Basil the Great 330 AD – 379 AD
Basil of Caesarea, called the Great, was a fourth-century Cappadocian theologian, bishop, and the chief organizer of Eastern Christian monasticism. The elder brother of Gregory of Nyssa and friend of Gregory of Nazianzus, he played a leading role in shaping orthodox Trinitarian theology in the decades after Nicaea. His monastic rules became the foundation of cenobitic life in the East and shaped Western monasticism through Benedict's Rule. His Hexaemeron is a celebrated set of homilies on the six days of creation, and his social writings challenged the wealthy of his city to share with the poor.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Christian
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Basil the Great:
“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds.”
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Attributed to Basil the Great:
“He who has loved much will be forgiven much.”
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Attributed to Basil the Great:
“Time is fluid in nature; it can never be recovered.”
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Attributed to Basil the Great:
“The bread you keep belongs to the hungry; the coat hanging in your closet, to the naked.”
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Attributed to Basil the Great:
“Wherever there are children, there is hope.”