One of my favorite Church Father's isSaint Basil. If he were alive today I can’t help but wonder what label ourculture would attempt to slap on him. Would he be a “compassionate conservative”that fought against false teachings against more “liberal” views or a “bleedingheart liberal” that engaged politics and social reforms for the poor.
Basil was the eldest of nine otherchildren that his parents conceived. Four of Basil's siblings are known byname, and considered to be saints by various Christian traditions. Perhaps themost influential of Basil's siblings was his younger brother Gregory. Gregory wouldeventual be appointed by Bishop Basil to be the Bishop of Nyssa. The oldest ofBasil’s sisters, Marcrina, became a nun and was considered one of the mostremarkable women of the fourth century. She would become the catalytic examplefor Basil to give away his wealth and possessions and join the asceticalmovement later in life. Basil’s family background and influence would make himadmirably suited to the spirit of the age.
While in Athens around the year 355,Basil briefly practiced law and taught rhetoric in Caesarea. A fewyears later, Basil's life would change radically after he encounteredEustathius of Sebaste, a charismatic bishop and ascetic.[1] Basil soon abandonedhis legal and teaching professions in order to devote his life to God. He describinghis spiritual awakening in Epistle 223,Basil states:[2]
Having lavished much time on the vanity and having consumedalmost all my youth in the futility, which where mine while I occupied myselfwith the acquirement of the precepts of the that wisdom made foolish by God,when one day arising as from a deep sleep I looked out upon the marvelous lightof the truth of the Gospel, and beheld the uselessness of the wisdom “of theprinces of this world that come to nought,”bemoaning much my piteous life, Iprayed that there be given me a guidance and instruction to the teachings ofreligion. And accordingly, having read the Gospel and having perceived thereinthat the greatest incentive to perfection is the selling of one’s goods and thesharing of them with the needy of the brethren and that the soul should have nosympathetic concern with the things of this world.
Not long after this spiritual awakeningBasil was baptized and soon after ordained as Reader. Basil then set out forlocations such as Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Mesopotamia to study ascetics andmonasticism. Around 358 Basil along with his brother Peter, mother, sisterMarcrina and a few other like-minded Christians established a monasticsettlement on his family estate at Arnesi. Gregory of Nazianzus also joinedBasil on the estate for a time and together the two produced a work titled The Philocalia which is a collection ofbeauties of Origen.
Basil also developed The Long Rules by which he encouragedhis readers to “not remain in our present state of negligence and passivity andby ever postponing to the morrow and the future the beginning of the work, fritteraway the time at hand by our sloth.”[3]Basil also warned against desiring worldly possessions and power by warning“Indeed it is greatly to be feared that, by running recklessly after thesedelights and regarding the pleasure derived from their enjoyment as not harmfulin the least, we may swallow the hook of treachery concealed in the firsttaste.”
Accordingto Basil the "real" ecclesiastical leader ought to be a herald andinterpreter of the Christian Gospel as well as a goodmanager of his flock, whose sorrows, anguish and cares he makes his owns. Basil was also not afraid totake on public and political officials for their lack of interest in the commongood and use of power. He became a vocal voice for the poor as well as Niceandogma. Basil was often found himself at odds with Emperor Valens, who was anadherent of Arian teachings. Arian teaching was a dogma dogmatically opposed byBasil and his Nicean theology.
Ona certain occasion Emperor Valens, being at odds with Basil, dispatched an officialto convey the Emperor's displeasure with Basil. The official returned to theEmperor only to report that Basil had spoken to them in a manner that nobodyever had. Basil’s replied to the treatment of the official by saying,"Perhaps you have never had to deal with a bishop." Until his deathin 379 Basil admonished and reprimanded his fellow citizens who did notpractice the social commands of charity and Christian love while selfishlyenjoying their own riches.
Basil, in his role as Bishop, personallydistributed food to the poor. He gave away his personal family inheritance to benefitthe poor and worked to reform thieves and prostitutes. He built a large complexjust outside Caesarea, called the Basiliad. The Basilaid was series of tents and buildings which included a poorhouse,hospice, hospital. It was regarded as one of the wonders of the world. Those who entered the Basiliad were alsooffered ways to learn new job skills (thus helping prostitutes and women findwork), reading lessons and Bible studies. The Basilaid was like Basil's ways of say here is the Kingdom of God. This is what it looks like when heaven comes down to earth.
Basil embodied the often rarecombination of scholar, theologian and social worker. Regrettably in currenttimes this combination is rare. Not because there are theologians and scholars whodo not serve the poor or challenge the status quo. It is due to our ownwillingness to give power to the political traditions (donkeys and elephants)that have shaped the words “conservative” and “liberal” for much of our culture.Perhaps we are stuck with them but it does not mean that we cannot challengethem.
[1] St. Basil: Letters and selectworks (Select library of the Nicene and post-Nicene fathers. Second series)(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975),xvii.
2 Ibid.377-380.
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