This book suffered far more from my expectation than anything else. It's a wonderful, sound, important work of theology, and does much to cement the early church's steady belief in the deity of Christ. Athanasius does little to suggest his ideas regarding Christ's deity are innovative, new, or even particularly controversial (although they would be in opposing Arius); in fact, he seems to be simply writing a treatise of instruction for Macarius, instructing him in some basic tenets of the faith.

The disappointment came in my appreciation of this book as a foundational writing of Christianity. Athanasius appears in every Reformed and conservative list of important theological works you could find. As such, I expected mind-tearing material; instead, this was a wonderful encouragement full of some beautiful prose. The middle section in particular was full of imagery that stirred my affection for Christ.

However, as I'm also reading Spurgeon (Lectures), Adler (How to Read a Book), and others that truly are weighty, this book felt a bit lacking. Perhaps because I am so convinced of Christ's deity, and in my context, the glory of Christ is more at issue than his Godhead, this was simply an ill-timed read. Whatever the cause, I enjoyed this read, and hope to return to it again; for now, though, I look forward to Luther (Bondage of the Will) and other works next on my list.

Nevertheless -- and despite my potentially misleading rating -- this is an important book. It establishes that truths often heralded as "late ideas" and "mythic inventions" were in fact prevalent and well-understood in the 4th century, echoing back to Paul and John.