St Gregory the Theologian (CT9520A)

St Gregory the Theologian

Semester: 2, 2022 (25 Jul – 28 Oct)

Time: 6:30pm-9:30pm

Campus: N/A

Mode: Online 
 

Level: Postgraduate Elective

Credit: 24

Census: 16 Aug 2022

This unit will be offered online (synchronous and asynchronous) by Dr Katherin Papadopoulos and Mr Abraam Mikhail and will contain a COMPULSORY face-to-face intensive component with Prof. John Behr on 30 and 31 August 2022 at SAC’s city campus (285 La Trobe Street Melbourne).

In this unit, students will undertake a detailed study of the life and afterlife of Gregory of Nazianzus, also known as Gregory the Theologian. Students will consider Gregory’s theological, ecclesiastical, and literary contributions in their historical context and study his impact and legacy from his death to the present day. Students will engage in close reading of primary texts, covering the wide range of St Gregory’s interests and the key genres in which he wrote—epistolary, poetry, and homiletic—and examine conciliar, hagiographical, and liturgical texts, documents, icons, and other sources to explore his impact and legacy.

Learning outcomes
  • Critically discuss the distinguishing features of Gregory’s works with reference to their genre, historical context and literary, ecclesiastic, or theological contribution
  • Appraise the theological vision of St Gregory and its historical context
  • Critically evaluate the role of the works of St Gregory in the establishment of Nicene theology
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the legacy and impact of St Gregory in intellectual, theological, material, and ecclesiastic contexts from his death to the present day
  • Develop a critical framework for reading and interpreting historical events contained in the primary sources
Assessment

 

Type Description Word count
Written assessment Essay 3,500
Written assessment Essay 3,500

SAC offers courses in diverse fields of theology. We offer postgraduate and undergraduate study options on-campus and online.