Athanasius, also called Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, was a Christian theologian, church leader, and Egyptian national leader. He was a chief defender of Christian orthodoxy in the 4th-century C.E. The Defense Against the Arians represents the outcome of Athanasius' theological conflicts with the Arians. Athanasius opposes the opinions of Arius, while continuing to develop the church's understanding of Jesus' divinity.