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		An Introduction to St Athanasius This course is the third in a series of short courses aiming to introduce some of the major figures from Early Church history to a wider audience, especially to those with no previous background in the subject. Athanasius (c.295-373 AD), the "fiery bishop of Alexandria" is best known for the vital role he played in the aftermath of the landmark Church council at Nicaea in 325 AD. Over the best part of 45 years, he was a forceful and successful advocate of the creedal formula hammered out at Nicaea (which affirmed the full divinity of Christ) in the face of strong "Arian" opposition. In the process of his campaign, Athanasius travelled widely, was exiled 5 times for his trouble, challenged emperors face to face, and lived in hiding alongside monks. During his career, he also found time to compose an inspirational treatise on the event of the Incarnation, which has been seen as a classic text ever since.
However, according to some scholars, Athanasius is not completely guileless, but may have exerted a little too much force in his dealings with some of those who disagreed with his views… Course Outline This course will provide an overview of Athanasius’ life and work, especially his involvement in the evolution of the doctrine of the Trinity which took shape in the 4th century. The course will be divided into three sessions with breaks for lunch and refreshments. Each session will consist of a period of teaching, with time for questions. However, rather than merely learning about Athanasius, each session will also provide an opportunity for us to engage with some of his ideas on a more personal level. A number of selected passages from his works (along with suitable handouts) will be suggested as potential "catalysts" for your own spiritual journey and time and space will be given for you to chew over these extracts. Please note: Tea & coffee (and nice biscuits) will be provided during the breaks, but you will need to make your own arrangements for lunch. Who is the course aimed at? Anyone who’s read this far and is still interested! Do I need to know any history/theology? Absolutely not! The course assumes a complete lack of previous knowledge, experience or study. Although naturally this wouldn’t do any harm. However, clergy, lay readers or others with some knowledge will still find much of interest. Speaker Russell Jefford has been fascinated with the Early Church period for a number of years - an interest which led to him recently taking an MA in Patristics (Early Church history) at King’s College London. He sees much in the writings of the Early Church Fathers (especially the Eastern Fathers) which is inspirational and of relevance to contemporary Christianity. This course is one of a series attempting to spread that inspiration further afield.

This course is currently scheduled for the following dates/locations:
None! Sorry, this course is not in the calendar for the immediate future. If you'd like to lobby for it to be repeated, please use the Get in Touch form.

Suggestions for further reading
See the Reading Room section of the website for:

• Inspirational extracts from some of St Athanasius' works
• Books about St Athanasius
• Books containing his work in English translation

© Russell Jefford @ EarlyChurch.co.uk 2003-2010