Again: The 38th Letter of Basil of Caesarea as the work of Gregory of Nyssa

Journal article

This essay takes up the contentious issue of authorship of "Basil's" Epistle 38. It is argued that its author must be Gregory of Nyssa which is in keeping with the broad scholarly consensus of past decades, but has been challenged recently. While admitting that previous arguments in favour of Gregorian authorship based on theological content have not been wholly persuasive, the present article aims at a demonstration on the basis of lexicographical evidence. It concludes by pointing out that Gregory probably wrote the treatise to compensate for unfinished work by his late brother similar to his practice elsewhere, e.g. in cosmology. Copyright © 2003 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH and Co. KG.

Authors: Zachhuber, J

• Journal: Zeitschrift fur Antikes Christentum
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 73-90
• Publication date: 2003-01-01
• DOI: 10.1515/zach.2003.013
• EISSN: 1612-961X
• ISSN: 0949-9571
• Language: German