The Cappadocians

The Cappadocians

The final entry concerning post-apostolic church lead­ers will con­cern  three individuals that lived in the Asiatic province of Cappadocia.  They are Basil (the Great), his brother Gregory, bishop of Nyssa, and their friend Gre­gory Nazianzen.  They are es­teemed as a group because of their relationship to each other on a social level, a geo­graphical level, and on a chronological level.

Basil the Great was born about 329 in Cæsarea, the capital of Cap­padocia with a heritage of martyr­dom, piety and wealth in his family.  He died in 379.  Gregory deliv­ered the eulogy at Basil’s funeral and died about 395.  Ba­sis was initially educated by his father and later sent to Constantinople and Athens for more extensive instruction in rhetoric, mathematics, and philosophy.  Gregory was educated by his older brother Basil in his earlier years. It was in Athens where they met and befriended the man who was to become their lifetime friend, especially that of Basil.

Gregory Nazianzen (also called Gregory, the theolo­gian) was born about 330 in Nazianzum. He was never as famous or as influential as his friends but indeed made a significant mark in the history of Chris­tianity.  He died in 390 or 391.

These three men were alive during the heat of the battle between the orthodox church and the Arians.  Not only did they observe the battle, they actively participated and their lives were effected by the out­comes.  But what of their philosophical background. 

The very fact that they obtained a portion of their edu­cation in Athens, Greece should give strong clues to their respect for philosophy, as we understand  Dr. Frances Young, a member of the theology faculty of Birmingham University, England.  Her book From Nicaea to Chal­cedon is an attempt to present a recent histori­cal, biographical, literary-critical, and theo­logical ap­proach to this period.