ATHANASIUS
ATHANASIUS
Athanasius was an enigmatic and fiery Egyptian bishop of the fourth-century Church. He was a principal architect of Christian doctrine and has been a controversial figure, from his own time to the present day. Much of his work focused on the question of the identity of Jesus Christ, and the nature of his relationship to God.
This book presents the fundamental elements of Athanasius's response to this question. It also provides a much-needed, up-to-date introduction to his life and work, focusing on the tumultuous doctrinal controversies in which he played a crucial part.
The majority of the book is made up of new translations of his key writings. These have been chosen with a view to presenting the rationale for Athanasius's fundamental theological positions: the divinity and humanity of Christ, human redemption, the divinity and work of the Holy Spirit, the logic of Christian worship, and the scriptural basis for the doctrinal formulations of the Council of Nicaea.
Khaled Anatolios is Associate Professor of Historical Theology at Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Cambridge, MA. He is the author of Athanasius: The Coherence of His Thought (Routledge, 1998).