Theology as Christian Epopteia in Basil of Caesarea

Abstract

In Spir. 27.66–67, Basil of Caesarea says that Christian dogma is preserved “in silence” and “in mystery,” and connects it to the non-scriptural tradition (paradosis) of the church. These words usually have been interpreted either as a reflection of his “elitism” or as a reference to the disciplina arcani. This paper seeks to demonstrate the weaknesses of both positions and suggests that Basil’s dogma is better understood as the theological content of paradosis within the threefold Platonic division of philosophy into the stages (1) purification, (2) instruction, and (3) contemplation (epopteia). Both his choice of terms and his exegesis of the Tabernacle—(1) the profane, (2) the Levites, (3) the priests—testify to the effect that Basil does, in fact, distinguish at least two grades of spiritual advancement, of which the highest (epopteia) signifies the ability to contemplate the hidden Trinitarian dogma behind the literal level of paradosis. In its hidden aspect the dogma is also referred to as mysterion, which Basil understands with the apostle Paul as something which can only be revealed by the Spirit. The peculiar epistemic function of the Spirit, therefore, renders meaningless any theological discourse outside the Trinitarian doctrine. Thereby, Basil demonstrates that pneumanomachian theology is no more than a scandalous profanation of “mysterion.”