Arianism

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Originating around AD 320 as taught by Arius, Arianism was the theological view that Jesus was divine, but created and lesser than God the Father. It was considered to be a heresy.

Arianism was officially condemned as incorrect by the Council of Nicaea in 325, which gave its seal of authority to the established trinitarian view. On the surface the Arian position appeared to die out, but it simmered under the surface and re-emerged after the death of the Emperor Constantine being cultivated by key Bishops and a continued rumbling in the East. The acceptance of Constantine's son Constantius II of the Arian heresy caused many Catholic Bishops under his jurisdiction in the Eastern part of the Empire to be exiled and Catholicism was temporarily suppressed when Constantius took over the Western part of the Roman Empire as well. Even Pope Liberius was exiled. Under Julian the Apostate, the next Emperor, all exiled Bishops were allowed back, in part to promote infighting among Christians.[1] Arianism's sudden rise dissipated when Valentinian, a Catholic became Emperor in the West followed a decade later by Theodius, a Catholic, in the East. Religious uniformity was again restored when another religious council reiterated that Arianism was a heresy (379). Never having the numerical support of Catholicism to begin with, Arianism died out within the Empire almost overnight, but continued to be a thorn in the side of the Empire as many of the surrounding tribes had and were accepting Christianity, but were converted with an Arian stamp.

The barbarian tribes which invaded Rome, and caused its fall in 476, were often Arians. The Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, and especially Theoderic, were followers of the Arian heresy. It would take centuries before the trinitarian view prevailed in those regions. The 5th Ecumenical Council in 553 ended the last outreaches of Arianism within greater Europe.[2]

References

  1. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Arianism
  2. J. Herrin (1987) The Formation of Christendom. Fontana Press, London.