A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola

Autores
Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
This study offers a comparative analysis of the symbolism of the soul’s ascent in Gregory of Nyssa’s De vita Moysis and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s Oratio. Rather than attempting to establish a linear or exclusive dependence, it focuses on a series of Mosaic themes that articulate a dynamic conception of perfection in both authors. Beginning with Moses as a paradigm of virtuous life, the paper examines the shared anthropology of desire underlying Nyssen’s notion of unending progress and Pico’s sacra ambitio. It then traces the ordered sequence of symbols as it develops in Gregory’s treatise: light and darkness, the mountain of the knowledge of God, Jacob’s ladder, the tabernacle, the eagle, death as consummation, and divine friendship. Through the interplay of these symbols both thinkers configure spiritual growth as an ever-deepening participation in divine unity and truth. Particular attention is given to integration of the classical disciplines of the ancient philosophical curriculum within the Mosaic itinerary, as well as to the conception of truth as gradually apprehensible but ultimately inexhaustible. The paper concludes by pondering the results of the comparative study and reflecting on Pico’s way of assimilating the wide variety of sources in his project of philosophical concord.
Fil: Bastitta Harriet, Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Materia
Anthropology
Ethics
Platonism
Exegesis
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/289835
Acceder
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spelling A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della MirandolaBastitta Harriet, FranciscoAnthropologyEthicsPlatonismExegesishttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.3https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6This study offers a comparative analysis of the symbolism of the soul’s ascent in Gregory of Nyssa’s De vita Moysis and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s Oratio. Rather than attempting to establish a linear or exclusive dependence, it focuses on a series of Mosaic themes that articulate a dynamic conception of perfection in both authors. Beginning with Moses as a paradigm of virtuous life, the paper examines the shared anthropology of desire underlying Nyssen’s notion of unending progress and Pico’s sacra ambitio. It then traces the ordered sequence of symbols as it develops in Gregory’s treatise: light and darkness, the mountain of the knowledge of God, Jacob’s ladder, the tabernacle, the eagle, death as consummation, and divine friendship. Through the interplay of these symbols both thinkers configure spiritual growth as an ever-deepening participation in divine unity and truth. Particular attention is given to integration of the classical disciplines of the ancient philosophical curriculum within the Mosaic itinerary, as well as to the conception of truth as gradually apprehensible but ultimately inexhaustible. The paper concludes by pondering the results of the comparative study and reflecting on Pico’s way of assimilating the wide variety of sources in his project of philosophical concord.Fil: Bastitta Harriet, Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaMDPI2026-03info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/289835Bastitta Harriet, Francisco; A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola; MDPI; Religions; 17; 4; 3-2026; 1-282077-1444CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/17/4/421info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3390/rel17040421info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2026-08-25T14:39:08Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/289835instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982026-08-25 14:39:08.858CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola
title A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola
spellingShingle A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola
Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
Anthropology
Ethics
Platonism
Exegesis
title_short A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola
title_full A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola
title_fullStr A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola
title_full_unstemmed A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola
title_sort A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
author Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
author_facet Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
author_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Anthropology
Ethics
Platonism
Exegesis
topic Anthropology
Ethics
Platonism
Exegesis
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.3
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv This study offers a comparative analysis of the symbolism of the soul’s ascent in Gregory of Nyssa’s De vita Moysis and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s Oratio. Rather than attempting to establish a linear or exclusive dependence, it focuses on a series of Mosaic themes that articulate a dynamic conception of perfection in both authors. Beginning with Moses as a paradigm of virtuous life, the paper examines the shared anthropology of desire underlying Nyssen’s notion of unending progress and Pico’s sacra ambitio. It then traces the ordered sequence of symbols as it develops in Gregory’s treatise: light and darkness, the mountain of the knowledge of God, Jacob’s ladder, the tabernacle, the eagle, death as consummation, and divine friendship. Through the interplay of these symbols both thinkers configure spiritual growth as an ever-deepening participation in divine unity and truth. Particular attention is given to integration of the classical disciplines of the ancient philosophical curriculum within the Mosaic itinerary, as well as to the conception of truth as gradually apprehensible but ultimately inexhaustible. The paper concludes by pondering the results of the comparative study and reflecting on Pico’s way of assimilating the wide variety of sources in his project of philosophical concord.
Fil: Bastitta Harriet, Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina
description This study offers a comparative analysis of the symbolism of the soul’s ascent in Gregory of Nyssa’s De vita Moysis and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s Oratio. Rather than attempting to establish a linear or exclusive dependence, it focuses on a series of Mosaic themes that articulate a dynamic conception of perfection in both authors. Beginning with Moses as a paradigm of virtuous life, the paper examines the shared anthropology of desire underlying Nyssen’s notion of unending progress and Pico’s sacra ambitio. It then traces the ordered sequence of symbols as it develops in Gregory’s treatise: light and darkness, the mountain of the knowledge of God, Jacob’s ladder, the tabernacle, the eagle, death as consummation, and divine friendship. Through the interplay of these symbols both thinkers configure spiritual growth as an ever-deepening participation in divine unity and truth. Particular attention is given to integration of the classical disciplines of the ancient philosophical curriculum within the Mosaic itinerary, as well as to the conception of truth as gradually apprehensible but ultimately inexhaustible. The paper concludes by pondering the results of the comparative study and reflecting on Pico’s way of assimilating the wide variety of sources in his project of philosophical concord.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-03
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/289835
Bastitta Harriet, Francisco; A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola; MDPI; Religions; 17; 4; 3-2026; 1-28
2077-1444
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/289835
identifier_str_mv Bastitta Harriet, Francisco; A Sacred Ambition: Mosaic Symbolism of Spiritual Ascent in Gregory of Nyssa and Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola; MDPI; Religions; 17; 4; 3-2026; 1-28
2077-1444
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/17/4/421
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3390/rel17040421
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 13.265058

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