Early Christian asceticism was far from being wholly other-worldly. This study of the life and thought of Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria (328-73), who was one of the central figures of the Church at the time, shows just how deeply political ascetic theology could also be, in the struggle to form a united and dominant Church in Egypt under the Roman Empire. The book includes an appendix with some of the writings of Athanasius translated into English for the first time. The book is intended for scholars and students of patristics, theology, and the history of the church and late Roman Empire.