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The Pastor as a Trinitarian Apologist in the Orations of Gregory the Theologian
Wagers, Brian Keith II
Wagers, Brian Keith II
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Abstract
This study argues that for Gregory the Theologian, the pastor has a primary duty to preach in defense of the Trinity. In chapter 1, I give a brief introduction to this project by outlining the relevant works and the way that this project will interact with them. I deal with the works in a largely chronological order, progressing through the Church’s reflection on Gregory. In chapter 2, I examine Gregory’s view of the pastor primarily through the lens of Oration 2. I show that the lived theology of the pastor must be Trinitarian at heart. Thus, if one is to be a pastor, he must be able to articulate and defend the doctrine of the Trinity. I conclude this chapter by drawing together the threads of theosis, preaching, and doctrine, to show that Gregory saw the pastor as one who deified believers through regulating their opinions on doctrine, which required defense of the Trinity. In chapter 3, I focus on Gregory’s funeral Orations for his father and Athanasius. The goal of this chapter is to examine Gregory’s understanding of pastors prior to him and show that he saw them as Trinitarian defenders of the church. This chapter concludes with observations about Gregory’s understanding of continuity and discontinuity between himself and the pastors of the past. In chapter 4, I will focus on his approach to philosophy, Scripture, and theology as shown in Oration 20 and the Theological Orations. The goal of this chapter will be to show that for Gregory the Trinity is the heart of his life and thought. This will be shown in respective chapters through his commitment to theosis as the true end of the philosophical life, his hermeneutical maneuvers when approaching theology, and his articulation of doctrine. In chapter 5, I will use Gregory’s time in Constantinople as an example of Gregory practicing what he preached. Through placing Gregory’s preaching back in its apologetic background, I will restore a proper balance to our reception of Gregory’s thought, which does not favor articulation or defense of the Trinity, choosing instead to hold the two in consort by observing the golden mean laid down by Gregory himself. I will then give an examination of Gregory’s appropriation of Basil as the example par excellence of Gregory’s insistence that proper pastoral ministry includes defense of the Trinity. This chapter concludes with Gregory’s retirement from ministry and his continued defense of the Trinity in retirement. In chapter 6, this study draws to a close by summarizing the main arguments of the work, offering applications for my findings, and areas for further research. In so doing, I seek to offer support for modern preaching that defends the Trinity by drawing out some similarities between our modern context and Gregory’s. I end by offering Gregory as a model for pastoral ministry in a pluralistic age.
Description
Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2026
Date
2026-05
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The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary