‹ The Bishops
Apostolic & Patristic · Saint
St Basil the Great
Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia
Church FatherDoctor of the ChurchConfessor
c. 329 – 379
363
Ordained
370
Consecrated Bishop
Caesarea in Cappadocia
Diocese
Turkey
Country
The Life
St Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, was the eldest of the three Cappadocian Fathers and a towering champion of Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism. Ordained priest in 363 and consecrated bishop in 370, he joined doctrinal leadership to vast charitable works.
A founder of Eastern cenobitic monasticism, his Rules still shape Byzantine religious life, and his name endures in the Liturgy of St Basil. He died on 1 January 379, just before the orthodox triumph at Constantinople in 381.
Notable Actions
- Led the Eastern defense of Nicene orthodoxy and the divinity of the Holy Spirit
- Wrote 'On the Holy Spirit' (c. 375) and the books 'Against Eunomius'
- Composed the 'Hexaemeron', homilies on the six days of creation
- Authored the monastic Rules that founded Eastern monasticism
- Built the 'Basiliad', a great complex of hospitals and almshouses for the poor
Portrait: Unknown authorUnknown author / Wikimedia Commons