Leithart, Peter. Athanasius (Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian
Spirituality. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011). Athanasius by Peter J. Leithart is a small, yet not menial, piece of historiography that is pulled out the weave of God’s planned time of His creation for the good of its readers in correlation with the observance of the Nicene Creed and the worldwide interest of the Christian faith itself. Peter J. Leithart is very well equipped man to establish the first contribution of the Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality series in this work. He currently studies and works as the senior fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College. Not only that, but he also serves at Trinity reformed Church in Moscow, …show more content…
Although, Athanasius’s heart on the matter is expressed clearly by Leithart when he states, “It is all about Christ. It is a Christic metaphysics. Even when Athanasius is exploring the nature of created reality, the cross and the Christ of the cross remain in the forefront of his mind (pp. 92).” As his chapters move forward, chapter five covers the belief Athanasius held concerning the incarnation of Jesus as cornerstone of the utmost value and importance that He became flesh for His creation as part of His earthly mission and eternal plan for all. His ministry, life, and death make us victorious over such things as sin and death by the pain endured and for Him to breathe His last for His beloved. As Leithart begins to close the book with his final chapter, he gives perspective of Athanasius’s conviction of the new man or new creation for his purpose to show that all this was made possible through the undeserved grace of God, which is set by Christ’s earthly mission, and is now promised as a result of the new man. As Leithart points out, Athanasius exemplified the Christian Politela, which is defined by the means by which the complete work of Jesus Christ to bring about the change to create a way for the world to have hope found only in him …show more content…
Despite his achievement in writing a collaborative work on Athanasius’s life, it is lacking as if it were not completed or fully elaborated on. His goal, as mentioned above, was for the reader is to rediscover and embrace our common adoptive inheritance laid out in the Nicene faith as we are Christ’s and He is ours. I believe that Leithart has the spirit of this goal present throughout his book, but the presence in his writing again is leaving the reader disappointed in its entirety – essentially wanting more of his words about the life of this man in such a unique time. For most, there is a sense of a problem that was never found its solution or a mystery that never was solved. The level of writing for this book finds its place among those who have desired more than the surface level reading on such a person and time, but leaves a population behind as this written in a manner that only certain graduate and doctrinal students may find satisfying while others not. I would recommend this book to anyone curious about the faith, time, or person of interest despite some of the required learning to fully understand the gravity of such an age and context of importance that this man brings to the history of the Nicene faith and
Spirituality. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011). Athanasius by Peter J. Leithart is a small, yet not menial, piece of historiography that is pulled out the weave of God’s planned time of His creation for the good of its readers in correlation with the observance of the Nicene Creed and the worldwide interest of the Christian faith itself. Peter J. Leithart is very well equipped man to establish the first contribution of the Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality series in this work. He currently studies and works as the senior fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College. Not only that, but he also serves at Trinity reformed Church in Moscow, …show more content…
Although, Athanasius’s heart on the matter is expressed clearly by Leithart when he states, “It is all about Christ. It is a Christic metaphysics. Even when Athanasius is exploring the nature of created reality, the cross and the Christ of the cross remain in the forefront of his mind (pp. 92).” As his chapters move forward, chapter five covers the belief Athanasius held concerning the incarnation of Jesus as cornerstone of the utmost value and importance that He became flesh for His creation as part of His earthly mission and eternal plan for all. His ministry, life, and death make us victorious over such things as sin and death by the pain endured and for Him to breathe His last for His beloved. As Leithart begins to close the book with his final chapter, he gives perspective of Athanasius’s conviction of the new man or new creation for his purpose to show that all this was made possible through the undeserved grace of God, which is set by Christ’s earthly mission, and is now promised as a result of the new man. As Leithart points out, Athanasius exemplified the Christian Politela, which is defined by the means by which the complete work of Jesus Christ to bring about the change to create a way for the world to have hope found only in him …show more content…
Despite his achievement in writing a collaborative work on Athanasius’s life, it is lacking as if it were not completed or fully elaborated on. His goal, as mentioned above, was for the reader is to rediscover and embrace our common adoptive inheritance laid out in the Nicene faith as we are Christ’s and He is ours. I believe that Leithart has the spirit of this goal present throughout his book, but the presence in his writing again is leaving the reader disappointed in its entirety – essentially wanting more of his words about the life of this man in such a unique time. For most, there is a sense of a problem that was never found its solution or a mystery that never was solved. The level of writing for this book finds its place among those who have desired more than the surface level reading on such a person and time, but leaves a population behind as this written in a manner that only certain graduate and doctrinal students may find satisfying while others not. I would recommend this book to anyone curious about the faith, time, or person of interest despite some of the required learning to fully understand the gravity of such an age and context of importance that this man brings to the history of the Nicene faith and