The Book of Genesis as the Moralia in Iob of St. Gregory the Great

Abstract

The article discusses a question of spiritual thought of Gregory the Great based only on the Book of Genesis in the Moralia in Iob (Commentary on the Book of Job). According to Gregory the Great, the Holy Scripture is the fundamental Book from which the Christians should draw their ideas of spiritual life. To that purpose the Holy Scripture should be interpreted both allegorically and literally. Gregory the Great applied exactly such methods in his main work Moralia in Iob. That is why the Moralia are the real treasure of spiritual doctrine. Gregory the Great enriches the Commentary on the Book of Job with references to the other biblical books. Among them the Book of Genesis is one of the most alluded to. The fragments, in which Gregory the Great refers to the Book of Genesis, are especially abundant with spiritual content. In the article they are presented in certain consequent order. The spiritual perfection begins with the fight against temptations through which the devil endeavors to enslave the human being with allegation to the earthly goods. Since the human being is spiritually weakened and inclined to commit a sin, it is necessary to confess sins. Then the human being spiritually grows and his/her growing is manifested in the practice of virtues. The practice of virtues leads to the contemplation of the heavenly reality. The devil envies when the human beings spiritually grow, that is why he continually seduces the just person.