Arianism

Arianism is a Christian theological doctrine that is after one of its early representatives, Arius, named.

In the area of ​​Christology, it is contrary to the doctrine of the Trinity and is considered by the Christian churches and denominations that recognize the first two ecumenical councils as heresy.

In late antiquity the term " Arians " by supporters of the Council of Nicaea was often used as a battle cry, without the persons so designated would have necessarily represent the teachings of Arius. Many ancient historians today, however, restrict the term " Arians " to the immediate followers of Arius and otherwise use the more neutral term Homöer.

Teaching

There were several variants of Arianism, but the following point was represented by all his followers:

  • The Father alone is God.

Just as the Trinitarians, the Arians appealed to the Bible; as they played in some directions of Arianism, the inspiration of the Spirit of God an important role in others the appeal to the Aristotelian philosophy. In the biblical support of its teaching, the Arians often quoted entities other than the Nicaeans ( = supporters of the Council of Nicaea ). In particular, they appealed to the Church Father Origen: " Now it is possible that some people do not appreciate what we have said, by the Father as the one true God hinstellten and admitted that other beings besides the true God thus could be gods, that they shared in God. "and Tertullian, who taught that Jesus was subordinate to the father ( Sabellianism ).

Between the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and the first Council of Constantinople Opel 381 no less than eighteen different Arian creeds were written that contradict each other partially. The main directions here were the radical Arians, who back in Exukontianer ( God the Son, created from the " non-being " ), Anomoianer (from Greek ἀνόμοιος [ anomoios ], dissimilar after all and after work) and Heterousiasten ( ἑτερο of Greek - ούσιος [ hetero - ousios ], divided another of the essence as God the Father ), the Homöaner (from Greek ὁμοῖος [ homoios ], similar), representing that the Father and the Son were similar, and the Trinitarian doctrine related Semi- Arians or Homoiousians (from Greek ὁμοι - ούσιος [ homoi - oúsios ], beings similar), representing that the Son and the Father are essentially similar, but different. The different directions were not only with the Nicänern, but with each other in battle.

See also: consubstantiality

History

The Arian doctrine is based on an interpretation of the represented by Origen subordinationism:

"If the Father and the Son are two persons, then you would be contrary to the Monotheismusgebot, if one were to assume that Father and Son are of the same essence, because then you would get two gods; other hand, however, it can not be a person, because that would be the also already condemned modalism. "

A likewise condemned counter- doctrine that Jesus was merely an inspired by God, is handed down in the middle of the third century when Paul of Samosata. In the position of Arius Christ will by no means, however, denied the divinity, but he had just created by God, even before the world began - anything else would contradict the uniqueness of God. Moreover, only a man could ill die on the cross, not God; that human nature is so been dominant in Christ. His opponents accused Arius claims to represent the teaching of Paul of Samosata, who had already been sentenced to more local synods: If Jesus Christ were not God, they argued, he would not also be able to redeem mankind by his death.

These two positions should characterize the Christological question at least to the 6th century. Arius was especially popular in educated Hellenistic circles, as the Arian whole image of God the Neoplatonic system corresponded, which was mediated by Clement of Alexandria and Origen also formed in Christianity prevail.

The Arian controversy, the controversy between Arians and supporters of the Trinity, the Church's history dominated in the 4th century. Arianism held the politically stronger position for a long time. Constantine the Great had 337 baptized by an Arian priest, and his son Constantius II hung on this doctrine. The anti-Trinitarians but were weakened by disputes between the different directions. From about 360 Trinitarians also developed a majority appeal doctrine, in particular by clear definition of the terms used, which allowed them to dispel linguistic misunderstandings within the Greek and between the Greek and Latin Church, and so for many were acceptable, which were previously between the parties.

The argument is divided into three phases, described in detail in the article Arian controversy and First Council of Nicaea:

  • Ca 318-325: A local dispute between Bishop Alexander of Alexandria and Arius escalated so far that Emperor Constantine I. to the parties agree, the first ecumenical council of Nicaea convened by drawing up the first draft of the Nicene Creed.
  • 325-361: Reaction of the Arians, who by several emperors leads to their temporary political and religious supremacy due to the support.
  • 363/79-381: recovery of the Trinitarians, initiated by Emperor Theodosius I, with the first Ecumenical Council of Constantinople Opel and the final shape of Nicänisch - Constantinopolitan Creed is 381 a degree. The emperor gave the canons of the council legal status and adopted in July 381 a law that all property of churches should be handed over to those who believed in the same divinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the Imperial Army this strictly Trinitarian position, however, was not enforced consistently for a long time, so late as the sixth century, many soldiers - were Arians - especially those with " barbaric " background.

Dissemination

The German tribes who settled around the middle of the 4th century to the northeast borders of the Roman Empire, were Christianized during the supremacy of Arianism. The Gothic Bishop Ulfilas wrote a Bible in the Gothic language ( Wulfilabibel ), which has become a unifying bond of Arian German tribes. Because although they were in close relationship to the Roman Empire, but this is not formally belonged to the resolutions of 381 had no effect on them.

During the so-called Great Migration came Germanic warriors Associations ( Burgundians, Lombards, Ostrogoths, Rugians, Suevi, Vandals, Visigoths ) partly as foederati, partly as a conqueror in areas of culturally progressive Roman Empire that were largely inhabited by Trinitarian Christians. During the collapse of the Western Roman Empire formed on the floor of the former Western Empire independent Germanic successor kingdoms into which mostly prevailed a Germanic Arian minority over a Trinitarian Romanesque majority. In some cases, political pressure led to the minority took over the denomination of the majority. Thus the Arian Burgundian king Sigismund the Suevi King Miro left in the year 516, and in 572 the Arian Visigoths Reccared I. baptized Trinitarian in 587. Part is assumed also the Merovingian Clovis I was before his conversion to Christianity was not Trinitarian Heide ( as usually assumed ), but Arians was. He avoided any case, tensions with the Roman majority population.

The Vandals rulers in Africa, with the exception of Thrasamund, however, Trinitarian Christians was more or less strong. Apparently they kept the Trinitarians dangerous as these the same denomination adhered to as the Emperor. Clergy were sent into exile, dissolved monasteries and set Trinitarian believers under pressure. However, the persecution by the Vandals struck at the Catholic Christians, as well as with the Donatists resistance. She was terminated after she had previously subsided long, by the military defeat of the Vandals against Emperor Justinian.

In the former Vandal kingdom in North Africa and Sardinia, which now came under Byzantine rule, it was up to the conquest by the Muslims parallel latin - Trinitarian, Greek Trinitarian and Arian Christians. In the Visigothic kingdom in Spain existed, possibly until the Islamic conquest, Arian and Trinitarian Christians - Latin side by side. Between 603 and 610, the Visigoth king Witt Erich restored in alliance with the Lombards and Burgundians temporarily again Arianism, and also among the Lombards Arianism was finally only 662 under King Grimoald replaced by Catholicism.

Even among the Arabs, the anti-Trinitarian Christianity in late antiquity was quite widespread. In research, a connection with the strict monotheism of later Islam is believed therefore sometimes. Because the Trinity is explicitly rejected in the Koran, among others at the following locations:

"Christ Jesus, son of Mary, but only the Messenger of God and His word which He brought over to Mary, and a spirit from him. So believe in Allah and His Messenger. And do not say. Three "

"He [ God] has not begotten, and He is not begotten. "

Representatives and opponents

Significant representatives of Arianism next Arius were Eusebius of Nicomedia, Aetius of Antioch, Eunomius, Basil of Ancyra ( which, however, the mediating Homöusianern belonged, who had little to do with Arius something ), Acacius of Caesarea (main representative of the so-called Homöer ), antipope Felix II and the Constantinopolitan Patriarch Macedonius ( 342-346, 351-360 ), Eudoxius of Antioch ( 360-370 ), Demophilus ( 370-379 ), and Maxentius ( 380).

The Orthodox counter-position to Arianism represented especially Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Ambrose of Milan, Hilary of Poitiers and Spyridon of Trimythontos.

Successor

During the Reformation developed again antitrinitarian positions. The Reformation Anti-Trinitarians, which can be attributed to other non-conformists of the Radical Reformation, rejected the dogma of the Trinity, because they saw this as Luther's Reformation principle of sola scriptura injured ( " by Scripture alone "). However, permanent church formations occurred only in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Polish brothers ) and Transylvania ( Unitarian Church of Transylvania). In Poland, the antitrinitarianism mainly by Fausto Sozzini (1539-1604) was coined in Transylvania, the reformer Franz David can be called. From here, the concept of Unitarianism, which spread over Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain and spread to the United States. Above all, founded by Fausto Sozzini Socinianism had a great influence on the theology and especially on the religion critical literature of the Enlightenment in the 18th century. Isaac Newton was also anti-Trinitarians in his theological writings. Of the opponents the Antitrinitariern the charge of Arianism was often made.

Among the modern Unitarians, however, a non-Christian humanistic direction has since evolved so that Unitarianism can not be attributed in full to the Christian Reformation antitrinitarianism. In addition to the Unitarians but later also other anti-Trinitarian groups such as the Christadelphians, who stand in the tradition of teaching Unitarian Socinianism and the witnesses developed Jehovah. But it would be unhistorical to denote the Jehovah's Witnesses as an Arian, especially since they reject many beliefs that had the historic Arians yet been adopted.

67690
de