Chapter 3: Athanasius
The Black Monk Who Saved the Faith
The story of Athanasius and his fight against Arius and Arianism (Jesus was not fully God).
Why the Incarnation was Necessary. Jesus had to be God in order to solve three dilemmas:
- Humans had irreparably corrupted the image of God
- Their inner beings had become diseased
- They had incurred a debt they could not repay
Therefore, forgiveness is not enough.
The Incarnation Really Did Happen. A summary of Arius’ arguments that Jesus was not God.Athanasius refused to let philosophy determine the ground rules. He made a distinction between making and begetting. He also pointed out that calling God Father implies that he always had a son. There was discussion about biblical texts as well.
What did Athanasius Teach the Church?
- If we interpret the Bible from our experience, we will get it wrong. Critical doctrine is important.
- He showed us who Jesus is.
- Sometimes it is not OK to compromise when core theology is at stake.