Nicene Era
On the Holy Spirit & the Hexaemeron
Basil the Great · c. 370 – 379
Historical Context
Basil, bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, was the eldest of the three Cappadocian Fathers and a chief architect of the post-Nicene settlement.
Summary
On the Holy Spirit defends the Spirit's full divinity by appeal to baptism and to liturgical tradition; the Hexaemeron is a celebrated set of homilies on the six days of creation. Basil also wrote the ascetic rules that shaped Eastern monasticism.
Major Themes
- Divinity of the Holy Spirit
- Liturgical tradition as theology
- Monastic life
- Creation
Important Quotations
“Of the dogmas and kerygmas preserved in the Church, some we have from written teaching, others we have received as delivered in mystery from the tradition of the apostles.”— On the Holy Spirit 27
Related Timeline Events
Primary Sources
Further Reading
- Stephen M. Hildebrand, Basil of Caesarea
- Andrew Radde-Gallwitz, Basil of Caesarea: A Guide to His Life and Doctrine