- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (17 Jun 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0415202035
- ISBN-13: 978-0415202039
- Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 13.8 x 1.7 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,102,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
Athanasius (The Early Church Fathers)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
This book presents the fundamental elements of Athanasius' response to the central questions of the identity of Jesus and the nature of his relationship with God.
Providing a useful introduction on his life and work, the book focuses on the tumultuous doctrinal controversies of the day in which he was a central figure.
Key selections from his writings, newly translated, have all been chosen with a view to presenting the rationale for Athanasius' 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.
Students of history and classical studies, and even students of religious studies will find this an essential part of their course reading.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
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 the most prominent cities of the Roman empire. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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 the most prominent cities of the Roman empire. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.co.uk.
5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Athanasius - Nicaean Attack Dog
16 Aug 2008
Format:Paperback
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.
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.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
When ideas could get you banished. Or killed.
15 Oct 2011
Format:Paperback
Anatolios' new book on Athanasius is part biography (about 85 pages) and part fine translation of Athanasius' most important works.
Athanasius lived at a pivotal moment in Christian history. When he was a child, the last, great persecution against Christians swept across the Roman empire. But within a decade Constantine would alter the status of Christians in the ancient world forever.
Athanasius also lived in one of the great intellectual and religious centers of the ancient world, Alexandria. He was apparently born to great wealth and to pagan parents. This, at least, is the story that has come down to us. Certainly the evidence of his writings argues that he must have had a fine education.
What is known for certain is that by the time he was 30 or so Athanasius was a deacon and "the principal secretary of Bishop Alexander at the Council of Nicaea of 325" (p 5).
Nicaea was the first great council of the Catholic church, and it deliberated on such questions as the date of Easter, but mostly, of course, it dealt with the problem of Arianism.
What will shock modern readers is Athanasius' treatment of his opponents. He says he is "amazed at the perversity of the heretics...they have fallen into such a pit of impiety that they are no longer in possession of their senses" (p 236). There is nothing mealy mouthed or politically correct about Athanasius.
Indeed, Athansaius was "quite convinced that the denial of the full divinity of the Son simply deconstructs the whole edifice of Christian faith" (p 36). And he was glad to be banished rather than alter the smallest bit of the faith he believed in.
This was at a time when thousands of Christians had been martyred for their faith. Some of the bishops who attended Nicaea were missing limbs due to the persecution.
Athanasius wrote, "For the faith which the council confessed in writing is that of the Catholic Church, and this is what was vindicated...when they...condemned the Arian heresy" (p 206).
Reading Athanasius' passionate logic about the status of the Son to the Father is enlightening and convincing.
Athanasius lived at a pivotal moment in Christian history. When he was a child, the last, great persecution against Christians swept across the Roman empire. But within a decade Constantine would alter the status of Christians in the ancient world forever.
Athanasius also lived in one of the great intellectual and religious centers of the ancient world, Alexandria. He was apparently born to great wealth and to pagan parents. This, at least, is the story that has come down to us. Certainly the evidence of his writings argues that he must have had a fine education.
What is known for certain is that by the time he was 30 or so Athanasius was a deacon and "the principal secretary of Bishop Alexander at the Council of Nicaea of 325" (p 5).
Nicaea was the first great council of the Catholic church, and it deliberated on such questions as the date of Easter, but mostly, of course, it dealt with the problem of Arianism.
What will shock modern readers is Athanasius' treatment of his opponents. He says he is "amazed at the perversity of the heretics...they have fallen into such a pit of impiety that they are no longer in possession of their senses" (p 236). There is nothing mealy mouthed or politically correct about Athanasius.
Indeed, Athansaius was "quite convinced that the denial of the full divinity of the Son simply deconstructs the whole edifice of Christian faith" (p 36). And he was glad to be banished rather than alter the smallest bit of the faith he believed in.
This was at a time when thousands of Christians had been martyred for their faith. Some of the bishops who attended Nicaea were missing limbs due to the persecution.
Athanasius wrote, "For the faith which the council confessed in writing is that of the Catholic Church, and this is what was vindicated...when they...condemned the Arian heresy" (p 206).
Reading Athanasius' passionate logic about the status of the Son to the Father is enlightening and convincing.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Good introduction to Athanasius
15 Mar 2007
Format:Paperback
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.
This work includes some of Athansius's major theological works, and gives a useful introduction to his thought.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
