Gregory of Nazianzus

Suzanne Abrams Rebillard (Cornell University)

Ed. by Emily Kneebone, University of Nottingham
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.1: Greek Writing and Culture: Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Imperial, -800--100.
Vol. editors: Jonathan Burgess (University of Toronto), Anca Dan (École Practique de Hautes Études PSL), Martine Diepenbroek (University of Johannesburg), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Vaios Liapis (Open University of Cyprus), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Mali Skotheim (Ashoka University), Laura Swift (The Open University), Guendalina Daniela Maria Taietti (University of Liverpool)

Dates

Born 329
Died 390

Places

Active in Roman Greece& Asia Minor

Activities

Primary

Theologian

Other

Archbishop

Resources

Gregory's Works

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Gregory of Nazianzus (c.330–c.390) was a Christian bishop from Cappadocia (in present-day central Turkey), who served briefly as bishop of Constantinople (379–381CE). He is regarded as one of the most eloquent rhetorical writers of the patristic period (second to fifth centuries CE). He composed prose and poetry, both of which are still part of Orthodox liturgies today. Gregory’s forceful arguments laying claim to the classical tradition for Christians and his seamless incorporation of classical works into a growing Christian literary culture were instrumental in ensuring the survival of those earlier writings and shaping late ancient and Byzantine literature, and later homiletics. The autobiographical detail and emotion of his personal poetry are remarkable for the time.

Gregory’s

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3646 words

Citation: Abrams Rebillard, Suzanne. "Gregory of Nazianzus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 July 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13939, accessed 23 November 2024.]