This week in Christian history: St. Athanasius exiled; Cotton Mather dies
Athanasius of Alexandria exiled – Feb. 8, 356
This week marks the anniversary of when Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, an early church leader known for his opposition to various heresies, was exiled once again over his beliefs.
A bishop and native of Egypt, Athanasius spent much of adult life defending orthodox Christianity against Arianism, an early church heresy that claimed that Jesus Christ and God were not coeternal, which contradicts Christian teaching that states that the Father and Son of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal.
Athanasius’ opposition to the heresy put him at odds with religious and political figures, leading to his exile on multiple occasions, including on Feb. 8.
On this third occasion, Athanasius was celebrating mass at a church in Alexandria when soldiers broke into the sanctuary, with a group of monks having to effectively rescue him from their hands.
Notable Bible teacher John Piper wrote that this “third exile proved to be the most fruitful,” as Athanasius “produced his most significant written works” during his six-year absence.
“It is one of the typical ironies of God’s providence that the triumph over Arianism would happen largely through the ministry of a fugitive living and writing within inches of his death,” wrote Piper in 2018.
“Athanasius stared down murderous intruders into his church. He stood before emperors who could have killed him as easily as exiling him. He risked the wrath of parents and other clergy by consciously training young people to give their all for Christ, including martyrdom.”
