Saint Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, explaining the location of Poitiers in southwestern France and the time of his birth and death (died in the year 368).
His family life and entry into faith
He mentions that Hilary was baptized as a young man together with his wife and daughter, and that in those times it was not required that bishops be celibate.
His episcopate and work against Arianism
He was ordained bishop in the year 350 and from the beginning of his service worked to oppose Arianism and to prove the divinity of Christ and the Holy Trinity.
Exile and his book “De Trinitate”
Hilary was exiled to Phrygia by the emperor where he found the quiet in which he composed his great book “De Trinitate / On the Trinity” consisting of twelve parts, defending the doctrine of the Trinity and presenting its proofs in the Old Testament and verses.
Intellectual relationships and method
He was somewhat discipled by Origen and Athanasius, and benefited from the Gospel of John in his study of the divinity of Christ; his interpretive style focused on the Incarnation and the unity of deity and nature.
Writings, translations and preserved fragments
He has meditations on the Psalms (some reached us as fragments) and polemical writings against Emperor Constantine and Auxentius; he attempted to interpret verses such as John 10:30, John 17:3, John 5 and others to affirm the divinity of the Son and unity of essence.
Spiritual and scholarly message
Pope Shenouda emphasizes that Hilary combined deep Greek study with spiritual contemplation, placing the issue of the Incarnation of the Word and the Trinity at the center of his theological research to serve the Church.

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