Becoming a Community of Disciples

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Becoming a Community of Disciples

Benedict lived in a cave for three years; his food was lowered to him in a basket.

Basil, born in a town called Caesarea, is one of the most significant and important early Christian authors. Along with his brother Gregory of Nyssa (d. 395) and friend Gregory of Nazianzus (d. 389), Basil helped to firmly establish Christianity and Christian monasticism throughout Asia Minor (modern Turkey) by way of his writings. Basil’s spiritual writings evolved in three stages. The Morals were written when Basil lived as a solitary monk across a river from his sister Macrina. The work is a collection of quotations from the New Testament that seem to speak about monastic practices and is divided into eighty topics. The Asceticon has two versions: the Small Asceticon , composed of 203 questions; and the Great Asceticon that includes 55 “Long Rules” and 313 “Short Rules.” There is quite a bit of overlap between the “Long Rules” of the Great Asceticon and the Small Asceticon , and many of the “Short Rules” are also in the Small Asceticon . The “Long Rules” are Basil’s most complete statement about