Brian Hamilton

Every name is equally able to indicate the ineffable nature

“No one can adequately grasp the terms pertaining to God. For example, ‘mother’ is mentioned in place of ‘father’. Both terms mean the same, because the divine is neither male or female (for how could such a thing be contemplated in the divinity, when it does not remain intact permanently for us human beings either? But when all shall become one in Christ, we will be divested of the signs of this distinction together with the whole of the old man). Therefore, every name found [in Scripture] is equally able to indicate the ineffable nature, since the meaning of the undefiled nature is contaminated by neither female nor male.”

—Gregory of Nyssa, Commentary on the Song of Songs

19 January 2007 |
tags: Gender, Patristics