Hilary was born in Poitiers, Gaul, about 320 and was already an adult, married and a father, when he converted to Christianity. Chosen bishop of Poitiers about 350, Hilary is best known for his valiant defence of Christianity against the Arian heresy. In 356, on the advice of Arian bishops, the emperor exiled Hilary to the East. His continued defence of orthodoxy created such problems for the Arians there, that they convinced the emperor to send him back to his own diocese. His stay in the Eastern Church enriched his theological writings and he continued his confrontation with Arianism until his death about 368. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1851.©2011 Living with Christ, Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/. Reprinted with permission.