Mystical Solidarity in Gregory of Nyssa : Deification, Apokatastasis and Social Ethics

Abstract: This essay introduces and explicates the doctrine of soteriological solidarity in Gregory of Nyssa and highlights its importance for understanding of his notion of apokatastasis and his social ethics. First, I argue that soteriological solidarity is intrinsic to Gregory's concept of deification, since he conceives of deification as an imitation of the will of the God who "wants all people to be saved" (1 Tim 2.4), and as a participation in the salvific operations of God. For Gregory, we are called to cooperate in the operation of God for the realization of his philanthropic will. I then demonstrate that this understanding of deification also plays a crucial role in his social ethics. For Gregory, the path of deification through participating in the "good work" and the "mercy" of God, constitutes human solidarity on both the social and the soteriological level. In the third section, I demonstrate how Gregory understands that assisting the conversion of the lost need not violate their freewill, by focusing on his belief that, through the participation in the salvific operations of God, one can cure others' vicious passions, which paralyze the sound function of their free will. Finally, I argue that Gregory insists on the responsibility to meet the physical needs of the poor and the sick, since in Gregory's doctrine of soteriological solidarity, the lepers and the poor are our "joint strugglers" who are assisting us for our salvation. Based on this discussion, I develop a theory of "mystical solidarity" which emphasizes the organic interconnection between the path of deification, soteriological solidarity, and social solidarity.