James D. Ernest

The Bible in Athanasius of Alexandria (Bible in Ancient Christianity) James D. Ernest

This study examines rhetorical and exegetical appropriations of Scripture especially in the Greek corpus of the writings of Athanasius of Alexandria, the fourth-century bishop famous for his role in the establishment of Nicene orthodoxy. An introductory chapter surveys earlier scholarship on Athanasian exegesis and on intertextual usage in related literatures. Subsequent chapters examine Athanasius's practice in his apologetic, dogmatic-polemical, dogmatic-historical, and pastoral writings. His writings interpret the Bible as a unified account that explains salvation in terms of the incarnation of the uncreated Word of God and models it through the positive and negative examples of various biblical characters.