Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople, received this name for his deepest knowledge and inspired interpretations of the Holy Scriptures.
He was born around 329 in Ariansa, his parents' estate near the city of Nazianza in southern Cappadocia (Asia Minor). His mother, Saint Nonna, came from a noble and pious Christian family and was a cousin of Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium. Saint Nonna married Gregory of Aria, a wealthy landowner who, under the influence of his wife, abandoned his delusions (before his marriage he belonged to one of the Jewish sects), received Holy Baptism and became a zealous Christian. Subsequently, St. Gregory of Aria was consecrated as presbyter, and then — Bishop of Nazia and devoted himself entirely to serving the Church of Christ.
Through the prayers of the pious Gregory and Nonna, their son Gregory was born, who was promised by his mother to serve God even before birth. His parents gave St. Gregory, as well as his younger brother Caesarea, a brilliant education. After homework with his uncle, the Bishop of Iconium, an experienced teacher of rhetoric, Saint Gregory took a course of teaching in the schools of Nazianzus, Caesarea of Cappadocia and Alexandria. The young man had outstanding abilities, and at the same time ardent piety. Having learned from his mother that he was dedicated to God, Saint Gregory took a vow to preserve himself in chastity and purity.
To complete his education, Saint Gregory went to Athens. Here he met Saint Basil the Great, with whom he was united by an indissoluble friendship. St Gregory spent six years in Athens studying literature, philosophy, mathematics, music, geometry, astronomy.
At the end of the teaching, at the request of the Athenians, Saint Gregory remained in Athens for a short time as a teacher of eloquence, and then returned to his parents in Nazianzus, where, being 30 years old, he received Holy Baptism from his father, who by that time had become a bishop.
In 374, the parents of St. Gregory died. Saint Gregory retired to Seleucia of Isauria, where he served at the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Thekla. Here he took care of hospitals and shelters for the elderly. St. Gregory put in a lot of work, obtaining funds to provide hospitals and almshouses and organizing order in them.
After the death of Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory, fulfilling his friend's dying request, went to Constantinople to fight the heresy of Macedonia, which denied the Deity of the Holy Spirit.
Almost all the temples of Constantinople were in the power of heretics. In 379, St. Gregory began serving and preaching in a small house church of his relatives, which he called «Anastasia» («Resurrection»), believing that this was where Orthodoxy would begin to resurrect. With irresistible persuasiveness, he refuted all the arguments of heretics, inspiringly revealing the true teaching of the Church. Listeners were worried near the episcopal see, loudly expressing signs of approval and writing down the words of the saint. The ardent preaching of St. Gregory, his deep knowledge and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, and righteous Christian life attracted more and more flock to him, and he managed to achieve a significant weakening of heretics.
With the support of Patriarch Peter of Alexandria (373—380) and Emperor Theodosius of Constantinople (379—395), Saint Gregory the Theologian was installed as Patriarch of Constantinople and confirmed in this rank by the II Ecumenical Council in 381.
However, the elevation of Saint Gregory to the see of Constantinople caused displeasure on the part of the Egyptian and Macedonian bishops. This caused confusion and disagreement in the Church. Then Saint Gregory decided to leave Constantinople to calm the church storm. Neither the persuasion of the emperor nor the requests of the clergy broke the will of the saint. He retired to the family estate of Arians and remained there in monastic exploits.
Saint Gregory led a strict ascetic lifestyle: he walked barefoot, had only one dilapidated clothes, slept on bare ground or on a bed of tree branches under the cover of a mound; bread and vegetables served as food for him, drinking — water, into which he sometimes mixed a little vinegar.
In the city of Nazianzus, overwhelmed by heresy, St. Gregory installed the pious Bishop Eulalius. Handling numerous messages, the saint continued to courageously denounce heretics and explain Orthodox doctrine. He generously forgave the young man who attempted his life in Constantinople.
On February 7 (new style) 389, St. Gregory the Theologian reposed himself with the Lord, leaving a great divinely inspired legacy for the edification of the Orthodox: 243 epistles, 507 spiritual poems and 45 sermons. The complete works of St. Gregory the Theologian were translated into Russian and published three times: in 1822-1841, in 1843—1848 (in six volumes) and in 1889 (in two volumes).