Between Alexandria and Antioch: the Diverse Sources of Basil’s Homiliae super psalmos 45

Abstract

Patristic exegesis is often still viewed as a binary: Alexandria vs. Antioch, allegory vs. literal. While there are clear examples of interpreters who adhered to one school’s approach, there were many who sat somewhere between these two extremes. One notable example of this is Basil of Caesarea, who, when actually studied as an exegete, has often been miscast as a student of Antioch or Alexandria. An examination of Basil’s Homiliae super psalmos 45, however, demonstrates that the sources behind Basil’s interpretive efforts cannot be limited to one exegetical ‘school’ or another, but actually represent a diverse range of readings, from Origen of Alexandria to Eusebius of Caesarea to Diodore of Tarsus. In his christological reading of this psalm, Basil resembles the Antiochenes, while in his overall spiritual vision and penchant for allegory, he draws on Origen. The example of Basil demonstrates the complexity of the exegetical world of the early church and the non-binary lines of influence, as well as the need for scholars of patristic exegesis to recognize nuance and complexity in their treatments of these writers.