Categories of the formation of clergy in the teachings of St. Gregory the Theologian

The present article analyzes the teachings of St. Gregory the Teologian about the priesthood, which have determined much of the subsequent theology of the priesthood. Te 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. Te 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). Te author expresses the opinion that these categories are not equivalent to their analogues in neo-Platonic thought, as has been proposed by other scholars. Te author concludes that the consideration of this topic in the writings of St. Gregory the Teologian goes outside of the boundaries of the philosophical tradition and acquires particularly Christian elements. Te new conception of the problem of unworthiness creates a new image of the pastor, one that: 1. unites all of the elements of Hellenistic and Christian discourse; 2. is tailored to the needs of the 4th century; 3. has been able to determine the subsequent tradition of the theology of the priesthood.