Gregory of Nazianzus

Gregory of Nazianzus (, ; – 25 January 390), also known as Saint Gregory the Theologian or Gregory Nazianzen, was an early Roman Christian theologian and prelate who served as Archbishop of Constantinople from 380 to 381. He is widely considered the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age. As a classically trained orator and philosopher, he infused Hellenism into the early Church, establishing the paradigm of Byzantine theologians and church officials. He was considered the patron saint of Kotromanić dynasty and medieval Bosnia during the first half of the 15th century, while Saint George, the miracle-worker, has been the patron saint since at least mid-13th century, although confirmed by the papacy much later in 1461. Saint Gregory the Great was also considered the patron of both the state and dynasty in the late 15th century.

He is also one of only three men in the life of the Orthodox Church who have been officially designated "Theologian" by epithet, the other two being John the Apostle, and Symeon the New Theologian.

Biography

Early life and education

Gregory was born to Greek parents in the family estate of Karbala outside the village of Arianzus, near Nazianzus, in southwest Cappadocia. His parents, Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder and Nonna of Nazianzus, were wealthy land-owners. In 325, Nonna converted her husband, a Hypsistarian, to Christianity; he was subsequently ordained as bishop of Nazianzus in 328 or 329. He may have been baptized there, or shortly after his return to Cappadocia.

Priesthood

In 361, Gregory returned to Nazianzus and was ordained a presbyter by his father's wish, who wanted him to assist with caring for local Christians. Leaving home after a few days, he met his friend Basil at Annesoi, where the two lived as ascetics. He made little effort to administer his new diocese, complaining to Basil that he preferred instead to pursue a contemplative life. He instead focused his attention on his new duties as coadjutor of Nazianzus.

It was around this time that his sister, Saint Gorgonia, died, and he preached a eulogy at her funeral.

Following the deaths of his mother and father in 374, Gregory continued to administer the Diocese of Nazianzus but refused to be named bishop. Donating most of his inheritance to the needy, he lived an austere existence.

In 379, the Antioch synod and its archbishop, Meletius, asked Gregory to go to Constantinople to lead a theological campaign to win over that city to Nicene orthodoxy. From this little chapel he delivered five powerful discourses on Nicene doctrine, explaining the nature of the Trinity and the unity of the Godhead.

Gregory's homilies were well received and attracted ever-growing crowds to Anastasia. Fearing his popularity, his opponents decided to strike. On the vigil of Easter in 379, an Arian mob burst into his church during worship services, wounding Gregory and killing another bishop. Escaping the mob, Gregory next found himself betrayed by his erstwhile friend, the philosopher Maximus I of Constantinople. Maximus I, who was in secret alliance with Peter II of Alexandria, attempted to seize Gregory's position and have himself ordained bishop of Constantinople. He shocked the council with his surprise resignation and then delivered a dramatic speech to Theodosius asking to be released from his offices. The emperor, moved by his words, applauded, commended his labor, and granted his resignation. The Council asked him to appear once more for a farewell ritual and celebratory orations. Gregory used this occasion to deliver a final address ( 42) and then departed. In this regard, Gregory is the first to use the idea of procession to describe the relationship between the Spirit and the Godhead: "The Holy Spirit is truly Spirit, coming forth from the Father indeed but not after the manner of the Son, for it is not by generation but by procession, since I must coin a word for the sake of clearness." Although Gregory does not fully develop the concept, the idea of procession would shape most later thought about the Holy Spirit.

He emphasized that Jesus did not cease to be God when he became a man, nor did he lose any of his divine attributes when he took on human nature. Furthermore, Gregory asserted that Christ was fully human, including a full human soul. He also proclaimed the eternality of the Holy Spirit, saying that the Holy Spirit's actions were somewhat hidden in the Old Testament but much clearer since the ascension of Jesus into Heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit at the feast of Pentecost.

In contrast to the Neo-Arian belief that the Son is anomoios, or "unlike" the Father, and with the Semi-Arian assertion that the Son is , or "like" the Father, Gregory and his fellow Cappadocians maintained the Nicaean doctrine of , or consubstantiality of the Son with the Father. The Cappadocian Fathers asserted that God's nature is unknowable to man; helped to develop the framework of , or three persons united in a single Godhead; illustrated how Jesus is the of the Father; and explained the concept of , the belief that all Christians can be assimilated with God in "imitation of the incarnate Son as the divine model". The book VIII of the Greek Anthology contains exclusively 254 epigrams of his.

Influence

Gregory's great nephew Nichobulos served as his literary executor, preserving and editing many of his writings. A cousin, Eulalios, published several of Gregory's more noteworthy works in 391. Paul Tillich credits Gregory of Nazianzus for having "created the definitive formulae for the doctrine of the trinity". Additionally, the Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Theologian in use by the Coptic Church is named after him.

Relics

Following his death, Gregory was buried at Nazianzus. His relics, consisting of portions of his body and clothing, were transferred to Constantinople in 950, into the Church of the Holy Apostles. Part of the relics were taken from Constantinople by Crusaders during the Fourth Crusade, in 1204, and ended up in Rome. On 27 November 2004, those relics, along with those of John Chrysostom, were returned to Istanbul by Pope John Paul II, with the Vatican retaining a small portion of both. The relics are now enshrined in the Patriarchal St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul in the Fanar.

Death

During the six years of life which remained to him after his final retirement to his birthplace, Gregory composed the greater part of his copious poetical works. These include a valuable autobiographical poem of nearly 2000 lines; about one hundred other shorter poems relating to his past career; and a large number of epitaphs, epigrams, and epistles to well-known people during that era. The poems that he wrote that dealt with his personal affairs refer to the continuous illness and severe sufferings (physical and spiritual) which assailed him during his last years. In the tiny plot of ground at Arianzus, all that remained to him of his rich inheritance was by a fountain near which there was a shady walk. Gregory retired here to spend his days as a hermit. It was during this time that he decided to write theological discourses and poetry of both a religious and an autobiographical nature. He would receive occasional visits from intimate friends, as well as visits from strangers who were attracted to his retreat by his large reputation for sanctity and learning. He died about 25 January 390, although the exact date of his death is unknown.

Feast days

Gregory of Nazianzus is celebrated on different days across Christianity:

2 January: The Catholic Church and the Church of England celebrate Gregory's feast on 2 January;
10 January: The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod commemorates Gregory, along with Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa (the Cappadocian Fathers) on 10 January;
19, 25 and 30 January: The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches celebrate two major feast days in Gregory's honor. 25 January is his primary feast; 30 January, known as the feast of the Three Great Hierarchs, commemorates him along with John Chrysostom and Basil of Caesarea. There is also a minor feast day on 19 January which commemorates the transfer of his relics;
9 May: The Episcopal Church celebrates Gregory's feast on 9 May;
14 June: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America commemorates Gregory of Nazianzus together with his friends Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa on 14 June;
Armenian Dates: The Armenian Apostolic Church devotes two days each year to Gregory. He is commemorated together with eleven other doctors of the Church on the Saturday before the feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross (which is observed on the Sunday closest to 26 October. The Armenian Church calendar also has a feast day dedicated solely to Gregory. This falls either on the Saturday before the fourth Sunday of the Transfiguration, or if that day falls during the feast of the Assumption, on the Saturday before the third Sunday after the Nativity.

Notes and references

Bibliography

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John Anthony McGuckin, St. Gregory of Nazianzus - An Intellectual Biography, Crestwood, NY, 2001, St. Vladimir's Seminar Press, .
Jacques Paul Migne (General Editor), Cursus Completus Patrologiae Graecae, Volumes 35–38, Paris, 1857–1866.
The Orthodox Church of America website article on St. Gregory the Theologian, Retrieved 2 May 2007.
Rosemary Radford Ruether, Gregory of Nazianzus, Oxford, 1969, Oxford University Press.
Turner, H.E.W. and Francis Young, "Procession(s)" in The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology, ed. A. Richardson and J. Bowden, Philadelphia, 1983, Westminster Press, 1983.
Gregory of Nazianzus, translated by Martha Vinson, Select Orations, Catholic University of America Press, 2003, Link.

External links

Parallel texts in English and Greek with advanced search functions at CatholicLibrary.org
Works of Gregory of Nazianzus translated into English
NAZIANZOS: Centre for the study of Gregory of Nazianzus at the Université catholique de Louvain
Colonnade Statue in St Peter's Square