1. Arianism “The whole world groaned and marveled to find itself Arian”
St. Jerome
Arianism

2. Arianism
Arius a priest who reflecting on Jesus’ statement that “the Father is greater than I” concluded:
Christ, while not God, is an exceptional creature
Raised to be “Son of God” because of His holiness
The Logos, a creature, was created before the beginning of the world

3. Effects of Arianism
Arius’ teachings jeopardized many, if not all, of the core tenets of Christianity
Arian bishops were appointed by Arians and tried to have the orthodox bishops exiled so they could take over the sees
The Arians had the help of the various Arian emperors
Riots would break out between Arians and Catholic Christians over doctrines

4. Emperor Constantine did not particularly care who was correct, but
Response to Arianism
Emperor Constantine did not
particularly care who was correct, but
he wanted unity
* Arian/Catholic disagreement led to disunity in the Empire

5. Council of Nicea
Constantine wanted a general council at Nicaea (in modern Turkey) in 325 to settle the matter
Constantine
paid for the Western bishops to be able to attend
Opened the first session and kept the peace between the two factions
Pope Sylvester I
could not attend due to age, but Bishop Hosius of Cordova, Spain acted as his legate

6. Council of Nicea First Ecumenical Council
Significant since Christianity had only been legalized in the Empire for 12 years
Catholics argued the word “homoousios” described the relationship between God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ
Word means “of the same substance/nature”
Tradition says Constantine proposed the word

7. Council of Nicea
Arians wanted to say that Christ was of a different substance/nature than the Father
Semi-Arians wanted to use the word “homoiousios” (“of similar nature”)
Church argued there was not “one iota of difference” between Arian belief and Semi-Arian belief

8. Council of Nicea
Passages in which Jesus states the Father is greater than He refer to His human nature
Passages in which Jesus states that He and the Father are equal refer to His divine nature
If Jesus were not God, He could not effect our salvation
Humans cannot pay the penalty for sin

9. Results of the Council
All but two bishops signed the creedal statement of Nicaea
These two were exiled by the Emperor,
Constantine reversed his position in 328 and allowed the Arian bishops to return
Catholic bishops sent into exile (including Athanasius)

10. Controversy Continues
In 336 Constantine said Arius’ position was correct
Constantine died in 337 and was baptized an Arian on his deathbed by Eusebius of Nicomedia, who was Patriarch of Constantinople
Sons ruled Empire: Constans I in the West and Constantius in the East (an Arian)
Constans murdered in 350 and Constantius became sole emperor

11. Controversy Continues
With the support of Constantius Arianism spread so much that St. Jerome stated “The whole world groaned and marveled to find itself Arian.”
St. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria,became the prominent Catholic theologian opposing Arianism
Was exiled from his see several times totaling 17 years of exile

12. Council of Constantinople

13. Many synods and councils called over the 25
years after Nicaea rehashing the Arian/
Catholic debate
In 359, both the East and West convoked
synods (in Seleucia and Ariminum) and
Arian statements were approved with the
Emperor’s support

14. Controversy Abates Constantius died in 361
Council of Paris affirmed a Catholic
statement
Semi-Arians returned to Catholicism after
seeing Arianism’s threat
After a short exile by Emperor Julian the
Apostate, Athanasius was able to return to
Alexandria

15. Donatism
Context
Diocletian’s Persecutions were widespread. Many priests and bishops did worship the Roman gods rather than be imprisoned, tortured and/or martyred
Christianity made legal in Many of these apostates are still alive
Donatists rejected the validity of sacraments confected by priests and bishops who had formally betrayed their faith or who were sinful
Re-baptized all those who joined them
Identified the Church solely with themselves

16. Donatism St. Augustine argued against the Donatists
Christ is the true minister of every sacrament, and He works through the human minister, even if that minster is in a state of sin
Sacraments are ex opere operato
Donatists suppressed in 411, but not finally defeated until Islam conquered North Africa and suppressed the Church

17. Nestorianism Nestorius was patriarch of Constantinople
He was reacting to Apollinarianism. Apollinaris was a bishop and worked with Athansius to fight against Arianism.
Apollinaris could not understand how Jesus was God (unchangeable and incorruptible) and completely man (changeable and corruptible).
His solution was that Christ had a human body but not a human soul.

18. Nestorianism The divine Person dwelt within the human body
Nestorius was reacting to Arianism and Apollinarianism.
It was now clear that Christ had both a human and a divine nature
It was not clear how these two natures were united
So, he understood Christ be two persons, the divine Son of God and the human person Jesus
The divine Person dwelt within the human body
Said that Mary could not be called the Mother of God, but only the Mother of Christ
Condemned by the Council of Ephesus in 431
Mary is Theotokus: “Mother of God””
The relationship between Christ’s two natures was further clarified by the Council of Chalcedon in 451
Heresy was prevalent ca. A.D

19. Pelagianism
Said that humans can be redeemed and saved not through grace, but through their own efforts
Denied the existence of Original Sin and its inherited nature
Sacraments are not necessary
Pelagius condemned at councils in Carthage and Milevis in 416
Excommunicated by Pope St. Innocent I
Council of Carthage issued a teaching based upon St. Augustine’s positions on the Fall and Original Sin
Emperor Honorius denounced the Pelagians on 30 April 418
Ephesus (431) condemned Pelagianism again