Basil of Caesarea on Proverbs 8:22 and the Sources of Pro-Nicene Theology

Abstract

Recent scholarship has increasingly questioned the traditional assumption that Athanasius of Alexandria was a major influence on Basil of Caesarea. This study seeks to make a concrete contribution to this debate by demonstrating that Basil's exegesis of Prov. 8:22, a verse whose interpretation was hotly contested in the fourth-century Trinitarian debates, was influenced by Eusebius of Caesarea rather than by Athanasius. Basil's use of Eusebius of Caesarea here should prompt us to reassess more widely Eusebius' influence on Basil, thereby helping us gain a better understanding of the diverse sources of Pro-Nicene theology.