De Fide Orthodoxa and Gregory of Elvira's Trinitarian vision.

Abstract

The narratives of fourth-century Trinitarian controversies have undergone significant revision in recent decades. Consequently, the work and writings of “secondary” theologians from the period have come under greater scrutiny, and their contributions have become woven into the theological tapestry of the controversies. The Spanish bishop Gregory of Elvira (d. ca. A.D. 400) is just such a theologian. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide an English translation of his text De fide orthodoxa and to examine his personal history and ecclesial role in the West during these Trinitarian disputes. Since the historical forces, political developments and alliances, and diverse theological expressions form an essential complex, this volume addresses each of these matters somewhat individually and then integrates them into a comprehensive analysis of Gregory’s contribution to the Nicene tradition in the West. The second chapter narrates the historical developments from the Nicene Council (325) to the council of Ariminum (359), the event which precipitated Gregory’s composition of the De fide orthodoxa. The ensuing chapter covers the years 359 to the close of the century, examining Gregory’s emergence and the course of his episcopal career in the context of the sustained polemical and pastoral needs. Because Gregory’s labors, especially his literary production, have been cloaked in obscurity for the last millennium and more, the fourth chapter details his literary works and the efforts that have made possible the recovery of his literary patrimony. Once the manuscript matters have been thoroughly addressed, chapter five provides an English translation of the De fide orthodoxa accompanied by the critical text and apparatus of Manlio Simonetti. Chapter six then furnishes a commentary upon the De fide orthodoxa, incorporating material from his other works, his own Latin sources, and the historical reconstructions of the preceding chapters.