Renewal in Christ: Athanasius on the Christian Life

128

Renewal in Christ: Athanasius on the Christian Life

story, and certainly what he is most known for, his solitude was not an end in and of itself and was different than what people often assume. Going into the wilderness alone, for Antony, was not escapism from the world, nor was it a rejection of community. Solitude was Antony’s way of seeking purity through discipline for the sake of building others up. For example, while Antony did spend much time alone, he also had a constant stream of visitors, maintained lasting relationships, and consistently emerged to teach others that which he was learning in solitude. In other words, although Antony was often isolated geographically, he was rarely disconnected socially. Furthermore, Antony’s solitude was far from peaceful and serene. Along with working (weaving baskets), he spent much of his time fighting temptation and battling demons. For Antony, life in the wilderness was less about serenity and more about spiritual warfare, discipline, fasting, and intense prayer. Athanasius’s biography of Antony was widely read in the ancient world and immensely impacted individuals and communities. Gregory of Nazianzus described The Life of Antony as a rule of life in the form of a narrative. 2 In other words, it gave a blueprint for communities about how to live the Christian life together. Perhaps The Life of Antony’s greatest impact is the part it played in Augustine of Hippo’s 3 conversion and its shaping of his sense of the Christian life. *** 2 See Hank Voss, “Soul Work and Soul Care: Learning to Be Intentional about Our ‘Rule of Life,’” in Benedict of Nursia and Basil of Caesarea, Becoming a Community of Disciples: Guidelines fromAbbot Benedict and Bishop Basil , ed. Greg Peters, Sacred Roots Spiritual Classics 2 (Upland, IN: Samuel Morris Publications, 2021), 121–41. 3 Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–430) – The Bishop of Hippo who would go on to be one of the most influential theologians in all of history.