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Re-Reading Gregory of Nazianzus: Essays on History, Theology, and Culture by Christopher A. Beeley (review)

“christological” in the title of this chapter, I have often wondered whether the impact of the theological structure that such a usage implies may subtly influence expectations and explanations. Since the use of “body of Christ” is the real focus of this chapter—and of Hilary’s way of thinking—the chapter title may not reflect that content as accurately as it could have. The rich emphases of this chapter show how fourth-century controversy not only led Hilary to defend Christ’s divinity but also to see belonging to the body of Christ as crucial to Christian growth. Chapter five then places the focus on Phil 3.21 where conformity to the glorified body of Christ is the goal (174). This final transformation was addressed throughout the Tractatus in a manner that deals with Christ and with salvation in an integral way. If Christ were not divine, then salvation could not be attained. Hilary, therefore, anticipates the developments of later pro-Nicene writers like Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine (224). It is unfortunate that their writings are described as suffering from “the dichotomy inherent in Platonic treatments of soul and body” (229). This is a good book for several reasons. Not only is there not much written about Hilary, but even less attention has been given to his commentary on the Psalms. Such study of the Psalm commentaries of the fourth and fifth centuries, however, is needed—both to appreciate the transformative quality of praying the Psalms at that time and to see the breadth of perspective that is found when the spiritual needs of the people and the theological perspective of the commentators come together as a testament to Christian life. It was, after all, Christian life rather than theological speculation that provides the best foundation for Christian culture and thought at that time. Allan Fitzgerald, Villanova University