Why Athanasius is Ridiculously Awesome

November 18, 2020

As one of the first great theologians to write after the Christianization of the Roman Empire, Athanasius is considered a pillar of the church for his works on basic doctrine such as the divinity of Christ. Athanasius’ life involved a lot of movement: he fled persecution in Alexandria as a child, spent time with monks in the desert, and was exiled five times. But in spite of physical dangers and heretical opposition, Athanasius remained persistently committed to defending the faith.

Listen to this episode to find out more about St. Athanasius including how he compares in height to Adam and how he almost got exiled over a non-theological issue.

 

Jump Through the Conversation

  •  [0:32] Intro and musings on the word “erudite”

  • [1:29] Why read Athanasius?

  • [3:57] Why Athanasius is a pillar of the church

  • [5:46] Physical description of Athanasius

  • [7:32] Events that made Athanasius “doggedly determined”

    • Challenge of Arian heresy

    • Persecution in Alexandria

    • Anthony and other monks

  • [14:11] On failure and suffering

  • [19:23] Brief note on Athanasius’ “side hustle”

 

Links and Resources

 

A resource of the Chattanooga House of Prayer