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The Life and Contributions of Saint Jerome and Gregory of Nazianzus to the Early Church

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The Life and Contributions of Saint Jerome and Gregory of Nazianzus to the Early Church
EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY
ADO EKITI

FACULTY OF ARTS
DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
COURSE TITLE: EARLY CHURCH FATHERS
COURSE CODE: RES 764
TOPIC: THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF SAINT JEROME AND GREGORY OF ZAZIANZUS TO THE EARLY CHURCH
BY
FASUSI, EBENEZER AYODEJI
MATRICULATION NUMBER: PG/RES/11/048
LECTURER
PROF. G.O . ABE
MAY 2013.

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Introduction
The Christian church has passed through many eras with lots of changes and reformations. These changes at different times make the church to be a dynamic agency within the society.[i] Blainey has attributed the changes, reformations, and growth in Christianity to the works, life and writings of some early Christian fathers.[ii] The works of these early church fathers were centered on the defense of Christian faith and traditions like the Trinity, Virgin birth, second coming and lots more. This paper therefore attempts a discussion of the life and contributions of two of the early church fathers;
Saint Jerome
Gregory of Nazianzus
Saint Jerome: His early life and education
Saint Jerome, otherwise known as Hieronymus lived between 345 and 420.[iii] He was born into a wealthy Christian home in Stridon in the modern day Slovenia.[iv] Jerome started his academic life at age twelve. Jerome studied Latin literature, grammar, rhetoric and philosophy through which he later became a scholar and Doctor of the Christian church. For Clark, the seriousness and love for academic enabled Jerome to go far in sound education and his scholastic achievements.[v] At the completion of his Roman education, he was baptized at about AD 366.[vi]
Saint Jerome was an Apostle of asceticism with deep interest in Roman classics and philosophy. His conversion and interest in Christian thoughts and writings was as a result of a dream he had in which he was accused of been a follower of Cicero rather than been a follower of Jesus Christ. He woke from the dream with a vow to be committed to the
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