Isaac on Jewish and Christian Altars: Polemic and Exegesis in Rashi and the Glossa Ordinaria
Demacopoulos suggests that his book sets itself apart from earlier works in two ways. 'First, it situates Gregory's ascetic commitments and the uniqueness of his ascetic theology as the baseline for his other theological investments. Second, it seeks to build upon the analysis of Gregory's thought by seeking ways to understand how his theological commitments are revealed in his pastoral, administrative and diplomatic activities' (p. 8) As an Orthodox scholar, Demacopoulos brings a new perspective to another dichotomy that marks the figure of Gregory both as a figure that is much revered by Orthodox Christians as a Father of the Church and as someone who contributed to giving the papacy its current shape, a shape that is not always appreciated by Orthodox Christians. In order to provide this new analysis of Gregory and to bind his asceticism and leadership together, Demacopoulos proposes how Gregory had a different understanding of asceticism to that of his contemporaries. Unlike, for example, Basil and Cassian, who saw the goal of the ascetic life as being 'mystical union with God, for Gregory 'the apex of the spiritual life was to be found in the sacrifice that corresponds to service for others' (p. 28) This new understanding of the sacrificial dimension of service, whereby Gregory sacrifices the mystical fruits of contemplation in order to serve his fellow Christians and citizens of Rome, provides the starting point for the new synthesis of his life that Demacopoulos proposes. The book is methodically divided into three parts dealing with Gregory as an ascetic theologian, as a pastoral theologian and as the 'first man' of Rome, thus passing from his original vocation as a monk, then as a bishop who had the care of souls, to his role as a civic figure in the city of Rome, often caught between various political interests of the Roman Emperor, now living in Constantinople, and the new 'Barbarian' rulers in what was to become Western Europe. Demacopoulos writes in a very readable style and makes abundant use of the different primary sources that we possess from Gregory. I enjoyed his perspective and insights. However, this book was not written as a general introduction to the figure of Gregory and is aimed at a somewhat more specialized audience. Therefore it would not be the first book that I would recommend to introduce a newcomer to Gregory (for this I would recommend starting with Robert Markus's 1997 Gregory the Great and his World or with an annotated selection of his writings, such as John Moorhead's 2005 Gregory the Great) Nevertheless, it is a great addition to any theological or historical library and provides a fascinating insight into the person of Gregory and the world he inhabited for anyone who is interested in getting to know him better.