The concept of freedom in the theology of St. Basil the Great

Abstract

For many centuries and up to the present, the concept of freedom has been and remains relevant. St. Basil the Great and his theology represent one of the key foundations in Christian theology. Subsequent generations of theologians rely on or refer to his writings and dogmatic formulations. Based on the analysis of his life and written heritage, it is possible to make a certain conceptualization of his understanding of freedom. On the one hand, everything corresponds to the Holy Scriptures, on the other hand, he analyzes the essence of man, as well as his socio-political existence, in more depth. The result of the research allows us to determine his understanding of freedom as independent choice and actions of the individual, but within the framework of faith in God, fulfillment of the commandments, state and social obligations. Also, variations in the restrictions of freedom allow us to distinguish several of its varieties not only in the generally accepted sociopolitical terms, but also in the ontological and amartological meanings.