Gregory of Nazianzus
Cappadocian Father and Trinitarian Theologian
Gregory of Nazianzus was an early Christian theologian and Archbishop of Constantinople from 380 to 381.[1] He is a saint in both Eastern and Western Christianity and is one of only three men officially designated "Theologian" in the Orthodox Church.[2][3] Among patristic-era figures, Gregory of Nazianzus is regarded as having the greatest skill in rhetorical style.[4]
Quick Facts
- Born
- c. 329
- Died
- 25 January 390 (aged 61)
- Birthplace
- Arianzus, Cappadocia, Roman Empire
- Titles
- Theologian
- Doctor of the Church
- Great Hierarch
- Cappadocian Father
- Ecumenical Teacher
- Canonized
- Pre-Congregation
- Major shrine
- Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George in the Fanar
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Gregory was born to wealthy Greek parents in Cappadocia around 329.[5][1] Gregory composed his Invectives Against Julian between 362 and 363 in response to the emperor's rejection of Christianity.[6] He was ordained Bishop of Sasima in 372 by Basil, but he made little effort to administer the new diocese.[7][8] He delivered five powerful discourses on Nicene doctrine from the chapel named Anastasia.[9]
His father, wanting assistance with local Christians, had Gregory ordained as a presbyter in 361.[10]
What the cited sources add
The Catholic Encyclopedia states that Gregory was one of three children of Bishop Gregory and Nonna.[11] It notes that Gregory studied rhetoric under Thespesius in Caesarea in Palestine.[11] The same source records that Gregory was all but lost in a great storm while sailing from Alexandria to Athens.[11] It adds that Gregory helped his father return to orthodoxy after the elder Gregory had subscribed the heretical creed of Rimini.[11]
The Catholic Encyclopedia also reports that Gregory devoted his inherited fortune to the poor, keeping only a small piece of land at Arianzus.[11] It describes how Gregory delivered five discourses on the faith of Nicaea in the Anastasia chapel, which gained him the special title of Theologus.[11] An adventurer named Maximus, who came from Alexandria disguised as a Cynic, deceived Gregory into trusting him.[11]
References
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Liturgy of the Hours Volume I, Proper of Saints, 2 January.; Liturgy of the Hours Volume I, Proper of Saints, 2 January.; "Ορθόδοξος Συναξαριστής :: Άγιος Γρηγόριος ο Θεολόγος", Saint.gr, 25 January 2016 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: William Dool KILLEN, "The Old Catholic - Or the History, Doctrine, Worship, and Polity of the Christians", T&T Clark, 1995, p. 90 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος ὁ Θεολόγος Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, 25 Ιανουαρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.; Epithet "Theologian" https://churchmotherofgod.org/terminologies/theologian (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McGuckin, John (2001), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus - An Intellectual Biography, Crestwood, N.Y.; McGuckin, John (2001), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus - An Intellectual Biography, Crestwood, N.Y. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Riverside Dictionary of Biography", Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005, p. 336; Ruether, "Gregory of Nazianzus - Rhetor and Philosopher", Oxford University Press, 1969 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McGuckin, John (2001), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus - An Intellectual Biography, Crestwood, N.Y. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McGuckin, John (2001), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus - An Intellectual Biography, Crestwood, N.Y.; Hunter-Blair, "Catholic Encyclopedia", Robert Appleton, 1910 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McGuckin, John (2001), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus - An Intellectual Biography, Crestwood, N.Y.; Gregory, as quoted in Patrologia Graeca 37.1059–60, De Vita Sua, vv. 439–446.; Ruether, "Gregory of Nazianzus - Rhetor and Philosopher", Oxford University Press, 1969 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McGuckin, John (2001), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus - An Intellectual Biography, Crestwood, N.Y.; 2 Kings 4:8 and Orat. 26.17, PG 35.1249.; Hunter-Blair, "Catholic Encyclopedia", Robert Appleton, 1910 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Gregory of Nazianzus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McGuckin, John (2001), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus - An Intellectual Biography, Crestwood, N.Y.; Ruether, "Gregory of Nazianzus - Rhetor and Philosopher", Oxford University Press, 1969; Jacques Paul Migne (ed), Patrologia Graeca (PG), (1857–1866), 37.1053, Carm. de vita sua, l.345; McGuckin, John (2001), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus - An Intellectual Biography, Crestwood, N.Y. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA - St. Gregory of Nazianzus", newadvent.org. facts only, no text reused. newadvent.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Gregory of Nazianzus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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