STANCES and RESPONSES

• Stance 1 - 317 CE


  Condemnation by Bishop Alexander of Alexandria

  • A synod was held to condemn the teachings of Arius, and subsequently remove him from his position and have him excommunicated. 
• Arius' own response to this excommunication was to denounce that of the local synod. He would appeal to his students in Antioch and other cities in the region when forced into exile. His great influence in the schools of Alexandria would see his principles continuously perpetuated in the form of songs, poems and books.

  • Arius would, during this period, particularly converse with Eusebius, a bishop in Nicomedia, about how ‘the Son has  a beginning, but…God is without beginning’. 
• By the end of 320 CE

  Arianism was welcomed and accepted by some bishops, namely Eusebius of Nicomedia, who had a seat at Constantine's government at the time. 
• Stance 2 - 325 CE


  Condemnation from Constantine towards Eusebius of Caesarea

  The theological dispute started to threaten the unity of the Roman empire.

  Constantine sends the representative Hosious to investigate, leading a council in Antioch early this year. Eusebius is condemned for being an Arian sympathiser. 

  • Installation of Eustathius, a strong opponent of Arius - as bishop of Antioch
• THE ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF NICEA - 325 CE

  Away from the ecclesiastical power centres of Rome or Alexandria, the choice of Nicaea as a format for debate would allow for objective discussion for the issues at hand. 

  Constantine had interests lay in the promotion of unity within the Church as a means of stabilising his empire. 

  • Socrates Scholasticus: tremendous argument…[though] they were united in the confession of faith…each individual put his signature to their common doctrine. 
• The church had to consider how to best reject the perspective, as Arians were misinterpreting Biblical words and phrases. Hence, the council needed to use other words that would clearly define the meaning of scripture, and plainly reject Arianism. 

  • Homoousios: of the same substance
  • Clearly reject the central tenet of Arianism - that the Son was not God, but was rather a creature.
• The Nicene Creed

  Overt opposition to Arianism was included in the original version of the creed:

  • ‘But those who say...‘he is another substance’ or ‘essence’...they are condemned by the holy Catholic and apostolic Church.’

  Constantine exiled those who refused to accept the Creed, including Arius and Eusebius of Nicomedia. The Emperor ordered all copies of the Thalia to be burned. 
• Time would, however, see Constantine become convinced that homoousios was a divisive term. This correlated in a leniency to those initially exiled, allowing the return of Eusebius of Nicomedia to rehabilitate Arianism.
• Stance 3 - 337 CE

  Acceptance of Arianism by Constantine’s Son, Constantius, who takes over his fathers rule as a pro-arianism.  

  • Constantius encouraged anti-Nicene groups and set out to revise the official creed through numerous councils, proceeding to exile bishops adhering to the old creed (including Athanasius). 
• Stance 4 - 381 CE

  Condemnation at the second Ecumenical Council, facilitated by the new emperor Theodosius I (new leader was a strong adherent to the Nicene Creed)

  • Publishing of an edict ordering that all Roman subjects should progress the faith of the bishops of Rome and Alexandria. 

  It was at this council that he would issue a decree ordering that any non-conforming churches world be turned over to pro-Nicene bishops. 
• Stance 5 - 431 CE 


  Condemnation at the Council of Ephesus

  Reaffirmed the Nicene Creed amidst debates of Nestorianism, which implored that Christ’s two natures (divine and human) were separate, as Mary was the ‘bearer of Christ’.

  Forbidding any change to the text.

  • These words and these decrees we ought to follow
• Stance 6 - 451 CE


  Condemnation at the Council of Chalcedon

  The Council anathematised those who taught that Christ had only a single, divine nature. They produced the ‘Chalcedonies Definition’, which affirms that Christ:

  • Is ‘the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood’

  Is 'consubstantial [homoousios] with the Father’
• Stance 7 - 533 CE


  Condemnation at the Second Council of Constantinople.

  14 anathemas were drawn up against heresies such as Arianism. 

  • ​​If anyone will not confess that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have one nature or substance....that there is a consubstantial Trinity...let him be anathema.