Athanasius of Alexandria, who spent most of his life in exile to preserve the doctrine of the Incarnation.
Synopsis
The Constantinian era saw the church assemble to hammer out careful answers to fundamental questions. The first controversy had to do with whether Christ was only the Son of God or God the Son as welll? When Constantine sided with the Arians, who taught that Jesus was not God, it looked like the end of the story and probably would have been had it not been for Athanasius.
Key Quotes
- “Those who maintain that ‘There was a time when the Son was not’ rob God of his Word, like plunderers.” (Athanasius)
- “Jesus is 'God of God, light of light, true God of true God...begotten, not made.'” (Nicene Creed)
- “The story goes that when a group of soldiers caught up to Athanasius, they yelled over to his boat, 'Has anyone seen Athanasius?' 'Yes,' Athanasius replied truthfully. 'He is just ahead of you, and if you hurry you shall overtake him.' The soldiers, not knowing what their suspect looked like, followed his advice and sailed on by.”
- How would you respond to those who would claim that the Nicene Creed is "imperial theology," foisted upon the church by Constantine?
- Is the epithet "Athanasius against the world" completely accurate? How was Athanasius able to sustain his resistance for 50 years?
- Evangelicals often emphasize Jesus' death and resurrection. How does the Arian controversy teach us to value his life?
- C.S. Lewis' introduction to "On the Incarnation" by Athanasius
https://www.bhmc.org.uk/uploads/9/1/7/7/91773502/lewis-incarnation-intro.pdf
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