- historical account of Athanasius and his fight against heresies
- themes include: faithfulness, discipline in studying God’s Word, enduring persecution for Christ, perseverance, and courage
- mentions: licentiousness, homosexuality, incest, false gods, slaves, wine, a suicide, murders (inc. children), sorcery, torture
- convo: significant moments of persecution described (see below)
Type: non-fiction chapter book
Ages: 11+
Author: Henry W. Coray
The cultural context in which Athanasius lived was riddled with sinful corruption. It’s truly amazing that he wasn’t drawn into it but, rather, remained diligent in both his studies and his faithful teaching to fellow Christians.
He is most widely known for his resistance of Arianism, a heretical teaching named after Arius, a false teacher who promoted unbiblical views on the deity of Christ. If Arianism is a new term for you OR if you’re wondering if it is still being taught today, this short article and its references to Scripture can get you started down a track of study.
Athanasius courageously defended God’s Word on a number of historical occasions, which this book briefly covers. The Nicene Creed was created during this time, and he had a big part in its formation.
There are a few meaty theological sections that might be difficult for younger readers to grasp, but it’s refreshingly biblical and worth an attempt at understanding. This plus some unusual vocabulary already calls for a minimum age of 11, but then there’s this:
The persecution of Christians is easily the most difficult element to this book. Besides material damage, such as burning homes and churches, there is bodily harm to mention. Most occurrences are brief, but here are the main ones: starvation, scourging, whipping, beatings, rape, and the general term of “torture” used multiple times.
Overall, I do encourage you to read it, if ages are ready, but know that it is written quite drily. It takes a while to find the rhythm of the writing style. That said, Athanasius’s story is important to know and remember. I appreciated learning new details of it and finished it with renewed inspiration to faithfully study the Bible for as long as I live.
Have you read about this point in history before? Or even this precise book? I’d love to hear about it!