DFG-Project: Basil of Caesarea’s Hexaemeron

The exposition of Genesis 1 by Basil of Caesarea is one of the most important works of early Christian exegesis and we are fortunate to have a critical edition of it available (ed. E. Amand de Mendieta/S.Y., Rudberg; GCS NF 2, Berlin 1997). Amand de Mendieta had also planned a theological and philological commentary to accompany this edition. Unfortunately, he was not able to see this to completion and there has not yet appeared a comprehensive study of the work based on the critical text. This project seeks to supply this desideratum by providing a detailed philological and theological commentary based on the critical text. Previous work has tended to focus on the reception of platonic cosmology, but the theological context and the rhetorical structure of the homilies have not received sufficient attention. Therefore, the commentary will produce a detailed analysis of the homilies with a focus on issues of structure, language, style, rhetoric, and exegetical method. Furthermore, a collection of individual studies will examine such issues as Basil’s use of Scripture, his method of citation, the function of his paraenesis, his relation to previous exegesis of Genesis (especially Origen), and the placement of his work in the history of exegesis of the fourth and fifth centuries. Finally, a comprehensive examination of the authenticity of the works in the Basilian corpus will seek to clarify the status of the (Pseudo-?)Basil’s Sermones de creatione hominis. We are currently in the process of organizing workshops and conferences related to this project.

Projektleiter: Prof. Dr. Volker Henning Drecoll (mail: volker.drecoll@uni-tuebingen.de)

Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter: David DeMarco (mail: david.demarco@uni-tuebingen.de)

Studentische Hilfskräfte: Patrick Ebert, Cheuk Yin Yam

Postadresse: Liebermeisterstr. 12, 72074 Tübingen