Early Christian Heresies: Arianism

This video describes the historical background of Arius and the emergence of the theological controversy he started. It also describes the continuation of and resolution of that controversy in both the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople, the controversy surrounding “ousia”/“οὐσία”, and, briefly, the conversion of the Goths to Homoousianism. As a lead up to this it describes the relevant details of the patristic theological schools of Antioch and Alexandria. It also discusses the theological issue which Arianism creates for soteriology.

Please subscribe, like, etc.

The image from Good Will Hunting is © 1997 Miramax Films; the use here for comedic reference to the work is clearly fair use.

[saimbhat]

I loved your lectures. I am just curious about one thing, as there are historic individuals who are given the description of "judaizers". Given the roman culture permeated the early Christian world, are there historic individuals who could be called romanizers?

[ALLHEART_]

8:00 Yes, many of Arius' successors who reject Christ's divinity also believed (falsely) that what was being described by orthodox Christian theology was Modalism. An example would be the 7th Day Adventists, who were originally were Arians until they understood that Modalism is not what was meant, and then promptly became Trinitarians.

[russellmackenzie]

John Henry Newman, Arians of the Fourth Century (Aeterna Press, Mishawaka, IN, 2014), p.137. The book was originally published in 1833 by Newman who said, "To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant." Here's the quotation:

"The number of Arian bishops is variously stated as 13, 17, or 22; the most conspicuous of these being the well known prelates of Nicomedia and Caesarea, both of whom bore the name of Eusebius."


Now, you cite your sources like I originally asked.

[preapple]

Islam’s link with Arianism was affirmed by one of the oldest non-Muslims writers on Islam, St. John of Damascus, when he, in the 8th century, wrote:This man [Muhammad], after having chanced upon the Old and New Testaments and likewise, it seems, having conversed with an Arian monk, devised his own heresy. (St. John of Damascus, On Heresies, 101, trans. Frederic H. Chase, Jr., )

[russellmackenzie]

Hi Justin. Just pointing out that I answered your challenge and cited the source you asked for.
Now it's your turn to cite your sources. Thank you.

Here are the questions again, based on your statements:
~Please list the names of "large number" of bishops you claim were unhappy with the term homoousion, and what source(s) you have to support this.
~What source do you have for the fear of death and fear of eye-gouging among bishops at the council?
~What source do you have for "many" bishops recanting at their diocese after returning?

[paulhallett]

You misspeak - there is not “one person” there are Three. One God - Three Persons. You should fix ASAP.

[russellmackenzie]

Why did you say this?

"... a large number of the bishops at the council are not happy with this homoousion word for various reasons, some of them are Arians and some of them aren't. And many of them only signed it because they were afraid Constantine was going to kill them or gouge out their eyes or something. And so, uh, many of them go back to their diocese (sic) and immediately recant, and say that a was a giant mistake, we don't believe in it, sorry, that was just a bad mistake, I was scared, and I shouldn't have done that, and maybe we go to confession or whatever."

This is not an accurate account of the council and it's aftermath.

~First of all, out of 318 bishops, there were only 17 Arians at the council, at most.
~Please list the names of "large number" of bishops you claim were unhappy with the term homoousion, and what source(s) you have to support this.
~What source do you have for the fear of death and fear of eye-gouging among bishops at the council?
~What source do you have for "many" bishops recanting at their diocese after returning?

Please cite your sources.

[tomliii]

Charles Freeman has written a couple of really good books on early Christianity and what has become known as Arianism. Although, Arius was not an Arian.