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On the Incarnation: De Incarnatione Verbi Dei (Popular Patristics Series)

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In this day, when a Christian classic is often considered to be a book written 50 or 100 years ago, such as one of my favorites, "Mere Christianity," by C.S. Lewis, it may be a little intimidating for modern readers to consider a volume written during the 4th century by one of the acknowledged leaders of the ancient Christian Church. This is one such work that I've ashamedly ignored for over 30 years--until recently--despite the fact that I've been a huge fan of C.S. Lewis, who wrote the Introduction for this fine translation in about 1944.In both the introduction, and in the words of St. Athanasius, one can quickly see where Lewis developed many of his ideas for "Mere Christianity." Lewis writes here: "Measured against the ages "mere Christianity" turns out to be no insipid interdenominational transparency, but something positive, self-consistent, and inexhaustible."Another reviewer here refers to this book as Catholic, which, unfortunately, may possibly scare away some Protestant readers. However, one could also call it Orthodox (or orthodox), in the sense that St. Athanasius wrote at a time in history when there was only One Undivided Church, whether one calls it Catholic or Orthodox. He was responding to the heresies of his day (and I might add that many of those heresies are still around in one form or another). In doing so, St. Athanasius helped to codify what all Christians everywhere believed about the Incarnation of Christ in those days. As Lewis says in his introduction, some of the best devotional reading is in doctrinal books. This is one such book, but don't let it scare you away, like it did me for 30 years. It's well worth the read, and not as challenging as one would assume.An additional bonus to the St. Vladimir's Press 1996 edition is the appendix: "The Letter of St. Athanasius to Marcellinus on the Interpretation of the Psalms." In this gem, St. Athanasius provides delightful devotional and theological background to the Book of Psalms, which many call the Prayer Book of the Bible. This appendix alone is worth the purchase price of the book (but be sure you get the right edition).

It is a shame that more people haven't read this book; after the New Testament, Athanasius' De Incarnatione Verbi Dei (On the Incarnation of the Word) is the most important synthesis of Christian thought up through the 4th century and has remained one of the most foundational of all Christian texts ever written. All later Christian thought on the sacraments and artwork (particularly icons) would eventually be an extension of the Christian teaching on the Incarnation; this work, then, not only shapes the basis of later Christian thought, but also determines its trajectory.

This is a simple work. Some of this is due to the work of the translator, breaking up the work into short sections and translating it into contemporary English without sacrificing its content; the majority of it has to do, however, with Athansius' own desire: to communicate simply the profound message of God-become-man. C. S. Lewis contributes a wonderful introduction, noting correctly that we would all do better to "read the old books", such as this one.

In short, Athanasius writes that "God became man so that man might become god". If taken out of its context, such a quote could easily be misinterpreted; it should be understood, however, in this way: by God's taking on a human body, the human body has been brought up into the very life of God. Rather than denigrating physical, created matter, the Incarnation vindicates its being created. The body then, is now understood as the site of the most profound of meanings: its being given life now and, at a future time, being given life again.

Understandings of the Incarnation as being purely juridical, with effects relegated to an ethereal world of purely legal justification, find no place here. Athanasius also does not focus upon the death of Christ or his sufferings as ends in and of themselves. Rather, the Incarnation is victory over death - death *not* being a curse but, instead, the natural result of man's turning away from God (the hermeneutic that Athanasius provides for understanding the Apostle Paul's writings is both fascinating and beautiful). The Incarnation opens us up to union with God, which is most perfectly demonstrated in the union of Christ to God the Father: their wills in perfect communion with each other, in and through love.

In this work, Athanasius strikes a perfect balance between the profound and the simple that is not often found in theological writings. We do well, as Lewis notes, to read the old books.

The effects of this little book can be felt even today; over 15 centuries since it was written. It answers one of the most fundamental questions in Christianity, "Why did God have to come and take flesh in order to save mankind?" This book is inspiring in that it shows us the purpose of His Incarnation, His life, teachings, miracles, death and resurrection. In a time where the whole world was against him, St. Athanasius shines brigthly as one of the greatest leaders of the Christian Church. It is wise to hear his words. Other inspiring writings: AGAINST THE HEATHEN and THE LIFE OF ST. ANTHONY (a writing that converted even St. Augustine).

C.S. Lewis fans may be surprised to find one of his most important pieces of writing in his little Introduction to this translation of Athanasius's De Incarnatione Verbi Dei. By all accounts this work by Athanasius is seminal, so with Lewis's Introduction itself worth the price of the whole book, it's a no-brainer--get it.

Lewis exhorts plain Christians to not content themselves with modern books and leave the classics to the professionals. The classics are classics precisely because they were written by great writers, whose writing is actually easier to understand than the usually much longer modern works that purport to explain them. Plato's dialogues are an example: "The simplest student will be able to understand...a very great deal of what Plato said; but hardly anyone can understand some modern books on Platonism."

He mourns the hegemony of cultured explainers in small group studies where, instead of Luke or Paul, or Augustine, Aquinas, or Hooker, modern authors like Charles Colson, Henry Blackaby, or Charles Stanley (to cite some current bestsellers) dominate. Lewis finds this upside-down. As a modern writer himself he certainly does not wish readers to read no modern books at all, but gives sound reasons for reading at least as many "old books" as new.

He even exhorts Christians to read "doctrinal" books instead of "devotional" ones:

"For my own part I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect that the same experience may await many others. I believe that many who find that 'nothing happens' when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand."

Lewis's words are even more germane now than they were when he wrote them, no doubt before 1963. Even more, the "old book" that most needs reading with a pipe in the teeth and a pencil in the hand is the Bible itself. Two "doctrinal" books are most suited to guiding the amateur reader of Scripture: The Coming of the Kingdom, and Paul: An Outline of His Theology, both by Herman Ridderbos. These are "tough bits of theology," but they provide readers what is most needful today: a trustworthy and reliable means of sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to his words. It is exactly what C.S. Lewis was trying to say.

This is a true treasure of Christian literature. For the modern reader, names like "Athanasius" can be a bit daunting. Surely his book would be too deep and complicated to understand fully. How relavent is it to our own day anyhow?
Like C.S. Lewis points out in his introduction to the work, often the men of ancient times put things more clearly and without the bothersome "-isms" of modern thinking.
This book is encouraging to the Christian and welcoming to those who do not yet know Christ. Athanasius' sense of God's love for man, and his logic that explains how God showed that love is quite breathtaking.

This classic work from early Church Father, St. Athanasius, should be mandatory reading for every Christian (Protestant and Catholic alike). Were it not for God's working through this great Church Father, a heretical view called 'Arianism' would have dominated the Church. The Arians believed that Jesus was merely human and created like any other human. Jesus had a beginning, and was not of the same essence or substance as the Father.

This was a pivotal moment in early Church history. The Church was actually split in two regarding this issue, and were it not for Athanasius and this work "On the Incarnation," heresy would have won the day (albeit God certainly did not allow this to occur).

This work is a key theological treatise regarding the divinity of Christ, and His incarnation (fully God, and fully man). This translation is one of, if not the, best translations available for readers. C.S. Lewis writes a wonderful introduction and details the impact this work had on his own Christian life (among other interesting details about reading primary sources - Go Lewis!!).

The book is formatted in a way that is very easy to follow - from creation, to incarnation, to death, to resurrection, and then three refutations and a conclusion. However, the work is not altogether easy to read. At certain points I had to re-read the work several times to grasp what Athanasius was trying to say. But do not let this keep you from getting and reading the book. Anything worth reading is always going to have some difficulty that is what makes it worthwhile.

I would place this work in my top 20 favorite Christian works, and highly recommend it to everyone!

This book really changed my outlook on life and on God. It is an extraordinary book with valuable lessons of life and tells of why God sent his only begotten Son down to earth. Excellent work, that is a masterpiece of early Christian works.

This is an edition of a classic and important work with a wonderful introduction by C. S. Lewis (who provides a compelling argument for reading old, dead authors). In his defense of an orthodox doctrine of the Son of God's incarnation, Athanasius provides an amazing treatment of God's plan to work through and redeem all of material creation. Hands down this is one of the best defenses of historic, apostolic, and sacramental Christology and, thus, Christianity.

I am not familiar with this edition of St. Athanasius' book *On the Incarnation,* but I have read it in another version. It is a wonderful little book, one that all Christians from all kinds of backgrounds would be blessed by if they read it.

It is a short book with only 9 chapters.

Here is an excerpt from the chapter entitled The Death of Christ.:

"But if any honest Christian wants to know why He suffered death on the cross and not in some other way, we answer thus: in no other way was it expedient for us, indeed the Lord offered for our sakes the one death that was supremely good. He had come to bear the curse that lay on us; and how could He "become a curse" otherwise than by accepting the accursed death? And that death is the cross, for it is written "Cursed is every one that hangeth on tree." Again, the death of the Lord is the ransom of all, and by it "the middle wall of partition" is broken down and the call of the Gentiles comes about. How could He have called us if He had not been crucified, for it is only on the cross that a man dies with arms outstretched? Here, again, we see the fitness of His death and of those outstretched arms: it was that He might draw His ancient people with the one and the Gentiles with the other, and join both together in Himself. Even so, He foretold the manner of His redeeming death, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Myself."

--On the Incarnation

Athanasius also makes the point that if Christ had not died, then there would not have been any resurrection and victory over death and the devil. If He had not taken a human body, He would not have been able to be our Savior. This may seem obvious to us Christians now, but in Athanasius' day, these concepts were often misunderstood. Actually, they are still misundersood by many. His arguments are Biblical and he references many Scriptural passages.

This is one of the most important Christian books in 2000 years, by one of the greatest Catholic bishops of all time, in the most readable English translation of this century (by an anonymous Catholic nun). Few explications of the Catholic Faith have ever been so successful. Every generation should read this."The Word of God assumed humanity so that men might become God."