Scripture and the Divine Persons: Inspiration in Nyssian Apophatism

Gregory of Nyssa’s apophatic perspective has been recognized as unique among apophatic theologies, as Nyssa makes his gnoseological distinction between the divine persons and the substance, not between the economic and immanent Trinity. This so-called “Nyssian Apophatism” aligns with Gregory’s theology of inspiration, both which are developed in response to Eunomius’ theory of language. Much of the scholarship has focused on the Christological aspects of Nyssian apophatism, discussing how God can and does “speak” through the person of Christ. However, the question of the role of the Holy Spirit in divine inspiration—particularly in relationship to his larger apophatic theology—remains unclear. Examining Nyssa’s description of inspiration as “unspoken groanings” in which the Holy Spirit indicates his will to the “secret thinking of the heart,” I connect this account of inspiration to his larger apophatic framework. In my first part of my paper, I present Nyssian apophatism with its emphasis on person, drawing on the scholarship of Giulio Maspero. From there, my second part connects his apophatism to his theology of inspiration, contending that the person of Holy Spirit has an epistemological function to reveal the incomprehensible God into human language. My conclusion is that Nyssa’s apophatic account of the person underlies his account of inspiration. By discussing Nyssa’s theology of inspiration within his unique apophatism, I situate Nyssa’s claims within the larger apophatic tradition developing during Ancient Christian discourse. Furthermore, by highlighting the role of the person of the Holy Spirit, my paper connects Nyssa’s understanding of inspiration within the developing concept of person evident in Cappadocian thought. In this way, I demonstrate how Nyssa’s theology of inspiration is in continuity with the larger philosophical developments of the fourth century.