The friendship of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus and Saint Basil of Caesarea

This article by Ysabel de Andia examines the friendship that united the two Cappadocian Fathers Gregory of Nazianzus and Basil of Caesarea, from their years of study in Athens to the death of Basil in 379. Drawing primarily on Gregory's Oration 43, his Autobiography, and his Letters, the study traces the two major phases of this relationship: the shared pursuit of "philosophy," that is, the monastic life, and then the defense of "theology," namely the Trinitarian mystery in the face of Arianism. The article highlights the tension between the spiritual unity of the two friends, expressed through famous metaphors of fusion, and Gregory's bitterness at his forced appointment to the bishopric of Sasima. It shows that this friendship, tested by ecclesiastical conflicts and differences in temperament, finds its fulfillment in the work of the Holy Spirit, whose divinity was proclaimed at the Council of Constantinople in 381.