On the Incarnation: Saint Athanasius

by Saint Patriarch of Alexandria Athanasius

Delve into the Profound Teachings of On the Incarnation

On the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius is a cornerstone of Christian theology that explores the profound mystery of Christ’s incarnation. Written in the 4th century, this timeless work defends the doctrine of the Word made flesh and its central role in the redemption of humanity.



The Divine Mystery of the Incarnation

Saint Athanasius provides a clear and compelling explanation of why God became man. Through his eloquent prose, he addresses key questions about salvation, sin, and the ultimate purpose of Christ’s incarnation. Athanasius’ insights highlight God’s immense love for humanity and the transformative power of the incarnation in restoring the relationship between Creator and creation.



Key Themes in On the



The Nature of An exploration of the divine and human nature of Jesus.
Redemption and How the incarnation reconciles humanity with God.
The Defeat of Christ’s victory over death and sin through His resurrection.


A Classic of Early Christian Thought

With its deep theological insights and passionate defense of the faith, On the Incarnation continues to inspire and enlighten readers. Saint Athanasius’ work is a must-read for those seeking to deepen their understanding of Christ’s role in salvation history.



This edition preserves the full text of Saint Athanasius’ masterpiece, providing modern readers with a powerful resource for spiritual growth and theological study.

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2024

Reviews

[Adam Barger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Athanasius, with a little help from translator John Behr, provides an accessible and intriguing review of the importance of God becoming man. This is my first time reading this classic, and I was surprised at the simplicity and effectiveness of the author’s approach, especially given his view of the world in the 4th century. I especially appreciated Athanasius’ response to prevailing beliefs against Christianity, including Greek and Jewish critics.

Minus one star because I’m not smart enough to fully understand :0)

Readers interested in any aspect of Christian theology or philosophy will find this worth their time. Make no mistake, early Christians thought deeply about their faith and lives. Books like these should challenge all modern Christians to engage with the intellectual tradition of the faith and to stop complaining about politics (or music, or marriage, or just about any other cultural critique). Instead, lean into the lived experience of the early Christian church, and be grateful.

[peter m. dubinin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is third time I have read On the Incarnation. Each reading revealed something I had not noticed before. In this particular reading I was challenged to understand an aspect (very important aspect) of death as corruption particularly of the image of God in man. I like many, I think, consider death as the cessation of life - as recorded on the Dark Side of the Moon, "And I am not frightened of dying, any time will do, I don't mind. Why should I be frightened of dying? There's no reason for it, you've gotta go sometime." And there it is, "... you've gotta go sometime." It happens to all of us. Death as corruption of the image, that's another thing altogether. This corruption happens even as we live, that steady, perhaps aggressive loss of that which makes us truly human. Sin of course is the agent of that death which corrupts. So much so that St. Athanasius reckons in the loss of the image, humans not only become the base slaves of sin, but sink to a place lower than all of the animal kingdom. A sure indication of the corruption is the acceptance of those sins which corrupt the image as normal. This of course is not the end of the story. For St. Athanasius this scenario is precisely why God became man, to save from corruption and restore the image.

[Camden Garrett]

Beautiful work from Athanasius. A few of my favorite quotes:

Talking about Christ’s miraculous ministry: “When, therefore, did these things happen, apart from when the Word of God himself came in the body? And when did he come, apart from when the lame walked, and those who stammer were clarified, and the deaf heard, and those blind from birth regained sight. Therefore even the Jews then seeings these things said that at no other time had they heard of these things happening…” (133)

"...that as human beings had turned towards corruption he might turn them again to incorruptibility and give them life from death, by making the body his own and by the grace of the resurrection banishing death from them as straw from the fire.” (67)

[T.K. CHAPMAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in the 4th century, On The Incarnation is a classic of Christian theology. Athanasius explains and defends the doctrine of Incarnation. He carefully and methodically shows how the Word becoming flesh was necessary for the redemption of mankind. This is a relatively short book and this particular translation is easy to understand. A great place to dive in if you're interested in reading early Christian theology.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough veiw of the incarnation. Writer has some interesting thoughts on the symbolism of the cross which I will have to think about more. The section on death is a wonderful read for all those in Christ.

[Hunter Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

TBH, I was just listening to it while playing Skyrim. From what I did pick up from it, it seems pretty theologically dense. I might go back at some point and actually read it to see if I understand any more of it.

[Jonathan C · Rating 5 out of 5]

the beauty and wonder of the Incarnation of Christ

Every Christian should read this classic and be enraptured with the beauty and wonder of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

[Jacob Seward · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best ‘historical’ Christian book I have read in this year. The author has enlightened me in many ways to aspects of the incarnation of Jesus that I hadn’t even considered. Well worth a read!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome introduction to the communication of Christ's attributes from a Nicene Father

[Aaron Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Athanasius articulates the Christian faith beautifully and I got the sense that I was tapping into the old world.

[Drew Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third time reading this one for Advent and it gets better each time.