Is A Major Figure In The Study Of Late Antiquity. Students Encounter Him In Anthologies Of Primary Sources, In Surveys Of Christian History And Perhaps In Specialized Courses On The Doctrine Of The Trinity, Eschatology, Asceticism, Or The Like. Gregory Of Nyssa's Doctrinal Works Presents A Reading Of The Works In Gregory's Corpus Devoted To The Dogmatic Controversies Of His Day. Andrew Radde-gallwitz Focuses As Much On Gregory The Writer As On Gregory The Dogmatic Theologian. He Sets Both Elements Not Only Within The Context Of Imperial Legislation And Church Councils Of Gregory's Day, But Also Within Their Proper Religious Context-that Is, Within The Temporal Rhythms Of Ritual And Sacramental Practice. Gregory Himself Roots What We Call Trinitarian Theology Within The Church's Practice Of Baptism. In His Dogmatic Treatises, Where Textbook Accounts Might Lead One To Expect Much More On The Metaphysics Of Substance Or Relation, One Finds A Great Deal On Baptismal Grace; In His Sermons, Reflecting On The Occasion Of Baptism Tends To Prompt Trinitarian Questions.
This work investigates how Gregory of Nyssa’s dogmatic treatises and sermons integrate formal theological doctrine with the lived liturgical and sacramental practices of the early Church. Andrew Radde-Gallwitz, a scholar of patristics, examines Gregory not merely as a speculative metaphysician but as a writer deeply embedded in the ritual life of his era. By analyzing the intersection of imperial politics, church councils, and baptismal rites, the author argues that Gregory’s Trinitarian theology is fundamentally rooted in the experience of Christian initiation.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and students of patristics identify this text as a significant contribution to understanding the practical dimensions of Nyssen theology. Readers frequently note the author's ability to bridge the gap between abstract metaphysical analysis and the concrete realities of fourth-century liturgical life.
Page Count:
304
Publication Date:
2018-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019164627X
ISBN-13:
9780191646270
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