For this reason, Saint Anthony Abbot is considered one of the precursors of monasticism (also called monasticism), if not the initiator. per se. The form of monastic life that he put into practice spread greatly during the first millennium of Christianity, leaving an indelible mark on the history of the Church. Today, after centuries, this way of life subsists in various places in the world, and there are certainly not a few who are summoned today by the Lord to dedicate themselves to these tasks of the spirit.
Against error
Saint Anthony Abbot, together with Saint Athanasius, defended the Christian faith and doctrine against Arianism, the dangerous heresy that denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, compromising the very nature of the Holy Trinity.
Furthermore, according to Saint Jerome of Strydon (342-420), Anthony the “Abbot” (that is, “father”) – as those who followed him called him – met Saint Paul the Hermit, another of the inspirers of monasticism.