Athanasius of Alexandria stands as a pillar of the Christian faith—a hero of Christianity during a time of widespread heresy and political fear. From a time even before Arianism spread until the end of his days, Athanasius fought tooth-and-nail to preserve the teachings of the Trinity and the Incarnation. As Arianism grew, he found himself among a minority of those defending these doctrines, causing him to be publicly anathematized in his own hometown and exiled on six separate occasions.
Athanasius’ involvement at the Council of Nicaea and his writings on the Trinity—particularly on the nature of Christ—eventually won the day. In the light of Athanasius’ arguments and historical references, “the world was thunderstruck with astonishment at suddenly finding itself Arian,” Jerome explained. This collection provides scholarly translations of his writings, biographies of his life and his trials, and dissertations on the historical difficulties of the subject.