St Peter’s Anglican Church

St Athanasius - May 2

Bishop of Alexandria, Teacher of the Faith

Athanasius was a bishop of strong character, whose contribution to the disputes of the fourth century ensured the eventual triumph of the doctrine affirmed at Nicea that Christ is “of one being with the Father”.

Athanasius was born around 296 in Alexandria, then the intellectual centre of the Roman world, and was probably educated there. He was ordained a deacon (at that time a deacon was a close administrative assistant to the bishop), and accompanied his bishop, Alexander of Alexandria, to the Council of Nicea in 325, and then succeeded him as patriarch in 328.

Arianism, which had begun in Egypt, now convulsed the church in the eastern Mediterranean. The controversy was both theological and political. Theologically it concerned the divinity of Christ - was he fully and substantially divine, or divine in only a qualified sense... Read more...