St Athanasius of Alexandria

Prerequisites, corequisites or exclusions

9 credit points of a Theology unit (i.e “Introduction to Theology” or “Church Fathers: An Introduction”)

Academic Staff

Very Rev. Dr Doru Costache, BTh (Bucharest 1993), PhD (Bucharest 2000), Senior Lecturer

Curriculum Objectives

This postgraduate course unit advances the study of the patristic phenomenon within a complex framework, theological, spiritual, and exegetical. It enables students to appreciate, by way of a detailed study of the available sources, the personality and legacy of Saint Athanasius of Alexandria.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit students will be able to:

1. Appreciate the personality of Saint Athanasius within his historical context
2. Display a profound knowledge of his writings, together with the relevant scholarship
3. Evaluate the place of Saint Athanasius within the broader patristic tradition
4. Critically analyse his writings within the framework of relevant scholarship
5. Assess his relevance to contemporary Christian experience

Content

1. Saint Athanasius in the historical and theological setting of his age
2. An overview of his writings
3. Apologetic and doctrinal contributions
4. Exegetical contributions
5. A theologian pastor and his spiritual concerns
6. Traditional, modern and contemporary reception

Unit Schedule

Week 1: The man and his time

Week 2: An overview of his writings

Week 3: Doctrinal contributions: Trinity

Assessment task 1

Week 4: Doctrinal contributions: Christ and the Holy Spirit

Week 5: Soteriological outlines

Week 6: Preaching to the unconvinced: Athanasian apologetics

Assessment task 2

Week 7: Athanasian Antony: The saintly sage

Week 8: Natural contemplation

Week 9: Sleep, dreams, and visions

Week 10: Athanasius the exegete

Week 11: His impact upon later theology

Week 12: Reception and contemporary significance

Assessment task 3