San Atanasio

ST. ATHANASIUS

Biographical Sketch of Athanasius
St. Athanasius (ca. 297 - 373) Patriarch of Alexandria. There is not information about his family, boyhood or youth or his or early education. There is a tale of Rufinus the bishop of Sarsina about Athanasius but its certainty is not verifiable.
The bishop Alexander, so the tale runs, had invited a number of fellow prelates to meet himat breakfast after a great religious function. While Alexander was waiting for his guests to arrive, he stood by a window, watching a group of boys at play on the seashore below the house. He had not observed them long before he discovered that they were imitating the elaborate ritual of Christian baptism. He sent for the children and, in the investigation that followed, it was discovered that oneof the boys (none other than Athanasius), had acted the part of the bishop, and in that character had actually baptized several of his companions in the course of their play. Alexander determined to recognize the make-believe baptisms as genuine, and decided that Athanasius and his playfellows should go into training in order to prepare themselves for a clerical career.[1]

According toJusto Gonzales Athanasius belonged to an ethnic group called Copt because he was of dark complexion like the Copts and spoke the Coptic language. [2]

In Athanasius life are some historical events that shaped his life. The first was his relationship with the monks of the desert. From the monks he learned rigid spiritual disciplines as he wrote in his Life of Saint Anthony. The second historicalevent was his relationship with Alexander, the Bishop of Alexandria. Although, Athanasius, apparently, did not want to be bishop, Alexander on his deathbed convinced him to accept the office. Another event that shaped his career was the Arian controversy. Arianism insisted on differentiating Jesus from the Father saying that they were different, that the Father was superior to Jesus. The NiceneCounsel agreed that Jesus (as the Son) was of the same substance as of the Father. However many did not want to support this idea and decided to say that the Father and Jesus were of “similar substance” but the not the same. Athanasius fiercely defended his belief that Jesus is equal to the Father. Arius’ defenders attacked Athanasius and several times they manage to make Rome to punish him bymaking false accusations.

Although his most notable teacher was Bishop Alexander, in his career as theologian, he was, no doubt, a student in the "Didascaleion," or famous "catechetical school" of Alexandria, which had as teachers the famous Clement and Origen. Alexander, the Catechetical School and his intimacy with the great hermit Antony helped to shape his character, and gave him thetheological perspective to see the problem of the world that was moving away from God. Cherry states, “Athanasius analyzes the human problem as a loss of dignity and self-respect caused by wandering away from God.”

Primary Theological Writings

Athanasius primary writings are the Life of Saint Anthony. In this work Athanasius presented the biography and spiritual battles and virtues of thefamous monk called Anthony on the IV century.
Another Athanasius writing is called Contra Gente or Against the Gentiles This treatise follows the form of a sermon. The first part explains the human problem, the second part shows how it is possible to fight the problem and the last part is a call or an invitation to change our minds and actions. Cherri says that “Contra Gente confronts thereaders with the debauchery and immorality characteristic of paganism in order to squelch any lingering desires readers might have for it” (89)
In another work, De Incarnatione Verbi Dei, Athanasius explains the doctrine of the Son of God's incarnation. Even before the Arian controversy, Athanasius provided a formidable explanations and insights of God's plan for his human creation. This is...