St. Gregory of Nazianzus – The Doctors of the Church with Dr. Matthew Bunson

Born: 329 AD
Died: January 1, 390 AD

Dr. Matthew Bunson reflects on the life and mission of St. Gregory of Nazianzus, portraying him as a man marked by a lifelong tension between a desire for solitude and a call to serve publicly as priest and bishop. Drawn to prayer, contemplation, and ascetic discipline, St. Gregory repeatedly accepted responsibilities he did not seek, including ordination and episcopal leadership, out of obedience and love for the Church. Formed by a superb education in rhetoric and philosophy in Caesarea, Alexandria, and Athens—where he developed a deep friendship with Basil—he lived during a period when the Arian controversy threatened the heart of Christian teaching. His personal sacrifices, strained friendships, and repeated withdrawals from public life reveal a figure who carried the cross of leadership while longing for silence and communion with God.

St. Gregory if often referred to as “the Theologian” because his reflections on the Trinity arose from prayer, holiness, and lived fidelity rather than abstract speculation. His writings and orations clarified the Church’s language about the Son and the Holy Spirit, defending the Nicene faith and helping articulate terms such as procession and consubstantiality during a time of confusion and political pressure. His ministry in Constantinople, beginning from the small Church of the Anastasis, helped restore orthodox teaching through preaching rather than force. Dr. Bunson highlights how St. Gregory’s vision of Christ’s full divinity and full humanity grounds salvation, unity within the Church, devotion to Mary as Mother of God, and the call to transformation in Christ, offering enduring guidance for confronting doctrinal error in every age.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:

How do I respond interiorly when God’s call leads me away from the life or plans I would naturally choose for myself?
Where do I experience tension between prayerful solitude and active service, and how might God be working through that struggle?
In what ways does St. Gregory’s obedience challenge my own resistance to responsibilities I did not seek?
How deeply is my understanding of the Trinity rooted in prayer rather than only intellectual knowledge?
What modern “Arian-like” misunderstandings of Christ do I encounter, and how do they affect my faith?
How does the full humanity of Jesus Christ shape my view of suffering, obedience, and redemption?
What role does precise language about the faith play in strengthening my spiritual life and worship?
How can my home, parish, or community become a small “Anastasis,” a place where authentic faith is renewed?

For more on St. Gregory of Nazianzus and his teachings:

Gregory Nazianzen
– Orations
– Letters

For more from Dr. Matthew Bunson check out his Discerning Hearts page

Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints, and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

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