Athanasius was born in Alexandria, sometime around 296, a time when Christians were still enduring significant persecution by Roman authorities. He had a solid classical education and was a good student. While still a very young man, he became a secretary to the bishop of Alexandria and began preparing for the priesthood. It was in this capacity that he participated in the first debates with Arius, the heretical priest who began publicly and vigorously questioning the divinity of Christ around 318. Athanasius was present at the Council of Nicea in 325, a council which condemned Arianism. The condemnation was not universally accepted, however, and Arianism continued to flourish in parts of the church.

A few years after Nicea, Athanasius became bishop of Alexandria. He was extremely young for this position, which suggests something of the respect he had won for himself by his participation in the 325 Council. During the next 40 years, the battle between Athanasius and Arianism resulted in an astonishingly complicated political situation. He was exiled more than once, but always returned from exile determined to resist this heresy. In his introduction to On the Incarnation, C. S. Lewis writes:

Bibliography:

Works by Athanasius:

On the Incarnation is his most famous work. Read it online at: http://www.ccel.org/a/athanasius/incarnation/0content.html

His biography of St. Antony is also online: Life of Antony, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/vita-antony.html

Works about Athanasius:

There is not much good about Athanasius on a popular level. However, Athanasius himself is quite readable. Check out Lewis’ introduction to On the Incarnation (quoted above; found in the online version) in which Lewis talks about why it makes sense to read original texts rather than read books about those texts.

Links:

Catholic Encyclopedia article: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02035a.htm

The Ecole Glossary: http://www2.evansville.edu/ecoleweb/glossary/athanasius.html