c. AD 296 – 373

Athanasius of Alexandria

The central defender of Nicene faith through decades of exile; his Festal Letter of 367 lists the twenty-seven books of the New Testament exactly as received today.

Back to Church Fathers

Audio narration

0%

Narration is generated on your device, so no audio files are downloaded.

Location
Alexandria
Role
Bishop of Alexandria; Doctor of the Church
Major writings
  • On the Incarnation; Orations Against the Arians; Life of Antony; Festal Letter 39
Teachings
  • The full divinity of the Son
  • Salvation as deification through the incarnate Word
Connection to apostolic Christianity
He argued that Nicaea expressed nothing new but the faith the apostles handed on.

Quotations with references

He became what we are that he might make us what he is.

On the Incarnation 54 (paraphrase of the Greek)

Sources and References