Illumination in Basil of Caesarea's Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Book excerpt: Although Basil of Caesarea was the first to write a discourse on the Holy Spirit, many scholars have since questioned if he fully believed in the Spirit’s divinity. Timothy P. McConnell argues that Basil did regard the Spirit as fully divine and an equal Person of the Trinity. However, Basil refused to use philosophical terminology to make the point, preferring to use what the Spirit revealed through divine act and Scripture. Thus, “illumination” becomes the primary paradigm for Basil, which later theologians would come to call revelation, setting the stage for this study’s high relevance for contemporary thought.