On God and Christ & On God and Man Set

On God and Christ

Gregory of Nazianzus was recognized among the Cappadocian Fathers as a peculiarly vivid and quotable theologian of the doctrine of God in Trinity. A brilliant orator and accomplished poet, he placed before the Church his interpretation of the sublime mystery of the Godhead revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These five sermons contain Gregory's penetrating teaching. The English translation aims to capture for the present-day reader the atmosphere of intellectual excitement and spiritual exhilaration experienced by his first listeners. In addition, this work contains a new translation of Gregory's letters to Cledonius, which contain more focused reflections on the person of Jesus Christ, laying the groundwork for later Christology.

On God and Man

St. Gregory is one of the most open and self-revealing of the Fathers of the Church, and his poetry is remarkable for its personal character. In these poems, he speaks of the joys and frustrations of his own life; he reveals his inner questioning about the purpose and values of life in the face of sin and mortality, and his ultimate faith in Christ as redeeming and reconciling all things. 

While St. Gregory of Nazianzus' poetry has recently begun to appear in English translations, this is the first book to provide an affordable translation of his major doctrinal poems. Included are poems on the Trinity, Creation and Providence, Angels and the Soul, the Person of Christ, Human Nature and poems debating the Christian understanding of marriage and virginity.

St. Gregory's poetry has often been compared with St. Augustine's Confessions, as showing a peculiarly modern interest in the self. The translations here presented allow the reader to see that self-reflection in its theological context.