Gregory Thaumaturgus, Saint

GREGORY THAUMATURGUS, Saint. - Born around 213 to pagan parents in Neocaesarea, in Pontus, died around 270. His original name was Theodosius. After studying law at Berytus he made the acquaintance of Origen at Caesarea, converted to the Christian religion and remained for 5 years with his beloved teacher; he left a remembrance of him in his beautiful farewell and thanksgiving discourse. Having returned to his country, he became bishop of his native city. He did much for the conversion of Pontus (cf. A. Harnack, Die Mission und Ausbreitung des Christentums, 4th ed., II, Leipzig 1924, p. 757 ff.). He took part in the first Synod (Eusebius, Hist. eccl., VII, 28) against Paul of Samosata (264-65). Author of a rule of faith (Ἔσθεσις τῆς πίστεως), he also published a canonical epistle (PG 10, 1040-48) which became of great importance for the question of Penance in the Church. A metaphrase of Ecclesiastes is cited by St. Jerome (Comm. in Eccl., 4; cf. also De vir. ill., 65), and is therefore his work, even though it is ascribed in manuscripts to Gregory Nazianzen (PG 10, 987 ff.). Also authentic is the book, To Theopompus, on the impossibility and possibility of God, preserved only in Syriac (cf. P. Lagarde, Analecta Syriaca, Leipzig 1858, p. 46 ff.; J.-B.-F. Pitra-Martin, Analecta sacra, IV, Paris, pp. 103-20, 363-76). Of doubtful authenticity are: To Philagrius, on the equality of the absence, preserved in Syriac under his name (P. Lagarde, op. cit., p. 43 ff.; J.-B.-F. Pitra-Martin, op. cit., pp. 100-63, 360-63), in Greek attributed to Gregory Nazianzen and Gregory of Nyssa (PG 37, 383-86; 46, 1101-1108); the treatise On the soul, addressed to Tatian (PG 10, 1037-46), which also goes under the name of Maximus the Confessor (cf. A. I. Lewis, Studia Sinaitica, London 1894, p. 19; Einarson, Classical philology, 1933, p. 129 ff.); six homilies, preserved in Armenian. Several letters and the Dialogue with Aelianus are lost. Feast on 17 November.

Erik Peterson