Arianism

Arianism was probably the most dangerous and prolific of the heresies in the early Church. (Don't confuse Arianism with Aryanism, which is the racial anti-Semitic ideology of Nazi Germany) Arianism comes from a cleric named Arius in the third century A.D., who denied that Jesus was of a divine nature. Arianism is the opposite extreme of Docetism, which believes Jesus had no human nature.

Arius proposed that Jesus was not of the same substance as God-he was higher than any other angel or person, but still not on par with the Almighty. He was an "adopted" son of God, not a true one. According to Arian belief, Jesus became the Son of God, whereas Catholicism taught that Jesus always was and always will be the Son. Arianism was a very popular viewpoint, since it appealed to most peoples' understanding that there was only one God. In their eyes, it was impossible for God to have two different natures.

Emperor Constantine was afraid that this religious discord would tear apart his Eastern European realm. He ordered the formation of a council of bishops, patriarchs, and the Pope to settle the issue permanently. The imperial city of Nicea was chosen for its security and safety. Once in Nicea, the bishops decided to compose a creed that every believer would profess as being the Christian faith. That same creed is still in use today, recited every Sunday at Masses around the world. It's called the Nicene Creed, since it was written at the Council of Nicea in 325.


The line in the Creed that ended the controversy was "one in being with the Father." The more accurate English translation of the Greek and Latin used would be "consubstantial (of the same substance) as the Father." This was specifically aimed at Arianism, by saying that Jesus was equal in substance to God.

It should be noted that Jehovah's Witnesses hold some views the Church considers Arianism. For example, the Watchtower (the society that publishes the group's literature) says that Jesus was created by God, and that he is the second-greatest person in the universe.