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St Basil the Great
© Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
of America

An Introduction to St Basil the Great
This course is one in a series of short courses aiming to introduce some of the major figures from Early Church history to a wider audience, especially to those with no previous background in the subject.
St Basil “the Great” (c.330 – 379) received a classical education (partly alongside St Gregory of Nazianzus), after which his sister Macrina persuaded him to abandon a promising career in public speaking in favour of the ascetic life.
After touring the monastic centres of the day (in Syria, Palestine and Egypt) he established his own community in Cappadocia and was influential in the organisation of the growing monastic movement of his day.
Basil’s abilities were soon noticed by Eusebius the bishop of Caesarea, who appointed him as his assistant.

From that point onwards, Basil began to rise in ecclesiastical circles, with his ordination as priest, and eventually to his succeeding Eusebius as bishop. He became an astute and able politician in both ecclesiastical and secular spheres, and used his influence to vigorously champion the poor, as well as upholding the Nicene faith against Arian opposition.
Course Outline
The course will outline the life and work of St Basil the Great. We will touch upon his influence on monasticism, involvement in social welfare, and role in the Arian controversy. We will also consider his theological contribution through such important works as On the Holy Spirit, which played an important role in the 4th century formation of the doctrine of the Trinity.
The course will be divided into several sessions, with breaks for refreshments, each session consisting of a period of teaching with time for questions. There will also be a break at midday to allow for a lunch break and time for reflection in the Convent grounds.
Excerpts from St Basil’s writings will be provided as handouts on the day, the intention being not merely to provide stock quotations, but rather inspirational texts - “catalysts” for your own spiritual journey.
Please note: Tea & coffee (and nice biscuits) will be provided during the breaks, but you will need to make your own arrangements for lunch.
Who is the course aimed at?
Anyone who’s read this far and is still interested!
Do I need to know any history/theology?
Absolutely not! The course assumes a complete lack of previous knowledge, experience or study. Although naturally this wouldn’t do any harm. However, clergy, lay readers or others with some knowledge will still find much of interest.
Speaker
Russell Jefford has been fascinated with the Early Church period for a number of years - an interest which led to him recently taking an MA in Patristics (Early Church history & theology) at King’s College London.
He sees much in the writings of the Early Church Fathers (especially the Eastern Fathers) which is inspirational and of relevance to contemporary Christianity. This course is one of a series attempting to spread that inspiration further afield.

This course is currently scheduled for the following dates/locations:
None! Sorry, this course is not in the calendar for the immediate future. If you'd like to lobby for it to be repeated, please use the Get in Touch form.

Suggestions for further reading
See the Reading Room section of the website for:

Inspirational extracts from some of St Basil's works
Books about St Basil
Books containing his work in English translation