Saint Athanasius Of Alexandria – 2 May – Saint Of The Day In Sacred Art
Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. An Egyptian and a Christian theologian. A bishop and a “Father of Orthodoxy”. One of the most influential figures in early Christianity.
Athanasius of Alexandria was born in Alexandria (Egypt) around 296 AD and died in 373. The population of the city of Alexandria was very diverse – a true fusion of cultures, ideas and philosophies. Growing up and absorbing the culture of knowledge, he grew up and became what he became – an intellectual and an exceptional theologian.
One of the great acts of this extraordinary man was that he laid the foundation for the Creed during the Council of Nicea. The Creed we know today was not written by him – Athanasius died in 373 while the text of the Creed was composed much later in the 5th century. However, the Christian profession of faith is still called Athanasian Creed.
Saint Athanasius of Alexandria is a patron saint of theologians and scholars.
The depiction of the saint in visual arts might provoke some discussions because Athanasius was an Egyptian from Alexandria and basically this makes him a North-African. It is undeniable that Christianity does not divide people along racial lines. However, the scholars tend to agree that Athanasius’s skin tone was not Caucasian.
Symbols in sacred art: a bishop arguing with a pagan, a bishop holding an open book, a bishop over a defeated heretic.
