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Saint Athanasius
Saint Athanasius , c.297–373, patriarch of Alexandria (328–73), Doctor of the Church, great champion of orthodoxy during the Arian crisis of the 4th cent. (see Arianism ). In his youth, as secretary to Bishop Alexander, he took part in the christological debate against Arius at the Council of Nicaea (see Nicaea, First Council of ), and thereafter became chief protagonist for Nicene orthodoxy in the long struggle for its acceptance in the East. He defended the homoousion formula that states that Jesus is of the same substance as the Father, against the various Arian parties who held that Jesus was not identical in substance with the Father. Made bishop of Alexandria upon the death of his superior, he faced a conspiracy led by Eusebius of Nicomedia to return the condemned Arius to Egypt. When Athanasius refused to yield, a pro-Arian council held at Tyre (335) found him guilty of sacrilege, the practice of magic, dishonest grain dealings, and even murder. Athanasius appealed to Constantine who demanded a retrial, then unaccountably ordered Athanasius into exile—the first of five. Reinstated (337) and exiled again (339), he fled to the West where, under Pope Julius I , the Council of Sardica vindicated him (343). To placate his Catholic brother Constans, the Arian Constantius permitted Athanasius to return to his see in 346. There he reigned, a beloved pastor, for ten fruitful years, strengthening orthodoxy in Egypt and composing some of his greatest works, including his Defense Against the Arians (348). When Constans died, Constantius procured the condemnation of Athanasius (Arles, 357), again forcing him into exile. It was during this period of hiding with the hermit monks of the Egyptian desert, whom he admired greatly, that he wrote his best exposition of Nicene christology, Discourses Against the Arians, attacking both the Arians and the views of Marcellus of Ancyra . By now a conservative reaction in the East issued in the strongly anti-Arian Lucianic creed promulgated at the Council of Seleucia (359), a step which led to the final victory of Nicene orthodoxy at the Council of Constantinople in 381. Athanasius was restored briefly in 362, only to be quickly exiled by Julian and again by Valens (365). The climate was changing, however, and by 366 Athanasius was secure in his see, where he remained the spokesman for orthodoxy until his death. After him, St. Basil the Great , Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory Nazianzus secured the victory of orthodoxy in the East. Feast: May 2.
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"Saint Athanasius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Saint Athanasius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-AthanasSt.html "Saint Athanasius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-AthanasSt.html |
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Athanasius, St
Athanasius, St (c.296–373), Bp. of Alexandria. He was secretary to Alexander, Bp. of Alexandria, and accompanied him to the Council of Nicaea (325), succeeding him as bishop in 328. He incurred the enmity of the powerful Arianizing party, who secured his exile from Alexandria on a number of occasions between 336 and 366.
In his De Incarnatione he expounds how God the Word (Logos), by His union with mankind, restored to fallen man the image of God, and by His death and resurrection overcame death. Many scholars date this work before c.318; others place it some 15–20 years later. As bishop Athanasius was the greatest and most consistent theological opponent of Arianism. Between 339 and 359 he wrote a series of works in defence of the true Divinity of the Son. From c.361 he worked to reconcile the Semiarian party to the Nicene term ‘homoousios’ (‘of one substance’). He also argued for the Divinity of the Holy Spirit in his Epistles to Serapion. As the friend of Pachomius and Serapion, and closely linked with (perhaps the biographer of) Antony, he aided the ascetic movement in Egypt and was the first to introduce knowledge of monasticism to the West. Feast day, 2 May. |
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-AthanasiusSt.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-AthanasiusSt.html |
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Athanasius, St
Athanasius, St (c.296–373), bishop of Alexandria in the reign of the emperor Constantine and persecuted by him and by his successor Constantius II whose autocratic religious policies Athanasius strongly opposed. He was an uncompromising opponent of Arianism (see Arian heresy). His works include the influential De Incarnatione and a life of St Antony of Egypt. The Athanasian Creed, which begins with the words ‘Quincunque vult’, has been attributed to him.
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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-AthanasiusSt.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-AthanasiusSt.html |
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Athanasius, St
Athanasius, St (c.296–373). Bishop of Alexandria and important church father. He opposed any compromise with Arianism at the council of Nicaea (325), and so was repeatedly deposed and exiled from his see while that party was in the ascendant. He was finally restored in 366. Athanasius's most important work (written before c.318) was On the Incarnation. Athanasius's (probably genuine) Life of Antony stimulated the monastic movement in Egypt and made it known in the West.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-AthanasiusSt.html JOHN BOWKER. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-AthanasiusSt.html |
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Athanasius, St
Athanasius, St (c.296–373), Greek theologian and upholder of Christian orthodoxy against Arianism. He aided the ascetic movement in Egypt and introduced knowledge of monasticism to the West. His feast day is 2 May.
Athanasian Creed a summary of Christian doctrine formerly attributed to St Athanasius, but probably dating from the 5th century. It is included in the Book of Common Prayer for use at morning prayer on certain occasions. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Athanasius, St." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Athanasius, St." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-AthanasiusSt.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Athanasius, St." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-AthanasiusSt.html |
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Athanasius, Saint
Athanasius, Saint (d.373) Early Christian leader. As patriarch of Alexandria he confuted Arianism, and in various writings defended the teaching that the Son and the Holy Spirit were of equal divinity with God the Father and so shared a three-fold being. He is no longer considered the author of the Athanasian Creed, but he did write the Life of St Anthony. His feast day is May 2.
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"Athanasius, Saint." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Athanasius, Saint." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-AthanasiusSaint.html "Athanasius, Saint." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-AthanasiusSaint.html |
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Athanasius, St
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Cite this article
E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-AthanasiusSt1.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Athanasius, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-AthanasiusSt1.html |
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Athanasius, St
Athanasius, St (c.296–373) Greek theologian. As bishop of Alexandria he was a consistent upholder of Christian orthodoxy, especially against Arianism. He aided the ascetic movement in Egypt and introduced knowledge of monasticism to the West.
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Cite this article
"Athanasius, St." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Athanasius, St." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-AthanasiusSt.html "Athanasius, St." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-AthanasiusSt.html |
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