Athanasius was a 4th century bishop of Alexandria and one of the leading defenders of Trinitarian theology against Arianism. He played a pivotal role in promoting the doctrine of the Trinity and affirming the full divinity of Jesus Christ at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Athanasius tirelessly opposed the teachings of Arius, who claimed that Jesus was created by God and distinct from God the Father. His defense of orthodox Trinitarian doctrine led to him being exiled multiple times during his life.
Athanasius was born around 296-298 AD in Alexandria, Egypt. As a youth, he served as secretary to Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria. In this role, Athanasius was present at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and may have even composed the first draft of the Nicene Creed. The creed affirmed Christ’s divinity and condemned Arianism as heresy. When Alexander died in 328 AD, Athanasius succeeded him as bishop despite considerable opposition from Arians.
As bishop, Athanasius refused to reinstate Arius and fought against Arian influence across the Roman Empire. In 335 AD, a council of bishops declared Athanasius unfit for office and exiled him to Trier in modern-day Germany. However, Athanasius continued writing in defense of Nicaea from exile. He returned in 337 AD but was forced to flee Alexandria again in 339 AD when political winds shifted back towards Arianism. Over the course of his career, Athanasius endured a total of five exiles ordered by four different Roman emperors.
Even while in exile, Athanasius’ influence was felt across Christendom. His festal letters, written each year to determine the date of Easter, were widely circulated. He also wrote important theological treatises like On the Incarnation and a biography of Antony the Great that helped popularize monasticism. Several emperors tried unsuccessfully to harness Athanasius’ authority by forcing him to readmit Arius to communion. Athanasius steadfastly refused these orders, remaining “Athanasius contra mundum” (“Athanasius against the world”).
By the time of his death in 373 AD, Arianism had largely receded across the Roman Empire. The joint efforts of Athanasius and the Cappadocian Fathers led orthodox teaching on the Trinity and Christ’s full divinity to become entrenched. As John Henry Newman wrote, the struggle against Arianism was “a battle which had to be fought sooner or later, and was a necessary preparation for the conversion of the heathen.” Athanasius’ crucial contribution was recognized by later generations, which branded him the “Father of Orthodoxy.”
Several key theological ideas are associated with Athanasius:
- Divinity of Christ – Against the Arians, Athanasius staunchly upheld Christ’s divinity and consubstantiality with the Father per the Nicene formulation. He argued forcefully that if Christ were not fully divine, he could not redeem humanity.
- Incarnation – Athanasius stressed that the Incarnation was not the mere appearance of God in human form, but the Word of God fully becoming man for our salvation. This implied a radical union of divine and human in Christ.
- Recapitulation – Christ’s life, death and resurrection served to undo and reverse the course initiated by Adam. Where Adam introduced sin and death, Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection opened the gates to eternal life.
- Deification – Athanasius taught that Christ became man so that humans could become God. By grace we can be united to God and conformed to the divine image.
In terms of ecclesiology, Athanasius helped establish important precedents for church governance. As bishop of Alexandria, he wielded influence far beyond his own city. His annual festal letters shaped the liturgical calendar for the worldwide church. Moreover, he steadfastly resisted imperial interference in church affairs. During his many exiles, Athanasius demonstrated that bishops possessed authority even when removed from their episcopal sees.
Athanasius also played a pivotal role in promulgating the 27 book New Testament canon in festal letter 39 written in 367 AD. He included exactly the same books found in today’s canon while excluding books like the Shepherd of Hermas that were contenders at the time. His letter represents the first documentation of full agreement on the NT canon in Alexandria.
In addition to being a stalwart defender of orthodoxy, Athanasius was also revered as a monastic leader. His Life of Anthony introduced many readers to the principles of Christian monasticism and contemplation. Antony became a model that inspired countless disciples to take up the ascetic life in the Egyptian desert. Under Athanasius’ episcopate, monastic communities increasingly supplemented diocesan structures as centers of devotion and pilgrimage.
Athanasius faced controversy both during his long career and posthumously. He has been accused of using violence to suppress schismatic Meletian bishops who refused his authority. However, these accounts primarily come from historiographers with an Arian bias. Otherwise, contemporaries like church historian Socrates Scholasticus praised Athanasius as an effective leader though short-tempered in his youth.
In later centuries, Athanasius’ work proved divisive during the Christological conflicts of the 5th and 6th centuries. Both Monophysite and Nestorian thinkers chastised him for ambiguities that failed to fully delineate Christ’s human and divine natures. T.E. Pollard describes this as the “Athanasian problem.” Nevertheless, for defenders of orthodoxy like Maximus the Confessor, Athanasius remained a touchstone and model of courage.
Athanasius’ most famous work, On the Incarnation, has proven to be his most enduring and influential. This short treatise, likely written before his election as bishop, expounds on Christ’s divine incarnation as the source of redemption. Some key themes include:
- Only the Word of God could recreate and deify humanity, bridging the gulf between God and creation.
- Christ as the Word made flesh restored the divine image marred by human sin.
- The Incarnation was fitting because God is both creator and lover of mankind. Out of love, the Word became flesh to recreate us after the fall.
- Christ’s death defeated death itself. His resurrection is the promise and guarantee of life after death.
- Our union with the incarnate Christ leads to the vision of God, spiritual healing, and being “made God” by grace.
On the Incarnation brilliantly synthesizes key themes from the Alexandrian theological tradition in a short, accessible work. Its influence can be seen in many later theologians from John Henry Newman to C.S. Lewis. This seminal work perhaps best captures Athanasius’ theological vision and eloquent prose style.
In summary, Athanasius of Alexandria was one of the most influential figures in early church history. He courageously defended orthodox Trinitarian and Christological doctrine in the face of implacable opposition. His many theological works and festal letters shaped Christian thought for generations. Despite repeated exile, he remained the recognized leader of the church in Alexandria and one of the most respected bishops in Christendom. His legacy lives on through the Athanasian Creed and the many theological ideas bearing his imprint. By confirming the apostolic faith passed down from the apostles, Athanasius rightfully earned his title as “Father of Orthodoxy.”
