The XIII Colloquium on Gregory of Nyssa took place on September 17th–20th, 2014 in Rome, at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. The first edition of this series of conferences was held in Chevetogne in 1969 and was promoted by Jean Daniélou and others. Typically these Colloquia have focused on the study of one of the works of Gregory. In this way, over the years and parallel to the emergence of Gregorii Nissenii Opera, they have yielded a corpus of studies on Gregory that is of great extension and of high scientific value. On this occasion, the Colloquium’s objects of study were the fifteen Homilies of Gregory: In Canticum Canticorum.
We can highlight two of the reasons why these homilies were chosen. First, the three immediately preceding Colloquia had devoted particular attention to the dogmatic works, especially Contra Eunomium and the Minor Treatises on Trinitarian Theology, and none so far had been dedicated to the great spiritual writings of Gregory. This is why it seems appropriate to systematically address a work like In Canticum which is—as if in unison—a work of spiritual, exegetical, and theological doctrine, all together. Secondly, the wide spectrum of the themes which it contains prompted a great interest for this work, so that, after the publication of the critical edition (ed. Hermann Langerbeck, GNO VI, Leiden, 1960), it has been translated into the main modern languages: in German by Franz Dünlz (Freiburg, 1994), in Italian by Claudio Moreschini (Rome, 1988 and Milan, 2016), in French by Adelin Rousseau (Namur, 2008), more recently the posthumous English translation by Richard A. Norris Jr. (Atlanta, 2012), who died in 2005, and the recent French version by Michel Corbin (Paris, 2018). For this reason it has not been necessary to include a new translation of In Canticum in this volume.
The plenary lectures of the Colloquium are collected in the first part of these Proceedings. Fifteen studies, preceded by a theological introduction, analyze the main questions that recur in In Canticum Canticorum. The studies, rather than successively analyzing each one of the Homilies, follow a systematic order that emphasizes the akolouthia of Gregory’s thought and the great unity of the XV Homilies In Canticum Canticorum. This systematic approach to In Canticum commences with studies of a historical, philological, and exegetical nature, in order to develop afterwards a coherent line of thought that starts from Trinitarian and Christological doctrine, continues with sacramental and spiritual theology, and ends with eschatology and mystical doctrine. The second part of the volume gathers fourteen short papers, which were presented in the Colloquium and which have been carefully selected among forty-five proposals by a long process of peer review. These articles treat various questions and represent a valuable set of supporting studies.
Throughout its two parts the volume combines investigations carried out both by senior and junior scholars. This would not have been possible without the generous work done by the Advisory Board of the Colloquium and without the interest that they have conveyed to new generations in the studies of Gregory of Nyssa: Theodoros Alexopoulos, Constantine Bozinis, Alessandro Capone, Matthieu Cassin, Tina Dolidze, Volker Drecoll, Enrique Eguiarte, Samuel Fernández, Lenka Karfíková, Martin Laird, Jeronimo Leal, Johan Leemans, Morwenna Ludlow, Anneliese Meis, Claudio Moreschini, Ekkehard Mühlenberg, Ilaria Ramelli, Rocco Ronzani, J. Warren Smith and Johannes Zachhuber.
In addition, our sincere gratitude is extended in these brief introductory words to the Abbot Michel Van Parys, of the Greek Abbey of Saint Nilus, in Grottaferrata, who honored us with his presence and chaired one special session of the conference. He and Reinhart Staats took part in the first Colloquium at Chevetogne and their participation in this edition has been a gift and a wonderful sign of continuity in the studies on Gregory of Nyssa.
A special thank you should also be addressed not only to those who enabled us to enjoy the theology of Gregory of Nyssa during the Colloquium, but also to those who made it come alive during morning prayers: John Panteleimon Manoussakis, Mark J. Hunt and again Reinhart Staats, whose homily, pronounced in the Chapel of the Sant’Agostino Church where the mortal remains of Augustine’s mother Monica rest, is collected in an appendix. Additionally, these morning prayers were also an occasion to recall Elias Moutsoulas († 1st August 2014) and David Balás († 8 February 2014) who died in the months prior to the conference.
Last but not least, we want this volume to serve as a tribute in memoriam of Prof. Mateo-Seco, our Doktorvater, who also died in 2014, on the 15th of February. In his honor Hubertus R. Drobner composed the Latin verses which open the volume. Prof. Mateo-Seco actively participated in the preparation of the Colloquium: his advice was of great assistance to us and our memory of him will be a great encouragement to continue following the example that he set for us.
Giulio Maspero and Miguel Brugarolas
Roma—Pamplona, 28 March 2017