Contents — NPNF2-04. Athanasius: Select Works and Letters

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NPNF2-04. Athanasius: Select Works and Letters · CCEL ThML source edition

Chapters

467 sections in this edition

Page 2 of 15

Vehicles of Revelation; Scripture, the Church, Tradition. source.xml#v.iv.iv
Content of Revelation. God Three in One and the Incarnation. source.xml#v.iv.v
Derivative Doctrines. Grace and the Means of Grace; The Christian Life; The Last Things. source.xml#v.iv.vi
Chronology and Tables. source.xml#v.v
Sources. source.xml#v.v.i
Principles and Method. source.xml#v.v.ii
Applications. source.xml#v.v.iii
General Chronological Table of the Life of S. Athanasius. source.xml#v.v.iv
Synoptical Table of the Bishops of the Chief Sees. source.xml#v.v.v
Appendix. The Civil and Military Government of Egypt in the Lifetime of Athanasius. source.xml#v.vi
Against the Heathen. (Contra Gentes.) source.xml#vi
Introduction. source.xml#vi.i
Contra Gentes. (Against the Heathen.) source.xml#vi.ii
Part I source.xml#vi.ii.i
Introduction:--The purpose of the book a vindication of Christian doctrine, and especially of the Cross, against the scoffing objection of Gentiles. The effects of this doctrine its main vindication. source.xml#vi.ii.i.i
Evil no part of the essential nature of things. The original creation and constitution of man in grace and in the knowledge of God. source.xml#vi.ii.i.ii
The decline of man from the above condition, owing to his absorption in material things. source.xml#vi.ii.i.iii
The gradual abasement of the Soul from Truth to Falsehood by the abuse of her freedom of Choice. source.xml#vi.ii.i.iv
Evil, then consists essentially in the choice of what is lower in preference to what is higher. source.xml#vi.ii.i.v
False views of the nature of evil: viz., that evil is something in the nature of things, and has substantive existence. (a) Heathen thinkers: (evil resides in matter). Their refutation. (b) Heretical teachers: (Dualism). Refutation from Scripture. source.xml#vi.ii.i.vi
Refutation of dualism from reason. Impossibility of two Gods. The truth as to evil is that which the Church teaches: that it originates, and resides, in the perverted choice of the darkened soul. source.xml#vi.ii.i.vii
The origin of idolatry is similar. The soul, materialised by forgetting God, and engrossed in earthly things, makes them into gods. The race of men descends into a hopeless depth of delusion and superstition. source.xml#vi.ii.i.viii
The various developments of idolatry: worship of the heavenly bodies, the elements, natural objects, fabulous creatures, personified lusts, men living and dead. The case of Antinous, and of the deified Emperors. source.xml#vi.ii.i.ix
Similar human origin of the Greek gods, by decree of Theseus. The process by which mortals became deified. source.xml#vi.ii.i.x
The deeds of heathen deities, and particularly of Zeus. source.xml#vi.ii.i.xi
Other shameful actions ascribed to heathen deities. All prove that they are but men of former times, and not even good men. source.xml#vi.ii.i.xii
The folly of image worship and its dishonour to art. source.xml#vi.ii.i.xiii
Image worship condemned by Scripture. source.xml#vi.ii.i.xiv
The details about the gods conveyed in the representations of them by poets and artists shew that they are without life, and that they are not gods, nor even decent men and women. source.xml#vi.ii.i.xv
Section vi.ii.i.xvi: Heathen arguments in palliation of the above: and (1) 'the poets are responsible for these unedifying tales source.xml#vi.ii.i.xvi
The truth probably is, that the scandalous tales are true, while the divine attributes ascribed to them are due to the flattery of the poets. source.xml#vi.ii.i.xvii
Heathen defence continued. (2) 'The gods are worshipped for having invented the Arts of Life.' But this is a human and natural, not a divine, achievement. And why, on this principle, are not all inventors deified? source.xml#vi.ii.i.xviii