Basil of Caesarea (Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality) Paperback – March 18, 2014

I don't have the outstanding resumè of Fedwick (who also offers a review of this book) to weigh and critique all the technicalities of this book, but I have read many of the works by and about Basil.First off the book is for people in seminary and educated lay readers (p.xi). This needs to be heeded. If you don't have much experience in early church history and/or Basil, this book will probably be too much for you. It takes quite a bit of background knowledge for granted. I would recommend Andrew Radde-Gallwitz's own, Basil of Caesarea, for beginners.Granted you are versed in church history/Basil, this book offers a good take of, especially, Basil's asceticism, biblical presuppositions, anthropology, and Trinitarian writings. (As far as Basil's Trinitarian theology, Hildebrand's book on it, is, off course, much more detailed and technical).I thought the book got off to a slow start, but I found chapters 4-8 quite interesting (chapter 3 is also good but is located in his earlier book on Basil's Trinitarian Theology).I found the book well written, with a nice sentence structure. Towards the end of every chapter Hildebrand wraps up all the pertinent material in a couple paragraphs and then writes a short conclusion--very helpful to remember what you just read.He puts the footnotes at the end of the book, which I personally don't like. I like them at the bottom of the page so I don't have to constantly flip back and forth.The conclusion of the book is that one cannot separate Basil's asceticism from his biblical understanding/interpretation. This is because it is precisely his asceticism which colours his presuppositions of Scripture. Therefore his Trinitarian works need to be understood in the light of his ascetic context. Of further importance is his anthropology and Basil's understanding of remembrance of God and human memory.Finally, I recommend also to read the review left by Fedwick and to consider his critiques as a supplement when reading Hildebrand's book. Fedwick's criticisms can be helpful in understanding Basil's asceticism, purported by Hildebrand to be central to understanding Basil, differently.

In this third volume in the Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality, Franciscan University's Stephen M. Hildebrand takes up the study of the well-known Cappadocian Basil of Caesarea. Without question, Hildebrand provides, in one volume, a very thorough account of Basil's life and thought. After a brief account of Basil's life (chap. 1), Hildebrand gives introductions to Basil's views on theological anthropology (chap. 2), revelation both general and specific (chap. 3), trinitarian theology (chaps. 4-5), Christian discipleship (chap. 6), monasticism (chap. 7), and tradition (chap. 8).Hildebrand in each chapter provides nuanced engagement with relevant secondary literature, and yet the depth of his analysis, which often assumes great familiarity with the world of fourth-century Christianity, at times might place this book beyond the "educated lay readers" included in its target audience (xi). On the other hand, the book's consistently laudatory tone towards Basil might turn off some readers in the academy. A timeline, giving the dates of Basil's most important writings and significant events in his ecclesiastical career, would have been a welcome tool for the reader's reference, especially when tracking Basil's theological development over time.Still, Hildebrand's introduction to Basil of Caesarea will no doubt serve as a very helpful entrance into the world of Basilian scholarship. Not only that, but Hildebrand's summary of Basil's theological method as "weav[ing] together the dogmatic and the ascetic" (166) provides much food for thought for contemporary Christianity. While many Christians continue to exalt either the heart or the mind at the expense of the other, Basil stands as an example of one whose "theology and spirituality converge into a single movement of the person--or rather, the human community--toward God" (167). In presenting Basil in this light, Hildebrand does service not just to the academy but to the church as well.Disclosure: I received this book free from Baker Academic for review purposes. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.