The Abyss of Soul. Platonism and Mystical Theology in Gregory of Nyssa

My intention in this contribution is to show how, in his spiritual theology, Gregory of Nyssa succeeded in transforming certain conceptual structures of Neoplatonic philosophy, placing them in a new and profoundly different context. In this sense, I will try to show how Gregory was able to place at the centre of his reflection the authentic Christian question of man’s insufficiency in relation to himself through confrontation that he was able to establish with the philosophy of his time and its metaphysical presuppositions – perhaps the only one of his generation – and through the profound transformation of the conceptual universe he also assimilated. He was able to do this with a radicality and an intensity largely unknown in Christian authors before him, thus giving his spiritual theology the strength and appeal that it has continued to exert in the tradition that followed