10. St. Athanasius: The Life of St. Antony (Ancient Christian Writers)

by Athanasius

Other authorsRobert T. Meyer (Translator)

Hardcover, 1978

Status

Available

Publication

Paulist Press (1978), 166 pages

Description

2013 Reprint of 1950 edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The present volume contains the most important document of early monasticism, "The Life of St. Antony", whose author is no less a man than the great St. Athanasius himself. Antony, generally considered the father of Christian monasticism, was born circa 250 a.d. to well-to-do parents in Middle Egypt. Athanasius is counted as one of the four Great Doctors of the Church in the Roman Catholic Church as well as one of the Great Doctors of the Church in Eastern Orthodoxy, where he is also labeled the "Father of Orthodoxy". He is also celebrated by many Protestants, who label him "Father of The Canon". Athanasius is venerated as a Christian saint, whose feast day is 2 May in Western Christianity, 15 May in the Coptic Orthodox Church, and 18 January in the other Eastern Orthodox Churches. He is venerated by the Roman Catholic Church, Oriental and Eastern Orthodox churches, the Lutherans, and the Anglican Communion.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member MaowangVater

Antony, as Bishop Athanasius presents him, spends a good bit of time wrestling with demons. Much of the Life is a portrayal of Christianity as a battle with demonic forces. Antony deliberately shuts himself up in a cave for some of these knock down matches with earth-shaking, screaming demons.

Instead of a cage match, it’s a cave match. Antony’s sure of his victory, because he knows that the demons only have the power over him that God permits, and he’s in shape. By his ascetic disciplines of fasting, short sleep periods on the hard ground, manual labor, ceaseless prayer, memorizing scripture, and sharing his bread with the poor he’s ready for them, whether they come in the form of ghosts, hideous monsters, enticing women, or Satan himself.

To stay in shape Antony retreats to his mountain just west of the Red Sea to practice his discipline. He will, however, venture back to the cities along the Nile to defend his fellow Christians or to argue with Greek philosophers. But back at his mountain, monks flock to him to learn, and to marvel at his abilities, visions, and in the end his peaceful acceptance of death.

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LibraryThing member hermit

This small book is a biography of Anthony's life by Athanasius of Alexandria. It was this book that helped to spread the concept of Christian monasticism, particularly in Western Europe via its Latin translations. He is often erroneously considered the first Christian monk, but as his biography and

other sources make clear, there were many ascetics before him. Anthony was, however, the first to go into the wilderness (about ad 270), a geographical move that seems to have contributed to his renown.[6] Accounts of Anthony enduring supernatural temptation during his sojourn in the Eastern Desert of Egypt inspired the often-repeated subject of the temptation of St. Anthony in Western art and literature.

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