Die Askeseschrift des Pseudo-Basilius

Anne Burgsmüller studies a letter written by a bishop in Asia Minor in the 4th century, a letter which gives young people advice based on philosophy and the Bible on how to live a Christian life. Due to its frankness in dealing with questions of sexuality, this letter was forgotten when letterpress printing began. For a long time, it was thought that the letter had been written by the homoiousian bishop Basilius of Ancyra. The lack of theological reflection in this letter and the vivid language however are reminiscent of Messalian theology, which emphasizes the mystical unity with God. The author shows how Gregory of Nyssa used this letter when he was writing De virginitate, and compares it with other writings on virginity.