on the incarnation athanasius of alexandria

As a result of rises and falls in Arianism's influence, he was banished from Alexandria only to be later restored on at least five separate occasions, perhaps as many as seven. On May 9, 328, he succeeded Alexander as bishop of Alexandria, becoming the 20th Patriarch of the Church of Alexandria, a position which he held for 45 years, 16 of which he spent in exile. The Coptic church maintains a tradition that Athanasius was the main author of the Nicene Creed, and has therefore given him the title of Defender of the Faith. As a deacon, he accompanied Alexander of Alexandria to the First Council of Nicea in 325, which produced the Nicene Creed and anathematized Arius and his followers. Thus began catholic Christianity's fight against the heresy of Arianism.Īthanasius fought consistently against Arianism all his life. Athanasius responded that the Father's begetting of the Son, or uttering of the Word, was an eternal relationship between them, not an event that took place within time. In about 319, when Athanasius was a deacon, a presbyter named Arius began teaching that there was a time before God the Father begat Jesus when the latter did not exist.

The patriarch at that time, Pope Alexander, predicted that he would eventually hold a great position.īefore reaching the age of 20, Athanasius wrote a treatise entitled On the Incarnation, affirming and explaining that Jesus Christ was both God and Man. From then on he declared himself Christian. When he was in school he saw a group of Christians acting out services and when he asked to join them, they refused.

On the incarnation athanasius of alexandria