On Fasting and Feasts

Popular Patristics Series #50

by Basil the Great, John Behr (Editor), Susan R. Holman (Introduction)

Saint Basil of Caesarea (c. 329-378/9 CE) was a monk, bishop, preacher, theologian, and social activist who had very down-to-earth views about eating, drinking, fasting, and feasts in honor of local martyrs. In this new collection of sermon translations—most offered here in English for the first time— Basil addresses such issues as drunkenness, hesitations over baptism, community benefits of fasting, how to be thankful when facing loss and disaster, and the mystery of the incarnation. Also included are three sermons on local martyrs Julitta, Mamas, and Barlaam. This small volume of elegant translations will be a vital and valued resource for anyone interested in religion and the body, early Christian spiritual disciplines, and their application to the Church today.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Christian, Church History, Philosophy

119 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

After 370, Christian leader Saint Basil, known as "the Great," Greek bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, vigorously opposed Arianism.

Arabic: باسيليوس الكبير
Greek: Μέγας Βασίλειος

People also call him of Mazaca in Asia Minor. He influenced as a 4th century theologian and monastic.

Theologically, Basil supported the Nicene faction of the church, not the followers of Apollinaris of Laodicea on the other side. Ability to balance theological convictions with political connections made Basil a powerful advocate for the Nicene position.

In addition to work as a theologian, Basil cared for the poor and underprivileged. Basil established guidelines, which focus on community, liturgical prayer, and manual labor for monastic life. People remember him, together with Pachomius, as a father of communal monasticism in east. The traditions of east and west consider him.

People refer collectively to Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa as the fathers. The Eastern Orthodox Church and Catholics gave the title of hierarch to Basil, together with Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom. The Catholic Church recognizes him as a doctor. The epithet "revealer of heavenly mysteries," sometimes refers to Basil.

Reviews

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basil the Great. On Fasting and Feasting. Yonkers, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2013.

This is not the name of a book Basil wrote. It is a collection of sermons delivered on various feast days. It is nothing like a systematic treatise on fasting, but it can be a good spur for the Christian life. We really don’t know how to feast because we don’t know how to fast. We consider McDonald’s to be a good meal.

Birth of Christ

This sermon establishes the pattern that as Christ’s flesh participates in divinity, so our own flesh must be prepared. The incarnation is the foundation for fasting. Basil repeats the standard line that the mode of eternal generation is ineffable (Basil 27). The closest analogy is fire to iron. He does seem to anticipate something like the extra-calvinisticum when he notes “Heaven was not deprived of what it contained, and the earth received the heavenly one within its own embraces” (30). As Christ’s flesh shares in divinity, “it does not impart its own weaknesses to the divinity.”

The body of the Holy Virgin is “the workshop for this divine economy.” Nice turn of phrase.

On Baptism

Any time is an acceptable time for baptism (41). Basil uses the language of baptism saving. We shouldn’t try to weaken that. What we should not miss, however, is that baptism allows us to participate in redemptive history.

We also see hints of a baptismal service in the ancient church: “You may find yourself (as unbaptized) able neither to lift your hands to heaven, stand upright, give proper bodily worship for the ritual, learn properly, confess clearly, join with God, nor renounce the devil” (49).

Learn good habits: “prayer as a night-watchman, fasting as the servant at the door, psalmody as your soul-guide” (52).

First Homily on Fasting

True fasting should loose the bonds of iniquity (injustice). One of the reasons we shouldn’t look sad during a fast is because we shouldn’t “look gloomy while [we] are being healed” (55). Fasting, when done properly, can kill (or at least expose) the root of a sin in the soul. Basil takes the command to “anoint your head” as a reference to the chrismic mysteries and oil. This allows us, he suggests, to “share in Christ” (56).

In terms of physical and temporal health, Basil notes that “eating lightly” is healthier for the body (57), Of course, they would have been eating actual food and not today’s food-like products.

The saints received fasting as a paternal inheritance.

Basil gives Noah the benefit of the doubt on the wine incident. Noah didn’t know how to partake moderately. Developing this point, fasting allows us to view food (and wine) properly. To the degree that we moderns do fast, we break our fast, not by small amounts of lean meat and a little wine, but by McDonalds.

“Fasting begets prophets and strengthens mighty men” (61). It is quite simply a training regimen.

A man who truly fasts will not lend money at interest (64).

A man who does not heed “the life-giving doctrines will have his mind waste away” (67).

Passions disturb the mind, but fasting weakens the passions.

Second Homily on Fasting

Thesis: “The more you deny the flesh, the more you render your soul radiant” (73-74).

The church uses the feast days to train the body to rhythms of fasting and feasting. These rhythms keep the soul ready to fight spiritual warfare. Indeed, “going without food to eliminate intemperance, they foster a kind of receptivity, re-education, and fresh start of the redevelopment of the nutritive faculty [perhaps we don’t need to adopt this aspect of ancient medicine]” (79).

There are aspects of Basil’s counsel that we probably couldn’t adopt today: church feast calendar, etc. Much of what he says, though, is worth considering and neatly unites both body and soul.

[Jesse Ingram]

A wonderful collection of homilies on fasting, baptism, the incarnation and thankfulness. Basil is a bold voice that is helpful as we live in the midst of an overly offended culture. He does not shy away from the truth.

“Fasting is as old as humanity: it was legislated in paradise. It was the first command that Adam received: You shall not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You shall not eat legislates fasting and self-control. If Eve had fasted from the tree, we would not need this fasting now.

It is because we did not fast that we were banished from paradise.
So let us fast that we may return to it.”


“Fasting begets prophets and strengthens mighty men. Fasting makes lawgivers wise. It is a good guardian of the soul, a safe companion for the body, the best weapon, a training regimen for contestants. It drives away temptations. It readies for piety. It is the companion of sobriety and the craftsman of self-control. In war it teaches bravery, in peace stillness. It sanctifies the Nazirite and perfects the priest.”

PS: I’m pretty sure Basil was an enneagram 8.

[mRizk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of homilies that makes reading feel just like being in Cappadocia.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fantastic.

On the Holy Birth of Christ
“So then, one might ask, ‘How was God the Word not filled with bodily weakness?’ We reply: as the fire does not share in the distinguishing marks of the iron. Iron is black and cold, but nonetheless when turned in the fire it takes on the outward form of fire. The iron glows, yet the fire is not blackened. The iron is set ablaze, yet it does not cool the flame. So too it is with the human flesh of the Lord: it shares in the divinity, yet it does not impart its own weakness to the divinity.” (29)

“Please think of the incarnation of the Lord in a way appropriate to God: His divinity is undefiled even though it has come to be in a material nature. It corrects what is subject to passion, but it is not itself filled with passion. Don't you see that this sun has come to be in the mire but is not sullied, that it shines in the filth but does not acquire the stench? On the contrary, it dries up the putrefaction of those with whom it will associate forever.” (39)

On Baptism
“In your hope for liberation, watch out that you are not stockpiling things so toxic with all your sins that you will lose hope of pardon; God is not mocked. Beware of gambling with grace. Do not say, ‘Yes, the law is good, but sin is so much more fun.’ Pleasure is the devil's hook, baiting us toward destruction. Pleasure is the mother of sin, and the wages of sin is death. Pleasure feeds the worm that is always tickling us; it gives a moment of delight but then spasms of disgust.” (48-49)

“Only when you lose your strength do you plan to devote your body to God, when it is feeble with age and good for nothing else. Such ‘self-control’ in old age is just another word for impotence! No one puts a crown on a corpse. The inability to do evil is not in itself justice. Use your reason to take control over sin while you still can. This is virtue: Turn away from evil and do good. There is nothing to praise or condemn if evil is simply not taking place. If your old age limits you from sinful behavior, this is nothing more than the benefit of incapacity. We praise those who actively choose virtue, not those who are forced into it by their physical deficiencies.” (49)

“Take instruction; learn the gospel rules of the land. They include discipline of the eyes; government over the tongue; proper service of the body; humility of mind; pure thinking; turning away from anger; going beyond that which is expected of you; not taking others to court over what they have stolen; responding to hatred with love; enduring persecution; and when insulted, appealing to harmony. Be dead to sin. Be crucified with Christ, your whole heart in love with the Lord.
“Yes these are hard things to put into practice. But what good thing is ever easy? Who ever lifted the winning cup while they were asleep? Who was ever crowned for valor while indulging in a soft life and enjoying the music? No one can win the prize for a race without running. Hard work merits glory; you do need to fight to get the crown; Through tribulations we must enter the kingdom of heaven. And while I fully agree with this saying, it is also true that the blessings of the heavenly kingdom release us from these tribulations, while the anguish and sorrow of hell stalk the activities of sin.
“If you think about it, you will see that not even the works of the devil are effortless for sinners. How much does continence make us perspire? But debauchery is exhausting. Does moderation take as much out of us as shameful frenetic passion? Indeed it is true that those who commit themselves to prayer vigil go nights without sleeping. But those spent in being naughty are much more difficult, since the fear of being discovered and the nervous energy of hedonism destroys all sense of rest. If you continue to run away from the narrow road to salvation, following sin's path instead to its logical conclusion, I fear you will indeed come to what is at its end.” (51-52)

First Homily on Fasting
“Be cheerful since the physician has given you sin-destroying medicine. For just as worms breeding in the intestines of children are utterly eradicated by the most pungent medicines, so too, when a fast truly worthy of this designation is introduced into the soul, it kills the sin that lurks deep within.” (55)

“He is a hypocrite who assumes in the theater an identity® that is not his own. Though a slave, he often assumes the identity of a master; though a private citizen, that of the emperor. Similarly, in this life many act as if they were playing themselves on a stage, carrying in their heart one thing but superficially displaying something else to people. So then, do not disfigure your face. Appear such as you are.” (56)

“Therefore run cheerfully to the gift of fasting. Fasting is an ancient gift, not one antiquated and obsolete, but ever fresh and at the height of its vitality.” (56)

“Indeed, you wouldn't claim that it is easier for pilots to save a cargo ship loaded down with goods than one less laden and lighter, would you? After all, a slight swelling of the waves has sunk the heavily weighted cargo ship, whereas one that has a moderate amount of freight easily rises above the waves, since nothing hinders it from floating above them.” (58)

“Fasting begets prophets and strengthens mighty men. Fasting makes lawgivers wise. It is a good guardian of the soul, a safe companion for the body, the best weapon, a training regimen for contestants. It drives away temptations. It readies for piety. It is the companion of sobriety and the craftsman of self-control. In war it teaches bravery, in peace stillness. It sanctifies the Nazirite and perfects the priest. For it is impossible to venture upon priestly activities without fasting, not only in the case of our present holy and true worship, but also in the prefigured worship set out in the law.” (61)

“Fasting sends prayer up to heaven, as if it were its wings for the upward journey. Fasting is the expansion of households, the mother of health, the pedagogue of youth, an adornment for seniors, a good companion on journeys, and a safe housemate for married couples. A husband does not suspect treachery in his marriage when he observes his wife living with fasting. Nor is a wife consumed with jealousy when she observes her husband embracing fasting.” (63)

“Do not fast only to quarrel and fight. You do not devour meat, but you devour your brother. You abstain from wine, but you have not mastered your arrogance. You wait until evening to partake of food, but you spend your day judging others. Woe to those who are drunk, but not with wine! Anger is a drunken state of the soul because, like wine, it robs the soul of sense. Sadness, too, is a drunken state because it drowns the mind. Fear is another drunken state, when things happen that should not happen. For it says: deliver my soul from fear of the enemy. Generally speaking, since each of the passions disturbs the mind, each can rightly be called a drunken state of the mind.” (69)

Second Homily on Fasting
“Speech is of such a nature that it has the ability to increase the desires of the eager and to awaken the eagerness of the lazy and sluggish. Thus after generals have arranged their army into a battle line, they give an encouraging speech before the battle begins, and their exhortations have such power that quite often they produce contempt of even death in the majority, And as trainers and coaches escort their athletes to contests in stadiums, they exhort them vehemently about the necessity of toiling for the crowns, such that many of them are convinced to disdain their bodies out of ambition for victory. And indeed, though it falls on me to array the soldiers of Christ for the war against invisible enemies and to prepare the athletes of piety for the crowns of righteousness through self-control, even I need a word of encouragement.” (73)

“So then, right now you need to make yourself worthy of the seriousness of fasting, lest you ruin tomorrow's self-control by today's drunkenness. ‘Since it's been announced that five days of fasting are coming upon us, today let's drown ourselves in drink.’ What an evil thought! What a wicked idea! No one about to enter into a legitimate marriage with a woman first shacks up with concubines and whores.
Nor does a legitimate wife tolerate shacking up with such degener-ates. So likewise, when fasting is on the horizon, your first response should not be to get drunk. For drunkenness is the universal harlot, the mother of shamelessness, the lover of the absurd, the frenzied woman who is prone to every form of disgracefulness.” (76)
Reminds me of Mardi Gras.

“Fasting protects children, chastens the young, makes seniors venerable. For grey hair is more venerable when it is adorned with fasting. It is an adornment very well suited for women: it restrains those in their prime, guards the married, nourishes virgins. Such is how fasting is practiced privately in homes. But how it is practiced in our public life? It disposes every city as a whole and all its people to good order, quiets shouting, banishes fighting, silences abuse. What teacher's arrival settles down the uproar of boys as abruptly as the advent of fasting quells the tumult of the city? What reveler carries on when fasting? What band of lascivious dancers is formed by fast-ing? Silly giggling and obscene ditties and erotic dancing abruptly leave the city, banished by fasting as if by a stern judge.” (77)

“Now if all were to take fasting as the counselor for their actions, nothing would prevent a profound peace from spreading throughout the entire world. Nations would not rise up against one another, nor would armies clash in battle. If fasting prevailed, weapons would not be wrought, courts of justice would not be erected, people would not live in prisons, nor would there ever be any criminals in the deserts, any slanderers in the cities, or any pirates on the sea.” (77)

Homily Against Drunkards
“Drunkenness is the demon of our own choosing, entering souls through pleasure. Drunkenness is the mother of wickedness, the antithesis of virtue. It turns the brave man into a coward, the chaste man into a lecher. Righteousness it knows not; prudence it destroys. For as water counters fire, so too does an excessive amount of wine extinguish rationality.” (84)

“Sometimes they cannot stop laughing, sometimes they are pained and wail inconsolably. Now they are courageous and undaunted, now terrified and cowardly. They find sleep onerous, insufferable, suffocating, and in fact bordering on death, but when awake they are in more of a stupor than when asleep. For their life unfolds in a dream: they have neither coat nor anything to eat the next day, yet in their drunkenness they rule like a king and lead armies, build cities, and distribute goods. It is the wine seething in their hearts that fills them with such fantasies and such great delusion. But others come round to the opposite passions: they lose all hope, and become downcast, distressed, teary, frightened at every noise, and easily scared. The same wine in different bodily situations effects different passions in souls. For in some it can cause a diffusion of blood which flushes the surface of the body, rendering them cheerful and pleasant and glad. But in others it causes an oppressive condition which contracts and compresses their blood. bringing them round to the opposite disposition. And what need is there to speak of the throng of the other passions? Discontent-ment? Irritability? Querulousness? Volatility? Shouting? Uproar?
Gullibility? Rage?” (86)

“For after drunkards have so destroyed their soul that they are branded with every kind of stigma and blemish, even still they also destroy the very condition of the body. Not only do they languish and waste away because of excessive indulgence in those pleasures that make one crazy for sex, but also because of the burden that this places on them they lug around a body that is flaccid and flabby and robbed of its vital tone.” (87)

“For by continual self-indulgence they dull their senses. Just as too much light blinds the eyes, and those buffeted by loud noises are made completely deaf by the excessive beating that their ears suffer, so too drunkards fail to notice that they destroy whatever pleasure they experience by their excessive love of pleasure. They find the wine tasteless and watery even if it is undiluted.” (88)
Diminishing returns of sensual pleasures.

“Because of such evils, men and women jointly form mixed bands of dancers, hand their souls over to the demon of wine, and thereby wound each other with the arrows of passion. The giggling on the part of both sexes, their appalling ditties, and their obscene gestures inflame lewdness. Tell me, do you giggle and delight in licentious delights, even though you should be weeping and groaning over your past actions? Do you sing obscene ditties, discarding the psalms and hymns that you were taught?”(93)

On Giving Thanks
“He has called us into existence out of nothing, created in his image, our nature made perfect, giving us the sense and reason by which we perceive God. Let us attentively consider the beauty of creation, reading in it, in large letters, the great Providence of God and his wisdom over all things. We are capable of distinguishing good from evil and can learn from nature to choose what is useful and to turn away from what will do us harm. Alienated from God by sin, we are liberated from shameful servitude through the blood of the Only Begotten. From this we have the hope of the resurrection, participation in the goodness of the angels, and a comprehension that is beyond anything we might be able to put into words.
“How can anyone deny that these are cause for perpetual joy and contentment, but suppose instead that the pleasure-filled life belongs to the one who serves the belly, delights in music, and rolls around and snores in bed? I would go so far as to say that reasonable people should pity the sort of person who lives for the present. Blessed, rather, are those who exchange the present for the hope of the life to come. When with God, whether we are sitting in flames like the three young men in Babylon, locked up with lions, or swallowed by a sea monster, we must nonetheless give praise, rejoicing and not mourning over the present, but be merry in the hope of what is to come. Equipped for holy combat, I must endure the assaults of the enemy in expectation of glory, looking forward to the immortal crown.” (99-100)

“The one who has undergone gymnastic training will not be disheartened in the arena when he gets hit, but will immediately attack the opponent, despising momentary afliction in order to be named the champion.” (100)

“For these reasons we should never be crushed by either untimely death or by the occurrence of some unexpected unpleasantness, if we are truly God-fearing. ‘I had a son’ you say. ‘He was my only heir, my security for my old age, the pride of the family, the best of his peers, the support of his house, he stood in the bloom of his age. This one death has taken from me. He, who such a short time ago spoke so beautifully, was the delight of his father's eye, has now become earth and dust! What should I do? Should I tear my clothing, roll about in the dirt, and complain and lament and in the presence of others have a tantrum like some child who, receiving punishment, screams and kicks? Or should I consider the inevitability of such an event: that the law of death is unavoidable; that it strikes those of every age, gradually claiming all; that to be overcome in this way is nothing out of the ordinary and not as one who lets his courage fail when hit with an unanticipated blow? Indeed I had known long in advance that I, being mortal myself, had a mortal son, that nothing human will continue, and no property is held forever.’" (105-106)

On the Martyr Julitta
“By saying this: The child she bore has God as its true father, and God is a wise protector and counselor. Why not let ourselves yield entirely to the action of such a wise master rather than complaining when we are robbed as if it is our property, and pitying the dead as if they have suffered some great injustice? Consider, instead, that the child is not dead but rather given back; that the friend does not face death but is merely on a journey, following a route that we too must take, but going his way a little ahead of us. Let God's command be your companion for the road, a steady flame and light to discern the heart. Proceed with this principle as a guide for your soul, a guard over every thought, so that you cannot be shaken by what happens in life; instead, your mind will be like a rock in the sea, one that endures the wind and waves without moving.” (113-114)

“Say, for example, a wife is taken from you by sudden death. She has been your life companion, sweetened your existence in every possible way, through her cheer, her ability to radiate joy in the household, and her economical thrift. Do not be angry about the adversity. Do not condemn what happened as fate, as if there is nothing governing this world. Do not think that the creator must be evil, nor adopt any such pernicious doctrine that abandons true faith. Yes, you were two in one flesh, and it is inevitably painful to experience such a division and dissolution of this bond. But you gain no profit by thinking or speaking in this way.” (115)

“Most people scorn the present and demand what they lack. They do not consider the one who is more thirsty than they are as a cause. for gratitude. Rather, they focus on the wide discrepancies between themselves and those above them, complaining about what others possess as if they have been robbed of what is their own. The slave is indignant at not being free. The free-born resents that he is not well-born of some aristocratic line, able to recite his ancestors back seven generations to some famous horse breeder, or to one who spent his wealth on the games. The aristocrat complains that he is not rich enough. The rich man is sad and resentful that he has no appointment that would give him power over cities and peoples. The military commander complains that he is not a king. And the king complains that he does not rule everything under the sun, that there are still some pockets of the earth not subject to his power. All of these fail to give their benefactor any thanks.” (117)

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Who is brazen enough to claim that he can comprehend divinity? Or do you not see from what follows, that it concerns a certain understanding? What do we understand of God in the words, “My sheep hear my voice”? Do you see how God can be perceived? In that, namely, we hear his commands, and that we hear and obey them. In this is the knowledge of God, that we observe God's command. It is not in long investigation over God's essence; not in examining the supernatural; not in brooding over things that are invisible. "My own know me and I know my own.” It is enough for you to know that he is a good shepherd, that he has given his life's for the sheep. That is the limit of knowing God. How great God is, his measurable dimensions, in what his essence consists--to ask such things is perilous and impossible to answer. On these points it is best
to remain silent. “My sheep hear my voice.” They hear, he says, but not "They brood over.” They are not disobedient, not quarrelsome.”

Fr. Basil has some hard things to say in these homilies (the above is just beautiful—not hard) and I imagine much would be lost by a reader that was not also Orthodox/living the tradition he is preaching from.

[Samuel Draper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've previously loved everything of Basil's that I've read. However, this set of sermons, whilst remaining encouraging and convicting, lacked much discussion of christology or theology. I've come to find that these are the topics that I love to read about in Patristics, and they just weren't prominent here. This set of texts was mainly cohortative and persuasive, appealing to the masses for the importance of fasting. The text on giving thanks was lovely, and so too were the short homilies given for the sake of various martyrs on their feast day in Cappadocia. I love certain turns of phrase and conceptions of salvation that Basil uses, but he didn't use much of these in these sermons.

Medium recommendation to anyone interested.

[Melissa Swistek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of homilies by St. Basil the Great on the themes of:
Fasting
Thankfulness
Sacrament
Death and feasting

I enjoyed this translation and found it to be enlightening and instructive to the Orthodox faith. I would recommend this to those wanting to learn more from the early church fathers as it was quite easy to read.

The key takeaway was a reiteration of the instruction to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks..”

[Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely worth reading, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it as an entry point for Basil. If you’re interested in reading some of his work, I’d suggest starting with “On Social Justice” or “On Christian Doctrine and Practice”.

That being said, this short book has some excellent sermons in it! These may not be the best Basil sermons I’ve read, but they are still very edifying. I am glad to have read it and I will definitely revisit the sermons on fasting.

[Mitch Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. Basil doesn't cut his congregation any slack and he's super entertaining to read.

More importantly, though, these sermons are a super poignant challenge to the modern neglect of fasting as a spiritual discipline--not taken up for its own sake, but for the good of the one who fasts. Incredibly convicting and thought-provoking sermons throughout that go beyond the titular subject of fasting and feasting

[Hany · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sermons themselves are great as always - St. Basil speaks as if he is living on earth today with us in the 21st century. But the collection and organization of sermons felt a bit incohesive

[Josh McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection for the Lenten season. I found some of the translations to be a bit clunky, but still worth reading!

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this volume at my favourite theological bookstore in the fall, mostly because I'm a fan of the Cappadocian Fathers (Basil, Greg and Greg). I admit that I had a bit of trepidation about the fasting part because I recognize this is a spiritual discipline that I really don't do. I sometimes think I should, so I feel a bit guilty about that. Mind you, I'm all for the feasting part, which more fun (although what Basil means is not a massive pig-out so much as a church feast- lots of church). So, I wasn't sure how I'd react to this volume.

Really, this volume is a series of sermons by Basil which are loosely connected by the title. Several, of course, deal with fasting and are rather hortatory. Fasting is good, go do it, is rather the tone. It is followed by a couple of sermons which look directly at the necessity to be thankful and with the feasts of a couple of martyrs. Basil is Basil, of course, so he is sometimes drifts into allegory in ways that strike us as strange. He is relentlessly scriptural, so it is hard to fault him there. Scripture weaves in and out of these sermons which is refreshing given some modern preaching. It all has a slightly foreign tone, of course, because it is a style of preaching that we aren't used to. It is bracing and challenging for a time which needs both.

The translations are clear enough and there is a good introduction to Basil and his sermons. Like most Popular Patristics books, it is meant to be accessible (or as accessible as these writers let themselves be). It is well worth the read!

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've come to recognize that St. Basil's sermons are not my favorite among the Patristic writers. His analogies and arguments are often not convincing to me. He is very erudite, and has pretty good command of the science/philosophy of his day. So he gives some good insight into how the Christian intellectuals of his time dealt with Scripture and with the challenges of life. Chrysostom seems often times more creative and even humorous in his comments, though he is more of a moralist in his homilies. The book is worth reading to become familiar with St. Basil's thoughts and also with some of the issues he was dealing with in the 4th Century.