Discussing the church within the first four centuries will elicit a number of responses ranging broadly from complete dismissal to unbelievable misunderstanding. Obviously, some aspects of early Christian theology are problematic from a Protestant perspective. Despite personal perspectives concerning the early church, however, one assertion is undeniable for believers of all stripes: exemplary lives of orthodox believers are a sweet aroma for those pressing forward in piety. Macrina (327-370), the descendant of faithful believers who endured persecution and the sister of two famous Christian theologians, became a female model of deep Christian spirituality within a largely male-oriented world.
Macrina’s father died when she was twelve years old. As the eldest of ten children, she assumed the role of physical and spiritual leader within her household. Her influence on her family was patent: her mother joined her in founding a semi-ascetic community and three of her brothers became leaders in defending and furthering orthodox Christianity. Ultimately, Macrina was regarded as the glory of her family, in the words of Gregory of Nyssa, her brother. For Macrina, the highest expression of human virtue came through “philosophy.” For early Christians, Christ was the completion and highest expression of true philosophy (the love of wisdom). Surpassing the incomplete attempts to find ultimate wisdom by such notables as Socrates and Plato, true philosophy climaxed in the perfect life that was Christ’s. For this female saint, Christ was the Alpha and Omega of virtuous living.
Speaking of Macrina’s community, Gregory wrote, “although they lived in the flesh…they were not weighed down by the attractive pull of the body, but their lives were borne upwards, poised on high.” Such a life created a “desire which was in her heart to rush to the one she longed for…and no other of life’s pleasures ever turned her eye to itself away from her beloved.” As is common with many believers enraptured by Christ, Macrina longed for freedom from this world to be with Christ. She eventually received this wish. Gregory wrote of the day on which she died: “Most of the day had already passed and the sun was starting to set. Her fervor, however, did not give way, but the more she neared her departure, the more she contemplated the beauty of the bridegroom and longed to rush impulsively to her beloved.”
Despite innumerable accolades, however, Macrina was not one to receive adoration. Recounting her own story, she did so with thanksgiving to God alone. For Gregory, Macrina thus represented an exemplary expression of true philosophy: an athlete of God whose only treasure was her life in Christ. For encouragement in our faith, may we look to men and women like Gregory, Basil, and their sister Macrina. She truly was a beautiful woman who was a beautiful picture of a beautiful Savior.
