Athanasius Against the World

In 328 AD, a young Egyptian bishop named Athanasius of Alexandria found himself standing virtually alone against the Roman Empire. The Arian heresy — which denied the full divinity of Christ — had swept through the church like wildfire, winning over emperors, bishops, and entire councils. Athanasius refused to bend. For his stubbornness, he was exiled five times, hunted by imperial soldiers, and once spent six years hiding among the desert monks of Egypt while the most powerful men on earth demanded his silence.…