Self-Portrait in Three Colors: Gregory of Nazianzus's Epistolary Autobiography

Publisher Description

A seminal figure in late antique Christianity and the determination of Christian orthodoxy, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus published a collection of more than 240 letters, which have often been cast aside as readers turn to his theological orations or autobiographical poetry for insight into his life, thought, and times. Self-Portrait in Three Colors focuses squarely on these letters, building a provocative case that the finalized collection constitutes not an epistolary archive but an autobiography in epistolary form--a single text composed to secure his status among provincial contemporaries and his legacy for later generations of readers. Shedding light on late-ancient letter writing, fourth-century Christian intelligentsia, Christianity and classical culture, and the Christianization of Roman society, these letters offer a fascinating and unique view of Gregory's life, engagement with literary culture, and leadership in the church. As a single unit, this autobiographical epistolary collection proved a powerful tool in Gregory's attempts to govern the contours of his authorial image as well as his provincial and ecclesiastical legacy.