The Homilies on the Hexaemeron of Basil of Caesarea

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Volker Henning Drecoll
• Subject Area: Protestant Theology
• Term: from 2013 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 234511752

Basil's Homilies in Hexaemeron belong to the important exegetical works of Late Antiquity, especially as an exegesis of Genesis 1. The exegetical methods prepare the so-called Antiochene exegesis that is famous for its literal understanding and its careful handling of the biblical text and its wording. Basil uses the non-Christian sciences (esp. biology and physics) intensively and takes into consideration pagan models of the formation of the world. Thus, the work represents one of the most important testimonies for the Christian-non-Christian debate of the fourth century C.E. A detailed, philological-theological commentary and a volume of studies exploit this important work for the first time and places it into the history of culture and literature. The caracter of the homilies as preached sermons will be taken into account more intensively than until now. The application for continuation of the project aims to bringt it to its conclusion.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants