Toward a reconstruction of Gregory of Nyssa's theory of language in the context of anti-Eunomian polemics

Abstract

The paper here abstracted introduces a reconstruction of Gregory’s of Nyssa doctrine on names and naming in the context of polemics with Eunomius of Cyzicus. The author brings into consideration a number of ancient conceptions of naming and language that had major relevance in theological and philosophical debates of 4th century Christians, in particular the theories elaborated in Plato’s dialogues, primarily the Cratylus (also in its later interpretations), in Aristotle’s On interpretation and Categories, as well as the Stoic theory of logos and the Old Testament tradition. He traces down the difference 'name' and 'word' have in a Platonic context and establishes the principles of distinction between phonetic and semantic layers in a word, all of which affects the extent to which certain notions can be translated from one language to another. He goes on to analyze Gregory’s exegesis of the cosmological and cosmogonic passages of the Old Testament, which helps reveal the bishop of Nyssa's view of the origins of language and of the word making activity of man. It can be shown that Gregory incorporates in his thinking both the elements of the ancient Greek philosophy of language (primarily Platonic and Stoic ideas) and of the Old Testament apophatism in describing and naming the transcendent God. These elements are brought into a synthesis with Christocentric asceticism, with what later came to be known as 'natural contemplation' and with the doctrine of the logoi of creation. Particular attention deserves Gregory's version of the doctrine of the 'inner word' which, by confrontation with the 'outer word', delineates the domains of semantics, psychology and language in the understanding of names. This gives the starting point for a reconstruction of a peculiar of anthropology of naming where a word is born in the conscience of a contemplating man who then expresses his experience of contemplation by verbal means.