Athanasius' Life of Antony by Andrew Cain - 9780198939993

Athanasius' Life of AntonyA Commentary with Introduction, Text, and Translation\nAuthor(s): Andrew Cain\nPublisher: Oxford University Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Oxford University Press\nISBN-13: 9780198939993, 978-0198939993\nSynopsis\nThe Life of Antony, by Athanasius of Alexandria, is widely considered one of the most important and influential of all early Christian writings. Its protagonist, as heroicized by Athanasius, is the legendary first desert monk of Egypt who trounces fearsome demons, performs astounding miracles, and defends the church's integrity by confounding pagan philosophers and adherents of the Arian heresy. In short, the Antony of the Life is the quintessential Christian holy man and the avatar of Athanasius' ascetic, theological, and ecclesiastical ideals. \n\nWith the Life, Athanasius invented an entirely new literary genre--monastic hagiography--which went on to become explosively popular for centuries to come. It is his most famous and most innovative wri.