The association of poverty of spirit with humility was firmly established by at least the third century. It permeates the writings of both Eastern Greek fathers and Western Latin fathers.7 Gregory of Nyssa (ca. 335–395) and Augustine of Hippo (354–430), two of the church’s most influential interpreters, understood the beatitude in this way. This approach dominated interpretation throughout the medieval era and remains prominent today in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox thought. It’s hard to overestimate