The Body and Desire: Gregory of Nyssa's Ascetical Theology

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Univ of California Press, Nov 27, 2018 - Religion - 260 pages
Although the reception of the Eastern Father Gregory of Nyssa has varied over the centuries, the past few decades have witnessed a profound awakening of interest in his thought. The Body and Desire sets out to retrieve the full range of Gregory’s thinking on the challenges of the ascetic life by examining within the context of his theological commitments his evolving attitudes on what we now call gender, sex, and sexuality. Exploring Gregory’s understanding of the importance of bodily and spiritual maturation for the practices of contemplation and virtue, Raphael A. Cadenhead recovers the vital relevance of this vision of transformation for contemporary ethical discourse. 


 
 

Contents

The Integration of the Virtues
53
Gregorys Emerging Theory of Desire
62
The Death of Siblings
88
Christological and Trinitarian
107
erotic intimacy
117
Virginity and the Narrative of Progress
123
Diachronic Exchanges
138
Conclusion
155
Appendix
163
Abbreviations
179
Bibliography
219
Index
255
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About the author (2018)

Raphael A. Cadenhead holds a doctorate in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Cambridge.

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