Theosebia
Encyclopedia
Theosebia, also known as Theosebia the Deaconess is a 4th century Christian
leader recognized as a saint
in the Eastern Orthodox Church
.
As a saint she is referred to as Blessed Theosebia the Deaconess.
Her life and identification is ambiguous: her years of birth and death are uncertain (probably subsequent to 381). However, she is thought to have played an important role in the church in Nyssa
, where she was called diaconissa, the deaconess or wife of a deacon.
Gregory Nazianzen wrote a letter of condolence (Ep. CXCVII)http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3103c.htm on her death to Gregory of Nyssa
in which Gregory Nazianzen mentioned "your sister Theosebia" and "true consort of a priest". Hither comes the ambiguity of her identification. Some historians supposed Theosebia was the wife of Gregory of Nyssa, others suppose she was one of his sisters like Macrina the Younger; if so, then Theosebia was the sister of Basil the Great as well. Others imagined that she was the wife of Gregory Nazianzen, but there is no evidence to show that he was ever married.
Gregory of Nyssa, unlike the other Cappadocian Fathers, was married according to his own testimony in his work On Virginityhttp://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2907.htm that he could not benefit from the subject of his own work. This combined with Nazianzen's statement that Theosebia was buried by Nyssa in the aforementioned letter suggest that she was indeed either Nyssa's wife or sister whose funeral he would have been obliged to oversee.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
leader recognized as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
.
As a saint she is referred to as Blessed Theosebia the Deaconess.
Her life and identification is ambiguous: her years of birth and death are uncertain (probably subsequent to 381). However, she is thought to have played an important role in the church in Nyssa
Nevsehir
Nevşehir, formerly Muşkara, , is a city and the capital district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 117,890 of which 85,634 631 live in the city of Nevşehir...
, where she was called diaconissa, the deaconess or wife of a deacon.
Gregory Nazianzen wrote a letter of condolence (Ep. CXCVII)http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3103c.htm on her death to Gregory of Nyssa
Gregory of Nyssa
St. Gregory of Nyssa was a Christian bishop and saint. He was a younger brother of Basil the Great and a good friend of Gregory of Nazianzus. His significance has long been recognized in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholic and Roman Catholic branches of Christianity...
in which Gregory Nazianzen mentioned "your sister Theosebia" and "true consort of a priest". Hither comes the ambiguity of her identification. Some historians supposed Theosebia was the wife of Gregory of Nyssa, others suppose she was one of his sisters like Macrina the Younger; if so, then Theosebia was the sister of Basil the Great as well. Others imagined that she was the wife of Gregory Nazianzen, but there is no evidence to show that he was ever married.
Gregory of Nyssa, unlike the other Cappadocian Fathers, was married according to his own testimony in his work On Virginityhttp://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2907.htm that he could not benefit from the subject of his own work. This combined with Nazianzen's statement that Theosebia was buried by Nyssa in the aforementioned letter suggest that she was indeed either Nyssa's wife or sister whose funeral he would have been obliged to oversee.