Arianism

Who: founded by Arius (260 B.C.E. -336 B.C.E.) – a priest from Alexandria

What:

• said Jesus had not existed eternally and that God created Him

• therefore Jesus was not co-eternal or identical to God, the Trinity divisible, and monotheistic Christianity called into question

• Arius used songs to spread his theory

• Christians were extremely angry about his position - the Council of Nicaea

When: around 325 B.C.E. but also into Constantine’s son’s reign (337-361 B.C.E.)

Where: Roman Empire

Significance: It gained popularity, perhaps because it mirrored life (son subordinate to the father) and eliminated confusion for a son as old as his father. Was one of the main controversies of orthodoxy and heresy for centuries.