Search Results

The ‘Arianism’ of the ‘Eusebians’

David M. Gwynn

in The Eusebians: The Polemic of Athanasius of Alexandria and the Construction of the `Arian Controversy'

This chapter assesses Athanasius’ presentation of the ‘Eusebians’ as ‘Arian’. After a brief introduction to Athanasius’ highly polarized heresiological polemic, it traces Athanasius’ construction of ... More

This chapter assesses Athanasius’ presentation of the ‘Eusebians’ as ‘Arian’. After a brief introduction to Athanasius’ highly polarized heresiological polemic, it traces Athanasius’ construction of the ‘Arianism’ which he imposes upon his opponents. A comparison between this ‘Athanasian Arianism’, the doctrines of Arius himself, and the known doctrines of Eusebius of Nicomedia and Asterius ‘the Sophist’ reveals that these two alleged ‘Eusebians’ differ theologically both from Arius’ and from Athanasius’ definition of ‘Arianism’. Indeed, Eusebius and Asterius appear to have been representative of a widespread theological position held by a significant number of eastern bishops in the first half of the 4th century, a theology expressed above all by the ‘Dedication Creed’ of the Council of Antioch in 341. The chapter then turns to the methodology through which Athanasius created his distorted polarized construct of the ‘Arian Controversy’, and concludes with a brief assessment of how this construct influences Athanasius’ interpretation of the Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed.Less

The Influence of Athanasius' Polemic 339–46

David M. Gwynn

in The Eusebians: The Polemic of Athanasius of Alexandria and the Construction of the `Arian Controversy'

This chapter examines the influence of Athanasius’ polemic upon the western Church in the period 339-46. This influence is particularly visible in two texts quoted by Athanasius in his Apologia ... More

This chapter examines the influence of Athanasius’ polemic upon the western Church in the period 339-46. This influence is particularly visible in two texts quoted by Athanasius in his Apologia Contra Arianos: the letter of Julius of Rome in 340/1, and the letters of the Western Council of Serdica in 343. All these letters endorse Athanasius’ construction of the ‘Eusebians’ and seek to impose this construct upon his eastern foes.Less

Trinitarian Debates from Nicaea (325) to Sirmium (351)

Carl L. Beckwith

in Hilary of Poitiers on the Trinity: From De Fide to De Trinitate

This chapter discusses the Trinitarian debates from the Council of Nicaea (325) to the synod of Sirmium (351) and the emergence of the creed from Nicaea in the West as a standard of orthodoxy.

Christ’s Creed

Andrew Radde-Gallwitz

in Gregory of Nyssa's Doctrinal Works: A Literary Study

This chapter examines four works in which Gregory defends himself against charges of heterodoxy in his Trinitarian teaching: the confessions of faith known as Epistles 5 and 24, as well as the ... More

This chapter examines four works in which Gregory defends himself against charges of heterodoxy in his Trinitarian teaching: the confessions of faith known as Epistles 5 and 24, as well as the treatises To Eustathius—On the Holy Trinity and Against the Macedonians—On the Holy Spirit. The chapter first sets the works into the context of Gregory’s activities as an ambassador for the Council of Antioch in 379. Concerned Nicene allies prompted Gregory to write Epistles 5 and 24, and questions about those documents in turn prompted the two treatises examined in this chapter, as well as To Ablabius. Gregory’s reasoning in these works is centered on the interpretation of Matthew 28:19, which Gregory reads as Christ’s creed. In particular, Gregory grounds the unity of the Trinity on the activity of life-giving that comes in baptism from the Father, through the Son, and is perfected in the Holy Spirit.Less

Abstracting and Summary Records

Thomas Graumann

in The Acts of the Early Church Councils: Production and Character

Different from the purportedly full records giving the interventions of named participants in direct speech, councils can use other types of protocols that deliberately obscure some of these ... More

Different from the purportedly full records giving the interventions of named participants in direct speech, councils can use other types of protocols that deliberately obscure some of these elements, for instance by neglecting to identify individuals by name, and even by recording only the statements of the presidents and their chief aides, or by omitting pertaining documentation. Papyrological records of civil proceedings from the same period reveal these texts to be conforming to conventional bureaucratic practice and so disprove suspicions of manipulation and unreliability of such protocols. By paying attention to the materiality of conciliar records, a case of missed documentation can be attributed to the effects of unsafe storage, not wilful suppression.Less