The Pastor as Physician of Souls in Gregory of Nazianzus’s Oration 2:16–34

Abstract

Abstract Gregory of Nazianzus is known for his role in the Pneumatomachian debates of the fourth century and the resultant Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. He is less well known for his Oration 2, which was simultaneously a personal defense of his initial flight from the pastorate and also a pastoral theology which highlighted the dangers, difficulties, and duties of those called to the ministry. The oration is long, containing 170 sections, and so the focus will be on a smaller portion, highlighting the theme of the pastor as the physician of souls. After dealing with a few preliminary matters—such as the setting for the oration and other introductory issues—the article moves to an analysis of sections 16–34 of Gregory’s Oration 2.