Basil: Letters, Vol. 1

In Four Volumes

London: William Heinemann

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Printed in Great Britain

Foreword

Tue Leilers of St. Basil fittingly continue the series of Patristic writings in the Loeb Classical Library which has alréady published some of the works of Clement of Alexandria, St. Augustine and the Apostolic Fathers. Apart from their historical significance, these Letters are interesting as expressions of a striking personality, There is so much in the man himself and so rich a variety in his experience, that even in an age remarkable for men of force and character he is an outstanding figure. Withdrawn for a time from contact with worldly affairs, he is again in the very midst of them as bishop and theologian. With a viligant eye to the spiritual needs of his own diocese, he is none the less deeply concerned for the preservation of the Faith against the attack, open or insidious, of Arianism. Here and there in the Letters he gives us descriptions that are exquisite. Occasionally, in extolling the beauty of Christian virtue, he becomes eloquent. And when duty compels him to upbraid those in high places, episcopal or imperial, he is outspoken and fearless.

But the kindly human element in Basil appears at its best when he pours out his heart in sympathy for the sorrowing or in reproof, severe yet merciful, administered to the wayward and fallen. When writing to such as these, he is the father who grieves

Foreword

no less than the judge who condemns or the bishop who uses his authority to maintain the discipline of the Church.

The salient features of his style are the frequent citation of the Scriptures and the use, at every page, of illustration. The former attests not only his familiarity with the sacred text, but also his habit of meditating upon it and his grasp of the meaning. The latter is what one would expect from a native of Cappadocia whose education in Athens had enriched with culture his inherited wealth of imagination. And it is interesting to note how many of the figurative expressions used by St. Basil are lauded to-day in their English form as brilliant results of original picturesque thinking.

While the translation of those among the Letters which treat of ordinary topics offers no unusual difficulty, the task of rendering certain theological statements into suitable English equivalents is a delicate one. There are technical terms which caused long and bitter polemics among the learned participants in the Trinitarian…