From Glory to Glory: Texts from Gregory of Nyssa’s Mystical Writings Selected and introduced by Jean Danielou

This collection of the spiritual writings of St Gregory of Nyssa, selected and introduced by Jean Danielou, has long been recognized as an authoritative introduction to the 'father of mysticism,' who exploded classical antiquity's static understanding of perfection by showing the Christian life as one of never-ending growth, a true dynamic movement 'from glory to glory.' Modern thought has come more and more to appreciate the depth and insight of Gregory of Nyssa: he epitomizes, in a sense, all that is best in post-Nicean patristic thought... In Gregory's teaching of the sacred history of the story of God's dealings with men history and symbol fuse in a way that reveals all the uniqueness of the Christian message. Jean Danielou, from the Preface TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE INrRoDUcrroN 07 Jean Dani\lou, S. J. NOTES TO TIIE INTRODUCTION FROM GLORY TO GLORY: TEXTS FROM GRXGORY OF NYSSA'S MYSTICAT WRITINGS I. TIIE MEANING OF PERFECTION 2. PERFECTION AND PROGRESS 3. TrrE CYCLB OF DESTRE 4. THE SYMBOL OF THE BRICK MOULD 5. THE LONGING FOR HEAVEN 6. rns ExoDUs FRoM EGYPT 7. CROSSING THE DESERT 8. nnpao moM HEAVEN g. AT THE FOOT OF MOnNT SINAr IO. PURIFICATION OF HEART rT. RECOLLECTION 12. THETRUEBEAUTY 13. THE GRACE OF THE SPIRIT , 14. RESTORING GOD S IMAGE IJ. ENTERING THE DARK CLOUD 16. THE syMBoL oF ABRAHAM'S MIGnATIoN 17. THE ABYSS OF KNOWLEDGE r8- rns HEAVENLY TABERNACLE 19. OUR EARTHLY TABERNACLE 20. THE SYMBOLISM OF THE PRIESTLY VESTMENTS 2I. THE DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL PROGRESS 22. TH'E SYMBOL OF THE ROCK AND THE SAND 23. FOLLOWTNG THE LORD 24. SPTRTTUAL LOVE 25. MYSTTCAL MARRTAGE 26. rcrc sPIRrruAL sENsEs 27. TIIE GOOD SHEPHERD 28. rNow THYSELF 29. TrfE ODOR OF SPTKENARD 30. THE BUNDLE OF MYRRH 3r. THE BrRTH OF THE WORD 32. TIJE MTRROR OF THE SOUL 33. THE EYES OF THE DOVE 34. THE LrLY OF THE VALLEY 35. THE FRUIT OF THE APPLE TREE 36. ruE MYSTTc wrNEPREss 37. TH.E ORDER OF CHARTTY 38. rnu wouND oF LovE 39. THE DTVTNE OATH 40. TIIE SPRINGTIME OF THE SPIRIT 4r. "ARISE AND coMEtt 42. "T:rtE WINTER Is Now PAsr" 43. FROM DOVE TO DOVE 44. TIJ-E CLEFT OF THE ROCK 45. THE LTTTLE FOXES 46. "EoncnrrrNc THE THINGS rHAT ARE BEHIND 47. rovE's euEsr 48. ruE ITLLAR oF sMoKE IN THE DESERT 49. THE GUARDIANS OF THE HEART 50. THE DOCTRINE OF INFINITE GROWTH 5r. "coME rRoM LTBANUS" sz. T:rrE LIoNs' DEN 53. THE MIRROR OF THE CHURCH 54. THE SINGLE EYE 55. AN ODOR OF SWEETNESS 56. urE HoNEYcoMB 57. rIdE GARMENT OF VIRTUE 58. rHu cARDEN ENcLoSED J9. THE FOUNTAIN SEALED UP 6o. rns PARADISE oF THE soul 6r. rns PoMEGRANATE 62. rp'n SYMBoL oF SAFFRoN 63. rnE SYMBoL oF cINNAMoN 64. rnr wELL oF LIvING wATER 65. rnr FooD oF THE BRIDEGRooM SOBER INTOXICATION WATCHFW SLEEP ANGELIC VIGILANCE BUBBLING SPRING THE NOCTURNAL DE.w THE GARMENT OF THE FLESH THE SYMBOL OF PURE FEET THE MYRRH OF PENANCE THE DOOR OF THE SPIRIT THE SUCCESSIVE PURIFICATIONS THE BODY OF CHRIST THE NEU/ CREATION THE SYMBOL OF CLOSED EYES THE MYSTICAL NIGHT OF THE SOUL THE GOOD SAMARITAN a( ,, MY BELOVED TO ME THE WINGS OF THE DOVE aa ,, ONE IS MY DOVE Selected And With An Introduction By Jean Daniélou ; Translated And Edited By Herbert Musurillo. Reprint Of The 1961 Ed. Published By Scribner, New York. Includes Bibliographical References.