Fasting: Gregory of Nyssa on Fasting and Freedom

Gregory of Nyssa (d. c. 394) connected fasting to true human freedom. He preached: "Fasting is the champion of every virtue, the beginning of the struggle, the crown of the abstinent, the beauty of virginity and sanctity, the brightness of chastity, the foundation of piety." But Gregory's most original contribution was linking fasting to the Genesis narrative.

Gregory taught that humanity's original sin was essentially a failure of fasting -- Adam and Eve ate what was forbidden. Therefore fasting reverses the fall: "Through food we fell, through fasting we rise. The way back to paradise lies through the discipline of the appetite." Fasting is thus not merely self-improvement but participation in redemption.

Practical application: The next time you fast, reflect on the freedom that comes from saying "no" to appetite. Notice how the ability to choose not to eat, even when food is available, strengthens your capacity to say "no" to other temptations. Gregory teaches that fasting trains the will in freedom, restoring the self-mastery that was lost in Eden.