St Gregory of Nyssa - On Death and Eternal Life | Patristic Christian Theology on the Afterlife and Resurrection | Early Church Writings on Death Soul and Salvation | Spiritual Reflections

These are some of Gregory of Nyssa's most theologically significant works, some here in English for the first time. The translation is scrupulously faithful to the original (which is easy to check, as the Greek pages face the pages with the translation). The Greek text is that in the Gregorii Nysseni Opera (Leiden: Brill), far superior to the now dated one in Migne. The English rendering, as accurate as it is, is nevertheless striking in its vividness. One feels as though one is directly engaging with Gregory. I'm not saying it's an easy read, of course. This is, after all, early Byzantine theological writing. But much, much worth it. The translators notes are notably helpful, as well. Very highly recommended.

I learned a lot from the footnotes. The translator, while a heretical sympathetic, which is obvious by the way he phrases things, seems to keep his biases at the door in presenting his thoughts, and leads you to a wealth of knowledge. I praise him for this because people like Richard Price exist.

The kindle version of this title is not “On Death and Eternal Life” by St Gregory of Nyssa, but instead looks like it’s an introduction to some discourse of the Holy Spirit based on works of Athanasius and Didymus. Which is fascinating in its own right, I’m sure, but is not what I paid for.

For the book, I would give 5 stars but am giving 4 stars because the hardcover version and paperback should not be shown together as purchase options. The hardcover version is not the same as the paperback and audible version. After listening to the audible edition I wanted a copy so I could reflect upon the beautiful text. I ordered the hardcover but should have read the description first as I assumed the hardcover and paperback were the same. I just reordered the paperback edition which I hope will be closer to the audible version. I planned to return the hardcover, and Amazon was kind to refund my purchase without the need to return the hardcover. I appreciate Amazon’s good service.

Does not contain the full text of "On Death and Eternal Life"