Athanasius
BIOGRAPHY
Athanasius I of Alexandria (c. 296-298 – May 2, 373), also known as Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or Athanasius the Apostolic among Coptic Christians, was an influential Christian theologian who served as the 20th pope of Alexandria. His remarkable 45-year episcopacy was frequently interrupted, with over 17 years spent in exile during five separate banishments ordered by four different Roman emperors. Recognized as a Church Father, Athanasius became the principal defender of Trinitarianism against Arianism and a preeminent Egyptian Christian leader of the fourth century.
Athanasius' life was defined by his theological conflicts with Arius and the Arian movement, as well as his complicated relationships with successive Roman emperors. At just 27 years old, he emerged as a leading voice against Arianism while serving as a deacon and assistant to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria during the First Council of Nicaea in 325. This council, convened by Emperor Constantine the Great, addressed the controversial Arian position that Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, possessed a nature distinct from God the Father. Three years after the council, Athanasius succeeded his mentor as Patriarch of Alexandria. Throughout his career, he faced opposition not only from powerful Arian church leaders under Eusebius of Nicomedia but also from Emperors Constantine, Constantius II, Julian the Apostate, and Valens. His steadfast defense of orthodox Christianity against overwhelming opposition earned him the title "Athanasius Contra Mundum" ("Athanasius Against the World").
Despite these challenges, Athanasius' theological legacy proved enduring. Shortly after his death, Gregory of Nazianzus honored him as the "Pillar of the Church." Later Church fathers, both Eastern and Western, admired his devotion to the incarnate Word, pastoral sensitivity, and support for monasticism. The Catholic Church counts him among the four great Eastern Doctors of the Church. Some scholars credit Athanasius' Easter letter of 367 as the first definitive listing of all 27 books of the New Testament canon used today, though others attribute this achievement to Origen of Alexandria (with some textual uncertainty regarding the Book of Revelation). Athanasius enjoys veneration as a saint across numerous Christian traditions, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Coptic Orthodoxy, Ethiopian Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism.