Early Christian Reader By Athanasius About St. Antony

Early Christian Reader is a collection of three primary articles written by Athanasius about St. Antony, an Egyptian by race who was raised a Christian but didn t fully accept Christ until later in his life; St. Augustine a North African who strayed away from Christianity until his sin filled conscience led him back to Jesus and strengthened his faith; and St. Patrick who was born in Britain but taken away to Ireland by slave-traders because he turned away from God where he escaped and later served as the Bishop of Ireland for many years. Each of them, like many people today, had to go through struggles and temptations before truly experiencing the presence of God. St. Antony grew up going to church and learning the bible merely for the pleasure and obedience of his parents, not for his own interest. After the death of his parents what Antony heard from the gospel led him to becoming a priest; during his priesthood he fasted and practiced isolation in the Egyptian desert. While in h e desert he stayed in a tomb and fought with the devil many times, â€Å"The demons...were changed into the forms of beasts and reptiles...struck and wounded by them, Antony s body was subject to yet more pain..he groaned because of the pain he felt in his body†(7). This shows not only the mental pain but also the physical pain Satan put Antony through in order to belittle his faith in God. Through all the pain Antony went through his faith in God became stronger, â€Å"He stood up and prayed, and heShow MoreRelatedThe Development of Female Ascetics in the Early Church1809 Words   |  7 PagesThe Development of Female Ascetics in the Early Church INTRODUCTION Christian ascetics in the fourth and fifth centuries were pioneers in working out what must be done by people who find the ordinary human concerns of household and city an intolerable distraction from their commitment to God. They experimented with styles and structures; tried out and competed with each other’s techniques for strengthening the soul against harmful desires and demonic attack; and shared and analyzed their experience