For God has not only created us from nothing, but also granted us by the grace of the Word to live a life according to God. - Athanasius of Alexandria

What other things have given men such certain faith in immortality as have the cross of Christ and the resurrection of His body? The Greeks told all sorts of false tales, but they could never pretend that their idols rose again from death: indeed it never entered their heads that a body could exist again after death at all. And one would be particularly ready to listen to them on this point, because by these opinions they have exposed the weakness of their own idolatry, at the same time yielding to Christ the possibility of bodily resurrection, so that by that means He might be recognized by all as Son of God.

if someone would wish to see a city or a country, he would certainly go to that place for the sight; in the same way, one wishing to comprehend the mind of the theologians must first wash and cleanse his soul by his manner of life, and approach the saints themselves by the imitation of their works, so that being with them in the conduct of a common life, he may understand also the things revealed to them, and thenceforth, as joined to them, may escape the peril of the sinners and their fire on the day of judgment, but may receive what has been laid up for the saints in the kingdom of heaven, “which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor 2.9),

ولأنه صالحٌ[109]، بل وصلاحه فائق، فقد خَلَق بكلمته الذاتي[110]- مخلِّصِنا يسوع المسيح- الجنسَ البشريَّ على حسب صورته الذاتية، خلقه كشبهه حتى يستطيع أن يُدرك ويعرف الموجودات، وأعطاه الإمكانية أن يُدرك ويعرف معنى أزليَّة الله حتى أنه إن احتفظ بهبة أنه مخلوق كشبه الله[111] لا يبتعد بالمرَّة عن تصوُّره الصحيح عن الله أو أن يهجر شركة الحياة مع القديسين. بل إذ لديه النعمة الموهوبة له، وعنده القوَّة الذَّاتية لكلمة الله يستطيع أن يبتهج ويكون له حوار مع الله ويحيا حياةَ الخلود بغير ألم في سعادة [112]حقيقية. وإذ لا يوجد ما يعوق[113] معرفته عن ما هو إلهي فإنه يرى باستمرار- من خلال نقاوة قلبه[114] - صورة الآب أي كلمة الله الذي خُلِق هو نفسه على صورته[115]، ويدهش عندما يتأمل في عناية كلمة الله بالعالم[116]