Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, also known as Gregory the Theologian, lived an illustrious life as an orator, poet, priest, and bishop. Until his death, he wrote scores of letters to friends and colleagues, clergy members and philosophers, teachers of rhetoric and literature, and high-ranking officials at the provincial and imperial levels, many of which are preserved in his self-designed letter collection. Here, for the first time in English, Bradley K. Storin has translated the complete collection, offering readers a fresh view on Gregory’s life, social and cultural engagement, leadership in the church, and literary talents. Accompanying the translation are an introduction, a prosopography, and annotations that situate Gregory’s letters in their biographical, literary, and historical contexts. This translation is an essential resource for scholars and students of late antiquity and early Christianity.
Bradley K. Storin is Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Louisiana State University.
"The substantial letter collection of the late Roman bishop, philosopher, theologian, poet, orator, and ascetic Gregory of Nazianzus offers invaluable insights into the ways in which the later Roman empire worked. Among Gregory's large network of correspondents were governors, rhetoricians such as Libanius, fellow-bishops, and many influential friends. Moreover, Gregory's letters complement the contemporary collections of Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, Libanius, and the emperor Julian. They are, in sum, a vital source for the history, culture, literature, administration, and theological evolution of the later Roman Empire. Bradley K. Storin has now translated the entire collection into an elegant English, for the first time and not a moment too soon. This is a wonderful and most welcome gift to scholars and everyone else interested in Gregory of Nazianzus and his times."—Susanna Elm, author of Sons of Hellenism, Father of the Church: Emperor Julian, Gregory of Nazianzus, and the Vision of Rome
248 pp.5 x 7.75
9780520304123$34.95|£30.00Paper
Dec 2019