Saint Athanasius of AlexandriaSaint Athanasius (c. 296-c. 373), the twentieth bishop of Alexandria and one of the most illustrious defenders of the Christian faith, was born at Alexandria. He spent seventeen of his forty-five episcopate years in exiles ordered by four diffrent Roman emperors. Before the outbreak of the Arian controversy, which began in AD 319, he had made himself known as the author of two essays addressed to a convert from heathenism, one of them entitled "Against the Gentiles," and the other "On the Incarnation of the Word." Both are apologetical treatises, addressing such topics as monotheism and the necessity of divine interposition for the salvation of the world. Read More Read Less