Athanasius was a small man of stature and very dark complected. It is believed that Athanasius belonged to a small group of people named the Copts. He spoke Coptic and he was also dark complected as were the Copts. Many sources state that he was called the “black dwarf” by his adversaries. If these accounts are true than that would make Athanasius a member of the lower classes of Egypt. In his young years he would often visit monks in the desert where he received instruction in theological matters. He may have been a student of St. Anthony.
Athanasius was a man of great character who lived out his faith among the people. Because of his discipline many respected him, even his enemies. Within Athanasius burned a lively intelligence and a heart on fire for God, the God who had freely and miraculously entered human history to rescue humanity, becoming what we are to rescue us from what we had become.1 Like the Apostle Paul, it is said of Athanasius that he was not great in speaking, he didn't have a great deal of elegance, nor was he astute in political perspicacity. Although he was not a great orator, he was looked at as the chief enemy to his rival Arius.
During the Council of Nicaea in 325, Athanasius was the secretary for Alexander of Alexandria. Three years following the Council, Alexander was sick and it would be the year 328 when he would die. It is said that, shortly before he died, Alexander asked for his younger friend, probably in order to indicate that he wished him to be the next bishop of Alexandria.2 Meanwhile, Athanasius had fled into desert hiding not wanting to be made bishop of Alexandria. Finally, after Alexander had been dead for several weeks, Athanasius was made bishop over Alexandria. It is noted that he...
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...ut like the Apostle Paul he had endurance and tenacity. In this students experience, I have lost all family because of my beliefs. But, what has been gained by far outweighs the loss. Jesus told His disciples to let the dead bury their dead and come and follow Him. That is the course this student has chosen to take. Like Athanasius, this student has now taken the course of defending my God to the people bound by deceit.
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...ommitted to his Lord. When his ideas and inventions were perceived as unrealistic, he persevered. When faced with the untimely parting of two sons, he endured. When involved in a devastating car wreck, losing two close friends instantly, his wife lying unconscious, R.G., broken and shattered, remained devoted to his Lord. Like Jesus, His Apostles, and other prominent figures discussed in the Bible, I have never experienced such tremendous respect and appreciation for someone I never met. I easily relate to this humble man who said, “If the Lord doesn’t think you are worthy of having it, He’ll find ways of taking it away” (LeTourneau, 1967, p. 168). Amen Brother LeTourneau, Amen. I have found my earthly Christian role model; I pray you find yours.
contrast the God of Epictetus, and the God of Augustine, and in the end, my stand will
In chapter two, ‘Francis and His Companions,’ Cunningham exposes the considerable growth in Francis of Assisi’s influence, as he recounts his companions that joined him after deciding to live his life. The chapter is significant because it exposes how Francis of Assisi’s gospel is different from the orthodox Catholic practices, which recognized the pope, as the sole Vicar of Christ. (Cunningham 32). This chapter is important in my life because it reinforces my conviction God is the almighty and all-powerful, and all people regardless of the status of the needed to worship
A biography on Saint Augustine is not our primary concern on this writing but, since he was the most important Christian theoretician in the late Roman Empire in the elaboration as stated Marvin Perry in his book, Western Civilization: “A Brief History” (117). It is relevant to stress out that his explanation of the origin of the unity of the human race has evoked the most pertinent questions. Augustine of Hippo or Saint Augustine was born on November 13th, 354 in Tagaste, Algeria then died on August 28th, 430 in Hippo Regius. Saint Augustine, bishop of Hippo in North Africa and author of The City of God, was an early Christian theologian and philosopher who developed the view of life and of the individual about the Christianity.
Burns, Thomas J. Canonical Texts: Selections from Religious Wisdom Traditions. San Diego, CA: Cognella/U Readers, 2012. Print.
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Constantine the Great, first Christian Emperor, originator of Constantinople, creator of the Byzantine Empire, military conqueror, and honored saint, has been labeled by many the most instrumental emperor of the Roman Empire. Constantine played a crucial role in the development of Europe during the Middle Ages, and founded Christianity as the formal religion of the Roman Empire. His dynamic yet effective predominance laid the infrastructure of European development. From his humble beginnings, to his command of the Roman Empire, to his final days, Constantine’s impact on world history and Christianity has left behind an unforgettable legacy. He was described by Eusebius as “such an emperor as all history records not.” Ware compared him to, “a watershed in the history of the Church.” Additionally, Meyendorff states, “No single human being in history has contributed to the conversion of so many to the Christian faith.” Norwich declared that “No ruler in all of history has ever more fully merited his title of ‘the Great’…Constantine has serious claim to be considered the most influential man in all of history.” Some of Constantine’s notable acts in the history of Christianity was his calling of the first Ecumenical Council at Nicaea, his institution of freedom for Christianity with the Edict of Milan, and the relocation of the capital of empire from Rome to Constantinople.
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Harrison, Everett F. Interpreting Acts the Expanding Church. Grand Rapids: Academic Books, 1997. 151-52. Print.
Maddix, M. A., & Thompson, R. P. (2012). Scripture as formation: the role of Scripture in Christian Formation. Christian Education Journal, S79-S93.
Wenham, G.J., Moyter, J.A., Carson, D.A. and France, R.T., eds. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1998.