Claudio Moreschini: Pseudo-Basil’s Against Eunomius and the Cappadocian Theology

Pseudo-Basil’s Against Eunomius IV and V is a very interesting work, as for the Eunomian controversy, although it presents many unsolved questions. As for its authorship, some have supposed that the two books are of two different authors, whereas others accept the idea of a unitary work, penned either by Apollinaris of Laodicea or Didymus of Alexandria. Further suggestions have been made, but the precise individuation of the author remains open and quite problematic: in all likelihood, Against Eunomius IV-V is the work of an unknown author who wanted to deal with Trinitarian questions writing in the footsteps of the Cappadocian Fathers; yet, some of the Homilies attributed to Basil or the De Spiritu are likewise anonymous. Similarly, the homilies on the creation of man, attributed to Basil or to Gregory of Nyssa, are probably to be ascribed to an author who used Basil’s Homiliae in Hexaemeron. In conclusion, I suppose that there were some other personalities that gravitated around the Cappadocian Fathers and accepted their doctrines. Indeed, the author of Against Eunomius IV-V in dealing with Trinitarian terminology and the generation of the Son, follows not only Basil but Gregory of Nazianzus as well, while in asserting the Spirit’s divine nature is influenced by both Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory of Nazianzus.