Basil of Caesarea is thought of most often as an opponent of heresy and a pioneer of monastic life in the eastern church. In this new biographical study, however, controversy is no longer seen as the central preoccupation of his life nor are his ascetic initiatives viewed as separable from his pastoral concern for all Christians. Basil's letters, sermons, and theological treatises, together with the testimonies of his relatives and friends, reveal a man beset by doubt. He demanded loyalty, but gave it also, and made it a central feature of his church. In Rousseau's portrait, Basil's understanding of human nature emerges as his major legacy.

Philip Rousseau is Associate Professor of History at the University of Auckland. He is the author of Pachomius: The Making of a Community in Fourth-Century Egypt (California, 1985).

"The best portrait of Basil in any modern language because of its coverage of primary materials, its mature judgment, and its gracious style."—Frederick W. Norris, Church History

"Rousseau has done a commendable job . . . reminding us that monastic deserts and Episcopal chairs were occupied by people, not hagiographical stock figures taken from central church casting; real people, in other words, a lot like us."—Tim Vivian, Coptic Church Review

"By far the most comprehensive, most nuanced, and most profound study of Basil’s life and thought. His analysis is deeply personal, respectful rather than reverential. . . . In Rousseau’s perspective, Basil himself was always busy rethinking his own past and rewriting his own biography.”—Raymond Van Dam, Journal of Theological Studies

“Highly recommended for all those seeking creative alternatives and more contextualized interpretations of the crucial issues facing the Roman world and Christians in the fourth century and beyond.”—Paul J. Fedwick, Theological Studies

“Rousseau has a thorough knowledge of Basil’s writings and of modern critical literature, yet he writes with an eye for the general reader. His book is filled with insight especially about Basil as a man, as a member of a large family, and friend, yet the discussion of Basil’s theological writings is perceptive and sophisticated.”—Robert L. Wilken, Religious Studies Review

“A sensitive and sympathetic account from which Basil emerges as more eccentric and more insecure than usually thought.”—Robert Markus, English Historical Review

"In this new portrait of Basil of Caesarea, which will certainly win acceptance as the standard work in English, erudition does not blunt perceptiveness: we are brought close to the heart of a man who struggled to reconcile the high calling of his faith with the appalling demands that a fast-changing world imposed on its leaders. This book takes another long stride towards what all Rousseau's earlier work has aimed at—an undogmatic and sympathetic understanding of the fourth-century Church, and the presentation of its great spiritual leaders to new, often unsuspecting audiences."—Garth Fowden, National Hellenic Research Foundation