Basil the Great was a Christian leader in the 300s AD. He wrote extensively on God as Trinity, with his treatise On the Holy Spirit being influential in solidifying the Nicene doctrine of the Trinity. But it is this little book, On Social Justice, that makes my list. It was not a fun read, instead I recall being consistently challenged and uncomfortable in my life’s comforts. The basic argument Basil makes is that there is enough material goods to go around for all people. From this, if you are rich then you are robbing from the poor. Basil was not a Marxist 1500 years in advance as his challenge is primarily for rich people – rich Christians specifically – to give to the poor. Still a challenging message today. And definitely worth a read.
