Categories of becoming a priest in the teachings of St. Gregory the Theologian

Contents Introduction 1. Addressees and opponents: the context of the creation of the apology 2. Categories of becoming a priest 2.1. Education 2.2. Choosing a philosophical path 2.3. Disadvantage 2.4. Tyranny Sources and literature Sources Literature This article analyzes the teaching of St. Gregory the Theologian on the priesthood, which largely determined the entire subsequent tradition of the theology of the priesthood. It is proposed to consider the problem of becoming a priest in the context of the legacy of St. Gregory from the point of view of categorical analysis. The author identifies the following main categories of formation: education (παίδευσις), choice of a philosophical path (πρᾶξις/θεωρία), unworthiness (indicated through the negation of the adjective ἄξιος), coercion (τύραννις) and humility (εὐπειθεία). The author suggests that these categories are not equal to similar concepts of Neoplatonism (as some researchers believe). It is concluded that the consideration of this issue by St. Gregory the Theologian goes beyond the philosophical tradition and acquires specific Christian features. It is precisely this understanding of the problem of unworthiness that allows us to create a new image of the shepherd: 1) combining elements of Hellenic and Christian discourse; 2) corresponding to the current situation of the 4th century; 3) defining the further tradition of the theology of the priesthood. Key words: priesthood, patristics, contemplation, activity, education, unworthiness, humility, St. Gregory the Theologian (Nazianzen), Julian, theology of the priesthood. The teaching of St. Gregory on the priesthood is a key stage in the formation of an understanding of this issue in church thought, and in the work of the Theologian himself, according to J. Bernardi, it occupies only a slightly smaller place than the teaching about the Holy Trinity 2. However, in most works dedicated to St. Gregory or the theology of that time, this topic is almost not considered, and if it is mentioned, it is not in the theological, but only in a biographical or historical context 3. Meanwhile, the Third Word of 4 St. Gregory is the first text entirely devoted to the theme of the priesthood in the Christian tradition. Between the first century - the pastoral letters of the Apostle Paul, and the fourth - the work of St. Gregory, we do not find a single work in which the reader would be presented with a holistic image of a Christian priest. Consequently, any attempt to understand the priesthood, since it is somehow related to church tradition, requires reference to this text. Let us note that at least two interconnected biographical factors played a role in the creation of St. Gregory of a new model of a priest: the feeling that did not leave him of the decline of the Christian clergy and coercion to take the priesthood by his father. It was their combination that allowed him to consider his experience of becoming a priest as a model for solving a church-wide problem 5 . Without pretending to provide a comprehensive analysis of the image of the priest in the works of St. Gregory, in this work we will turn to the main categories with the help of which he develops the theme of becoming a priest. To do this, we will first consider the context of the creation of the Third Word, and then we will try to identify and describe these categories in their interrelation. 1. Addressees and opponents: the context of creating an apology It seems that to understand the Third Word we need to know not only the time and formal circumstances of its writing, but also for whom and, most importantly, against whom it was written. From our point of view, writing a word in the form of a sermon is a literary device, and the reasons for writing and the addressee named in it should not be understood entirely literally. Actually, the apology and explanation of his “flight” by St. Gregory cites in the First and, partly, in the Second, the words spoken to the flock on Easter 362, upon their return to Nazianz. Unlike them, the Third Word was not pronounced, but was published after Easter, and was written, apparently, in the monastery of Basil the Great in Pontus. Writing in the monastery, complex language, references to Hippocrates, Aristotle and Plato 6 and a large range of complex and fundamental topics related to the priesthood (hierarchy, deification, the relationship of monasticism to the priesthood, etc.) indicate that the Word was addressed not to a simple listener, but to monks of the circle of St. Basil and a small stratum of Nazianz elite 7. What was the purpose of “uttering” this “word”? At the very beginning of St. Gregory calls this his desire to explain his actions, to present the truth. In accordance with this, the Word is formally divided into two unequal parts, devoted to explaining the reasons for the flight and the reasons for the author’s return. However, attention is drawn to the fact that the first part is significantly larger than the second in volume and, most importantly, the main part of it is occupied by a description of the complexity and, in fact, even the impossibility of achieving the level of moral purity and knowledge necessary for a priest. In addition, the text contains criticism of the modern priesthood 8, an indication that unworthy clergy is the main vice of the Church, as well as some passages of exclusively pastoral orientation 9. The presentation of the reasons for the return points us to most of the most important categories for the Theologian - asceticism, dedication to God and obedience to Him. Thus, the very structure of the text suggests that the description of the reasons for flight and return is only a pretext for posing a more general problem: St. Gregory creates this text more to discuss the general meaning and place of the priesthood in the Church than to clarify his own biographical situation. The same is evidenced by the references in the text to events in a broader church and political context. These are, first of all: 1) a schism in the Church of Nazianza in 360 due to the signing of the Semi-Arian Creed by Gregory the Elder 10; 2) accession to the throne of Emperor Julian. S. Elm believes that it was the struggle of St. Gregory for the reunification of the Church of Nazianza, the main reason for creating a new image of the priest 11. The schism occurred in 360 and was settled by Gregory the Theologian in 364. The fight against heresy (to which his entire life was subsequently devoted) and the premonition of new schisms led St. Gregory to the awareness of the need for a “professional” 12 priesthood capable of responding to the challenges of the time. After all, the priesthood from the provincial aristocracy, to which the father of St. belonged. Gregory, was not ready for theological disputes, and in the current situation it was a question of the survival of the Church. St. Gregory needs to point out opponents to the addressee and confirm him in the Orthodox faith, which he achieves through a clear structuring of fragments of text with a pastoral focus, creating what we could now compare with a textbook 13. Let us turn to the second event - the accession of Emperor Julian to the throne (361). The first reaction of St. We see Gregory on this event in the same Third Word, written before the two words Against Julian. The main motive in it is the fight against the “beast”. Consideration of the Third Word and its problematics in the context of this struggle, in the context of the words Against Julian, allows us to see the intellectual field within which the image of the priest was created. In the polemical texts of St. Gregory criticizes the pagan idea of ​​the gods, argues with Julian about the problem of the origin of power, about ideal philosophy and about the belonging of Hellenic education only to pagans 14. It is in this context that the “philosophical” interpretation of the priesthood of St. becomes understandable. Gregory, his discussion of the topic of education and some other aspects of the Third Word. So, we see that St. Gregory, being in conditions of both internal and external conflicts, describes the path of becoming a priest, who must form a clergy ready to meet these problems, as well as for their daily service. 2. Categories of becoming a priest How does a person become a priest? Below we will look at a number of main categories within which St. Gregory thinks about this process. We will see that St. Gregory the Theologian is concerned about the issue of education, and in two aspects, Christian and pagan. Moreover, for him, the choice between the contemplative life and the priesthood, which constitutes the main conflict of the Third Word, is a choice of a philosophical path, requiring a special understanding of philosophy, in the context of which such categories as unworthiness arise, causing refusal to accept ordination, and coercion, and obedience to it. Education (παίδευσις 15) occupies such a significant place in the polemics of St. Gregory and Julian, not least because of what the Theologian sees as an integral quality of a Christian priest. In the early Church, the requirements for the education of a priest were minimal - literacy, knowledge of prayers, the New Testament and Psalms 16. The attitude of the majority of the Church towards Hellenic pagan education was rather negative. However, the process of accepting pagan education by the Christian elite was already underway, in which the Cappadocian fathers played an important role 17. This duality of the church's attitude towards ancient culture is also manifested in St. Gregory. The most important problem in the education of a priest turns out to be for him the implementation of a synthesis of ancient and Christian, that is, general, secular, and especially church culture. Let us consider the most significant points of this synthesis. St. Gregory highly values ​​general education, including knowledge of philosophy. He claims that the priest must have knowledge “of the worlds or the world, of matter, of the soul, of the mind and intelligent beings...” 18. However, the value of this knowledge is for St. Gregory has a significant internal problem, since it must ultimately be sacrificed to God, and sacrifice here means both the willingness to renounce “worldly wisdom” and the need to put this education at the service of God the Word 19. The priest especially needs rhetorical education for delivering sermons - his most important task, according to the Third Word. In theological education, the role of Hellenic education is also visible, since the methods of interpretation that are applied to Scripture are borrowed from it. Of course, St. Gregory insists on a deep knowledge of dogma: not superficial memorization of formulations 20, but understanding of philosophical terms, applying them to theological realities and, ultimately, contemplation of these realities, which, in his opinion, is impossible without maturity and “purification” of the mind 21. Against the background of these reflections, the theme of “education and holiness” takes on special significance. Although criticism of the lack of education of the episcopate is a common place in the work of St. Gregory, sometimes this criticism takes on an unexpected form. Let us quote the poem About Myself and the Bishops: Give me the faith of one of the apostles, 200. [give strength] not to have money, travel bag and staff; be scantily clad, have no sandals, live one day at a time, be rich only in hope; to be unskilled in the art of words; to be someone you wouldn't think would rather flatter, 205. [give strength] not to delve into the study of alien teachings. Let someone appear who has such merits, and I will accept everything: not having the gift of speech, shameful, ignorant, bootish. After all, a [righteous] lifestyle covers up [external] shortcomings. 215. Only in this way can you convince me to neglect knowledge 22. In fact, this postulates the obligatory nature of education for a bishop - its absence cannot be blamed only on people of righteous life. It is significant that in verse 205 the circle of education includes “alien”, that is, heretical and, probably, pagan teachings, about the attitude towards which we wrote above. It is quite natural that, within the framework of late antique culture, the lifestyle of such an educated priest cannot but be compared with the lifestyle of a philosopher. 2.2. Choosing a philosophical path Prof. Elm, considering the words of St. Gregory Against Julian, comes to the conclusion that, firstly, he polemicizes with Emperor Julian, being with him within the same discourse, that is, speaking with him in the same, and philosophical, language, and, secondly, that one of the points of their differences is the idea of ​​​​an ideal philosophical life 23. The significant thing is that thereby St. Gregory interprets the path of the priesthood as a philosophical path. Moreover, for him, as for Emperor Julian, the problem of choosing the right philosophical path is important - the preference for practical or theoretical (contemplative) philosophy. However, if the philosopher in Julian chooses practice 24, then the theologian who appeals to philosophical discourse in order to clarify his own position inevitably encounters difficulties arising from the content of the Christian gospel. Let's consider the general scheme. The formation of a philosopher is determined by a single cycle of two sequential actions associated, respectively, with contemplative and practical philosophy: moving away from the world 25 and returning to it. At the same time, the purpose of moving away from the world is personal deification, and the purpose of returning is the salvation of others 26, because “he is God” 27, and “through him, good is given to people by God” 28. It should be noted that we have little idea of ​​the specific content of the word “salvation” when Emperor Julian uses it, but it seems to us that it should be understood in the context of the idea of ​​deification and considered synonymous with “likeness to the gods” and other Neoplatonic terms of this series 29 . We do not agree with the thesis of prof. Elm, according to which the understanding of the priesthood in St. Gregory fits entirely into the described scheme. The latter presupposes the actual holiness and deification of the priest, while the Christian gospel speaks of the essential fallenness of man, which cannot be overcome by any ascetic effort, and that the ideal - “to bury oneself with Christ, to rise with Christ, to be a joint heir with Christ, to become the son of God and to be called god” 30 - is fundamentally unattainable in this world. The unattainability of the ideal confronts church thought about the priesthood with the most difficult problem formulated by St. Gregory in the Third Word. This problem arises due to the fact that man, according to St. Gregory, cannot strive for the priesthood, because he cannot consider himself worthy of it. So, the main reason for the flight, named by St. Gregory, - the experience of one’s unworthiness. We again disagree with Prof.’s model of the priest. Elm, is that becoming a priest is a once-happened choice of practical activity. From our point of view, we should be talking about a process rather than a one-time act. Let us pay attention to the fact that in the model of St. Gregory, the objective act of consecration and the subjective act of accepting one’s new status by no means coincide in time. One gets the feeling that from the point of view of St. Gregory, the first is not decisive without the second. This was manifested in a number of life situations, in particular, if, upon becoming a presbyter, St. Gregory, after a short period of flight, accepted this ministry, then in the town of Sashima, where he was appointed bishop by St. Vasily, in his own words, he did not perform a single service 31. Resolving the contradiction between the general unworthiness of being a priest and the necessity of the presence of the priesthood in the Church of St. Gregory finds in “obedience to God” (εὐπειθεία τοὺ θεοὺ). However, when the Theologian speaks of a priest of holy life, he, of course, has no doubt that such a person is worthy of the rank, and even on the contrary, he claims that he became “a priest for Christians even before the priesthood” 32. At the same time, St. Gregory emphasizes that such a person himself does not at all strive for ordination and accepts it “not with such rashness, not with such a violation of order, as is done now, but when nothing has been neglected, so that, after purifying himself, he can acquire experience and the power to purify others, as the law of spiritual succession requires this” 33. At the same time, it is obvious that we are talking about an ideal, and not about common practice. Thus, we can conclude that it is obedience to God that forces one to accept the priesthood, even if the person himself, for various reasons, does not strive for this. Returning to the problem of becoming a priest, let us quote St. Gregory: This is how I understand this matter, and I will express myself even more clearly: against the fear of being a boss, perhaps the law of obedience will help; because God, in His goodness, rewards faith and makes the perfect ruler of the one who trusts in Him and places all their hopes in Him 34 . So, this is what we meant when we spoke about the process (and not the act) of formation: with each new appointment to a position, if a person feels the will of God in this, which is manifested through those close to him, he, despite understanding his unworthiness, accepts this “yoke.” However, it is also important that if a person does not feel the expression of God’s will for this service, then it is more important for him to engage in personal improvement, philosophy, elevating him to God. It is the manifestation of the will of God, overcoming the described consciousness of unworthiness, that introduces the understanding of St. Gregory of the priesthood theme of coercion, tyranny. Because of the fear of losing this “philosophy,” St. Gregory did not want his ordination, and almost all his life he could not come to terms with coercion. He almost always calls forced ordination to the priesthood by the word τύραννις, but at the same time he gives it different definitions in different works. If in the First Word he calls it “good tyranny” 35, then in autobiographical poetic works he speaks about his father’s act with great bitterness. Nevertheless, this is what St. writes. Gregory about his priestly service in recent years: When I was a youth and had some understanding in my chest, then, following some hidden reason and laudable customs, I ascended the mountain to the luminous throne and walked along the royal path with not wandering feet 36 . Prof. Elm interprets the word τύραννις as tyranny on the part of God, who calls the priest to obedience 37 . This interpretation seems too divorced from the text, since in all references to the installation of St. Gregory to one or another church position clearly indicates that this was the action of the father or St. Basil the Great, while St. Gregory felt resentment towards both; It is difficult to imagine that St. Gregory may have experienced a feeling of bitterness due to submission to the will of God 38 . Rather, we can talk about accepting the fact that the will of God is manifested through human tyranny, and the inevitability and compulsion to ordination are its evidence, and disobedience to it is a greater sin than accepting the order despite one’s unworthiness. In general, the idea that the best ruler will be the one who does not want to rule is expressed in Plato's Republic and is an important position in all of Platonic philosophy. In his concept, for the philosopher, reluctance to power, lack of ambition, dissatisfaction with the power of the “worst man,” and lack of desire for wealth are very important. We see all this in the Theologian. However, although St. Gregory constantly says that one must act by persuasion, and not by coercion, and that what is obtained by coercion is unreliable, however, he himself also carried out forced ordinations 40. So, apparently, the Platonic principle, which presupposes the appointment of those who do not want this as stewards, was relevant at that time, and St. Gregory, although he experienced its effect himself, broadcast it himself. To summarize, we will try to highlight the main features of the teachings of St. Gregory on the formation of a priest, noting in particular the elements of novelty inherent in him in this regard, which had a decisive influence on the subsequent development of church thought on this topic. From the above it is clear that the Third Word is not just the first significant text within the church tradition entirely devoted to the problem of the priesthood, but also the starting point of a systematic discourse about the priest. The unique combination of sincerity and depth of personal experience with reflexive detachment from the problem and the desire for its universally significant solution, the development of a categorical scheme adequate to the era determine both the novelty and influence of this work. The categories we have considered, which determine the position of the priest in the Church and the world, are closely interrelated and allow us to think through this position in both a philosophical and theological key. Raising the question of the education of a priest allows us to fit his “placement into office” within the framework of the Platonic tradition of understanding the philosophical way of life and, as a result, to identify the problem of choosing between removal from society for the sake of contemplation and the practice of public service. However, it is precisely the theological understanding of the qualities of a priest, the awareness of the degree of purity necessary for this service and its fundamental inaccessibility that leads to a feeling of personal unworthiness, the inaccessibility of the priesthood, 41 and the latter necessarily entails the refusal of ordination. And only coercion, interpreted post factum as a manifestation of the will of God, leads to submission to this will, which makes it possible to take office. The influence of the described scheme on subsequent tradition can hardly be overestimated. Her influence in the East was determined by her perception of the Six Words on the Priesthood of St. John Chrysostom 42, a key text in the Eastern tradition of pastoral theology; its influence in the West is the translation of the Third Word into Latin by Rufinus of Aquileia in 400. A detailed consideration of this influence should be the subject of a special study. 1. Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople. Collection of works: in 2 volumes. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 1994. 1–2 volumes. [Reprint edition.] 2. Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople. Creations: in 2 volumes. M.: Siberian Blagozvonnitsa, 2007. 1–2 volumes. 3. Gregoire de Nazianze. Discourse 1–3 / Bernardi J., ed. Paris, 1978. Vol. 247. 4. Sanctus Gregorius Nazianzenus. Opera quae existant omnia / J.-P. Migne, ed. D'Amboise, 1862. Vol. 35–38. 5. Julian the Apostate. Works / Sidash T. G., trans., Biryukov D. S., ed. St. Petersburg, 2007. 6. Julian the Emperor. The Works of the Emperor Julian in three volumes / W. C. Wright, tr. London, 1913. Vol. 1. 7. O’Meara D. J. Platonopolis: Platonic Political Philosophy in Late Antiquity. Ox., 2003. 8. Russel N. The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Patristic Tradition. Ox., 2004. 9. Ado P. What is ancient philosophy? M., 1999. 10. Festugier A.-J. Personal religion of the Greeks. St. Petersburg, 2000. 11. Khlebnikov G.V. Philosophical theology of antiquity. M., 2005. Part 2. 12. Elm S. Hellenism and Historiography: Gregory of Nazianzus and Julian in Dialogue // Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Berkley, 2003. V. 33. P. 493–515. 13. Elm S. Priest and Prophet: Gregory of Nazianzus’s Concept of Christian Leadership as Theosis // Priests and Prophets among Pagans, Jews and Christians / Dignas B., Parker R., Stroumsa G. G., edd. Leuven; Paris; Walpole, MA, 2013, pp. 162–184. 14. Elm S. The Diagnostic Gaze. Gregory of Nazianzus’ Theory of Orthodox Priesthood in his Orations 6 De pace and 2 Apologia de fuga sua // Orthodoxy, Christianity, History / Elm S., Rebillard E., Romano A., ed. Roma, 2000. P. 83–100. 15. Biryukov D.S. Faith is a language: Julian and St. Gregory of Nazianzus // Emperor Julian: Works / Biryukov D. S., ed. St. Petersburg, 2007. Art. 55–90. 16. Bernardi J. Introduction // Gregoire de Nazianze. Discourse 1–3 // Sources Chretiennes. 1978. V. 247. 17. McGuckin J. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus: An Intellectual Biography. 2001. 18. McGuckin J. Definition in Greek Patristic Thought: The Cappadocian Fathers’ Strategic Adaptation of a Tradition // Partakers of the Divine Nature. The History and Development of Deification in the Christian Tradition / Christensen M., Wittung J. ed. New Jersey, 2006. 19. Lebedev A.P. The clergy of the ancient Universal Church. St. Petersburg, 2006. 20. Ado I. Liberal arts and philosophy in ancient thought. M., 2002. 21. Fokin A.R. John Chrysostom // Orthodox Encyclopedia. T. 23. Part 1. Section “Works”. "Pastoral and Catechetical." Nikolay Antonov. Categories of the Formation of Clergy in the Teachings of St. Gregory the Theologian. The present article analyzes the teachings of St. Gregory the Theologian about the priesthood, which have determined much of the subsequent theology of the priesthood. The author considers the problems of the formation of the clergyman in the context of the writings of St. Gregory from the point of view of categorical analysis. The author identifies the following categories: education (παίδευσις), the choice of a way of philosophy (πρᾶξις/θεωρία), unworthiness (expressed through the negative adjective ἄξιος), compulsion (τύραννις), and ready obedience (εὐπειθεία). The author expresses the opinion that these categories are not equivalent to their analogues in neo-Platonic thought, as has been proposed by other scholars. The author concludes that the consideration of this topic in the writings of St. Gregory the Theologian goes outside of the boundaries of the philosophical tradition and acquires particularly Christian elements. The new conception of the problem of unworthiness creates a new image of the pastor, one that: needs of the 4th century; 3. has been able to determine the subsequent tradition of the theology of the priesthood. Keywords: priesthood, patristics, contemplation, action, education, unworthiness, obedience, Gregory of Nazianzus, Julian the Apostate, theology of the priesthood. Nikolay Konstantinovich Antonov – Bachelor Student of the Theological Faculty at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Humanitarian University, member of the research seminar “Te Priesthood and Contemporary Problems” (nick961@mail.ru). Nikolai Konstantinovich Antonov is a bachelor’s student at the Theological Faculty of the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s Humanitarian University, a researcher at the scientific seminar “Priesthood and the challenges of our time” (nick961@mail.ru). The research was carried out with the support of the PSTGU Development Fund as part of the project “The Priest in the Face of Modernity” (2016). See: Bernardi J. Introduction // Gregoire de Nazianze. Discourse 1–3 // Sources Chretiennes. 1978. V. 247. P. 39. Thus, in the fundamental works about St. Gregory: McGuckin J. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus: An Intellectual Biography. NY., 2001; and Bernardi J. Saint Gregoire de Nazianze. Paris, 1995, only the problem of his ordination and the philological analysis of the Third Word are considered. In the monograph Lebedev A.P. The clergy of the ancient Ecumenical Church. St. Petersburg, 2006, in the chapters dedicated to the 4th century, only incriminating evidence of St. is given. Gregory, criticism of episcopacy, but the positive teaching of the Theologian about the priesthood is not considered. In the Western tradition - the second, the titles of the Word Apologia de fuga sua and “Gregory the Theologian justifies his departure to Pontus after his ordination as a presbyter and his return from there, and also teaches how important the order of the priesthood is and what a bishop should be” are later additions. At the very beginning of the Third Word of St. Gregory writes that “God wants him to mean something to Christians,” and since there are many “carefully observing all his actions,” he cannot help but write this apology. Russian text of the works of St. We quote Gregory from the publication: St. Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople. Creations: in 2 volumes. M.: Sibirskaya Blagozvovennitsa, 2007. 1–2 volumes. Text taken from the site azbyka.ru (URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Grigorij_Bogoslov (access date: 02.28.2017)). We indicate the coordinates of the text according to the publication SC: Gregoire de Nazianze. Discourse 1–3. Paris, 1978. Vol. 247.Or. 2. 2. Elm S. Hellenism and Historiography: Gregory of Nazianzus and Julian in Dialogue // Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Berkley, 2003. V. 33. P. 503. See: Bernardi J. Introduction // Gregoire de Nazianze. Discourse 1–3 // Sources Chretiennes. 1978. V. 247. P. 29–37. These include a comparison with a doctor and the formation of the image of “healing souls”, a description of the difficulties of preaching, which consists in the need to convey one’s message simultaneously to groups of people very different in education and life experience, etc. See, for example: Or. 2. 32–34 and 40–42. Elm S. The Diagnostic Gaze. Gregory of Nazianzus’ Theory of Orthodox Priesthood in His Orations 6 De pace and 2 Apologia de fuga sua // Orthodoxy, Christianity, History. Roma, 2000. P. 87–88. St. Gregory gives many classifications: types of heresies, different groups of listeners, difficulties of sermons created by the speaker and the audience, etc. This problem is discussed in detail by S. Elm in the article: Elm S. Hellenism and Historiography: Gregory of Nazianzus and Julian in Dialogue // Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Berkley, 2003. V. 33. P. 493–515. Also see: Biryukov D.S. Faith is a language: Julian and St. Gregory of Nazianzus // Emperor Julian: Works. St. Petersburg, 2007, pp. 55–90. This term is the most commonly used, but a large number of cognate words are also found with it. Παίδευσις is often found in words against Julian, since the topic of education is one of the key points of controversy. The following usage especially stands out: τὴν ἐγκύκλιον παίδευσιν, translated as “primary teaching,” referring us to the “liberal arts,” which is quite important for understanding the idea of ​​education inherent in St. Gregory. See Ado I. Liberal arts and philosophy in ancient thought. M., 2002. pp. 350–358. See: Lebedev A.P. The clergy of the ancient Universal Church. St. Petersburg, 2006. pp. 250–251. Right there. pp. 268–289. It is known that St. Basil sent young men from Caesarea to study with the famous rhetorician Libanius. See, for example: “One glory was pleasant for me: to be distinguished by the knowledge that the East and West collected, and the beauty of Hellas - Athens; I worked hard on this for a long time. But this knowledge, having cast down, I laid at the feet of Christ, so that they yielded to the Word of the great God, which overshadows all ornate and varied words of the human mind” (PG. 38. 977–978). See: Lebedev A.P. The clergy of the ancient Universal Church. St. Petersburg, 2006. P. 251. Another important criterion for becoming a priest is age. We see this both in criticism of the clergy and in words of praise, where St. Gregory emphasizes timeliness in ordination. This factor, together with a comprehensive education, should provide the experience necessary for a priest, the willingness to neglect which confirms fidelity to the chosen ministry, but which at the same time shapes the priest and gives him the necessary tools. The formation of Christian philosophy and its connection with Hellenic philosophy was an important problem for St. Gregory, and for the entire “educated class” of Christians of the 4th century. For a brief overview of this issue, see: Ado P. What is ancient philosophy? M., 1999. pp. 250–266. We cannot agree with the thesis of Prof. Elm about the choice of imp. Julian of theoretical philosophy. This clearly contradicts Julian’s text. Compare: “But Socrates abandoned contemplation and joyfully adopted a practical lifestyle.” Russian text quoted from: Julian the Apostate. Essays. St. Petersburg, 2007. Critical edition: Julian the Emperor. The Works of the Emperor Julian in Three Volumes. London, 1913. Vol. 1; Epistle to Themistius 264 p. Also see: Biryukov D. S. Vera - language P. 64. On the connection between Christian ascetic language and ancient philosophy, see: A.-J. Festyugier. Personal religion of the Greeks. St. Petersburg, 2000, pp. 82–92. O'Meara D. J. Platonopolis: Platonic Political Philosophy in Late Antiquity. Ox., 2003. P. 3–5. To Heraclius the Cynic. 226b-c. See: Biryukov D.S. Faith is a language... P. 61–63. A poem in which Saint Gregory recounts his life. Art. 440–485 (PG. 38. 1059–1062). Art. 485 from “Poems about Myself” (PG. 38. 1006). Elm S. The Diagnostic Gaze... P. 91. See Art. from 345 onwards, and from 385 to 410 about the attitude towards the father and St. Basil in the “Poem in which Saint Gregory retells his life” (PG. 38. 1053, 1056–1057). “In truth, the situation is like this: where those who are to rule least strive for power, there the state is governed best and there is no strife at all; It happens quite differently in a state where the rulers are in the opposite mood” (Plato. The State. 520d. See also: 347b-c). St. Gregory, already a bishop, ordained the slave of Simplicia, without asking her permission and, apparently, without the consent of the slave himself. He writes that she should not scold her slave, because “he was forced (τετυράννηται), and did not break the law” (PG. 38. 130, 69). See: “330. The church pulpit was worthy for me, but as I stood in the distance, it seemed the same as sunlight is to weak eyes. Rather, I could hope for everything else, just not that, among many upheavals in life, I will get it myself” (PG. 38. 1052). See: Fokin A.R. John Chrysostom // Orthodox Encyclopedia. T. 23. Part 1. Section “Works”, “Pastoral and Catechetical”.