The Burr in the Burgh

Every Advent for that last several years, I have read a book by St. Athanasius called On the Incarnation. It's short enough, only around 100 pages, that it can easily be read over the four weeks leading up to Christmas. It would also be suitable for a Christmastide devotional.

St. Athanasius, as you know, confronted the Arian heresy at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325. One of my favorite factoids about the Council of Nicea is that the real St. Nicholas was there as the Bishop of Myra.

The version of On the Incarnation which I possess has a delightful foreward written by C.S. Lewis, but I have not been able to find that one still in print. One of the recommendations Lewis makes is that for every new (last 100 years) book you read, you should read an old one. Or if that is too demanding, at least for every 3 new books, one old one. I could not agree more. Maybe you can find this edition with Lewis's foreward at a used book dealer.

The edition I am linking you to is from St. Vladimir's press and I have no doubt it is quite good as well.