Description
Book SynopsisBarnes’s reconstruction of Athanasius’s career analyzes the nature and extent of the Bishop’s power, especially as it intersected with imperial policies. Untangling classic misconceptions, Barnes reveals the Bishop’s true role in the struggles within Christianity, and in the relations between the Roman emperor and the Church at a critical juncture.
Trade ReviewBarnes’s contribution to late Roman studies has been of the first importance. He often plays the role of devil’s advocate, scrutinizing our preconceptions about the period and provoking us to think again about issues of central importance… Barnes has provided us with another masterpiece of historical reconstruction. A lucid narrative is supported by appendices and notes so detailed that they take up more than one-third of the book… No review can really do Barnes’s work justice and it is impossible not to admire its richness… At a time when such studies are unfashionable, it is good to know that they have a defender of remarkable calibre. -- Mark Humphries * Classical Review *
An indispensable chart for the tricky waters of fourth-century history. [Barnes] has written another classic. -- John F. Drinkwater * The Historian *
Table of ContentsPreface Chronology of Athanasius' Career and Writings Abbreviations 1. Introduction 2. Bishop Alexander 3. Athanasius and Constantine: History and Apologia 4. A Journey to Cappadocia 5. Arhanasius in Rome 6. Julius and Marcellus 7. The Intervention of Constans 8. The Council of Serdica 9. Athanasius and the Martyrs of Adrianople 10. Return to Alexandria 11. The Condemnation of 349 and Its Context 12. The Usurpation of Magnentius 13. Sirmium, Ark, and Milan 14. Apologia, Polemic, and Theology 15. New Theological Controversies 16. The Homoean Creed 17. The Elder Statesman 18. The Emperor and the Church, 324-361 19. Bishops and Society 20. Epilogue Appendices 1. TheFestal Letters 2. The Composition of the Defense against the Arians 3. TheDefense before Constantius 4. The Date of On the Council of Nicaea
