Athanasius on Advent

Sitting With the Saints No. 1

In his well-known work On the Incarnation, Athanasius reminds us of the goodness of God and the true blessings of Christ’s birth for the world.

He begins by disputing the errors of popular creation narratives in the Roman world, and concludes that the biblical story is the most rational because it reflects the integrity and character of God.

Everyone recognizes the world is not what it should be. All creation stories attempt to deal with the brokenness of humanity and the existence of evil. For Athanasius, this reality is best understood from Genesis: “from nothing and having absolutely no existence God brought the universe into being through the Word” (51). God created the world out of nothing, for he depends on nothing. He is the source of all things and gives meaning and purpose to all of his creation.

“For God is good, or rather the source of all goodness, and one who is good grudges nothing, so that grudging nothing its existence, he made all things through his own Word, our Lord Jesus Christ” (52).

First, Athanasius connects the incarnation of Christ to the creation of the world.

Christ was born into our world, yet our world was completely born out of him. It was created good in honor and reflection of its creator’s goodness! God did not make the world evil. Some false deity did not corrupt it. Rather, humanity chose to embrace a lesser state in disobedience to its maker.

“If they guarded the grace and remained good, they might have the life of paradise — without sorrow, pain, or care — besides having the promise of their incorruptibility in heaven; but if they were to transgress and turning away become wicked, they would know themselves enduring the corruption of death according to nature, and no longer live in paradise” (52).

This “transgress and turning away” explains our reality for Athanasius, and ultimately the reason we have hope in Advent. We may have turned from God, but God did not turn from us.

Second, Athanasius connects the incarnation of Christ to our need for atonement.

God could not merely sit by with his creation in rebellion and decay. Athanasius builds his argument on the goodness of God. God entered his world in physical flesh to redeem creation and humanity, not because we are worthy but because of his loving character.

“The weakness, rather than the goodness, of God is made known by neglect, if, after creating, he abandoned his own work to be corrupted, rather than if he had not created the human being in the beginning…once he made him and created him out of nothing, it was most absurd that his works should be destroyed…It was therefore right not to permit human beings to be carried away by corruption, because this would be improper to and unworthy of the goodness of God” (55-56).

Humanity, even in our best attempts at obedience and repentance, fail to live rightly in God’s world. We do not mediate his goodness, for we are “held fast by death” in our natural corruption and fallen state. Our acts of remedial holiness, according to Athanasius, are not enough for humanity to be vessels of God’s goodness in the world. We need an act of God on our behalf to set the system right — to establish unity between God and the world.

“For no part of creation is left void of him [Christ]; while abiding with his own Father, he has filled all things in every place. But now he comes, condescending towards us in his love for human beings and his manifestation” (56-57).

Thirdly, Athanasius connects the incarnation of Christ to the crucifixion and resurrection.

Only through God dwelling among us, living in human flesh, did he mediate the necessary grace and forgiveness of sins to the world.

“Although being himself powerful and the creator of the universe, he prepared for himself in the Virgin the body as a temple, and made it his own, as an instrument, making himself known and dwelling in it. And thus, taking from ours that which is like, since all were liable to the corruption of death, delivering it over to death on behalf of all, he offered it to the Father, doing this in his love human beings” (57).

While the theme of atonement can be quite obvious while contemplating the implications of the cross, we often overlook its importance in the incarnation. Without the birth of Christ, we do not have the death of Christ. Athanasius’ emphasis on substitutionary atonement and the defeat of sin through his death is central to the purpose of God in creation renewal and establishing unity with his people.

“On the other hand, that as human beings had turned towards corruption he might turn them again to incorruptibility and give them life from death, by making the body his own and by the grace of the resurrection banishing death from them as straw from fire” (57).

Out of God’s goodness, he redeems his people, restores creation, and casts away the blight of sin forever. Advent season helps us remember God’s restorative work in the past, but it also brings us hope in the future resurrection where death is defeated and his goodness will be fully displayed throughout the world.

St. Athanasius the Great of Alexandria. On the Incarnation. Preface by C.S. Lewis. Yonkers, New York: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2011.