Gregory of Nazianzus
This Gregory was one of the three so-called Cappadocian Fathers (along with Basil and Gregory of Nyssa) and is honored as one of the four great doctors of the east (along with Basil, Chrysostom, and Athanasius).
His life spanned the middle of the fourth century, from 329 to 388. Thus he was born shortly after the first ecumenical council, and participated in the second one. The Arian controversy was raging during this time, and Gregory was one of the champions of orthodoxy against this heresy.
Gregory was born into a wealthy family near Nazianzus in southwest Cappadocia. His father, also named Gregory, had been converted by the influence of his wife from a kind of Jewish gnosticism. By the time Gregory was born, his father was bishop of Nazianzus. Gregory went to school at Caesarea, the capital of Cappadocia, where he formed a fast friendship with Basil, a fellow student. He studied further in Alexandria, and then took ship for Athens. On the way to Athens the ship was nearly lost, and the thought of sudden death moved him to dedicate the rest of his life to God. He spent the next eight years at Athens, studying rhetoric under pagan teachers. Here he found Basil again, and their friendship was renewed and deepened. He finally returned to Cappadocia, and was baptized by his father. After a brief but fruitful try at the monastic life with Basil, he yielded to his father’s request by returning to Nazianzus and being ordained. He spent the next ten years assisting his father in both church and business affairs.
Gregory and his father were both instrumental in promoting Basil’s election to the bishopric of Caesarea. This later proved disastrous to their friendship, as Basil tried to extend his power by appointing Gregory bishop of an obscure outpost. Gregory accepted consecration to this see, but against his will, and he never actually took possession. In his poem “Carmen de vita sua” he says, “The spiritual welfare of the faithful was the pretext, but the lust for power was the real reason — not to mention interest and tax money, for which the world tears itself to pieces.”
He preferred to remain with his father until his [father’s] death in 374 (he was nearly 100 years old), and then withdrew to Seleucia until 379. Early that year he was asked to take over as bishop in Constantinople, and he accepted the post. The bulk of the church in that city was Arian at the time, but there was a small Nicene minority who desired a shepherd. Gregory’s chief motive for moving to Constantinople was the hope of restoring the church to the orthodoxy of the Nicene creed. At first Gregory met with the faithful few in a small house outside the city’s walls. He clearly expounded the true and clear doctrine of God, exhorting the little flock to live so as to become the gospel and stimulate all lovers of peace to join them. They were bitterly opposed by the Arian majority, almost to the point of violence. Late in 380 Emperor Theodosius restored the churches inside the walls to Gregory.
In May of 381, the Emperor summoned all the bishops of the east to a general council at Constantinople, later to be known as the second ecumenical council. Under Gregory’s direction, and with the help of Gregory of Nyssa, the Nicene creed was reaffirmed as the true doctrine of the church. The bishops from Egypt and Macedonia opposed Gregory on the grounds that his installation as bishop of Constantinople violated the 15th canon of Nicea, which forbade the translation of bishops. Rather than be the cause of further division, Gregory voluntarily resigned, and returned to Nazianzus. He served there as bishop for about a year before retiring to his family’s estate. He died about seven years later.
Gregory was a prolific writer and frequent speaker. His five theological orations, delivered at the council in 381, are perhaps the best known. In them he expounded and further developed the Nicene creed, arguing for the distinctiveness of the three persons of the Trinity, for the full humanity of Christ, and for the full deity of both the Son and the Holy Spirit. He also wrote much poetry, of which we have copies of over 16,000 lines.
Gregory has had a vast influence, not only through his writings, but also through those men who were his pupils, such as Jerome. He is studied by both Catholic and Protestants today. In fact, the first complete edition of his works was published by the Protestants at Basel in 1550.