Reader 1: In the early part of the fourth century it suddenly became a lot less dangerous to be a Christian. Constantine was made Roman Emperor and in 311 he issued an Edict of Toleration. Christians would no longer be persecuted for their faith.

Conflict with the empire had ended, so Christians were now much freer to fight among themselves! There is both cynicism and truth in that statement. The truth is that a certain false belief, a heresy, had crept into the Christian faith, and the church spent the greater part of the fourth century contending against it. Its leader in this struggle was Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt.

Athanasius was born into a Christian family in Egypt in the year 295. Here is a story about his youthful years; and it may be more story than fact, but it does…