A seminal figure in late antique Christianity and Christian orthodoxy, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus published a collection of more than 240 letters. Whereas these letters have often been cast aside as readers turn to his theological orations or autobiographical poetry for insight into his life, thought, and times, Self-Portrait in Three Colors focuses squarely on them, building a provocative case that the finalized collection constitutes not an epistolary archive but an autobiography in epistolary form—a single text composed to secure his status among provincial contemporaries and later generations. Shedding light on late-ancient letter writing, fourth-century Christian intelligentsia, Christianity and classical culture, and the Christianization of Roman society, these letters offer a fascinating and unique view of Gregory’s life, engagement with literary culture, and leadership in the church. As a single unit, this autobiographical epistolary collection proved a powerful tool in Gregory’s attempts to govern the contours of his authorial image as well as his provincial and ecclesiastical legacy.
Bradley K. Storin is Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Louisiana State University.
“With this collection, Bradley Storin takes seriously the proposition that ancient letter collections were anything but haphazardly assembled. He demonstrates splendidly that Gregory conceived of his collected correspondence as a cohesive, uniform work and wished it to be read as such—as a powerful autobiography, easily turned to hagiography. Storin has written a wonderful book of relevance far beyond the field.”—Susanna Elm, author of Sons of Hellenism, Father of the Church: Emperor Julian, Gregory of Nazianzus, and the Vision of Rome
276 pp.6 x 9
9780520304130$95.00|£80.00Hardcover
Sep 2019