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Athanasius of Alexandria – See Wikipedia which is the source of the extracts below.
- Conflict with the Eusebians,[5] as well as with successive Roman emperors, shaped Athanasius’s career. In 325, at age 27, Athanasius began his leading role against the Arians as a deacon and assistant to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria.
- In about 319, when Athanasius was a deacon, a presbyter named Arius came into a direct conflict with Alexander of Alexandria. It appears that Arius reproached Alexander for what he felt were misguided or heretical teachings being taught by the bishop.[26] At the time, subordinationism was orthodox[27][28] and Arius embraced a subordinationist Christology. Even Athanasius taught a form of subordination.[29] But Arius taught that Christ, the divine Son (Logos) of God, was made out of nothing, not begotten, which the Eusebians also opposed.[30]
- Athanasius was a Church Father,[3] the chief proponent of Nicene theology against the anti-Nicenes,[4] and a noted Egyptian Christian leader of the fourth century.
- Athanasius’ episcopate began on 9 May 328 as the Alexandrian Council elected Athanasius to succeed after the death of Alexander.[23]: 245 Patriarch Athanasius spent over 17 years in five exiles ordered by four different Roman Emperors, not counting approximately six more incidents in which Athanasius fled Alexandria to escape people seeking to take his life.[22]
- In 362 Athanasius convened a council at Alexandria and presided over it with Eusebius of Vercelli. Athanasius appealed for unity among all those who had faith in Christianity, even if they differed on matters of terminology. This prepared the groundwork for his definition of the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. However, the council also was directed against those who denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit, the human soul of Christ, and Christ’s divinity.
