TY - JOUR TI - Gregory of Nyssa as Biographer: Weaving Lives for Virtuous Readers. By Allison L. Gray AU - Gilfeather, Ryan T2 - The Journal of Theological Studies AB - This monograph is a revision of Allison Gray’s 2016 University of Chicago PhD thesis. Her argument takes the following shape: Gregory of Nyssa wrote three extant biographies which narrate a whole life (Life of Gregory Thaumaturgus, Life of Macrina, and Life of Moses); these texts belong to the genre of encomiastic bios; the purpose of these narratives is to advance the audience’s life of virtue; Gray identifies and examines the literary-rhetorical features Gregory deploys to achieve this aim; all of which find common ground in the way they form the audiences to be ideal readers who are able to discern how to translate the particular virtues present in a biography into general principles they can apply in their own lives. Gray’s method is clear and convincing. In order to discern how these texts are supposed to benefit the audience, she examines the literary-rhetorical devices synchronically. Specifically, she focuses on how Gregory both adopts and adapts the standard thematic elements of encomiastic bioi. Furthermore, to serve her analysis she draws upon the Greek philosophical tradition as well as Graeco-Roman and biblical literature as sources. DA - 2022/// PY - 2022 DO - 10.1093/jts/flac012 DP - Silverchair VL - 73 IS - 1 SP - 388 EP - 390 J2 - The Journal of Theological Studies SN - 0022-5185 ST - Gregory of Nyssa as Biographer UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/jts/flac012 Y2 - 2022/07/01/12:04:18 ER -