Basil’s Interpretation of Anger in Light of Greco-Roman Philosophy

Basil’s Homily against Anger is one of a few early Christian writings devoted to the topic of anger. This homily thus offers important insight into how early Christians interpreted and tempered anger, but it has not yet received adequate scholarly attention. The close reading of the homily and comparison of it with various proposals for controlling anger in the Greco-Roman philosophical tradition offered here expand the understanding of early Christian teachings about this powerful emotion. The focus is on the ways in which Basil’s reasoning is consistent with Greco-Roman philosophical attitudes regarding anger as well as the distinctive features of his Christian-oriented proposal for controlling anger.