Gregory Of Nazianzus
$20.00
This study on the life and thought of St. Gregory of Nazianzus was written by feminist theologian and Patristic scholar, Rosemary Radford Ruether, as her doctoral dissertation and originally published by Oxford University Press in 1969. The focus of the study is the tension and conflict in the life of Gregory of Nazianzus and his contemporary Christian companions, such as Basil the Great and Gregory Nyssa, between rhetoric and philosophy.
This is a conflict that has deep roots in Greek culture, going back to the time of Isocrates and Plato. It reflects two major streams of Greek culture, the literary tradition of classical education and public argumentation, with its often specious use of language, and the philosophical search for truth which saw itself as culminating in spiritual communion with the Good, the True and the Beautiful. In the Christian context of the fourth century A.D. this conflict had been translated into a tension between classical literary education, which still shaped the socialization of Christian leaders such as Gregory and informed the patterns of their preaching, and their search for contemplative union with God. Gregory and others spoke of the ascetic life of emerging Christian monasticism as “the philosophical life,” thus incorporating this tension between rhetoric and philosophy into their own lives.
For Gregory and other Christian leader of his time, Christians should renounce worldly ambition and even Christian positions of power, such as episcopacy, to pursue the separated life of monastic discipline, yet even in this ascetic retirement they found it difficult not to continue to employ the much-loved literary culture of their youthful education. This book shows how this tension played out in Gregory’s own life, including his relation with his friend and school companion, Basil the Great, who shared the quest for the monastic life with Gregory, but later became a bishop and sought to secure his power against church rivals by forcing episcopacy upon both Gregory Nazianzus and his own brother, Gregory Nyssa.
The volume also studies the way in which Gregory of Nazianzus employs rhetorical conventions to shape his own literary style in his sermons and treatises. It then focuses on the anthropology and cosmology that underlay Gregory’s understanding of the “philosophical life” as a journey of communion with God. In the final chapter it reviews Gregory’s own struggles to find a modus vivendi between the two cultures of clas
in stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
SKU (ISBN): 9780788099144
ISBN10: 0788099140
Rosemary Ruether
Binding: Trade Paper
Published: January 2003
Publisher: CSS Publishing
Print On Demand Product
Related products
-
Wedding Guest Book – Mr. and Mrs. Our Wedding – Lacey White Faux Leather w/Inspi
$14.99“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help… two can stand back-to-back and conquer.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
This timeless wedding guest book is elegantly designed as the perfect keepsake for a couple on their wedding day. Couples can reminisce about their special day as they are reminded of the many friends and family that attend their big day. As part of our Mr & Mrs collection, this guest book can be combined with other items to make a lovely gift basket for a wedding shower.
The LuxLeather cover with debossed lace pattern and gold foiled title give this guest book every touch of elegance desired on a wedding day. The cover has a stitched edge with Scripture verse from 1 Peter 1:22 “Love one another deeply, from the heart,” on the back. 160 lined pages provides ample space for guest to mark their attendance. A variety of designs featuring Scripture verses are sprinkled throughout the book. This guest book comes packaged in an acetate gift box for gift giving and safe keeping.
Add to cart5 in stock
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.