Basil on fruit and good works
“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost.”
Plain English
Basil's theology is never far from moral practice. The test of a life is the fruit it bears in concrete deeds.
Why it matters
It captures the pastoral side of Basil: doctrine, charity, and discipline belong together.
About Basil
Basil refused to separate doctrine from the life of the church. He fought Arian theology, wrote On the Holy Spirit, organised monastic communities, and built institutions for the poor and sick around Caesarea. His importance is not only that he defended Nicene faith, but that he showed what that faith looked like in prayer, ascetic discipline, preaching, and public mercy. Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa carried parts of his work forward after his early death.
- Lifespan
- 330 – 379
- Era
- Nicene
- Born in
- Caesarea Mazaca
- See
- Caesarea Mazaca
- Region
- Asia Minor
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