Semi-Arianism
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Semi-Arianism was a position regarding the relationship between
Arius held that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were three separate essences or substances (ousia) and that the Son and Spirit derived their divinity from the Father, were created, and were inferior to the Godhead of the Father. Semi-Arians asserted that the Son was "of a similar substance" (homoiousios) as the Father but not "of the same substance" (homoousios).[1]
History
Arianism was the view of
After the 325 Council of Nicea anathemized Arianism: the majority of the Eastern bishops, who agreed to the deposition of
After the defeat of Magnentius at Mursa in 351, Valens, bishop of that city, became the spiritual director of Constantius. In 355 Valens and Ursacius obtained the exile of the Western confessors Eusebius, Lucifer of Cagliari, Hilary of Poitiers, and Liberius followed. In 357 they issued the second Creed of Sirmium, or "formula of Hosius", in which homoousios and homoiousios were both absent. Eudoxius seized the See of Antioch, and supported Aëtius and his disciple Eunomius.[2]
The
But since many persons are disturbed by questions concerning what is called in Latin substantia, but in Greek ousia, that is, to make it understood more exactly, as to 'coessential,' or what is called, 'like-in-essence,' there ought to be no mention of any of these at all, nor exposition of them in the Church, for this reason and for this consideration, that in divine Scripture nothing is written about them, and that they are above men's knowledge and above men's understanding;[3]
It has been noted also that the Greek term "
Basil of Ancyra
In the Lent of 358, Basil, along with many bishops, was holding the dedicatory feast of a new church he had built at
Epiphanius of Salamis
In the mid-4th century Epiphanius stated, "Semi-Arians... hold the view of the Son, that he was forever with the Father... but has been begotten without beginning and not in time... But all of these negate, or it has been said, blaspheme the Holy Spirit, and do not count him in the Godhead with the Father and the Son."[5]
According to
At Seleucia, 359
The court party arranged that two councils should be held, one at
Constantius II died in 361. Under Julian the exiles returned. Basil was probably dead. Macedonius organized a party which confessed the Son to be kata panta homoios, while it declared the Holy Ghost to be the minister and servant of the Father and a creature. Eleusius joined him, and so did Eustathius for a time. This remnant of the Semi-Arian party held synods at Zele and elsewhere. The accession of Jovian, who was orthodox, induced the versatile Acacius, with Meletius of Antioch and twenty-five bishops, to accept the Nicene formula, adding an explanation that the Nicene Fathers meant by homoousios merely homoios kat ousian – thus Acacius had taken up the original formula of the Semi-Arians. In 365 the Macedonians assembled at Lampsacus under the presidency of Eleusius and condemned the Councils of Ariminum and Antioch (in 360), asserting again the likeness in substance. But the threats of the Arian emperor Valens caused Eleusius to sign an Arian creed at Nicomedia in 366. He returned to his diocese full of remorse, and begged for the election of another bishop, but his diocesans refused to let him resign.[2]
The West was at peace under Valentinian I, so the Semi-Arians sent envoys to that emperor and to the pope to get help. Pope Liberius refused to see them until they presented him with a confession of faith which included the Nicene formula. He seems to have been unaware that the party now rejected the divinity of the Holy Ghost; but this was perhaps not true of the envoys Eustathius and Silvanus. On the return of the legates, the documents they brought were received with great joy by a synod at Tyana, which embraced the Nicene faith. But another synod in Caria still refused the homoousion.[2]
Council of Constantinople and after
In 381 the First Council of Constantinople was also called in order to attempt to deal with the binitarians who were mainly Semi-Arians then.[citation needed] However, as the Trinity was officially finalized at this time, the offended binitarians walked out.
For the rest of the history of the Semi-Arians (they were also called Macedonians); see Pneumatomachi.[6]
Also, in more modern times, Semi-Arian groups are said to include non-Trinitarian groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses[7][8] and Creation Seventh Day Adventists.[9]
See also
- Councils of Sirmium
- Arianism
- Arius
- Athanasius
- Macedonius I of Constantinople
- Eusebius of Nicomedia
- Nontrinitarianism
- Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church
References
- ^ a b "semi-Arianism." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: John Chapman (1912). "Semiarians and Semiarianism". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ "Second Creed of Sirmium or "The Blasphemy of Sirmium"". www.fourthcentury.com. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ Select Treatises of St. Athanasius - In Controversy With the Arians - Freely Translated by John Henry Cardinal Newmann - Longmans, Green, and Co., 1911, footnote, page 124
- ^ Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section VI, Verses 1,1 and 1,3. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp. 471–472.
- ^ John McClintock, James Strong Cyclopædia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature: Vol 8 - 1894 - "The first canon anathematizes the "Semi-Arians or Pneumatomachi;" the seventh canon uses the name "Macedonians," and orders the admission of converts from this heresy to be by unction"
- ^ Institute for Metaphysical Studies - The Arian Christian Bible - Metaphysical Institute, 2010. Page 209. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ^ Adam Bourque - Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Jehovah’s Witnesses. - Michigan Skeptics Association. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ^ THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY AMONG ADVENTISTS - Biblical Research Institute - 14 June 2014.
Sources
- Basilius of Ancyra, Eleusius, Eustathius of Sebaste by VENABLES in Diction. Christ. Biog.
- LICHTENSTEIN, Eusebius von Nikomedien (Halle, 1903)
- LOOFS, Eustathius von Sebaste und die Chronologie der Basilius-Briefe (Halle, 1898).