The Festal Epistles of Saint Athanasius
The Festal Epistles of Saint Athanasius

Author: Saint Athanasius of Alexandria

Publisher: Aeterna Press

Published:

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13:

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THE Festal Epistles of S. Athanasius, as far as they are extant, are now, for the first time, presented to the English reader. In undertaking to superintend the publication of them, the Editor was, to some extent, aware of the difficulty of the task. In carrying it out, he has not hesitated to make numerous and important alterations in the translation as put into his hands, and not a few passages have been entirely re-modelled by him. He must, therefore, be held responsible for the errors contained in the following pages. Aeterna Press

The Festal Letters of Athanasius of Alexandria, with the Festal Index and the Historia Acephala
The Festal Letters of Athanasius of Alexandria, with the Festal Index and the Historia Acephala

Author: David Brakke

Publisher:

Published: 2022-11-15

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781802076820

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Athanasius of Alexandria (bishop 328-373) is one of the great personalities of late-antique Christianity, and he is well-known to theologians and historians alike as a champion of orthodoxy against the 'Arian' heresy and a proponent of the ascetic life. His Festal Letters, written annually to announce the date of Easter, offer unique insight into another side of this towering figure--his work as a pastor and leader of the Egyptian Church. These letters have often been neglected, because they survive fragmentarily in Syriac and Coptic translations and nearly all the original Greek text has been lost. Yet his Easter messages provide a priceless glimpse into Athanasius' thought and how a leading fourth-century bishop confronted the pastoral challenges of a rapidly changing world. This book presents the first complete English translation of all the known fragments of the Festal Letters. Introductions and annotations give the essential historical and literary background to the texts and how they illuminate Athanasius' teachings and practice. The letters are supplemented by fresh translations of the Syriac Festal Index and the incomplete Historia acephala preserved in Latin, which furnish crucial evidence for the chronology of Athanasius' career. Taken together, these works afford a more comprehensive picture of Athanasius as both bishop and pastor.