Transdisciplinarity in Science and Religion

© Curtea Veche Publ., 2009

No. 6 / 2009, pp. 45-56

Approaching the Christian Worldview

with St. Basil the Great
Aspects Relevant to Current Conversations
in Science and Theology

Revd. DORU COSTACHE

St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College,
Sydney College of Divinity, Australia

B eyond the outdated character of some of its aspects, the traditional

Christian depiction of reality still offers surprises, representing a vastly
ignored, yet truly inspirational accomplishment in the history of science
and theology. St. Basil the Great’s notorious contributions can undoubt-
edly be considered as the pinnacle of such efforts and achievements.
Misinterpreted and oversimplified at times (like in Lindberg [2002], p. 50),
St. Basil’s worldview nevertheless represents a landmark for the spirit in
which the Orthodox Church has traditionally interacted with the scientific
culture of the late antiquity. The purpose of this essay is to point out a few
facets of St. Basil’s contributions to the Christian worldview and their
possible relevance to current attempts to bridge the traditional and the
scientific representations of reality.

The world as a Theological School:

Homilies on the Hexaemeron

I t is perhaps a truism to state once more how St. Basil offered in his
Hexaemeron, whose date of publication is still disputed, a gem of
Christian scholarship. The great Cappadocian displayed a breadth of pro-
fane knowledge (Copleston [2007], p. 29) — which he interpreted in light
46 DORU COSTACHE

of the ecclesial faith — in an endeavour to provide his audience and

readership with a comprehensive depiction of created reality, heavenly
and earthly, human and biological, astronomical and mineral. It should
be noted that this descriptive approach, as impressive as it might have
been for his first audience and up until the dawn of modernity, could not
be upheld as St. Basil’s major contribution. The ancient representation of
the created realm, on which the Hexaemeron heavily depends, has become
outdated in fact, and together with it the scientific knowledge illustrated
by the saint’s analysis of the natural world. Nevertheless, his realistic
assessment of the natural decay or mortality of creation (Hexaemeron, 1.3,
PG 29, 9C), also his sense of wonder for the fine tuning of the universe’s
parameters (Hexaemeron, 1.1, PG 29, 4A) together with the ethical para-
digms that can be inferred from various animal behaviours (Hexaemeron,
9.3, PG 29, 192B-196B), represent tremendous intuitions and an inspira-
tion for all time. Furthermore, when considered within the framework of
the contemporary anthropic cosmological principle (Barrow & Tipler
[1986], pp. 16-20), his point on the interconnected character of human and
cosmic realities, both ontologically and teleologically (Hexaemeron, 1.4,
PG 29, 12BC), remains valid.
There are, however, some other important aspects — theological in
nature — that should not be overlooked, given their perennial relevance
to the ecclesial worldview and experience. In fact, these theological fea-
tures constitute the outstanding contribution of the great Cappadocian,
demonstrating the capacity of our Christian representation of reality to
peacefully coexist and interact in history with the shifting cultural pat-
terns or cosmological paradigms (cf. Lossky [2002], p. 106). This coexistence
is possible only insofar as all parties acknowledge the descriptive charac-
ter of scientific cosmology and, respectively, the interpretive character of
the theological worldview. St. Basil’s Hexaemeron abundantly illustrates
such discernment.
One among the most relevant aspects undoubtedly is St. Basil’s
assessment of the world as being what can be construed as a theological
school or, literally, a teaching ground (*4*"F6"8g\@< 6"Â B"4*gLJZD4@< —
Hexaemeron, 1.5, PG 29, 13B). This approach seems to be consistent with
his understanding of the Genesis narrative of creation as a pedagogical
story. Thus, in the first of the two homilies attributed to him (On the Origin
of Humanity, 17), the Cappadocian states: “The story of human making
constitutes education for our lives” (º ÊFJ@D\" J¬H z "<2DTB\<0H B8VFgTH
B"\*gLF\H ¦FJ4 J@× $\@L º:gJXD@L; PG 30, 33A).
Indeed, in line with the scriptural narrative of creation, St. Basil
presents the cosmos as a privileged place where people are offered the
chance to learn of God’s wisdom and the meaning of their own lives.
APPROACHING THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW WITH ST. BASIL THE GREAT 47
Without dwelling on the significance of the theme of the world as a school,
similar conclusions are drawn by Bouteneff ([2008], p. 136). The Basilian
approach seems to reiterate an Origenist theme — as illustrated by Ori-
gen’s own elaborations on the contemplation of physical reality (Louth
[1983], pp. 59-61) — though rendered on a very positive note, purified of
any pessimistic appraisal of the world as a transitory place of punishment.
This positive approach might indicate the Cappadocian’s dependence
on the canonical version of the Alexandrian tradition, as represented by
St. Athanasius the Great. For St. Athanasius, the whole creation constitutes
a divine syntax, each thing, living or not, representing a written character.
All these letters convey — within the book of the universe — one theo-
logical message. In his own words,

The knowledge of God (J¬< BgDÂ J@Ø 1g@Ø (<äF4<) can be

"BÎ Jä< N"4<@:X-
further reached from the visible things (z
<T<) since creation, through its order and harmony (*4! Jy
0H
JV>gTH 6"Â "D:@<\"H), signals and loudly declares its Lord
and Creator as though through letters (òFBgD (DV::"F4 —
Against the Pagans, 34.4).1

It is very likely that within the Hexaemeron the theme here considered
signifies an immediate reaction against the Manichean myth of creation,
which presented the material world as brought into being by an evil deity
and therefore a manifestation of pure evil (Hexaemeron, 2.4, PG 29, 36BCD)2,
deprived of a theological dimension. Furthermore, and even more clearly,
through the implications of this topic St. Basil opposed the fundamental
atheism of some ancient cosmologies that refused the idea of a purpose-
ful universe (Hexaemeron, 1.2, PG 29, 5C-9A; 11, PG 29, 25A-28B)3.

1. St. Athanasius himself seems to have depended on the identical elaborations of Origen
in his Commentary on Genesis, 1.1-9 and 3.20. See Origen, Omilii, comentarii ºi adnotãri
la Genezã, bilingual edition, introduction, translation and notes by Adrian Muraru (Iaºi,
Polirom, 2006) pp. 464-469, 506-509.
2. The frequent references and allusions to Manichean hermeneutics indicate this syncret-
istic sect as St. Basil’s main target and not the Arian heresy, as maintained by Bouteneff
([2008], p. 131).
3. St. Basil considered atheism as the source of inconsistency characterizing the ancient
cosmologies: “The wise men of the Greeks produced many treatises about nature (BgDÂ
NbFgTH), but not one theory (8`(@H) elaborated by them remained unmoved and
unshaken, the latter overthrowing the previous one. […] Ignoring God, they did not
consider that an intelligent cause ("ÆJ\"< §:ND@<") preceded the genesis of everything
0H (g<XFgTH Jä< Ó8T<) but they drew their successive conclusions in a manner con-
(Jy
sistent with their initial ignorance about God” (Hexaemeron, 1.2, PG 29, 8A).
48 DORU COSTACHE

He addressed the atheist perspective by criticizing the incapacity of

many pagan cosmologies to appreciate the beauty of creation as indica-
tive to the universe’s vocation of participating in the life of God, for all
the ages (Hexaemeron, 3.8, PG 29, 73C). One way or the other, along with its
Origenist and Platonic overtones — that is the perception of the visible
realm as designed to guide the souls toward the invisible (Louth [1983],
pp. 2-6, 60-61) — the idea of a purposeful and theologically meaningful
creation is evident in the following paragraph, where the theme of the
school emerges again:

…the cosmos has not been conceived vainly and without rea-
son4, given that it is assembled for some beneficial purpose
and the great use of all beings. Thus, since it truly is a teaching
ground for the reasoning souls (RLPä< 8@(46ä< *4*"F6"-
8gÃ@<) and a school of divine knowledge (2g@(<TF\"H
B"4*gLJZD4@<), through the guidance (*4! Pg4D"(T(\"<) of
the visible and sensible things the mind is led to the contem-
plation of the invisible ones (Hexaemeron, 1.6, PG 29, 16BC).

Perhaps this approach outrages many contemporary minds, who are

accustomed to take the world as a neutral space to be experimented upon
or a reservoir of natural resources to be greedily exploited for the sake of
our comfort — or thirst for power, for that matter. Likewise, St. Basil’s
approach could be reluctantly considered even by the cosmologists who,
whilst acknowledging reason as the infrastructure of reality, do no dare
to uplift their thought to the contemplation of its divine source, i.e. the
Logos of God. Nevertheless, elaborating within the scriptural setting,
St. Basil rejected any possibility of interpreting the world, its fine-tuning,
and wise blueprint outside the perspective of God as the origin of every-
thing that is. In fact, construing the cosmos as a theological school, he
showed consistency with his understanding of Genesis as an interpreta-
tion of reality from the viewpoint of God’s intention and creative work
(Hexaemeron, 1.2, PG 29, 8B; On the Origin of Humanity, 4, PG 30, 13CD).
Symptomatic for this understanding, his exploration of the days of creation
begins by highlighting the theological substance of the biblical narrative.
To the Cappadocian, Genesis points out how, if anything exists at all, it is
eminently due to the will of God:

4. In Hexaemeron, 5.8, PG 29, 113A, he endorses this statement: “Nothing is without a cause,
nothing is there spontaneously. There is an ineffable wisdom in all” (@b*¥< " z<"\J4@<s
@b*¥< "
zBÎ J"LJ@:VJ@L BV<J" ¨Pg4 J4<! F@N\"< " zB`ÖÕ0J@<).
APPROACHING THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW WITH ST. BASIL THE GREAT 49
The creation (B@\0F4H)5 of the heavens and earth must be con-
veyed not as having happened spontaneously ("ÛJ@:VJTH),
as some have imagined, but as having its cause ("ÆJ\"<) from
God (Hexaemeron, 1.1, PG 29, 6A).

This statement sums up the ultimate message of the Hexaemeron.

For St. Basil, the scriptural narrative in Genesis, 1 is not concerned with
chronology, the dimensions, or the structure of creation (Hexaemeron, 9.1,
PG 29, 188D; 1.11; PG 29, 28B)6, being rather interested in highlighting
God’s work as active and efficient throughout the history of the universe.
Within the hermeneutical framework represented by the ecclesial tradi-
tion, this understanding is consistent with the message conveyed by John,
1, 1-3 and the first article of the Nicene Creed, both texts emphasizing
God as creator whilst manifesting no explicit interest in the architecture
of the cosmos. I will soon return to this topic, pointing out how the Cap-
padocian’s employment of the principle of synergy nuances and substan-
tiates this understanding of the biblical narrative.
With the great Cappadocian, however, maintaining the doctrine of
creation cannot be taken as an ideological standpoint; instead, its procla-
mation becomes the cornerstone of both a worldview and a lifestyle that
reiterate the liturgical ethos of the Church. Guided by the scriptural nar-
rative, the eyes of the faith in God as creator explore the universe beyond
the interests of mere inquisitiveness or economical rationale, although
not without sensitivity for details and the world’s corolla of wonders.
This reverent approach is illustrated by St. Basil’s consistent use of the
philosophical concept of God as supreme beauty and a wise artisan,
along with the idea of the world as a structured order, 6`F:@H (literally,
ornament or beauty)7. As an artistic expression of divine wisdom, God’s
creation is not to be treated in cold blood, anatomically, and less so out-
side its intrinsic relation with the creator. Facing the various reduc-
tionisms of his own time, characteristically, St. Basil urges his audience:

5 The term employed here leaves no room for speculation, indicating the radical novelty
of created essence, brought into being out of nothing.
6 A similar attitude occurs in St. John Chrysostomos’ Homilies on Genesis, 2.2 and 15.3.
7 For instance, -in Hexaemeron, 1.2, he calls God “much yearned beauty” (JÎ B@8L-
B`20J@< 6V88@H), whereas in 1.11 he speaks of the “beauty of the visible things” (J@Ø
6V88@LH Jä< ÒDT:X<T<). In various ways, the idea of the world as beauty was shared
by practically all Greek cosmologies (Florian [1993], pp. 13-14). The use of such
categories was made legitimate by the repeated use of ÓJ4 6"8`< in the Septuagint (cf.
Genesis, 1, 4, 8, 10, 13, 18, 21, 25, 31).
50 DORU COSTACHE

“let us stop talking about the essence (BgDÂ Jy 0H @ÛF\"H) [of things], since
we have been persuaded by Moses that God created heavens and the earth”
(Hexaemeron, 1.11, PG 29, 28A).8 For him, to contemplate the cosmos
involves the effort to discern, through and behind its intricate structure,
what creation is by rapport to God and what creation tells of its creator.
Within the traditional framework of the Church, these aspects are neces-
sary prerequisites for an accurate and holistic representation of reality.
Doubled by the heartless logic pertaining to economy, the scientific
analysis of nature and phenomena can suffocate the souls, depriving
them of the necessary sense of awe for the beauty and meaning of things.
By contrast, for the faith’s contemplative eyes the universe — truly an
artistic structure (JgP<46`< 6"J"F6gb"F:"), symphonically harmonized —
represents a symbolic epiphany of God’s wisdom and beauty, pointing to
its Creator (Hexaemeron, 1.7, PG 29, 17B & 20A). Like any theological
school, creation teaches us to acknowledge God and to interpret every-
thing in light of his presence and intention; the revelation of this truth can
inspire, bringing back the joy of living to a society that, seeing the world
as meaningless, has fallen into a deep state of depression. Learning the
lesson of creation, the inner desert of the faithless souls can be transfig-
ured through the understanding of life as a gift that should be embraced
through eucharistic gratitude. In this vein, at the end of his first homily
on the days of creation, whilst illustrating how the cosmic school works
by way of vertical analogies, St. Basil explodes in exhortation:

Let us glorify the Master Craftsman (JÎ< z "D4FJ@JXP<0<) for

all that wisely and artistically (F@NäH 6"Â ¦<JXP<TH) has
been accomplished. From the beauty of the visible things
(J@ä 6V88@LH Jä< ÒDT:X<T<) let us form an idea of the one
that is supremely beautiful (JÎ< ßBXD6"8@<), and from the
majesty of these limited bodies that are accessible through
senses (Jä< "ÆF20Jä< J@bJT< 6"Â BgD4(D"BJä< FT:VJT<)
let us make an analogy for him who is infinite, supremely
grandiose (JÎ< "}Bg4D@< 6"Â ßBgD:g(X20), and who surpass-
es all understanding by the fullness of his power (Hexaemeron,
1.11, PG 29, 28AB).

St. Basil’s teaching concerning the world as a school has various

ramifications for our current experience. I have already mentioned its
relevance to the efforts of overcoming the contemporary and general idea
of a pointless life, which leads to depression and various other psychoses.

8. Similar considerations in Bouteneff ([2008], p. 133).

APPROACHING THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW WITH ST. BASIL THE GREAT 51
One further aspect I will mention here. Given that the school of creation
is open to all, the Cappadocian believed — in line with St. Paul (cf. Romans
1, 19-20; 2, 14) — that virtue could be achieved both in the lives of pagans
and the people separated from the Church (Hexaemeron, 5.7, PG 29, 112BC).
Continuing the main trends of the early Christian approaches to pagan
philosophy, this conviction (already illustrated by St. Basil’s Address to the
Youth) confirms how effective the theological school of creation is, in its
potential to prepare all nations and cultures for the encounter with Christ,
the creator Logos. The Cappadocian’s elaborations on the world as a
theological school are consonant with a sense of an all-embracing, pan-
Christian humanism that transcends religious and cultural boundaries.

The World as an Interactive Framework in

Homilies on the Hexaemeron and On the Holy Spirit

F rom the multitude of themes pertaining to the ecclesial worldview ad-

dressed by St. Basil, let us now turn to his depiction of the interactive
aspect of created reality. For him, rather than representing an object closed
in itself and self-sufficient, the world is an open field where both divine
and cosmic rays creatively interact.
Ontologically inconsistent and thus naturally mortal, the universe
cannot survive and evolve of itself, without the vivifying waves and
support of the divine energy, “the Creator’s power” (J± *L<V:g4 J@Ø
6J\F"<J@H; Hexaemeron, 1.9, PG 29, 24B). Again, the Cappadocian seems
to refer to St. Athanasius’ ruminations concerning the universe’s depend-
ence on the continuous and immanent activity of God. In the terms of the
Alexandrian, given that it is “unstable, weak and mortal” (ÕgLFJZ J4H
6"Â " zF2g<¬H 6"Â 2<0J¬), in order to maintain its existence, creation
necessarily relies upon the “lordship, providence and organizing work
of the Logos” (J± J@Ø 7`(@L º(g:@<\"| 6"Â BD@<@\"| 6"Â *4"6@F:ZFg4;
Against the Heathen, 41, PG 25, 84AB). His agreement with the great
Alexandrian notwithstanding, St. Basil goes beyond the idea of a divine
power that is unilaterally exerted upon, and within, the universe. For
him, indeed, the ontological limitations of the cosmos become obvious on
the level of the generative capacities that are latent within matter and can-
not be activated other than by the divine will and power. Nevertheless,
even though still struggling with the ancient concept of the inert matter,
he was likewise convinced that the natural or cosmic energies have a
definite role to play within the history of the universe. The best illustration
of this comprehension is perhaps St. Basil’s interpretation of the phrase
“the earth was invisible and unorganized” from Genesis, 1, 2 LXX:
52 DORU COSTACHE

[The earth] was in painful labours (é*\<@LF") with the

generation of all things through the power stored in it
(¦<"B@Jg2gÃF"< … *b<":4<)9 by the Demiurge, waiting for
the auspicious times (6"2Z6@<J"H PD`<@LH) when, by divine
call, it would bring on to the open (BD@"(V(® … g\H N"<gDÎ<)
the things conceived (J" 6LZ:"J") within it (Hexaemeron, 2.3,
PG 29, 36B).

The image both evokes and transfigures the ancient mythical

imagery of the wedding of the sky and the earth, still bearing its power-
ful erotic connotations. Within the Cappadocian’s plastic depiction, God
the Demiurge, somehow represented as a masculine principle, “impreg-
nates” created matter, activating its maternal capacity. As a result of this
ineffable interaction (which cannot be properly addressed without the
use of such suggestive devices) the matter’s metaphorical pregnancy
becomes the origin of the terrestrial ecosystem and the entire cosmos as
well. More clearly articulated, the idea strikes the reader from the very
beginning of the chapter. There, St. Basil explicitly mentions the “effective
power of God” (» *D"FJ46¬ J@Ø 1g@Ø *b<":4H) and the “passive char-
acter of matter” (º B"20J46¬ NbF4H J0 yH à80H; Hexaemeron, 2.3, PG 29,
33B), as the two necessary factors contributing to the establishment of
the whole order of creation. The dynamic interaction between divine and
cosmic energies occurs again in the ninth homily (chapter 2), where the
active role of the earth is even more clearly emphasized. One way or the
other, it is obvious that the “pregnant” matter has been endowed by the
Creator with a generative potential which would have remained inactive
if deprived of the discrete ingredient represented by God’s energy.
The organization of the universe, of our earth and the life on it, is
made possible only in the active presence of the Logos and the Holy
Spirit. Beyond all unilateral approach, i.e. beyond the famous oppositions
between spiritual and material or supernatural and natural, the interactive
or synergetic principle remains fundamental to the ecclesial worldview.
A generation after the Cappadocian, St. John Chrysostomos displayed a
similar understanding of Genesis, 1, 2, yet with reference to the metaphor
of the Spirit hovering over the waters. For him, the “moving” (64<@b:g<@<)
primordial water, vibrating and full of a “living power of some sort”
(.TJ46¬< J4<" *b<":4<), could not have begotten life of itself, being in
need of the “vivifying energy” (¦<XD(g4V J4H .TJ46Z) of the Spirit (Homilies
on Genesis, 3.1, PG 53, 33C). On a very similar note, when interpreting the

9. The term *b<":4< may be also, and perhaps preferably, rendered as “potentiality” as
I suggested in the comment right before this quote (cf. Liddell & Scott [1996], p. 452).
APPROACHING THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW WITH ST. BASIL THE GREAT 53
same metaphor in Genesis, 1, 2, St. Basil preferred a Syriac version pre-
senting the Spirit as an ecosystemic agent who

…thoroughly warmed up (FL<X2"8Bg) and vivified the nature

of the waters (¦.T@(`<g4 J¬< Jä< ß*VJT< NbF4<) like in the
image of a bird hatching the eggs, endowing them with some
sort of living power (.TJ46Z< J4<" *b<":4<; Hexaemeron, 2.6,
PG 29, 44B ).

It is obvious that St. John Chrysostomos has incorporated the

Basilian terminology (e.g., .TJ46Z< J4<" *b<":4<) in his own interpreta-
tion of the biblical text. Beyond the metaphor, the message conveyed by
the Cappadocian (and, in his footsteps, by Chrysostomos) is that the
entire formation of the world unfolds as a continuous synergetic act,
a dynamic convergence of created and uncreated factors. The two sugges-
tive icons, of the earth’s pregnancy and the Spirit hovering over the
waters, signifying the two convergent energies (i.e. divine and created),
have become St. Basil’s favourite lens through which he considered the
content of any stage within the universe’s complex outstretch.
When used within a hermeneutical framework, this lens leads us to
an amazing discovery: Genesis does not only depict past events. Instead,
it points to the reality of a world still in the making, journeying towards
the eschatological term, the eighth day of creation10. This is precisely the
conclusion reached by St. Basil in the ninth homily:

Think of the word of God running through creation (*4" Jy 0H

6J\FgTH JDXP@<), still active (¦<gD(@Ø< ) now as it has been
from the beginning (z "D>V:g<@<), and efficient until the end,
in order to bring the world to fulfilment (ªTH z"<
x Ò 6`F:@H
FL:B80DT2±; Hexaemeron, 9.2, PG 29, 189B).

The metaphors in Genesis, 1, 2, of the primordial chaos on its way

to organization, suggest a reservoir of potentialities whose content is
actualized or realized gradually throughout the entire history of creation.
The reservoir of possibilities, this pregnant womb (to continue with the
metaphor), progressively diminishes until its eschatological exhaustion,
when all potentiality ceases to exist in a universe that has reached its final
state. This leads to a double conclusion: that God condescends to work
through the natural possibilities of the universe, and that the cosmos exists
and thrives only sustained by God’s creative power. The content of this

10. Of which he speaks more in On the Holy Spirit, 27.

54 DORU COSTACHE

ongoing process, interpreted as an interactive experience, is thoroughly

explored by St. Basil in his treatise On the Holy Spirit, the last major text
published by the Cappadocian and a tremendously significant work on
the meaning of tradition.
According to St. Basil, it is in the Holy Spirit as both a source of life
and holiness, that the entire divine economy concerning the world reaches
fulfilment. There is no space within the confines of creation deprived of
the Spirit’s presence; there is no being that has not its origin in the work
of the Spirit; there is no perfection of creation outside the life-giving and
enlightening energy of the Spirit. Co-worker with the Logos in the making
of the universe, the Spirit immediately answers the creation’s thirst for
the fullness of being, for life and sacredness. This, in turn, indicates that
nothing can attain perfection without the divine gift of the Spirit.
Representing in itself a succinct treatise on the identity and economy
of the Spirit, chapter 9 of On the Holy Spirit depicts the multitude of graces
he bestows upon creation:

[All things are] watered by his breath and helped on to reach

their proper and natural purpose (JÎ @Æ6gÃ@< 6"Â 6"J! NbF4<
JX8@H). Perfecting all other things (Jg8g4TJ46`< Jä< z"88T<),
x
[…] he is the giver of life (.Ty0H P@D0(`<) and omnipresent
(B"<J"P@Ø Ñ<). […] By nature unapproachable (z "BD`F4J@<
J± NbFg4), he is apprehended through his goodness (PTD0-
J`< *4zz "("2`J0J"), filling all things with his power (BV<J"
B80D@Ø< J± *L<V:g4), […] in essence simple ("B8@Ø< J±
@ÛF\|"), in powers various (B@46\8@< J"ÃH *L<V:gF4<), wholly
present in each (Ô8@< ©6VFJå B"D`<) and wholly everywhere
(Ô8@< "zB"<J"P@Ø Ñ<; On the Holy Spirit, 9.22, PG 32, 108BC).11

The ineffable plurality of the Spirit’s manifestations, energies

(¦<XD(g4"4) or graces (PVD4JgH; PG 32, 156D) through which he signals
his presence in creation, is even more detailed in chapter 19 (mostly the
paragraphs in PG 32, 156D-157C). St. Basil takes an obvious apophatic
approach: we ignore the multitude of blessings bestowed by the Spirit
and, more so, we ignore the power (*b<":4H) through which he will
operate in the ages to come (PG 32, 156D). Although the treatise’s emphasis
falls mainly on the eschatological dimension of recreation and fulfilment
(PG 32, 157BC) it is obvious that for St. Basil the universe depends on the
Holy Spirit’s support within its entire existence between the Alpha and
the Omega.

11. See a brief commentary on this fragment in Russell ([2004], p. 209).

APPROACHING THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW WITH ST. BASIL THE GREAT 55

Conclusive Remarks

T hese considerations point out once again the capacity of the ecclesial
or theological worldview to coexist with any kind of scientific cos-
mology. Less significant with regard to their descriptive aspect, St. Basil’s
elaborations on the dependence of creation on God cannot be challenged
by any rigorous scientific démarche. As long as a cosmological theory
remains unaffected by atheist ideologies, it cannot make any speculations
concerning God’s existence or non-existence, the way no scientific instru-
ment can measure the continuous active presence of God in his creation.
Furthermore, without claiming to be able to amend any scientific theory,
the ecclesial worldview nevertheless reveals dimensions of reality that
cannot be explored by way of current technological means. Precisely
these dimensions can represent a source of inspiration for many people
or, better, a chance for the salvation of many disoriented souls.
From a different point of view, the Cappadocian’s elaborations
challenge the current understanding of many Christians that God is the
only active factor within the cosmic scenery and the history of creation.
This misunderstanding greatly contributes to the neverending warfare of
science and religion. Whilst St. Basil indeed insists on God’s energy as
a prerequisite for the existence and fulfillment of all creation, this does
by no means imply that the cosmic energies have no role to play. In fact,
St. Basil’s concept of the interaction between the divine and cosmic fac-
tors echoes a Christological principle, that of synergy, which has reached
its canonical form only in the 7th century through the contributions of
St. Sophronios of Jerusalem, St. Maximus the Confessor and the sixth
Ecumenical Council. In light of this principle, no one-sided explanation
of the history of creation can be hold as valid. These are aspects that
should further be considered by all parties interested in bridging the
scientific and traditional representations of reality.

Acknowledgments

A n earlier version of this paper was presented for the St. Andrew’s
Patristic Symposium 2009, “St. Basil the Great: History, Theology,
and Perennial Significance” (St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological
College, a member institute of the Sydney College of Divinity; Sydney,
9 September 2009). The full version of the article is in print in the proceed-
ings of the Symposium.
56 DORU COSTACHE

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