Editing Gregory of Nazianzus (section)

== Legacy ==
[[Image:Gregory of Nazianzus from Vasilyevskiy chin (15th c., GTG).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Andrei Rublev]], ''Gregory of Nazianzus'', (1408), [[Dormition Cathedral, Vladimir]].]]

=== Theological and other works ===
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Gregory's most significant theological contributions arose from his defense of the doctrine of the [[Trinity]]. He is especially noted for his contributions to the field of [[Pneumatology (Christianity)|pneumatology]] — that is, theology concerning the nature of the [[Holy Spirit in Christianity|Holy Spirit]].<ref>Michael O'Carroll, "Gregory of Nazianzus" in ''Trinitas'' (Wilmington, DE, Michael Glazier, 1987).</ref> In this regard, Gregory is the first to use the idea of ''procession'' to describe the relationship between the Spirit and the Godhead: "The Holy Spirit is truly Spirit, coming forth from the Father indeed but not after the manner of the Son, for it is not by generation but by ''procession'', since I must coin a word for the sake of clearness."<ref>Gregory of Nazianzus, ''Five Theological Orations'', oration five. This fifth oration deals entirely with the Holy Spirit.</ref> Although Gregory does not fully develop the concept, the idea of procession would shape most later thought about the Holy Spirit.<ref>HEW Turner and Francis Young, "Procession(s)" in ''The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology'', ed. A. Richardson and J. Bowden (Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1983). Through Augustine, the idea would develop in the West into "double-procession", resulting in the ''[[Filioque|Filioque clause]]'' and the split between Eastern and Western Christianity.</ref>

He emphasized that Jesus did not cease to be God when he became a man, nor did he lose any of his divine attributes when he took on human nature. Furthermore, Gregory asserted that Christ was fully human, including a full human soul. He also proclaimed the eternality of the Holy Spirit, saying that the Holy Spirit's actions were somewhat hidden in the [[Old Testament]] but much clearer since the ascension of Jesus into Heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit at the feast of Pentecost.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Meinel |first=Fabian |date=2009 |title=Gregory of Nazianzus' ''Poemata Arcana'': ἄρρητα and Christian Persuasion |journal=The Cambridge Classical Journal |volume=55 |pages=71–96 |doi=10.1017/S1750270500000208 |jstor=44688044 |s2cid=170730880 |issn=1750-2705}}</ref>

In contrast to the Neo-Arian belief that the Son is ''anomoios'', or "unlike" the Father, and with the [[Semi-Arian]] assertion that the Son is {{Transliteration|grc|[[Homoiousian|homoiousios]]}}, or "like" the Father, Gregory and his fellow Cappadocians maintained the Nicaean doctrine of {{lang|grc|homoousia}}, or [[consubstantiality]] of the Son with the Father.<ref name="Børtnes">{{Citation |last=Børtnes |date=2006 |title=Gregory of Nazianzus - Images and Reflections}}</ref>{{rp |9–10}} The Cappadocian Fathers asserted that God's nature is unknowable to man; helped to develop the framework of {{Transliteration|grc|[[Hypostasis (philosophy and religion)|hypostases]]}}, or three persons united in a single Godhead; illustrated how Jesus is the {{Transliteration|grc|[[icon|eikon]]}} of the Father; and explained the concept of {{Transliteration|grc|[[Theosis (Eastern Orthodox theology)|theosis]]}}, the belief that all Christians can be assimilated with God in "imitation of the incarnate Son as the divine model".<ref name="Børtnes" />{{rp |10}}

Some of Gregory's theological writings suggest that, like his friend [[Gregory of Nyssa]], he may have supported some form of the doctrine of [[Apokatastasis]], the belief that God will bring all of creation into harmony with the [[Kingdom of heaven (Gospel of Matthew)|Kingdom of Heaven]].<ref>"[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc01.html?term=Apocatastasis Apokatastasis]", ''New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. I''.</ref> This led [[Philip Schaff]] and late-nineteenth century [[Christian universalists]] such as [[John Wesley Hanson]] to describe Gregory's theology as universalist.<ref>Hanson, J. W.; ''Universalism - The Prevailing Doctrine Of The Christian Church During Its First Five Hundred Years''. [http://www.tentmaker.org/books/Prevailing.html#211 Chapter XV: Gregory Nazianzen], Boston and Chicago [[Universalist Church of America|Universalist Publishing House]], 1899.</ref> This view of Gregory is also held by some modern theologians such as John Sachs, who said that Gregory had "leanings" toward apokatastasis, but in a "cautious, undogmatic" way.<ref>Sachs, John R.; "Apocatastasis in Patristic Theology", Theological Studies, 54 (December 1993), p. 632.</ref> However, it is not clear or universally accepted that Gregory held to the doctrine of Apokatastasis.<ref>David L. Balas, "Apokatastasis" in ''The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity'', second edition, ed. Everett Ferguson (New York, [[Garland Science|Garland Publishing]], 1997), details [[Gregory of Nyssa]]'s adherence to the doctrine, while making no mention of Gregory of Nazianzus.</ref>

Apart from the several theological discourses, Gregory was also one of the most important early Christian men of letters, a very accomplished orator, even perhaps one of the greatest of his time.<ref name="Børtnes" />{{rp |21}} Gregory was also a very prolific poet who wrote theological, moral, and biographical poems.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=McDonald |first=James Joseph |title=Paideia in the poetry of Gregory Nazianzen |type=PhD thesis |publisher=University of Glasgow |date=2020 |url=https://theses.gla.ac.uk/81630/23/2020McDonaldJJPhD.pdf |access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref> The book VIII of the ''[[Greek Anthology]]'' contains exclusively 254 [[epigrams]] of his.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Storin |first=Bradley K. |title=In a Silent Way: Asceticism and Literature in the Rehabilitation of Gregory of Nazianzus |url=https://www.academia.edu/29216789 |website=Academia.edu |access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref>

=== Influence ===
Gregory's great nephew Nichobulos served as his literary executor, preserving and editing many of his writings. A cousin, Eulalios, published several of Gregory's more noteworthy works in 391.<ref name="McGuckin" />{{rp |xi}} By 400, Rufinius began translating his orations into Latin. As Gregory's works circulated throughout the empire they influenced theological thought. His orations were cited as authoritative by the [[Council of Ephesus]] in 431. By 451 he was designated ''Theologus'', or ''Theologian'' by the [[Council of Chalcedon]]<ref name="McGuckin" />{{rp |xi}} – a title held by no others save [[John the Apostle]]<ref name="Hunter-Blair" /> and [[Symeon the New Theologian]] (949–1022). He is widely quoted by Eastern Orthodox theologians and highly regarded as a defender of the Christian faith. His contributions to [[Trinity|Trinitarian theology]] are also influential and often cited in the Western churches.<ref>See how the 1992 edition of the [[Catechism of the Catholic Church]] cites a variety of Gregory's orations</ref> [[Paul Tillich]] credits Gregory of Nazianzus for having "created the definitive formulae for the doctrine of the trinity".<ref>Tillich, Paul; ''A History of Christian Thought'' ([[Simon & Schuster]], 1968), p. 76.</ref> Additionally, the [[Anaphora of Saint Gregory|Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Theologian]] in use by the [[Coptic Church]] is named after him.<ref name="OHCW">{{Citation |last1=Wainwright |first1=Geoffrey |last2=Westerfield Tucker |first2=Karen B. |last3=Chaillot |first3=Christine |title=[[The Oxford History of Christian Worship]] |chapter=The Ancient Oriental Churches |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=New York |date=2006 |isbn=978-0-19-513886-3 |page=139}}</ref>

=== Relics ===
Following his death, Gregory was buried at [[Nazianzus]]. His relics, consisting of portions of his body and clothing, were transferred to [[Constantinople]] in 950, into the [[Church of the Holy Apostles]]. Part of the relics were taken from Constantinople by Crusaders during the [[Fourth Crusade]], in 1204, and ended up in [[Rome]]. On 27 November 2004, those relics, along with those of [[John Chrysostom]], were returned to [[Istanbul]] by [[Pope John Paul II]], with the [[Vatican City|Vatican]] retaining a small portion of both. The relics are now enshrined in the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople|Patriarchal]] [[St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul]] in the [[Fener|Fanar]].<ref>{{Citation |first=Ian |last=Fisher |contribution=Pope returns remains of 2 Orthodox patriarchs |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041128/news_1n28pope.html |title=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=28 November 2004 |access-date=24 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829143756/http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041128/news_1n28pope.html |archive-date=29 August 2007}}</ref>

=== Death ===
During the six years of life which remained to him after his final retirement to his birthplace, Gregory composed the greater part of his copious poetical works. These include a valuable autobiographical poem of nearly 2000 lines; about one hundred other shorter poems relating to his past career; and a large number of epitaphs, epigrams, and epistles to well-known people during that era. The poems that he wrote that dealt with his personal affairs refer to the continuous illness and severe sufferings (physical and spiritual) which assailed him during his last years. In the tiny plot of ground at [[Arianzus]], all that remained to him of his rich inheritance was by a fountain near which there was a shady walk. Gregory retired here to spend his days as a hermit. It was during this time that he decided to write theological discourses and poetry of both a religious and an autobiographical nature.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-gregory-of-nazianzen/ |title=Saint Gregory of Nazianzen |date=3 January 2009}}</ref> He would receive occasional visits from intimate friends, as well as visits from strangers who were attracted to his retreat by his large reputation for sanctity and learning. He died about 25 January 390, although the exact date of his death is unknown.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07010b.htm |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA - St. Gregory of Nazianzus |website=newadvent.org |access-date=1 November 2016}}</ref>