Arius is one of the most pivotal figures in the development of Christian thought. This is quite a statement because Arius is most definitely a heretic. However, this does not mean he was a bad person by any means. Instead, it means that his theology does not line up with what is now considered to be orthodoxy. Still, the reason this orthodoxy was established was due to the Council of Nicaea in 325, which occurred to establish if Arius, and the other members of the Unbegotten Father line of thinking were correct, or if Alexander and the early Trinitarian’s were correct. So, when looking at Arius, it needs to be remembered that the backlash against his thought, was the primary driver in the establishment of Trinitarian theology of orthodoxy,
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Still, there are aspects of his life that stick out and set the stage for his theology. Roger Olson states about Arius, “He certainly studied theology at the Christian catechetical school in Antioch under the influential theologian Lucian of Antioch.” Since Lucian is believed to be the root of many heresies in the early church, it is of no surprise that his student Arius became famous for his own heresy. During this time, Arius developed a friendship with another student of Lucian name Eusebius of Nicomedia, who later became an important bishop and shared beliefs closely with Arius. Another figure that influenced Arius was Origen who was one of the greatest Christian teachers to have lived at that point, and was not yet considered a heretic. This is very important to note because while Origen did believe that the Logos is eternally emanated from God the Father, it is still less than the …show more content…
Based on lack of Arius’s own writings, it is hard to fully piece together what Arius’s Christology was. Still, there are some very obvious pieces of his Christology that will be discussed later. It can be ascertained, though, that Arius and his followers did not put the Son on the same level as the Father. William Haugaard emphasized this point well when he wrote, “the primary distinction between the arians and the nicenes lay in arian insistence that whatever divinity Christ might possess, it was not the full Godhead of the Unoriginate.” This was to affirm the majesty of God the Father as well as to affirm God’s
Still, there are aspects of his life that stick out and set the stage for his theology. Roger Olson states about Arius, “He certainly studied theology at the Christian catechetical school in Antioch under the influential theologian Lucian of Antioch.” Since Lucian is believed to be the root of many heresies in the early church, it is of no surprise that his student Arius became famous for his own heresy. During this time, Arius developed a friendship with another student of Lucian name Eusebius of Nicomedia, who later became an important bishop and shared beliefs closely with Arius. Another figure that influenced Arius was Origen who was one of the greatest Christian teachers to have lived at that point, and was not yet considered a heretic. This is very important to note because while Origen did believe that the Logos is eternally emanated from God the Father, it is still less than the …show more content…
Based on lack of Arius’s own writings, it is hard to fully piece together what Arius’s Christology was. Still, there are some very obvious pieces of his Christology that will be discussed later. It can be ascertained, though, that Arius and his followers did not put the Son on the same level as the Father. William Haugaard emphasized this point well when he wrote, “the primary distinction between the arians and the nicenes lay in arian insistence that whatever divinity Christ might possess, it was not the full Godhead of the Unoriginate.” This was to affirm the majesty of God the Father as well as to affirm God’s