Arianism

Arianism is one of the most significant Christological heresies in the history of Christianity. It was founded by Arius (ca. 250–336 AD), a presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, who denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ. Arianism teaches that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is a created being and not co-eternal with the Father, thus undermining the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. This heresy led to major theological conflict in the early church and was the primary reason for the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), which sought to define the orthodox Christian understanding of the nature of Christ and his relationship to God the Father.

History of Arianism

1. Origins: Arianism arose in the early 4th century, when Arius began teaching that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was not co-eternal with the Father and was instead the first and highest of all created beings. Arius was attempting to preserve a strict form of monotheism by subordinating the Son to the Father, denying the full deity of the Son. Arius famously stated, "There was a time when the Son was not," implying that the Son had a beginning and was not eternal like the Father.

2. Council of Nicaea (325 AD): Arianism quickly spread, and the controversy it ignited led Emperor Constantine to convene the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD to resolve the issue. The council decisively condemned Arianism and affirmed the full divinity of the Son. The council produced the Nicene Creed, which declared that the Son is "begotten, not made, of one substance (homoousios) with the Father", affirming that the Son is fully divine and co-eternal with the Father. This established the orthodox Trinitarian doctrine, rejecting any notion that Christ is a created being.

3. Post-Nicaea and the Persistence of Arianism: Despite the Council of Nicaea’s ruling, Arianism did not disappear. It gained significant political and ecclesiastical support, especially under certain emperors who favored Arian theology. After Nicaea, variations of Arianism persisted, including Semi-Arianism, which tried to find a middle ground by saying that the Son was of a similar substance (homoiousios) but not the same substance as the Father. The controversy continued for decades, leading to further councils, including the Council of Constantinople (381 AD), which reaffirmed the Nicene Creed and condemned Arianism once again.

4. Final Decline: By the end of the 4th century, Arianism had largely been suppressed within the Roman Empire, though it continued to influence certain groups, such as the Goths and other Germanic tribes who had been converted by Arian missionaries. However, by the 7th century, Arianism had mostly faded from the historical landscape, though its core ideas resurface from time to time.

Theology of Arianism

The central tenet of Arianism is that the Son of God is a created being and is not of the same essence as God the Father. Specifically, Arianism teaches:

1. The Son is Created: Arians believe that the Son, although the first and greatest of all created beings, was made by the Father and therefore had a beginning in time. He is not co-eternal with the Father, as orthodox Christianity teaches.

2. Subordination of the Son: In Arian theology, the Son is subordinate to the Father in nature and essence. Although the Son may have divine qualities, He is not truly God in the same way that the Father is God.

3. Rejection of Homoousios: Arianism denies that the Son is "of one substance" (homoousios) with the Father, as affirmed by the Council of Nicaea. Instead, the Son is of a different substance (heteroousios) or similar substance (homoiousios) to the Father, depending on the variant of Arianism.

4. Christ as the Mediator of Creation: According to Arianism, the Son, being the first created being, acts as the intermediary through whom the Father created the world, but he himself is not uncreated.

5. Rejection of the Trinity: Although Arianism does not outright reject the concept of the Trinity, it undermines it by denying the co-equality and co-eternity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This weakens the classical understanding of the triune nature of God.

Historic Christian Orthodox View

The orthodox Christian view, as articulated in the Nicene Creed and affirmed by the Council of Constantinople (381 AD), teaches the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus Christ and upholds the doctrine of the Trinity. Key points of orthodoxy include:

1. The Trinity: Orthodox Christianity teaches that there is one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are co-equal, co-eternal, and consubstantial (of the same essence). The Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons but share the same divine nature.

2. The Eternal Sonship of Christ: The Son is eternally begotten of the Father, meaning that He has always existed and has no beginning. He is not created but is of the same substance (homoousios) as the Father, fully divine.

3. Christ’s Incarnation: In the orthodox view, the Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ, taking on a fully human nature while remaining fully divine. This is essential for salvation because only one who is fully God and fully man can mediate between God and humanity and accomplish the work of redemption.

4. Rejection of Subordinationism: Orthodoxy rejects any view that the Son or the Holy Spirit is subordinate in essence to the Father. While the Son and Spirit may submit functionally within the economy of salvation, they are equal in nature and divinity to the Father.

5. Nicene Creed: The Nicene Creed is a central expression of the orthodox faith, affirming the equality of the Father and the Son: "We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father."

Modern-Day Examples of Arianism

Although Arianism was officially condemned by the early church, its core ideas have resurfaced in various forms throughout history and into the modern day.

1. Jehovah's Witnesses: Another modern example of Arian-like theology is found in the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. They teach that Jesus is not God but is instead Michael the archangel, a created being and the highest of God’s creatures. This closely mirrors Arianism’s belief that Christ is the first and greatest of created beings, but not equal with the Father. Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the Trinity, claiming that Jesus is a separate being from Jehovah (God the Father) and is not to be worshiped as God.

2. Liberal Theologies: In some liberal theological movements, the divinity of Christ is downplayed in favor of a more humanistic interpretation of Jesus. Some of these views suggest that Jesus was merely a great moral teacher or prophet but not fully divine, aligning with the Arian denial of Christ’s eternal divinity.

3. Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ)  The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) is a large religious group based in the Philippines, which also holds to Arian-like beliefs: Jesus as a Created Being: INC teaches that Jesus is not God but is a created being. They believe that while Jesus holds a special place in God’s plan of salvation, he is not divine in the same sense as the Father. Rejection of the Trinity: Like other Arian-like groups, Iglesia ni Cristo denies the doctrine of the Trinity, viewing the Father as the one true God and Jesus as a separate, subordinate being.

Conclusion

Arianism represents one of the most significant Christological challenges in the early church, denying the full divinity of Jesus Christ and his co-eternity with the Father. The orthodox Christian view, as expressed in the Nicene Creed and subsequent councils, decisively rejected Arianism and affirmed that the Son is fully God, of the same essence as the Father, and eternally begotten, not made. Modern-day expressions of Arian-like theology can be seen in Oneness Pentecostalism (through its denial of the distinct persons of the Trinity) and in groups like Jehovah's Witnesses, which explicitly reject the divinity of Christ in a manner closely resembling the ancient Arian heresy. The historic Christian doctrine of the Trinity remains foundational to orthodox Christianity, affirming that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal