Panayiotis Christou
Testimonia neglected by the Seventh Ecumenical Council
Annuarium Historiae Conciliorum / Internationale Zeitschrift für Konziliengeschichtsforschung
Chapter E
Gregory of Nyssa, in spite of certain of his views which diverge from Orthodoxy, and which, in any case, he himself presented as merely being personal speculations, was highly respected for the important contribution which he had made to Orthodox doctrine. He was, however, poorly represented at Nicaea. Only one quotation of his was used at the Council, from his sermon Οn the Divinity of the Sοn and the Spirit,(19) a noteworthy quotation certainly, but hardly sufficient for someone of his standing and for the needs οf the Council. The florilegia of John Damascene and Vatopedi, though, besides this saying(20) also contain two other testimonies from Gregory.(21) They both come from his treatise Οn the Making of Μαn, which is one of those works in which his main doctrinal divergences occur. This is clearly the reason why these quotations were passed over in the discussions of Nicaea ΙΙ.
NOTES
19. Μansi 13, 9 CD. PG 46, 572 CD.
20. Περί εικόνων, 1, 52 (2, 48. 3, 50). cod. Vatop. 594, ch. 40, 18.
21. Περί εικόνων, 1, 49 (2, 45).1,50 (2, 46). Cod. Vatop. 596, ch. 40, 16; 17.
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