-tired to repair the ‘tattered old coat of the church’ via letters and influencing bishop’s appointments in provinces of Asia. -Not successful in relations with the west. (sent 4 delegations to Pope Damasus with no success) (hurt by backing Meletius) -Brother is Gregory of Nyssa -friend of Gregory of Nazianzus -immensly gifted in public speaking, church statesmanship, and theological insight -outstanding in social concern and the monastic way of life: bought hostels, hospitals, and built a monastery -Born into a wealthy Christian family in Ceasarea in Cappadocia in 330 -Became an ascetic and baptized in 330 -With Greg of Naz. He compiled Origen’s works and helped strengthen Origen’s place in Orthodoxy -Succeded Eusebius as bishop of Caesarea -Opposed Arian party -refused to accept Roman bishop as “supreme judge of universal church” -Writings on monasticism influenced Eastern Christianity (no one before him had done as much in this area) -On the Holy Spirit: wrote against Pneumatomachians who denied divinity of the Spirit -wrote homilies on Psalms, commentary on Isaiah 1-6, sermons, letters -paved the way for council of Constantinople in 381 -first to fix the formula of 1 substance/ousia and 3 persons/hypostasis
Basil the Great was called upon by his bishop to defend the faith against Arianism and Emperor Valens in partiuclar. He tried to reconcile the semi-arians by showing that their concept of the incarnation (homoiousios) was not altogether different than his homoousios conception. The virtual termination of Arianism after the Council of Constantinople in 381 is largely due to his efforts.
Basil the Great also gave the form and ethos to Eastern Monasticism that is still in place today.
-tired to repair the ‘tattered old coat of the church’ via letters and influencing bishop’s appointments in provinces of Asia.
ReplyDelete-Not successful in relations with the west. (sent 4 delegations to Pope Damasus with no success) (hurt by backing Meletius)
-Brother is Gregory of Nyssa
-friend of Gregory of Nazianzus
-immensly gifted in public speaking, church statesmanship, and theological insight
-outstanding in social concern and the monastic way of life: bought hostels, hospitals, and built a monastery
-Born into a wealthy Christian family in Ceasarea in Cappadocia in 330
-Became an ascetic and baptized in 330
-With Greg of Naz. He compiled Origen’s works and helped strengthen Origen’s place in Orthodoxy
-Succeded Eusebius as bishop of Caesarea
-Opposed Arian party
-refused to accept Roman bishop as “supreme judge of universal church”
-Writings on monasticism influenced Eastern Christianity (no one before him had done as much in this area)
-On the Holy Spirit: wrote against Pneumatomachians who denied divinity of the Spirit
-wrote homilies on Psalms, commentary on Isaiah 1-6, sermons, letters
-paved the way for council of Constantinople in 381
-first to fix the formula of 1 substance/ousia and 3 persons/hypostasis
-BV
Basil the Great was called upon by his bishop to defend the faith against Arianism and Emperor Valens in partiuclar. He tried to reconcile the semi-arians by showing that their concept of the incarnation (homoiousios) was not altogether different than his homoousios conception.
ReplyDeleteThe virtual termination of Arianism after the Council of Constantinople in 381 is largely due to his efforts.
Basil the Great also gave the form and ethos to Eastern Monasticism that is still in place today.
-CL