Basil the Great
4th century · c. 330 – 379 · Caesarea, Cappadocia
Bishop, monastic founder, and preacher on creation; he built hospitals and taught that care for the poor is inseparable from faith.
Passages he speaks to
- Genesis 1:1
The beginning refers to a point in time that is not time itself, but the start of it. God created the universe not by necessity, but by a sovereign act of will, bringing the world into being as a school for rational souls to learn the knowledge of God.
Primary texts in English: public-domain edition at CCEL.