Spiritual Defilement According to St. Basil the Great

Protopresbyter Dimitrios Athanasiou | December 31, 2025

 

1. The notion of defilement according to St. Basil the Great

• St. Basil the Great holds that participation in communion with heretics can cause spiritual defilement to the Orthodox.

• This defilement does not concern only the loss of personal faith, but primarily the danger posed to the priesthood and the integrity of the Church as a whole.

• Especially for clergy, communion with heretics who have not been condemned can lead to the loss of the priesthood, if protective measures are not taken.

2. The principle “those whose mindset we reject…”

• St. Basil the Great establishes the principle that those who have a distorted faith or a mindset contrary to Orthodoxy must be removed from ecclesiastical communion:

“ὧν τὸ φρόνημα ἀποστρεφόμεθα, τούτους ἀπὸ τῆς κοινωνίας προσήκει φεύγειν.”

[“those whose mindset we reject, it is proper to flee from communion with them.”]

• This principle applies not only to extreme heretics, but also to those not yet condemned, insofar as their stance threatens the collective spiritual health of the Church.

• The issue is not what the heretic personally believes, but his influence on the community of the faithful and their participation in the spiritual communion.

3. Relationship between defilement and the priesthood

• St. Basil the Great connects defilement with the "hypostatic reality of the priesthood" of heretics.

• If a cleric communes with heretics who have not been condemned, without proper discernment, he is in danger of losing his priesthood.

• This stance requires the cessation of communion as a preventive measure, even when there is no official condemnation of the heretic.

4. The notion of defilement through ecclesiastical communion

• Defilement also concerns laypeople and monks who commune with heretics not yet condemned.

• The teaching of St. Basil the Great emphasizes that participation in the communion of a heretic transmits the influence of the heresy to the faithful, without requiring acceptance of the heretic’s teaching as a personal conviction.

A. Avoidance of acceptance of heretical mindsets

• The book [i.e., Hieromonk Eugenios’ The Concept of Defilement…] emphasizes the concept of the “defilement of the Orthodox” through communion with heretics who have not been condemned. That is, even if a heresy has not been officially condemned by the Church, communion with those who teach or follow it can defile the faith of the Orthodox.

•This principle is based on the saying: “ὁ κοινωνῶν ἀκοινωνήτῳ ἀκοινώνητος ἔστω” [“Let him who communes with one who is outside communion be himself outside communion.”] (consensus Patrum), which means that whoever communes with one who is outside communion is himself outside communion, and is considered to partake in the erroneous teaching and must abstain.

• The aim is not only theological, but also practical: to safeguard the purity of the faith and the correct transmission of the Church’s Mysteries.

• The acceptance of heresies is considered spiritually dangerous, for it distorts Orthodox teaching and leads the flock astray.

B. Alienation from God due to sin and acceptance of heresy

• Communion with heretics or the acceptance of heretical mindsets leads to spiritual danger: the Grace of the Mysteries may be lost, and the faithful are distanced from God.

• This does not concern only the heretics, but also those who commune with them: clergy, if they partake in communion with heretics without abstaining, lose the “hypostatic reality” of their priesthood.

• The Holy Fathers, through the Ecumenical Councils and their writings, demonstrate that participation in heresy is not a trivial matter, but a grave sin that leads to alienation from the Church and from God.

C. The importance of keeping all the commandments for boldness on the Day of Judgment

• The keeping of the commandments and the preservation of pure faith secure spiritual boldness on the Day of Judgment. That is, the faithful who avoid heresies and keep the commandments will have confidence and assurance before God.

• Abstention from communion with heretics is not only preventive, but also soteriological: it protects the soul from spiritual harm.

• The notion of boldness (παρρησία) is linked to the complete observance of the commandments and conformity to the Church, as shown in the Acts of the Ecumenical Councils: faith must be pure, without defilement from heretical teachings.

In summary:

• The avoidance of heresies protects the faith and the Grace of the Mysteries.

• Participation in heresy or acceptance of heretical mindsets leads to alienation from God and possibly to spiritual loss.

• The keeping of the commandments and pure faith secure courage and boldness before God on the Day of Judgment.

 

Greek source: https://fdathanasiou-parakatathiki.blogspot.com/2025/12/blog-post_31.html