Contemporary philosophy does not talk much about the human soul. But the reflections and refutations of Gregory of Nyssa have been made relevant again by the rise in belief in reincarnation. Our birth is that of twins, the body and the soul, uniquely bound together forever. Based on this image, Gregory proposes a description in four stages of the life of the incarnate Word, which would serve as a rule for everyone: conception, birth, death, and resurrection. Death adds something to our human experience, to such a degree that the human being who has not yet tasted death remains that much incomplete. Christ underwent this so that the resurrection could be offered to every human being; a resurrection which makes us perfect by starting us on an infinite pursuit of God.
