Arianism

Arianism is a Christological doctrine regarding the nature of Jesus Christ. It rejects the traditional Christian notion of the Trinity. Instead, it teaches that Jesus was created by God. This makes him distinct from God the Father. Most modern mainstream branches of Christianity regard these views as heretical. This term describes beliefs that go against official church teachings. However, some modern denominations hold related views. These include groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses. Some even associate with the Churches of Christ.

The doctrine is named after Arius. He was a Christian presbyter in Alexandria, Egypt. He lived from approximately 250 or 256 to 336 AD. Arius taught that God the Father and the Son did not always exist together. He believed the Son was begotten by God before time began. Therefore, Jesus was not coeternal with the Father. He existed outside of time, but he still had a beginning. This made him a creature rather than an independent being. Arius argued that only God is truly independent. Since the Son depends on the Father, he must be subordinate.

There were several different types of these teachings. One group was called the Anomoeans. They believed there was a total dissimilarity between the Son and the Father. Another group was the Homoiousians. They believed the Son and Father were of a similar substance. A third group was the Homoian Arians. They avoided complex terms about essence. Instead, they simply described the Father and Son as being "like" each other. There was also semi-Arianism. This group viewed the Son as neither uncreated nor created like other beings. These variations showed how complex the debate had become.

The history of these ideas stretches back before Arius. Some early Christians in the third century held similar views. Thinkers like Tertullian and Justin Martyr are sometimes called pre-Arians. Even the famous Origen faced accusations of Arianism. He used terms like "second God" to describe the Son. Arius himself was a pupil of Lucian of Antioch. He studied at a private academy in Antioch. He inherited modified teachings from the teacher Paul of Samosata. These ideas spread through the influential schools of Alexandria.

The controversy involved many levels of society. It reached from simple monks to powerful Roman emperors. Emperors Constantius II and Valens were both Arians or semi-Arians. Even Gothic, Vandal, and Lombard warlords followed these beliefs. The conflict was so deep that it reached the highest levels of the Church. For example, Pope Liberius was forced to sign the Arian Creed of Sirmium in 357. The debate was not just about words. For many theologians, these questions were a matter of salvation.

A major turning point occurred at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Emperor Constantine called this assembly to help unite the Empire. The council formally declared Arianism to be a heresy. The leaders established the Nicene Creed. This creed used the term Homoousios to describe Jesus. This means he is "consubstantial" or "of the same essence" as the Father. This was opposed by Patriarch Athanasius of Alexandria. He vigorously upheld the idea that Jesus was the same in being as God.

To understand the mechanics of this belief, one must look at the concept of the Logos. The Logos refers to an inner attribute of God associated with wisdom. Arians identified Jesus as this Logos. They believed the Son was the first and most perfect of all creatures. He was created ex nihilo, which means "out of nothing." The Son served as the medium for all creation. He was called "God" only by the Father's permission. This distinguishes the Arian view from the Homoousian view of the Trinity. It creates a hierarchy where the Father is the supreme, unbegotten deity.