On the Incarnation – Chapter 4 Text 1. You are wondering, perhaps, for what possible reason, having proposed to speak about the Incarnation of the Word, we are presently considering the origin of mankind. But this, too, properly belongs to the aim of our treatise. 2. For when we speak about the appearance of the […]
On the Incarnation – Chapter 3 Text 1. This is the way they vainly speculate. But the godly teaching and the faith which is according to Christ shows that their foolish language is godlessness. For our teaching knows that the universe did not come about spontaneously, because there is intelligent planning present in it; nor […]
St Athanasius – On the Incarnation – Chapter 2 Text 1. Many people have taken different views about the making of the universe and the creation of all things, and each man has laid down the law just as he pleased. Some say that all things have come into being by themselves, and only through […]
Over the next two months I intend to post a chapter each day, as far as is possible, from the important work by St Athanasius the Apostolic, the 20th Pope of Alexandria – On The Incarnation. This relatively short, but foundational text, describes with authority the Orthodox understanding of salvation in the incarnation of the […]
On the Incarnation – Chapter 11 Text 1. When God the Almighty One was making mankind through His own Word, He saw that they, owing to the limitation of their nature, could not of themselves have any knowledge of their Creator, the Incorporeal and Uncreated One. He took pity on them, and did not leave […]
The Encomium of St Severus upon the Archangel Michael contains some interesting material which is well worth study. An encomium, in this context, is essentially a form of homily which praises a particular saint or angelic being. In this case St Severus is concerned with the Archangel Michael, and his encomium was preached on the […]
On the Incarnation – Chapter 10 Text Now in truth this great work was peculiarly suited to God’s goodness. 1. For a king, having built a house or a city, if he finds it attacked by bandits because of the carelessness of those who live in it, does not neglect it and ignore the situation, […]
We noted in Post 1 that until the most recent times all mainstream Christian worship was liturgical to a great extent. It followed a predetermined order and structure, often with well-established content that congregations would have been used to participating in. Of course the majority Anglican tradition remained manifestly liturgical. So too did the Catholic […]
I was at a liturgical service some years ago. It began with the president or leader of the service offering a prayer, and after his prayer was completed the congregation responded with their agreement in the word, Amen. A hymn was sung by the congregation and then another man with some responsibility in the congregation […]
On the Incarnation – Chapter 9 Text 1. For the Word had seen that there was no other way that the corruption of men could be undone except by the necessary condition of death. It was impossible for the Word to suffer death, being immortal, and the Son of the Father; and so for this […]