Brooke Izzo
Rel 321: Group Review
After reading, Arius: Letter to Alexander of Alexandria and the Creed and Canons of Nicaea, one can see
a clear theological dispute between the idea that God created a Son, or that God
and the Son were one. Both of these writings focus on the Trinitarian
Controversy. Arius, emphasis the Fathers divinity over the Son. He states that the Son of God was a created
being. The Creeds and Canons emphasize the belief in Homoousios, meaning “of the
same substance”; this was meant to argue that the Son was begotten and not made,
opposing the beliefs of Arius. Constantine invited many to listen and sign a
Creed that was “designed to the official statement of faith for all Christians,
replacing local confessions, which varied considerably” (pg 252). Throughout the
Canons of Nicaea, there is a theme of the bishops being those that maintain,
create and force the laws stated in the Canons. They are the authority figures
among the Church. There is also a theme of loyalty. If any member denounces
their belief, then they are expelled, but there is also openness to the return
of those or welcoming of new members. There is a catch of course, one must
undergo years of practice and study to obtain true membership as stated in Canon
11-14. Canon 17 touches on the poor action of the clergy by requiring an
interest in loans given to the people, this Canon then explains that this will
happen no longer and any clergy who does so will be disposed (pg 256). Canon 20
was very interesting in that it stated prayers will now be done standing up
instead of kneeling (pg 256).
I find it interesting how so many disagreed over who the Son was. I sense
a strong urgency in Arius’ letter to recognize that “God is thus before all.
Therefore he is also prior to the Son, as we learned from what you preached in
the midst of the Church” (pg 167). I feel as though this is so important to him
because he is trying to remind people that there is only one God that must be
worshiped and by giving the Son such high divinity, it takes away from the one
true God. I agree in this aspect, Christianity was very strict in there
monotheistic belief, and Arius may have been sensing a pagan belief if the Son
was considered just as heavenly as God. He argues that others who say that God
produced a projection of the Son would also be saying that he is “divisible” and
not the only unbegotten, only eternal, only without beginning, only true…” (pg
167). This statement refers to him being compared to man, and he must get across
that he is the creator and divine. He also states that God would be a “body” if
the Son was a direct projection of him, but by saying this it glorifies the Son
and takes away from the true God. The Creed and Canons of Nicaea opposes this
belief. The Nicene Creed states, “..God from God, light from light, true God
from true God, of one substance (homoousios) with the father, through whom all
things came into being…” (pg 253). The Creed blatantly affirms the belief that
God came down and became human in order to help humans then returned to the
heavens and became the “judge of the living again.” This idea is much different
than Arius, in that he is once again references God and the Son to be one,
there are no separations between the two. The Trinitarian Controversy is very
important in history; it shows how truly different beliefs could be within the
same sector of religion. Ideas were constantly getting warped or evolving, but
the uncertainly of the Son relating to the Father remains today.
Rel 321: Group Review
After reading, Arius: Letter to Alexander of Alexandria and the Creed and Canons of Nicaea, one can see
a clear theological dispute between the idea that God created a Son, or that God
and the Son were one. Both of these writings focus on the Trinitarian
Controversy. Arius, emphasis the Fathers divinity over the Son. He states that the Son of God was a created
being. The Creeds and Canons emphasize the belief in Homoousios, meaning “of the
same substance”; this was meant to argue that the Son was begotten and not made,
opposing the beliefs of Arius. Constantine invited many to listen and sign a
Creed that was “designed to the official statement of faith for all Christians,
replacing local confessions, which varied considerably” (pg 252). Throughout the
Canons of Nicaea, there is a theme of the bishops being those that maintain,
create and force the laws stated in the Canons. They are the authority figures
among the Church. There is also a theme of loyalty. If any member denounces
their belief, then they are expelled, but there is also openness to the return
of those or welcoming of new members. There is a catch of course, one must
undergo years of practice and study to obtain true membership as stated in Canon
11-14. Canon 17 touches on the poor action of the clergy by requiring an
interest in loans given to the people, this Canon then explains that this will
happen no longer and any clergy who does so will be disposed (pg 256). Canon 20
was very interesting in that it stated prayers will now be done standing up
instead of kneeling (pg 256).
I find it interesting how so many disagreed over who the Son was. I sense
a strong urgency in Arius’ letter to recognize that “God is thus before all.
Therefore he is also prior to the Son, as we learned from what you preached in
the midst of the Church” (pg 167). I feel as though this is so important to him
because he is trying to remind people that there is only one God that must be
worshiped and by giving the Son such high divinity, it takes away from the one
true God. I agree in this aspect, Christianity was very strict in there
monotheistic belief, and Arius may have been sensing a pagan belief if the Son
was considered just as heavenly as God. He argues that others who say that God
produced a projection of the Son would also be saying that he is “divisible” and
not the only unbegotten, only eternal, only without beginning, only true…” (pg
167). This statement refers to him being compared to man, and he must get across
that he is the creator and divine. He also states that God would be a “body” if
the Son was a direct projection of him, but by saying this it glorifies the Son
and takes away from the true God. The Creed and Canons of Nicaea opposes this
belief. The Nicene Creed states, “..God from God, light from light, true God
from true God, of one substance (homoousios) with the father, through whom all
things came into being…” (pg 253). The Creed blatantly affirms the belief that
God came down and became human in order to help humans then returned to the
heavens and became the “judge of the living again.” This idea is much different
than Arius, in that he is once again references God and the Son to be one,
there are no separations between the two. The Trinitarian Controversy is very
important in history; it shows how truly different beliefs could be within the
same sector of religion. Ideas were constantly getting warped or evolving, but
the uncertainly of the Son relating to the Father remains today.