Gregory of Nyssa and the Doctrine of Analogy

To me, something like the following is signified through this verse: the unlimited [divine] nature cannot be accurately contained by a name; rather, every capacity for concepts and every form of words and names, even if they seem to contain something great and befitting God's glory, are unable to grasp his reality. But starting from certain traces and sparks, as it were, our words aim at the unknown, and from what we can grasp we make conjectures by a kind of analogy about the ungraspable. Whatever name we may adopt to signify the perfume of divinity, it is not the perfume itself which we signify by our expressions.; rather, we reveal just the slightest trace of the divine odor by means of our theological terms. As in the case of jars from which perfume has been poured out, the perfume's own nature is not known. But from the slight traces left from the vapors in the jar, we get some idea about the perfume that has been emptied out. Hence, we learn that the perfume of divinity, whatever it is in its essence, transcends every name and thought. However, the wonders visible in the universe give material for the theological terms by which we call God wise, powerful, good, holy, blessed, eternal, judge, savior, and so forth. All these give some indication of the divine perfume's quality. Creation retains the traces of this divine perfume through its visible wonders as in the example of a perfume jar.

- First Homily on the Song of Songs



We should not proceed without considering why the king does not use gold as his ornament but images of gold; and not silver, but studs impressed from this material in the likeness of silver. We understand this as follows: every teaching concerning the ineffable nature of God, even if it seems to reveal the best and highest possible understanding, is the likeness of gold, not gold itself, for the good transcending the human mind cannot be accurately presented. Even if someone like St Paul was initiated into the ineffable mysteries of paradise and heard words not to be spoken, any understanding of God remains unutterable. Paul himself says that such conceptions are ineffable. Those persons, therefore, who offer us any good thoughts about these mysteries, are unable to state anything regarding the divine nature. Rather, they speak of the splendor of God's glory, the stamp of his Nature, the form of God, the Word in the beginning, the Word being God. All these expressions seem to us who have not seen the divine nature as gold from that treasure. But for those capable of looking on the truth, they are likenesses of gold and not gold shining in the delicate studs of silver. Silver is the meaning of these words as scripture says: "The tongue of the just is a fire-tried silver." [Prov 10:20]

The revelation presented here says that the divine nature transcends every conception which tries to grasp it. Our understanding of the divine nature resembles what we seek. It does not show its form, which no one has seen or can see, but through a mirror and a riddle it provides a reflection of the thing sought, that is, a reflection present in the soul by a certain likeness. Every word signifying these conceptions is like a point lacking extension since it cannot show what is present in the mind. Thus every thought of ours falls short of the comprehension of God. Every word which tries to explain God seems to be a little dot incapable of being coextensive with the breadth of the conception. Thus the soul led through such conceptions to comprehend what cannot be laid hold of except by faith must establish in itself a nature transcending every intelligence.

- Third Homily on the Song of Songs