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Definition:
This term is derived from the writings of Arius, the name of a very early Christian heretic. Arius
denied that Jesus was of the "same substance" as God. Instead, Jesus was simply
the highest of all created beings and not at all divine. Arius' motivation for developing
this theology was his concern with maintaining the unity of God. According to Arius, God
is so indivisible that even God cannot separate a part of himself for an incarnation.
It was in combatting the Arian heresy in the fourth century that orthodox Christology developed into its current form. The famous Council of Nicea was called in 325 CE primarily for the purpose of issuing a definitive declaration against the Arians. In practice, Bishop Athanasius (of Alexandria) was the one person most responsible for the defense of the Nicene position and the attack upon the Arians.
Conflict between the Arians and more "orthodox" Christians got so bad that open warfare erupted in cities like Constantinople and Alexandria. The violence was so extensive that historian Will Durant argued that more Christians died at the hands of other Christians in 343 than during all of the persecutions suffered by Christians at the hands of pagan Roman authorities.
In 344 the Arian theology was given a reprieve because emperor Constantius was himself an Arian. During this time, three Arian schools developed. The first group, called simply Arians or Anomians, emphasized the idea that Jesus was unlike God. The second group, Semi-Arians or Homoiousions, argued that Jesus and God were nevertheless "of like substance." The third group, Homoians, argued that Jesus was "like the Father."
After the Semi-Arians drew together with traditional orthodoxy and condemned it, Arianism was no longer able to hold on to a widespread following. Thereafter it remained underground and with small numbers, except for a time when it achieved impressive gains among the Germans, in part due to the efforts of Ulfias (311-383).
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
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