Gregory Thaumaturgus
(ca. 210-260)

GREGORIUS NEO-CÆSARENSIS THAUMATURGUS, the enthusiastic disciple of Origen, and the apostle of Pontus; was b. at Neo-Cæsarea in Pontus, and destined for some kind of civil career, but happened to come to Cæsarea in Palestine, where Origen had settled down shortly before (in 231), and remained there, studying under his tutorship, for eight years. Before he returned home he wrote his panegyrics on his great teacher (specially edited by J. A. Bengel, 1722); and shortly after his arrival home he was consecrated bishop of his native city by Phædimus of Amisus. He found seventeen Christians in Neo-Cæsarea when he entered his office: there were only seventeen Pagans left when he died (about 270). Testimonies of the energy he de-veloped and the influence he exercised are not only the legends which cluster around his name, but also the writings he left, - his so-called canonical letter on discipline, one of the most inter-esting documents of ancient Christianity; the con-fession he used for the catechumens of his church; his paraphrase of Ecclesiastes. They were edited by G. Voss, Mayence, 1604, in Paris, 1622; in GALLAND: Bibi. Patr., III.; and MIGNE: Patrol. Græca, X. His life was written by GREGORY of NYSSA (utterly unreliable), PALLAVICINI (Rome, 1644), J. L. BOYE (Jena, 1703), and VICTOR RYSSEL (Leipzig, 1880).

W. Müller, "GREGORIUS NEO-CÆSARENSIS THAUMATURGUS," Philip Schaff, ed., A Religious Encyclopaedia or Dictionary of Biblical, Historical, Doctrinal, and Practical Theology, 3rd edn, Vol. 2. Toronto, New York & London: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1894. p.906.