Márton Hoványi: Comparative Examination of the Patristic Theology of Desire in the Oeuvres of Saint Augustine of Hippo and Gregory of Nyssa

In a primary approach, the theology of desire is in connection with the createdness of man through anthropology. Through the act of creation, however, it may lead us to God’s nature. Ancient Christian thinking was also greatly influenced by Platonic and Stoic philosophy in this respect. Owing to the different interpretations of these philosophies, the Eastern and Western Patristic literature, by the turn of 4-5thcenturies AD, defined the Christian doctrine considerably differently less by the influence of Biblical sources than by the mentioned schools of philosophy. The theology of Gregory of Nyssa may signify the Eastern parallel of the process in Latin Christianity culminating in Augustine’s oeuvre. While in the West, the desire was articulated primarily in light of human nature corrupted due to the original sin, Gregory testifies to a much more positive desire in connection with the image of God of man.This paper studies the focal point of this historical process, which also determines the theology of today. Examining the derivatives of the verb ‘cupio’ may lead us to a summary of Augustine’s observations. By considering the interpretation of the usage of the word ‘epithumia’, we can present the Gregorian approach that opposes Augustinian observations. The clearly definable different theological approaches of the two traditions further colour the philological differences. After the brief presentation of the models, I intend to take the Gregorian approach further, so that, by adjudging desire positively, it may even shade the conception of Western theology of the original sin.