Wiara w listach św. Bazylego Wielkiego

The article is an examination of Basil’s teaching about faith and its impor­tance in his large correspondence. The bishop of Caesarea describes faith as the acceptance of the Gospel, the conviction of the truth of the message, a confession of one’s belief in the Trinity. The Cappadocian emphasizes faith as an accep­tance and conviction of the truth which comes from the inspired Scriptures and the teaching of the Nicaea. The confession of faith formulated by the Council of Nicaea constituted the essence of the truth of the Christian faith. The bishop of Caesarea indicates the importance of the baptismal formula for the formula­tion of the true Christian doctrine. During the baptismal rite the baptizand makes their confession of faith and is thus admitted into the community of the faithful. Basil’s teaching of initiation into the Christian mistery is dominated by his use of the word mean the apostolic doctrines which constitute what the „Great Church” taught and believed. The Cappadocian points to the danger of false and heretical assemblies (parasynagogues) and of the false teachers of the faith. It is presented as a way of knowing God. There is also one important emphasis in Basil’s thought which especially characterizes his view of the human steps in the concrete realiza­tion of it: the knowledge of God and faith in Him is manifested in love to God and one’s neighbor.