Athanasius and Constantius: Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire

Athanasius and Constantius: Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire by Barnes, Timothy D.. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780674050679.

As the high-ranking Bishop of Alexandria from 328 to 373, Athanasius came into conflict with no fewer than four Roman emperors--Constantine himself, his son Constantius, Julian the Apostate, and the "Arian" Valens. In this new reconstruction of Athanasiuss career, Timothy D. Barnes analyzes the nature and extent of the Bishops power, especially as it intersected with the policies of these emperors. Repeatedly condemned and deposed by church councils, the Bishop persistently resurfaced as a player to contend with in ecclesiastic and imperial politics. Barness work reveals that Athanasiuss writings, though a significant source for this period, are riddled with deliberate misinterpretations, which historians through the ages have uncritically accepted. Untangling longstanding misconceptions, Barnes reveals the Bishops true role in the struggles within Christianity, and in the relations between the Roman emperor and the Church at a critical juncture.