St. Gregory Nazianzen
One of the three Cappadocian Fathers and Archbishop of Constantinople. Known as "the Theologian" for the depth of his doctrinal orations. Close friend and peer of Basil the Great.
Works
Preliminaries
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Called "peer" of Basil; authored Oration in Praise of Saint Basil; called Basil "the Moses of his age"
"says his peer Blessed Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration in Praise of Saint Basil"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— With Basil, studied eloquence and philosophy at Athens, then devoted thirteen years to Scripture
"Rufinus attests that after Saint Basil and Saint Gregory Nazianzen had studied eloquence and philosophy at Athens, they devoted thirteen years to reading and meditating upon Moses and the Sacred Scriptures."
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Testifies about Basil's ordination by Hermogenes
"Saint Gregory Nazianzen says"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Testifies Basil vanquished adversaries by kindness
"as Saint Gregory Nazianzen writes of him"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Testifies Basil relieved famine by opening granaries; extensive quotation comparing Basil to Joseph
"Saint Gregory Nazianzen testifies that a public famine was relieved by Saint Basil's efforts"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Said "the life of Basil was for all a rule of living"
"what Gregory Nazianzen says of Saint Basil — 'the life of Basil was for all a rule of living'"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Testifies about Modestus pressing Basil; records the dialogue between Basil and the Prefect
"Modestus, the Prefect of Valens, as Gregory Nazianzen testifies, pressed Basil to follow the religion of the Emperor."
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Writes about crowds at Basil's funeral
"At the death and funeral of Saint Basil, Saint Gregory Nazianzen writes"
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Said Basil gave light to the whole world through the single Church of Caesarea
"that saying of Saint Gregory Nazianzen: 'Basil, through the single Church of Caesarea, gave light to the whole world.'"
Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture
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Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers
— With Basil, fled to monastery solitude for thirteen years, devoted solely to Scripture; called by Rufinus "that golden pair of Doctors of Greece"
"Following them in the East was likewise that golden pair of Doctors of Greece, Basil and Gregory the Theologian"
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Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers
— Jerome studied under Gregory Nazianzen
"Shall we marvel that Jerome studied under Gregory Nazianzen and Didymus"
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Chapter V: On the Dispositions Required for This Study
— While studying at Athens, saw in a dream two women (Wisdom and Chastity); reported by Rufinus
"St. Gregory Nazianzen, as Rufinus reports, while he was devoting himself to studies at Athens, saw in a dream"
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The Author's Method (paragraph 48)
— Lapide follows Nazianzen's lead (Oration 2, On Easter) on proceeding by a middle way between literalists and excessive allegorists
"following Nazianzen's lead (Oration 2, On Easter), that one must proceed by a middle way"
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Moses and Christ: Nineteen Parallels
— In oration 22, compares Basil and Gregory of Nyssa to Moses and Aaron
"Hear Saint Gregory Nazianzen, oration 22, in which he compares Saint Basil and his brother Gregory of Nyssa to Moses and Aaron"
Commentary on the Pentateuch of Moses
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Canons Bearing a Torch Before the Pentateuch
— In the tract On the Faith, thinks God appeared in bodily form to Abraham, Moses, and the Prophets
"Nazianzen, in the tract On the Faith, think that God appeared in a bodily form"
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Canons Bearing a Torch Before the Pentateuch
— Named in etymology discussion: "Gregory, as if 'the watchful one'"
"Gregory, as if "the watchful one""
Chapter I (The Six Days of Creation)
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God (Elohim): Thirteen Definitions
— Quoted from Treatise On the Faith on the tenth definition of God
"God, says Saint Gregory of Nazianzus in his Treatise On the Faith, is that which, when spoken of, cannot be expressed; when appraised, cannot be appraised"
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Verse 3: And God said: Let there be light
— Cited for calling the first light "spiritual" because it was created without a subject
"Nazianzen calls this light "spiritual.""
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Verse 26: Let Us Make Man in Our Image and Likeness
— Cited from Oration 43 on God furnishing the world before creating man
"and Nazianzen, Oration 43"
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Heaven and Earth: Four Interpretations
— Listed among those who thought angels were created before the world
"so held Origen, Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, Ambrose, Jerome, Hilary."