Gregory nazianzen the theologian third theological oration xxix, on the son, complete translated by ch. On the incarnation athanasius author athanasius 300373 was a prominent bishop, an influential theologian, and a key defender of the deity of jesus christ. It makes for great reading on this second sunday of advent. After his baptism at 30, gregory gladly accepted his friend basils invitation to join him in a newly founded monastery. Here again, scripture presses us to say two things, that the son having become man, is fully human and fully god. Taken from what is known as his five theological orations, these two discourses on the son of god, by st. Gregory of nazianzus born 320 to a wealthy familyfather became bishop of city called nazianzus had excellent education, studied philosophy and rhetoric in athens and alexandriamost learned man of his generationhe wanted to become a monk after his schooling, studying and practicing asceticism o but he got drawn into church politics o father ordains him as a priest o year 372, his close. The first of these two orations provide not only precise terminology but also exact definitions for the nature of god and the relationship of the son to the father. He was both a man of greek culture and a christian. Gregory theologian theological texts in english and greek side by side, and complete works. Gregory theologian, theophany or birthday of christ.
The details of the title, doctor of the church, vary from one autonomous ritual church to another. Gregory of nazianzus for imagery see embedded version below. In gregorys view, paul was the disciple of simon peter and john the. This i prayed over, and foresaw, but even so my feet still stumbled, and so darkness fell around me, that hater of.
Gregory of nazianzus, also known as gregory the theologian or gregory nazianzen ad 329390, was a 4thcentury archbishop of constantinople, and theologian. Gregory s absence at the baths of xanxaris to procure the consecration of a bishop of their own way of thinking. Gregory theologian, third theological oration xxix, on. The title of this oration has given rise to a doubt whether it was preached on dec. Christ in the life and teaching of gregory of nazianzus is the first fulllength book devoted to an overview of the christology of this fourthcentury father of the church. Gregory of nazianzen praises the incarnation the meeting of humanity and divinity, human and divine nature, in the person of our lord jesus christ. Nazianzen frames the incarnation as the mystery of the word coming to mingle with human life, the life that gregory knows to be his own. The marvel of the incarnation gregory of nazianzus. This pdf file is from the christian classics ethereal library. The eastern orthodox church and the eastern catholic churches celebrate two feast days in honor of gregory.
Origen, tertullian, athanasius, basil of caesarea, gregory of nazianzus, gregory of nyssa, hilary of poitiers, ambrose, augustine, and john chrysostom. Essays on jesus christ in the early church in honor of brian e. Keating, the appropriation of divine life in cyril of. Gregory, in his fifth oration, upholds the deity and personality of the holy spirit, with a particular emphasis on the spirits relation in the triune godhead and his eternal procession. Gregory theologian bilingual anthology, resources online and in print.
Andrew hofer examines the breadth of gregory s corpusorations, letters, and poems often neglected in doctrinal studiesto argue that gregory s writing on christ can be best understood in tandem with his autobiography. Gregory nazianzen s use of scripture 103 writings of marcellus of ancyra, a strong supporter of the nicene settlement, produced a strong reaction. Gregory of nazianzus on the trinity and the knowledge of god. The feast day of gregory of nazianzus in the western churches gregorys feast day is on january 2. Here, he establishes the dual nature of the christ in the incarnation and its scriptural foundation.
Beeley what we needed was a god made flesh and put to death, so that we might live. Gregory theologian bilingual anthology, resources online and. Perichoresis in gregory nazianzen and maximus the confessor. Gregory nazianzen, called by the ecumenical council of ephesus the great, and. Discourses on the son of god by gregory of nazianzus. Of the latter, there are those titles that refer to the son prior to the incarnation and those that belong properly to the incarnation. In consideration of the testimony of the new testament and. Night now falls upon me and finds my own lamp barely bright. The history and development of deification in the christian traditions. In the latin church, the four latin doctors had already long been recognized in the liturgy when the four great doctors of the eastern church, john chrysostom, basil the great, gregory of nazianzus, and athanasius of alexandria were recognized in 1568 by pope pius v.
Pdf gregory of nazianzus on the unity of christ christopher. The following are chapter summaries from the five theological orations of gregory of nazianzus, a series of doctrinal sermons preached by the nazianzan in constantinople some time during the year 380. They were a major force in the triumph of the athanasian position at the council of constantinople in 381. Abstract translation and interpretation of gregory nazianzus.
Marcellus so emphasized the and the union of father, son and holy spirit in the one substance that he denied that the distinctions between them were eternal. Gregory of nazianzus and gregory of nyssa, whose thought came to dom. Gregory defended the divinity theo of the word logos who became flesh cf. Basil and gregory of nazianzus are especially known for their writings in defense of trinitarianism and christology, but basils brother, gregory of nyssa, worked out a thoroughgoing anthropology, which went hand in hand with his trinitarian theology and aesthetic spirituality. Gregory of nazianzus, are written as a response to arian claims about christ.
Gregory of nyssa ca 3349 mar 395, bishop and author gregory of nyssa, his brother basil the great 14 june, and basils best friend gregory of nazianzus 9 may, are known collectively as the cappadocian fathers. Ii word of god, and truth itself, i consecrated this day to you. Applied to christology,perichoreois, first, the reciprocal passing of characteristics and titles. When gregory of nazianzus composed the poemata arcana in the early 380s ad, he had long been through the moral and intellectual boot camp of greek paideia. In chapter 3, hofer documents gregory s distinctive approach of writing about christs life through himself p. Future references to this book will be made through the translators name, john mcguckin. The solitude was broken when gregory s father, a bishop, needed help in his diocese and estate. Available in greek and english 44a or english only 44b treasurehouse of mysteries.
Hylemorphic animalism and gregory of nazianzus christianity consists of a deposit of faith which includes an articulation of certain beliefs that its adherents affirm. The five theological orations and two letters to cledonius. Saint gregory of nazianzus byzantine theologian britannica. Western feast day january 2, 4thcentury church father whose defense of the doctrine of the trinity god as father, son, and holy spirit made him one of the greatest champions of orthodoxy against arianism. Hanson and philip schaffto describe gregory s theology as. A brilliant orator and accomplished poet, he placed before the church his interpretation of the sublime mystery of the god revealed as. This excerpt from one of his theological orations oratio 45, 9, 22.
Chesapeake, va catholic online the very son of god, older than the ages, the invisible, the incomprehensible, the incorporeal, the beginning of beginning, the light of light, the fountain of life and immortality, the image of the archetype, the immovable seal, the perfect likeness, the definition and word of the father. On the incarnation of the word translated by archibald robertson 55 gregory of nazianzus edited by the editor. This work is still well worth consulting, but it has now been supplanted by a fullscale, even magisterial study. Gregory of nazianzus five theological orations translated. Thus suidas, the epiphany is the incarnation of the saviour. Perichoresis in gregory nazianzen and maximus the confessor abstract the doctrine ofperichoresisapplied to trinity is the mutual coinherence or interpentration of the persons of the godhead. Translation and interpretation of gregory nazianzus oration 38. A number of other required readings will be posted in pdf format on canvas. January 25 as his primary feast and january 30, known as the feast of the three great hierarchs, which commemorates him along with john chrysoston and basil of caesarea. Partakers of the divine nature baker publishing group. Gregory the theologian bilingual anthology ellopos net. He had plucked the roses from the thorny field of paganism, and could now turn to the pressing issues of the day. Gregory of nazianzus, the theologian, was recognized among the cappadocian fathers as a peculiarly vivid and quotable exponent of the doctrine of god in trinity. He was educated at caesarea, constantinople and athens in the best pagan and christian culture of the day hence his interest in combining philosophy and christianity.
The 5 theological orations of gregory of nazianzus. As a classically trained orator and philosopher he. This axiom, articulated by gregory of nazianzus who chaired part of the proceedings, presupposes that the son of god saved humanity by taking on or assuming human nature into union with himself. He attended the council of nicaea 325 assisting the bishop of alexandria. He states the orthodox position thus, if ever there was a time when the father was not. The two words seem both to have been used in the simplest sense of. Selected poems, translated with an introduction by john mcguckin, slg press, convent of the incarnation, fairacres oxford, 1995, p. He is widely considered the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age. The mystery of the incarnation of the logos holds the power of all the hidden meanings logoi. Brother of gregory of nyssa and macrina, and one of ten children. St gregory nazianzen on the wonder of the incarnation.
The word theophania is well known as a name for the epiphany. Beeley, gregory of nazianzus on the unity of christ, in in the shadow of the incarnation. Gregory of nazianzus, his mate gregory of nyssa, his brother 10 councils of constantinople 381,553,680 second ecumenical church council 381 agreed on nicene creed proposed at council of nicea. Exploration of the sacred text through poetry in the syriac tradition. He became a hermit by the river iris in 358, where he renewed his friendship with gregory of nazianzus. The occasion of the present letter was the necessity to appeal to the secular power for aid to punish a sect of apollinarians at nazianzus, who had ventured to take advantage of s. Sgregory of nazianzuss oration 31 on the holy spirit. Wonder of the incarnation gregory of nazianzen crossroads. Pdf on god and christ download full pdf book download. Gregory of nazianzus poetry and his human face in it.
Christ in the life and teaching of gregory of nazianzus. The theological orations of gregory of nazianzus mike bone, 1998 the theological orations of gregory of nazianzus. Successive councils attempted to heal rift with monophysites 553, then made antimonophysite statement 680. John mcguckin suggests that it took a couple of months for gregory to prepare these discourses. It seems that gregory was ordained a priest practically by force, and only reluctantly. Gregory nazianzen the theologian on the theophany, or birthday of christ oration xxxviii, complete. Requirements and grading 1 attendance at all sessions, careful and timely reading of assigned texts, and thoughtful class participation. Gregory of nazianzus, athanasius, and augustine notes.