Basil of Caesarea (330-79)

Major works

•          The Rule of St. Basil

•          De Spiritu Sancto

•          Adversus Eunomium

Importance

•          One of the Cappadocian Fathers along with Gregory of Nazianzus and brother Gregory of Nyssa

•          Defended orthodox doctrine of the Trinity; He fixed the formula “one substance and three persons”;

•          Defended deity of the Holy Spirit

•          Attacked the Arian heresy

•          Introduced the idea of communal monasticism; founded a small monastic community in 358