[Book Review] St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation

St. Athanasius the Great. On the Incarnation. Eastern Orthodox Books: n.d.

Author’s Context

Athanasius the Great (c. 299-373 AD), also known as Athanasius of Alexandria, “was the formidable opponent of Arianism in the Roman Empire.”[1] In the broad context of Athanasius’ On the Incarnation (318 AD), he was dealing with the Arian controversy throughout his lifetime.[2] From the debates in the Council of Nicaea 325 AD to his five exiles and becoming a champion of theological orthodoxy. Bishop Arius and his Arianism claim that Jesus Christ was not equal to the divinity of the God the Father. Since the Father alone was truly God, and his first creation was the Son. Thus, Arius claims that Jesus ought not to be like God the Father. His famous lines were, paraphrased, ‘There was a time that Jesus did not exist.’ Hence, the penned work of Athanasius became significant in defending the deity of Christ and the Holy Trinity.

On the Incarnation

Athanasius’ thesis is to defend the divinity of Christ and argue the necessity of his incarnation, which he calls the Word Incarnate. Though Athanasius did not use the term Arianism or name Arius in this work, he still emphasized the necessity of the divine incarnation—the Word became flesh. Athanasius began his reasoning from the creation narrative. It was intentional, and his motive was to ground the necessity of the God-Son incarnate due to the corruption and fallenness of humanity. On the subject of creation, he disagreed with the Ancient philosophies and presented the centrality of the goodness of God to his creation. However, out of humanity’s fallenness, death has become a punishment for their wicked act. If through Adam, death entered, then it is through the Incarnate Word that salvation has come for humanity.

Athanasius’ use of the term ‘Word’ for like the incarnate Word is the same as the Gospel of John’s usage. The divine ‘logos’ Word was preexistent; this Word is God and became flesh (Jn. 1:1, 14). He explained that even when the Word became flesh, the Word was not limited to its physical presence. Athanasius noted, “[The] Word was, so far from being contained by anything, he rather contained all things himself; And just as while present in the whole Creation, he is at once distinct in being from the universe” (26).

There is no excuse for humanity not to know God. He had revealed himself through his creation. And yet, the necessity of God’s revelation in the Word incarnate is salvific. This Word, Incarnate, is the fullness of God’s revelation. However, in Athanasius’ time, many bishops greatly rejected this doctrine. Moreover, the Word as God incarnate alone can recreate, give life again, suffer on behalf of humanity, and be the ambassador with the Father. In simple words, Christ—the Word Incarnate—represents both humanity and God. He can bear the sins of all humanity to die for them and represent God as the justifier. Since the Word is divine and cannot die, it is only necessary to become flesh to die. The only solution is the Word Incarnate. Athanasius said, “The Word, since it was not possible for him to die, as he was immortal, took to himself a body such as could die, that he might offer it as his own in the stead of all, and as suffering, through his union with it” (32).

Later in his work, Athanasius presented proof and answered objections regarding the necessity of the death of Christ on the Cross and his resurrection. These parts were more polemical, though it was similar at the beginning, but the later parts were more rational arguments. Christ, in his sacrificial death, has paid the full price for the sins of humanity. But in his resurrection, he overcame death because the Word is divine—the creator of life.

In the last part, Athanasius presented the supremacy of Christ over the visible and invisible entities in the realm of reality. The factual argument and the role of the Word Incarnate in the Trinity.

Overall, Athanasius was a prolific writer; logical reasoning permeates his work and is full of biblical references as a support to his argument and its foundation. He was engaging with his contemporary theologians and early philosophical thoughts. His work provides a glimpse of what was happening in the time of the Early Church. Any person, layperson, pastor, or seminarian can easily enjoy reading Athanasius’ On the Incarnation.

It is a primer in Christology. Even when Athanasius focused on the Word Incarnate, he related it with the other fields of Christology. Usually, the themes of the Person and the Work of Jesus are separated in a Systematic Theology. But for Athanasius, it was a natural flow in his writing, the interconnection of the person and work of Christ.

Finally, this work reassures the significance of a retrieval of classical theological orthodoxy. Even in the form of polemics, treatises, or essay writing, one can experience holistic edification through the written Word and the living Word. The truths set forth by Athanasius are timeless scriptural truths that, even in contemporary times, we need to hear. I believe that when Athanasius spoke about God, he meant the Father, the Son—fully God and fully human, and the Holy Spirit.

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[1] Michael Haykin, Giving Glory to the Consubstantial Trinity: An Essay on the Quintessence of the Christian Faith (Greenbrier, AR: Free Grace Press, 2018), chap. 3, Kindle.

[2] Athanasius wrote this work before the Council of Nicaea and before becoming a bishop of Alexandria.