Spiritual Hermeneutics as Ascetic Practice in Gregory of Nyssa

This article explores the ascetical writings of Gregory of Nyssa, especially his Life of Moses, to show the interdependence between Gregory’s spiritual hermeneutics and his ascetic practice. It argues that, for Gregory, spiritual hermeneutics is an ascetic practice. To show this, it first situates Gregory historically. It then describes his ascetic theology, illustrating from his Life of Moses how he finds, in the biblical narrative, a life of ascetic virtue-a practice of turning from bodily passion and pleasure to enjoying true inward and spiritual fruit. Gregory’s spiritual hermeneutic is then shown to be of the very same character, requiring readers to transpose the outward and corporeal features of language to arrive at spiritual realities.