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[[Image:Athanasius.jpg|right|frame|St. Athanasius]]
Our father among the saints '''Athanasius of Alexandria''' (also spelled "Athanasios") was a bishop of Alexandria and major theological writer in the fourth century. He is also called '''Athanasius the Great''' and (by the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic church]]) '''St. Athanasius the Apostolic'''. He was born in 298 and died on [[May 2]], 373. His [[feast day]] in the [[Orthodox Church]] is [[January 18]].
== Life ==
He was born to pagan parents. When he was in school he saw a group of Christians acting out services and when he asked to join them, they refused. From then on he declared himself Christian. The Patriarch patriarch at that time, Pope [[Alexanderof Alexandria|Alexander]], predicted that he would eventually hold a great position.
Before reaching the age of 20, Athanasius wrote a treatise entitled ''On the Incarnation'', affirming and explaining that [[Jesus Christ]] was both God and Man. In about 319, when Athanasius was a [[deacon]], a [[presbyter]] named [[Arius]] began teaching that there was a time before God the Father begat Jesus when the latter did not exist. Athanasius responded that the Father's begetting of the Son, or uttering of the Word, was an eternal relationship between them, not an event that took place within time. Thus began catholic Christianity's fight against the [[heresy]] of [[Arianism]].
