Athanasius (b. ca. 296-298 – d. 2 May 373)

[Garland-Green]

Defender of Orthodoxy

Athanasius of Alexandria (Greek: Ἀθανάσιος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Athanásios Alexandrías) (b. ca. 296-298 – d. 2 May 373)

Also referred to as St. Athanasius the Great, St. Athanasius I of Alexandria, St Athanasius the Confessor and (primarily in the Coptic Orthodox Church) St Athanasius the Apostolic, was the 20th bishop of Alexandria. His episcopate lasted 45 years (c. 8 June 328 – 2 May 373), of which over 17 were spent in five exiles ordered by four different Roman emperors. He is considered to be a renowned Christian theologian, a Church Father, the chief defender of Trinitarianism against Arianism, and a noted Egyptian leader of the fourth century.

He is remembered for his role in the conflict with Arius and Arianism. In 325, at the age of 27, Athanasius had a leading role against the Arians in the First Council of Nicaea. At the time, he was a deacon and personal secretary of the 19th Bishop of Alexandria, Alexander. Nicaea was convoked by Constantine I in May–August 325 to address the Arian position that Jesus of Nazareth is of a distinct substance from the Father.[1]

Few churchmen have been so entirely embroiled in doctrinal and ecclesiastical disputes as Athanasius.

A MODERN BIOGRAPHER of Athanasius of Alexandria speaks of “the predominantly polemical nature of most of his dogmatic works” and “the lack of serenity in his argumentation.” Understandably so! In all of Christian history, it is safe to say, few churchmen have been so entirely embroiled in doctrinal and ecclesiastical disputes as Athanasius. In one comparison with him, one ventures that even so controversial a figure as Martin Luther lived out a relatively quiet and uneventful life.

Born into a Christian Family in Alexandria in 295, Athanasius was an infant during the persecution of Diocletian and barely more than a boy when the Edict of Milan legalized the church in 313. He was ordained a deacon five years later at age 23. The most indubitable claim we can make for Athanasius is that his entire life was absorbed in the service of the church.

The event that most marked the destiny of this ardent churchman was, of course, the council of Nicaea in 325. Although there is perhaps no other name more closely identified with Nicaea than Athanasius, this close identification had more to do with the aftermath of the council than with the event itself. Three facts conspired to make this so.

First, the fathers at Nicaea had formalized in the church a ranking patriarchal structure, according to which the bishops of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch would exercise general oversight of the other churches in their respective regions. Thus, when Athanasius was made Bishop of Alexandria in 328, just three years after Nicaea, he suddenly found himself in one of the most influential and prestigious positions in the whole church.

Second, Nicaea had also determined that the church at Alexandria, because of the superior records and resources of astronomy available in that city, would be charged with establishing the proper date of Easter each year, and so informing the rest of the church by an annual notice. This arrangement afforded Athanasius an official opportunity to send an annual letter to all of the other major ecclesiastical centers, and until his death in 373 he used these “Paschal Letters” as opportunities to teach and admonish Christians far beyond the borders of Alexandria. Because many successors of Athanasius followed his example in this respect, the bishopric of Alexandria became one of the most influential teaching authorities in the whole church, second only to Rome.

Third, because Nicaea had implicitly granted the Roman emperors an authority over the affairs of the church that they had never done before, the next several decades (even centuries) would see many instances of direct imperial interference with the church’s teaching ministry itself, including the office of bishop. As various emperors exercised this interference, Athanasius was forced into exile from Alexandria no fewer than five times.

Athanasius spent these extended periods of banishment chiefly doing two things. First, he traveled extensively to far-off places, where he conferred with churchmen regarding the Arian heresy and other ecclesiastical matters, including imperial interference. These consultations greatly extended the reputation of Athanasius as a universal Christian teacher. Second, these periods of exile afforded him ample time to write the lengthy theological treatises that caused him to be ranked, even today, among the greatest exponents of Christian doctrine. CH

Source:
https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/athanasius-pugnacious-defender-of-orthodoxy/  

[Garland-Green]

The Five Exiles

Athanasius would be sentenced to five exiles in the days after Nicaea. In spite of the success of Nicaea, the Arians would soon sway the imperial throne toward their cause. And with Athanasius being such a formidable foe and the leader of the Trinitarian cause --- not to mention that he is never one to back down from a fight for truth --- would often be the recipient of the Arian imperial wrath.

The First Exile

Athanasius’ refusal to attend these negotiations coupled with the rumors circulating about him did not earn him much favor with Emperor Constantine. Eusebius of Nicodemia (the Arian supporter), who was exiled by the Emperor due to his part in the Arian controversy, had been recalled from exile. He garnered great favor with Constantine, even to the point of convincing the emperor to recall Arius from exile as well.

Eusebius’ influence increased to such an extent that Constantine wrote a letter to young Athanasius in the year 330 saying that the Arian view presented by Eusebius of Nicodemia had been distorted and was persuaded that those willing to submit to the Nicaean definitions should be readmitted into the Church. Athanasius refused this saying that no fellowship could exist between the Church and “the one who denied the divinity of Christ.”

Eusebius, using his garnered favor with the Emperor, trumped up charges to Constantine about how Athanasius was bragging about his ability to stop shipments of food from Egypt to Rome. These and other charges were refuted by a trial. Yet, when he was summoned to appear before a synod of prelates at Tyre in 355, it was clear that “the complexion of the ruling party in the synod made it evident that justice to the accused was the last thing that was thought of.” Athanasius refused to be tried there.

Athanasius knew he had to obtain an audience with the Emperor, but Eusebius was blocking every opportunity. He resorted to drastic measures. After Constantine was returning from a hunt, Athanasius jumped in front of the Emperor as he was riding his horse, grabbed the horse’s bridle and kept it until he could speak his peace. Yet from the time of Constantine’s granting of an audience to Athanasius’ arrival before him, Eusebius stirred up his faction and resubmitted the charges to Constantine during Athanasius’ appearance before him. Constantine ruled in favor of Eusebius and sent Athanasius into exile at Trier. He stayed in exile for two and a half years.

The Second Exile

Soon after Athanasius was sent to Trier, Arius had died (336) and Constantine died the following year (337). His sons, Constantine II, Constans, and Constanius jointly took the throne and immediately decided that all exiled bishops could return to their places of service. Athanasius’ church were still devoted to him, but upon his return an Arian faction had taken root in Alexandria and claim that due to Athanasius’ prolonged absence that he was no longer a legitimate bishop. After gaining support from the authorities in Alexandria, Gregory (the Arian leader of that contingent with the backing on Constantine II) tried to take over Athanasius’ church. When Athanasius refused, a skirmish broke out with such violent that he felt it best to leave the city and go to Rome.

While in Rome, Athanasius presented the Nicene position to Julius, the Bishop of Rome, and garnered the favor of the Roman clergy. Soon, he was declared by a synod in Rome to be the legitimate bishop of Alexandria and that Gregory must go. Yet, since Constantine II was still alive, Athanasius could not return as yet, but as Gonzalez points out, “it did signal the support of the Western church for the Nicene cause, and for Athanasius in particular.”

When Constantine II died, Constans became the sole emperor of the West while Constantius (an avowed Arian) was emperor in the East.. After two years in Rome, Constans summoned Athanasius to Milan. Soon, Constants convinced Constantius to allow Athanasius to come back to his see in Alexandria. When this was granted and Athanasius returned to Alexandria, he was welcomed back as a hero. He was in relative safety for the next ten years.

The Third Exile

Eastern Emperor Constantius (pro-Arian) endured Athanasius’ presence in Alexandria for the sake of his brother in the West, Emperor Constans, and due to tumultuous circumstances along the border of Persia. In A.D. 352, Julius (the Bishop of Rome) died and was replaced by Liberius, who was favorable to Athanasius for a time. Yet, when he faced exile, he was forced to sign “an ambiguous formula, from which the great Nicene test, the homoousion, had be studiously omitted.”

To make matters worse, in A.D. 353, Constantius became the ruler of the entire Empire and he now had free reign to put his pro-Arian policies into play. He convened a synod to denounce Athanasius. When told that it was the church’s policy that someone could not be condemned without a formal hearing, Constantius responded, “My will also is a canon of the church.” Scared, many bishops signed the condemnation of Athanasius. Those who refused were banished from the church.

Constantius sent a letter to Athanasius granting him an audience. He answered politely that there must have been an error, for he did not request one. The Emperor then ordered troops to be sent to Alexandria and then the governor of Alexandria, upon seeing the troops, ordered Athanasius to leave the city. The wise bishop then showed an order from the Emperor himself granting permission for Athanasius to be in Alexandria, knowing that the Emperor would not contradict himself. It was during communion that Athanasius’ church was stormed by imperial soldiers and thus removed Athanasius from his see. This begins his third exile.

For the next six years, Athanasius dwelt with his friends who always gave him safe harbor when necessary: the desert monks. Whenever an imperial officer approached one of the monastic communities, they would safely and secretly transport him to another community. During these years, he wrote Apology to Constantius, Apology for his Flight, Letter to the Monks, and the History of the Arians.

During these years as well, the Nicean contingent suffered great obstacles and opposition. As previously mentioned, the imperial throne was in favor of Arius, plus several councils met and endorsed (by force) Arianism; even the elderly Bishop Liberius of Rome were encouraged (by force) to sign Arian confessions of faith. Arians even convened at the city of Sirmium and decidedly rejected Nicaea’s decisions. This was known as the “Blasphemy of Sirmium.”

Soon, news came that Emperor Constantius died. This was in A.D. 361. He was succeeded by Julius who was known for trying to restore paganism to its former glory. He hoped that the Arians and the Niceans would cancel each other out with their battles, so Julian allowed all the exiled bishops to return to their sees, thus ending Athanasius’ third exile where he returned on February 22, 362.

The Fourth Exile

Athanasius took this opportunity to shore up the decisions and conclusions made at Nicaea. The issue of Christ being of “the same substance” (homoousios) or of “a similar substance” (homoiousios) still plagued the church. Gonzalez states that at an earlier time considered those who advocated the homoiousios position “were as heretical as the Arians … was now ready to see the legitimate concern of those Christians who, while refusing Arianism, were not ready to give up the distinction between the Father and the Son.” Gonzalez continues:

In a synod gathered in Alexandria in AD 362, Athanasius and his followers declared that it was acceptable to refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as “one substance” as long as this was not understood as obliterating the distinction among the three, and that it was also legitimate to speak of “three substances” as long as this was not understood as if there were three gods.

The church supported it and ratified it at the Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381.

Athanasius’ power was threatening to Julian and sought to remove Athanasius once again from his See. When the people of Alexandria protested, Athanasius encouraged them to submit to the order, saying that “his absence would be of short duration." Unexpectedly, Julian left the imperial throne in 363, being replaced by Emperor Jovian who reinstated Athanasius. With his fourth exile concluded, Athanasius thought that the stormy waters would be calm.

The Fifth Exile

Just over a year after Jovian took the throne, he died. Valens, a staunch Arian, took the throne and, once more, Athanasius went into exile. Unlike Constantius and Julian, Valens did not debate with the feared Athanasius. Valens banished the same bishops deposed by Constantius. Yet, within a few weeks, Valens permitted Athanasius to return to his see, where he spent the last nine years of his life in relative peace from the imperial throne.

Conclusion

As mentioned previously, Athanasius’ doctrine drawn up at the synod of Alexandria in 362 was ratified at the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381. Athanasius, who died in 373, never saw the final victory of his lifelong cause. Yet, the church (especially the Western church) will always be indebted to the good fight he fought in protecting the Christological view of Scripture.

It is this writer’s contention that the cause of Athanasius must still be taken up in the 21st century. Certain cults (the Watchtower Society, for one) hold to an Arian view of Christ being a lesser being than the Father. Orthodox Christians of our time must be as much a student of the Scriptures as Athanasius was. He did not bow to philosophies nor compromise to Emperors. He did not quit when in exile nor did he become complacent when at his church in Alexandria. He was a driven, determined theologian who was short in stature but a giant among the Eastern Fathers.

Source:
http://www.quodlibet.net/articles/perry-athanasius.shtml