Part 1. Gregory as ascetic theologian
Fall, redemption, and the ascetic's filter
Ecclesiology and the rhetoric of episcopal equality
Some mystical attributes of Gregory's ascetic theology
part 2. Gregory as pastoral theologian
The importance of spiritual leadership
The recruitment of leaders
The tasks of the spiritual leader
The impediments to effective leadership
Part 3. Gregory as "first man" of Rome
The Rome of Gregory's imagination
Ever the praefect: Gregory's "secular" responsibilities
Gregory's ascetic program and its opponents
Prefect of the Roman church
Spreading Christianity beyond the Roman world
The steward of Peter's tomb
Conclusion: The apostolic steward.
