A review by studeronomy
On the Soul and Resurrection by Saint Gregory of Nyssa

5.0

Orthodox Christians will naturally be interested in St. Gregory of Nyssa's treatise on the soul, the soul's origins, its properties, and the doctrine of resurrection and theosis. This review is for non-Orthodox and non-Christians. I recommend On the Soul and Resurrection to general readers of philosophy just as I'd recommend any of Plato's dialogues (St. Gregory's treatise most resembles the Phaedo, as the introduction by Catharine Roth explains—the introduction alone is worth the price of admission).

Whether you're sympathetic to the ideas of Plato and other philosophers who affirm the existence of the soul or you're a hardened materialist, you cannot deny that the soul—the essence and consistency of "the self," our sense of a stable and continuous "self"—is a persistent and fascinating problem within philosophy, western *or* eastern. The soul and its nature have inspired some of the best philosophical writing. On the Soul and Resurrection engages directly with this ongoing conversation and develops classical Greek ideas about the self within a doctrinally sound *and* intellectually rigorous Christian framework. Just as you needn't worship the Greek gods to benefit from Plato, you needn't be Orthodox to benefit from St. Gregory.

I would also recommend this treatise to anyone interested in philosophical Buddhism and eastern conceptions of the self. St. Gregory explores the relationship between our conception of self; our true nature; and their relationship to suffering, pain, and what Orthodox Christians call "the passions." He contrasts our passionate nature with our true nature, which is God-like and love-oriented. He explains why purification—the return of the self to its created nature, which exists in harmony with God and creation—can be such a painful process. Just as you don't need to be a Buddhist to benefit from Buddhist insights, you don't need to be Orthodox to benefit from St. Gregory's insights.

St. Gregory of Nyssa is a sensitive thinker. He "steel-mans" his opponents' best arguments about the existence and nature of the soul. He structures his treatise as a dialogue between him and his sister, St. Macrina the Younger. Both Gregory and Macrina confront death as they discuss the soul: Gregory has just lost a dear friend and Macrina conducts the dialogue from her own deathbed. Within the conceit of the treatise, Macrina explains the doctrine of the soul while Gregory offers objections to the Orthodox view. These objections are powerful. I frequently find myself nodding along as Gregory responds to Macrina's account of Orthodox doctrine...which makes Macrina's responses to Gregory all the more compelling.

Again, you don't need to agree with this treatise to benefit from it. If you enjoy classical Greek philosophy, I strongly recommend the theology of the early Church Fathers, whose intellectual heft rivals that of the best classical philosophy. On the Soul and Resurrection is rigorous, stimulating, and enjoyable to read.