Christ Divinising and Divinised: Christological Roots of Divinisation (θέωσις) in Gregory of Nazianzus (original) (raw)
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Gregory of Nazianzus on the Unity of Christ
In the Shadow of the Incarnation: Essays on Jesus Christ in the Early Church in Honor of Brian E. Daley, SJ (Notre Dame Press), pp. 97-120, 2008
What we needed was a God made fl esh and put to death, so that we might live.
"Toward Unity: On the Christology of Gregory of Nyssa"
Studia Patristica CXV, vol. 12, 2021
The Christology of Gregory of Nyssa has been subjected to various scholarly assessments. While many have sought either to exonerate him or indict him in view of later conciliar standards, others have protested that such judgments are anachronistic. This article dives into the fray, but with more than Chalcedon in view and with less than ‘orthodoxy’ at stake. That is, Gregory’s Christology is assessed in view not merely of Chalcedon, but of the radical unity-in-distinction evident within the canons of Constantinople II. Yet the goal is neither to exonerate or indict, since Gregory cannot meaning- fully be expected to meet later dogmatic standards, even if evaluating his views in this way proves beneficial. So, Gregory’s Christological statements are sorted, interpreted, and assessed, with an eye to their soteriological motivations and implications. It is shown that Gregory’s theology of the historical life of Christ tends to be divisive with respect to the divine and human natures, while his theology of the resurrected Christ tends to be unitive – nearly to the point of monophysitism – and the rationale for both tendencies is explained. Yet it is also made clear that his theology of universal salvation complicates such a straightforward interpretation and so proves that Gregory’s Christology and soteriology remain fruitful in their own right.
The Human Icon: Gregory of Nazianzus on Being an Imago Dei
Scottish Journal of Theology, 2019
Theologians have long recognised the significance of the imago Dei in Christian theological anthropology; yet, how we construe the imago Dei is not determined straightforwardly. This essay offers a fresh reading of Gregory Nazianzen's vision of the imago Dei. Hitherto, historical theologians attribute to Gregory an essentialist interpretation of the imago Dei, in which the imago is understood as the rational soul 1 F E 6 (νο ς). I argue that Gregory depicts the imago Dei quite literally as a visible icon of God, by weaving together Christology, Pneumatology and beliefs about images and idols. If interpreted properly, Gregory's vision contributes significantly to contemporary interpretations of the imago Dei, which aim to account for Christology, Pneumatology and the inclusion of each human person.
Paradox and Relationality: An Introduction to the Life and Theology of Gregory of Nazianzus
An introduction to the biography, historical context and theology of Gregory of Nazianzus (329 - 390AD), also known as Gregory the Theologian. Particular attention is given to the place of paradox in his theology of the Incarnation, the significance of personhood, equality and relationality in his conception of the Trinity, and the theme of deification / theosis in his thought.
Of special interest for this paper is Gregory’s understanding of μονογενής (only-begotten) as applied to the Son of God in the Trinitarian frame of thought, specifically in his Five Theological Orations. After all, to consider divinity as “begotten” entails a series of difficult questions that were the cause of great debate throughout the 4th Century, especially during the Arian and Neo-Arian debates. And Gregory of Nazianzus provides key insights into how the term μονογενής was understood not only by him, but also by orthodox Trinitarian Christianity in general.
Baptism, Trinity, and ecclesial pedagogy in the thought of Gregory of Nyssa
Scottish Journal of Theology, 2006
This paper elucidates the connections in Gregory of Nyssa's thought between the rite of baptism, the doctrine of God as Trinity, and practices of ecclesial pedagogy. These components formed a dynamic and differentiated whole for Gregory. To consider one element in isolation from the others runs the risk of interpretive distortion of Gregory's work. This means that the current tendency to harvest Gregory's trinitarian ideas abstracted or disembodied from the rite of baptism and practices of ecclesial pedagogy perpetuates the false notion that the doctrine of the Trinity can be adequately treated apart from liturgical and pedagogical concerns.