Athanasius (The Early Church Fathers) (Paperback)

by Khaled Anatolios (Author) "When Athanasius became bishop of Alexandria in 328 CE, at around the age of 30, he assumed leadership of the Christian community in one of..." (more)
Key Phrases: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Council of Nicaea (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Especially impressive in Anatolios's work is his explanation of the Athanasian perspective on sin as 'de-creation' and of the importance of stability in Athanasian soteriology ... worthwhile and recommended.' - Reviews in Religion and Theology

'A worthwhile addition. Those who know nothing about Anthanasius ... will find a reliable guide to his life and thought. The expert too might profit from Dr Anatolios' balanced and sympathetic presentation of the theology. Both will value the well-chosen and extensive extracts ... Dr Anatalios brings a generally pleasing new style of appreciation to his subject.' - Theology

Especially impressive in Anatolioss work is his explanation of the Athanasian perspective on sin as de-creation and of the importance of stability in Athanasian soteriology ... worthwhile and recommended. - Reviews in Religion and Theology

A worthwhile addition. Those who know nothing about Anthanasius ... will find a reliable guide to his life and thought. The expert too might profit from Dr Anatolios balanced and sympathetic presentation of the theology. Both will value the well-chosen and extensive extracts ... Dr Anatalios brings a generally pleasing new style of appreciation to his subject. - Theology

Product Description
Athanasius provides a comprehensive and concise introduction to the theological vision of Athanasius, relating the various aspects of his doctrine to a central emphasis on divine condescension.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (October 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415202035
• ISBN-13: 978-0415202039
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #818,572 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Athanasius - Nicaean Attack Dog, August 15, 2008

By	Richard Hill (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book's value for the reader is twofold; first, the new translations done by Anatolios contemporize the language over the publicly available texts of the Nicene Fathers: "Thou then, as a man of learning, in spite of their subterfuges, didst convict them of talking to no purpose; and they in devising them were but acting suitably to their own evil disposition;" compare this to "But you, as a learned and articulate man, convicted them of talking nonsense, despite their pretences. Nevertheless, in the invention of these pretences of theirs, they are not acting inconsistently with their own evil minds" (178). This work removes one cumbersome hindrance to reading Athanasius and allows the passion of the scholar to inspire his contemporary readers. In addition, Anatolios has provided extensive explanatory endnotes, bibliography, and most importantly, a rich, thorough introduction.

Athanasius was bishop of the most cosmopolitan city in fourth century Egypt, Alexandria. He was made bishop at age thirty, just three years after the Council of Nicaea, which he attended as a secretary to his bishop. It is that council that he defended vehemently against any attackers. One selection included here is "On the Council of Nicaea" in which he defends the Council's position against Eusebians who criticized the Council on the use of unscriptural terms to explain the Scripture. Athanasius habitually identified his enemies with the Arians, as he does in this writing, in order to immediately identify them as holding heretical views, and then, step by step, he decimates their arguments. For Athanasius, the subject matter was of such ultimate importance, it justified the use of such tactics.

The hallmarks of his theology were the guide for inclusion in this volume. They include defense of the Council of Nicaea, the divinity and humanity of Christ, divinity of the Holy Spirit and Christian Worship, all of which are represented in this text. This book is such an excellent introduction to Athanasius and by extension, the fourth century debates in the Church, that it makes this reviewer consider that the entire series may do the same for the other Fathers of the Church.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to Athanasius, March 15, 2007

By	Greg (Australia) - See all my reviews

St Athanasius was one of the earliest Church fathers, along with St Iranaeus and St Ignatius and St Clement of Rome. Athanasius was one of the key architects of incarnational theology, which argued for the first time that Jesus was not merely a man teaching wisdom or a divine being come to Earth, but was the human incarnation of God, the perfect fusion of divine and human in one person. Athanasius's famous dictum was 'God became man so that man may become God', echoeing Iranaeus's anti-Gnostic polemic against the evils of the material world and flesh, as well as fighting the Arian notion of Jesus simply being another creature of God.

This work includes some of Athansius's major theological works, and gives a useful introduction to his thought.