On Christology and the Centrality of Christ

St. Athanasius of Alexandria is one of the lesser-known fathers of Early Christian history. He was an Egyptian bishop of Alexandria, a respected theologian, and a prime defender against the corruption of biblical Christology and Trinitarianism in the 4th century.

One of the biggest threats to orthodox Christianity as we know today was a widespread belief called "Arianism." In the year 325 AD, emperor Constantine initiated the Council of Nicea, the first ecumenical council that welcomed hundred of Christians and respected bishops to discuss boundaries of Christian theological understanding. Athanasius was 27 years old at the time, but took a leading role in refuting the heretical views.

Arianism held that the Son of God was subordinate to the Father. They believed that Jesus was a creation of God and that the Logos had not always existed. This belief went contrary to the nature of the Trinity. Arianism insisted that the Father and the Son were distinct and that, although Jesus was of higher value than humans, He was also just a creation. This doctrine became a widespread belief and posed a great threat to orthodox teachings.

To some people, the Arianian controversy was not a big deal. Most of the lay people considered it a small theological detail that was not very relevant to the big picture of Christianity. However, Athanasius believed that even a slight misunderstanding of proper Christology would mean that the very core of the Christian message was at stake. The presence of God in history was everything for a Christian to understand entirely. Athanasius wrote several works related to the issue of Christology, one of them being 'On the Incarnation of the Word'. This work clearly reveals his conviction on the divine nature of Jesus. While other famous theologians like Clement and Origen only speculated about the Logos and His relationship to God, Athanasius had undivided conviction that the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ was the central fact of the Christian faith. He believed that the presence of God in humanity was the very heart of Christianity.

In one of his works, Athanasius gives an example of what the incarnation of God means for humanity. He compared it to an emperor moving into a city. If the emperor, who is the ultimate ruler of all the land, comes to a house in one city, then that house as well as the city is well protected. The city will be honored and they will be safe from robbers and other dangerous things.

Similarly, Athanasius describes how the Ruler of the world has come to dwell among lowly humans. Thanks to the presence of our holy God, we are protected from the evil one. Athanasius believed that by virtue of Jesus' divine presence, we can be with God and God with us, just as we should have been from the beginning.

"He became what we are, so that He might make us what He is," he wrote in his book, 'On The Incarnation of The Word'.

Arianism believed that Jesus was not truly God, but Athanasius upheld the opposite. He knew that this distinction was unacceptable to ignore. Athanasius is known today as the Father of Orthodoxy because he upheld "the tradition, teaching, and faith proclaimed by the apostles and guarded by the fathers," as he states in one of his works.

Athanasius went on to suffer during the reign of Constantine as many attacked him for his strict faith and opposition to Arianism. However, he lived during a controversial time in history and showed an honorable example of standing firmly on the Word.