Dwelling in the House of the Lord: Virtuous Perfection in Didymus the Blind

Abstract

Abstract Progress in virtue and perfection are central themes in Didymus the Blind. This article analyzes a series of relevant passages about the concept of perfection in virtue in the writings that have come down to us from the Alexandrian theologian and exegete, in order to clarify its articulations and briefly compare it with the notion of epektasis or endless progress, illustrated by other authors from the East, chief among whom is Saint Gregory of Nyssa. While some recent commentators have argued that Didymus himself was a proponent of epektasis, his texts reveal that he most often inclined to see spiritual perfection in a static way, closely associated to a final limit.