Gregory of Nyssa on the Resurrected Life

Bodies of Hope

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This Element is composed of three sections that explore Gregory of Nyssa's understanding of the resurrected life. First, according to Gregory, Christ establishes the ascent as the way of virtue and all who desire virtue will be sustained and sated by an infinite God. Second, Gregory assumes that the resurrected life affects us now, and not just our souls but our bodies, our relationships, and our neighbors. Finally, the resurrected life includes companions and teachers, such as his sister Macrina, and those who offer us their lives as instruction, model, and guide like Moses or Paul. This Element engages across multiple works to demonstrate that, for Gregory, Christ's resurrected body affects the bodies of all humans who choose to be on the ascent to God. For Gregory, everything was at stake. As a person lives into the resurrection, they become newly connected and beholden to their neighbors, near and far.