Athanasius I of Alexandria ( – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among

Coptic Christians Copts (; ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to Northeast Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt since antiquity. They are, like the broader Egyptian population, descended from the ancient Egyptians. Copts p ...

, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a

Christian theologian Christian theology is the theology – the systematic study of the divine and religion – of Christian belief and practice. It concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Christian tradit ...

and the 20th

patriarch of Alexandria The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation "pope" (etymologically "Father", like "Abbot"). The Alexandrian episcopate was revered as one of the three major epi ...

(as Athanasius I). His intermittent episcopacy spanned 45 years ( – 2 May 373), of which over 17 encompassed five exiles, when he was replaced on the order of four different Roman emperors. Athanasius was a

Church Father The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...

, the chief

proponent {{Short pages monitorConstantius died on 4 November 361 and was succeeded by Julian (emperor), Julian. The proclamation of the new prince's accession was the signal for a pagan outbreak against the still dominant Arian faction in Alexandria. George, the usurping bishop, was imprisoned and murdered. An obscure presbyter named Pistus was chosen by the Arians to succeed him, when news arrived that filled the orthodox party with hope. An edict had been put forth by Julian permitting the exiled bishops of the "Galileans" to return to their "towns and provinces". Athanasius accordingly returned to Alexandria on 22 February 362. In 362 Athanasius convened a council at Alexandria and presided over it with

Eusebius of Vercelli Eusebius of Vercelli (c. 2 March 283 – 1 August 371) was a bishop from Sardinia and is counted a saint. Along with Athanasius, he affirmed the divinity of Jesus against Arianism. Biography Eusebius was born in Sardinia, in 283. After his father' ...

. Athanasius appealed for unity among all those who had faith in Christianity, even if they differed on matters of terminology. This prepared the groundwork for his definition of the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. However, the council also was directed against those who denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit, the human soul of Christ, and Christ's divinity. Mild measures were agreed on for those heretic bishops who repented, but severe penance was decreed for the chief leaders of the major heresies. With characteristic energy he set to work to re-establish the somewhat shattered fortunes of the orthodox party and to purge the theological atmosphere of uncertainty. To clear up the misunderstandings that had arisen in the course of the previous years, an attempt was made to determine still further the significance of the Nicene formularies. In the meanwhile, Julian, who seems to have become suddenly jealous of the influence that Athanasius was exercising at Alexandria, addressed an order to Ecdicius, the Prefect of Egypt, peremptorily commanding the expulsion of the restored primate on the ground that he had not been included in the imperial act of clemency. The edict was communicated to the bishop by Pythicodorus Trico, who, though described in the "Chronicon Athanasianum" (XXXV) as a "philosopher", seems to have behaved with brutal insolence. On 23 October the people gathered about the proscribed bishop to protest against the emperor's decree; but Athanasius urged them to submit, consoling them with the promise that his absence would be of short duration.

Fourth exile

In 362 Julian, noted for his opposition to Christianity, ordered Athanasius to leave Alexandria once again. Athanasius left for Upper Egypt, remaining there with the Desert Fathers until Julian's death on 26 June 363. Athanasius returned in secret to Alexandria, where he received a document from the new emperor, Jovian (emperor), Jovian, reinstating him once more in his episcopal functions. His first act was to convene a council which reaffirmed the terms of the Nicene Creed. Early in September 363 he set out for Antioch on the Orontes, bearing a synodal letter, in which the pronouncements of this council had been embodied. At Antioch he had an interview with Jovian, who received him graciously and even asked him to prepare an exposition of the orthodox faith. In February 364 Jovian died.

Fifth exile

The accession of Emperor

Valens Valens (; ; 328 – 9 August 378) was Roman emperor from 364 to 378. Following a largely unremarkable military career, he was named co-emperor by his elder brother Valentinian I, who gave him the Byzantine Empire, eastern half of the Roman Em ...

gave a fresh lease of life to the Arian party. He issued a decree banishing the bishops who had been deposed by Constantius but who had been permitted by Jovian to return to their sees. The news created the greatest consternation in Alexandria, and the prefect, in order to prevent a serious outbreak, gave public assurance that the very special case of Athanasius would be laid before the emperor. But Athanasius seems to have divined what was preparing in secret against him. He quietly withdrew from Alexandria in October 364 and took up his abode in a country house outside the city. Valens, who seems to have sincerely dreaded the possible consequences of another popular outbreak, within a few weeks issued orders allowing Athanasius to return to his episcopal see. Some early reports state that Athanasius spent this period of exile at his family's ancestral tomb in a Christian cemetery.

Final years and death

After returning to Alexandria, Athanasius spent his final years repairing all the damage done during the earlier years of violence, dissent, and exile. He resumed writing and preaching undisturbed, and characteristically re-emphasized the view of the Incarnation (Christianity), Incarnation which had been defined at Nicaea. On 2 May 373, having consecrated Pope Peter II of Alexandria, Peter II, one of his presbyters as his successor, Athanasius died peacefully in his own bed, surrounded by his clergy and faithful supporters.

Works

Polemical and theological works

Athanasius was not a speculative theologian. As he states in his ''First Letters to Serapion of Nitria, Serapion'', he held on to "the tradition, teaching, and faith proclaimed by the apostles and guarded by the fathers." He held that both the Son of God and the Holy Spirit are consubstantiality, consubstantial with the Father, which had a great deal of influence in the development of later doctrines regarding the Trinity. Athanasius' ''"Letter Concerning the Decrees of the Council of Nicaea"'' (''De Decretis''), is an important historical as well as theological account of the proceedings of that council. Athanasius' apologetics are primarily represented in the two-part work: ''Against the Heathen'' (''Orations Against the Arians'') and ''On the Incarnation, The Incarnation of the Word of God''. Completed probably early in his life, before the Arian controversy, they constitute the first classic work of developed Orthodox theology. In the first part, Athanasius attacks several pagan practices and beliefs. The second part presents teachings on the redemption. Also in these books, Athanasius put forward the belief, referencing , that the Son of God, the eternal Word (Logos) through whom God created the world, entered that world in human form to lead men back into the harmony from which they had earlier fallen away. Other examples of Athanasius' polemical writings against his theological opponents include his defence of the divinity of the Holy Spirit ''Letters to Serapion'' in the 360s and ''On the Holy Spirit'' against Pneumatomachi, Macedonianism. In a letter to Epictetus of Corinth, Athanasius anticipates future controversies in his defence of the humanity of Christ. In a letter addressed to the monk Dracontius, Athanasius urges him to leave the desert for the more active duties of a bishop. Athanasius also wrote several works of Biblical criticism, Biblical exegesis, primarily on Old Testament materials. The most important of these is his ''Epistle to Marcellinus'' (PG 27:12–45) on how to incorporate psalm-saying into one's spiritual practice. Perhaps his most notable letter was his Festal Letter, written to his Church in Alexandria when he was in exile, as he could not be in their presence. This letter clearly shows his stand that accepting Jesus as the Divine Son of God is not optional but necessary: Athanasius was the first patriarch of Alexandria to use Coptic and Greek for Sermon, didactic homilies.

Biographical and ascetic works

His biography of

Anthony the Great Anthony the Great (; ; ; ; – 17 January 356) was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is distinguished from other saints named Anthony, such as , by various epithets: , , , , , and . For his importance among t ...

entitled ''Life of Antony'' (Βίος καὶ Πολιτεία Πατρὸς Ἀντωνίου, ''Vita Antonii'') became his most widely read work. Translated into several languages, it became something of a best seller in its day and played an important role in the spreading of the

ascetic Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their pra ...

ideal in Eastern and Western Christianity. It depicts Anthony as an illiterate yet holy man who continuously engages in spiritual exercises in the Egyptian desert and struggles against demonic powers. It later served as an inspiration to Christian monasticism, monastics in both the East and the West.

Misattributed works

There are several other works ascribed to him, although not necessarily generally accepted as being his own. These include the so-called Athanasian Creed (which is today generally seen as being of 5th-century Galician origin), and a complete ''Expositions on the Psalms''.

Eschatology

Based on his understanding of the prophecies of Book of Daniel, Daniel and the Book of Revelation, Athanasius described Jesus’ Second Coming in the clouds of heaven and pleads with his readers to be ready for that day, at which time Jesus would Last Judgment, judge the earth, Universal resurrection, raise the dead, cast out the wicked, and Millennialism, establish his kingdom. Athanasius also argued that the date of Jesus’ earthly sojourn was divinely foretold beyond refutation by the Prophecy of Seventy Weeks, seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9.

Veneration

Athanasius was originally buried in Alexandria, but his remains were later transferred to the San Zaccaria, Venice, Chiesa di San Zaccaria in Venice, Italy. During Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria, Pope Shenouda III's visit to Rome (4–10 May 1973), Pope Paul VI gave the Coptic Patriarch a relic of Athanasius, which he brought back to Egypt on 15 May. The relic is currently preserved under the new Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo. However, the majority of Athanasius's corpse remains in the Venetian church. All major Christian denominations which officially recognize saints venerate Athanasius. Western Christians observe his Calendar of saints, feast day on 2 May, the anniversary of his death. The

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

considers Athanasius a Doctor of the Church. For Coptic Christians, his feast day is Pashons 7 (now circa 15 May). Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendars remember Athanasius on 18 January.January 18/January 31
Orthodox Calendar (Pravoslavie.ru). Athanasius is honored on the liturgical calendars of the Calendar of saints (Church of England), Church of England and the Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church), Episcopal Church on 2 May.

Gregory of Nazianzus Gregory of Nazianzus (; ''Liturgy of the Hours'' Volume I, Proper of Saints, 2 January. – 25 January 390), also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory Nazianzen, was an early Roman Christian theologian and prelate who served as Archbi ...

(330–390, also a Doctor of the Church), said: "When I praise Athanasius, virtue itself is my theme: for I name every virtue as often as I mention him who was possessed of all virtues. He was the true pillar of the Church. His life and conduct were the rule of bishops, and his doctrine the rule of the orthodox faith." Tomb of Zaccaria and Saint Athanasius.jpg, Tomb of Saint Zaccaria and Saint Athanasius in Venice StAthanasiusShrineinStMarkCathedralCairo.jpg, Athanasius's Shrine (where a portion of his relics are preserved) under Coptic Cathedral, St. Mark's Cathedral, Cairo Sant'Atanasio Bellante 2007.JPG, Procession of a statue at Bellante, Abruzzo, Bellante

Legacy

Historian Cornelius Clifford says in his account: "Athanasius was the greatest champion of Catholic belief on the subject of the Incarnation that the Church has ever known and in his lifetime earned the characteristic title of 'Father of Orthodoxy', by which he has been distinguished ever since." Clifford also says: "His career almost personifies a crisis in the history of Christianity; and he may be said rather to have shaped the events in which he took part than to have been shaped by them." St. John Henry Newman describes him as a "principal instrument, after the Apostles, by which the sacred truths of Christianity have been conveyed and secured to the world". The greater majority of Church leaders and the emperors fell into support for Arianism, so much so that Jerome (340–420) wrote of the period: "The whole world groaned and was amazed to find itself Arian". He, Athanasius, even suffered an unjust excommunication from Pope Liberius who was exiled and leant towards compromise, until he was allowed back to the See of Rome. Athanasius stood virtually alone against the world. Athanasius' biography of Anthony is foundational to Christian monasticism.

Historical significance and controversies

New Testament canon

It was the custom of the bishops of Alexandria to circulate a letter after Epiphany (holiday), Epiphany each year confirming the date of Easter and therefore other moveable feasts. They also took the occasion to discuss other matters. Athanasius wrote forty-five festal letters. Athanasius' ''39th Festal Letter'', written in 367, is widely regarded as a milestone in the evolution of the Biblical canon#Christian canons, canon of New Testament books. Some claim that Athanasius is the first person to identify the same 27 books of the New Testament that are in use today. Up until then, various similar lists of works to be read in churches were in use. Others argue that

Origen Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic, and Christian theology, theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Early cent ...

of Alexandria was the first to list the twenty-seven books of the New Testament in his Homilies on Joshua (only there is a textual variant as to whether or not he included Revelation). Athanasius includes the Book of Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah and places the Book of Esther among the "7 books not in the canon but to be read" along with the Book of Wisdom, Wisdom of Solomon, Book of Sirach, Book of Judith, Book of Tobit, the ''Didache'', and ''The Shepherd of Hermas''. Athanasius' list is similar to the Codex Vaticanus in the Vatican Library. The establishment of the canon was not a unilateral decision by a bishop in Alexandria but the result of a process of careful investigation and deliberation, as documented in a codex of the Greek Bible and, twenty-seven years later, in his festal letter. Pope Damasus I, the bishop of Rome in 382, promulgated a list of books which contained a New Testament canon identical to that of Athanasius. A Synod of Hippo, synod in Hippo in 393 repeated Athanasius' and Damasus' New Testament list, and the Council of Carthage (397) repeated Athanasius' and Damasus' complete New Testament list. Scholars debate whether Athanasius' list in 367 formed the basis for later lists. Because Athanasius' canon is the closest canon of any of the Church Fathers to the one used by Protestant churches today, many Protestants point to Athanasius as the Father of the Canon.

Supporters

Christian denominations worldwide revere Athanasius as a saint and teacher. They cite his defence of the Christology described in the first chapter of the Gospel of St. John and his significant theological works (C. S. Lewis calls ''On the Incarnation of the Word of God'' a "masterpiece") as evidence of his righteousness. They also emphasize his close relationship with Anthony the Great, the ancient monk who was one of the founders of the Christian monastic movement. The Gospel of St. John, and particularly the first chapter, demonstrates the Divinity of Jesus. This Gospel is the greatest support of Athanasius' stand. The Gospel of St. John's first chapter began to be said at the end of Mass, we believe as a result of Athanasius and his life's stand. The beginning of John's Gospel was much used as an object of special devotion throughout the Middle Ages; the practice of saying it at the altar grew, and eventually Pope Pius V made this practice universal for the Roman Rite in his 1570 edition of the Missal.Fortescue, Adrian, Catholic Encyclopedia 1907, Volume 6, pp. 662–663 "Gospel" It became a firm custom with exceptions in using another Gospel in use from 1920.Pope Benedict XV, Missale Romanum, IX Additions & Variations of the Rubrics of The MissalSee also: Jungmann, El Sacrificio de la Misa, No. 659, 660 Cyril of Alexandria (370–444) in the first letter says: "Athanasius is one who can be trusted: he would not say anything that is not in accord with sacred scripture." (Ep 1).

Critics

Throughout most of his career, Athanasius had many detractors. Classics scholar Timothy Barnes (classicist), Timothy Barnes recounts ancient allegations against Athanasius: from defiling an altar, to selling Church grain that had been meant to feed the poor for his own personal gain, and even violence and murder to suppress dissent.Barnes, Timothy D., ''Athanasius and Constantius: Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1993), 37 According to Sir Isaac Newton, Athanasius lied about the death of

Arius Arius (; ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaica, Cyrenaic presbyter and asceticism, ascetic. He has been regarded as the founder of Arianism, which holds that Jesus Christ was not Eternity, coeternal with God the Father, but was rather created b ...

, feigned other men's letters and denied his own, murdered the bishop Arsenius, broke a communion cup, overthrew an altar, was made bishop by violence and sedition against the canons of his own church, and was seditious and immoral. Athanasius used "Arian" to describe both followers of Arius and as a derogatory polemical term for Christians who disagreed with his formulation of the Trinity. Athanasius called many of his opponents "Arian", except for Meletius of Antioch, Meletius. Scholars now believe that the Arian party was not monolithic but held drastically different theological views that spanned the early Christian theological spectrum. They supported the tenets of Origenism, Origenist thought and subordinationism, subordinationist theology but had little else in common. Moreover, many labelled "Arian" did not consider themselves followers of Arius. In addition, non-homoousian bishops disagreed with being labeled as followers of Arius, since Arius was merely a presbyter, while they were fully ordained bishops. The old allegations continue to be made against Athanasius, however, many centuries later. For example, Richard E. Rubenstein suggests that Athanasius ascended to the rank of bishop in Alexandria under questionable circumstances because some questioned whether he had reached the minimum age of 30 years, and further that Athanasius employed force when it suited his cause or personal interests. Thus, he argues that a small number of bishops who supported Athanasius held a private consecration to make him bishop.Rubenstein, Richard E., ''When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christ's Divinity in the Last Days of Rome'' (New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1999), 105–106

Selected works

* ''Athanasius. Contra Gentes – De Incarnatione'' (translated by Thompson, Robert W.), text and ET (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1971). * at
''Letters to Serapion'' (on the Holy Spirit)
at archive.org

Explanatory notes

Citations

General and cited sources

* Alexander of Alexandria, "Catholic Epistle", ''The Ecole Initiative'', * Anatolios, Khaled, ''Athanasius: The Coherence of His Thought'' (New York: Routledge, 1998). * Arnold, Duane W.-H., ''The Early Episcopal Career of Athanasius of Alexandria'' (Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame, 1991). * Arius, "Arius's letter to Eusebius of Nicomedia", ''Ecclesiastical History'', ed. Theodoret. Ser. 2, Vol. 3, 41, ''The Ecole Initiative'', * Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints''. 3rd edition. (New York: Penguin, 1993). . * Barnes, Timothy D., ''Athanasius and Constantius: Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1993). * Barnes, Timothy D., ''Constantine and Eusebius'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1981) * * Brakke, David. ''Athanasius and the Politics of Asceticism'' (1995) * Clifford, Cornelius, "Athanasius", ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' Vol. 2 (1907), 35–40 * Henry Chadwick (theologian), Chadwick, Henry, "Faith and Order at the Council of Nicaea", ''Harvard Theological Review'' LIII (Cambridge Mass: Harvard University Press, 1960), 171–195. * Ernest, James D., ''The Bible in Athanasius of Alexandria'' (Leiden: Brill, 2004). * * Freeman, Charles, ''The Closing of the Western Mind: The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason'' (Alfred A. Knopf, 2003). * Haas, Christopher. "The Arians of Alexandria", ''Vigiliae Christianae'' Vol. 47, no. 3 (1993), 234–245. * Hanson, R.P.C., ''The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God: The Arian Controversy, 318–381'' (T.&T. Clark, 1988). * Kannengiesser, Charles, "Alexander and Arius of Alexandria: The last Ante-Nicene theologians", ''Miscelanea En Homenaje Al P. Antonio Orbe Compostellanum'' Vol. XXXV, no. 1–2. (Santiago de Compostela, 1990), 391–403. * Kannengiesser, Charles "Athanasius of Alexandria vs. Arius: The Alexandrian Crisis", in ''The Roots of Egyptian Christianity (Studies in Antiquity and Christianity)'', ed. Birger A. Pearson and James E. Goehring (1986), 204–215. * Ng, Nathan K. K., ''The Spirituality of Athanasius'' (1991). * * Rubenstein, Richard E., ''When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christ's Divinity in the Last Days of Rome'' (New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1999). * Williams, Rowan, ''Arius: Heresy and Tradition'' (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1987).

External links

*
Official web site of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa
* * *

* (not written by Athanasius, see Athanasian Creed above)
Athanasius Select Resources, Bilingual Anthology
(in Greek original and English) * , Dr N Needham *
''Christian Cyclopedia'': Athanasius

* [http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=100219 St Athanasius the Great the Archbishop of Alexandria], Orthodox icon and synaxarion * * * audio resource by Dr. Michael Reeves. Two lectures on
Letter of Saint Athanasius to His Flock
at the Our Lady of the Rosary Library
St. Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria
at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Colonnade Statue in St Peter's Square
{{DEFAULTSORT:Athanasius 01 290s births 373 deaths 4th-century Byzantine writers 4th-century Christian saints 4th-century Christian theologians 4th-century philosophers Anglican saints Catholic philosophers Christologists Church Fathers Doctors of the Church Egyptian theologians Opponents of Arianism Saints from Roman Egypt Nature of Jesus Christ Philosophers in ancient Alexandria Participants in the First Council of Nicaea Eastern Orthodox saints