Arianism persisted after the Council of Nicea

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MrMacSon
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Arianism persisted after the Council of Nicea

Post by MrMacSon »

Constantine, while urging tolerance to Arianism, began to think that he had come down on the wrong side, and that the Nicenes — with their fervid persecution of Arians — were actually perpetuating strife within the Church. Constantine was not baptized until he was near death (337), choosing an Arian bishop, Eusebius of Nicomedia, to perform the baptism.[2]

Constantine's son and successor in the east, Constantius II was sympathetic to the Arians, and even exiled Nicene bishops. Constantius' successor Julian was the only emperor after the conversion of Constantine to reject Christianity and to attempt a revival of religious diversity, calling himself a "Hellene" and supporting forms of Hellenistic religion, the traditional religious cultus of Rome, and Judaism, as well as declaring toleration for all the various Christian sects. Julian's successor, Jovian, a Christian, reigned for only eight months and never entered Constantinople. He was succeeded in the east by Valens, an Arian.[2]

By 379, when Valens was succeeded by Theodosius I, Arianism was widespread in the eastern part of the Empire, while the west had remained staunchly Nicene. Theodosius, who had been born in Hispania, was himself a Nicene Christian and very devout. In August, his counterpart in the west, Gratian, promoted persecution of heretics in the west.[2]

The Edict of Thessalonica was jointly issued by Theodosius I, Gratian, and Valentinian II on 27 February 380.[1]
  • EMPERORS GRATIAN, VALENTINIAN AND THEODOSIUS AUGUSTI. EDICT TO THE PEOPLE OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

    It is our desire that all the various nations which are subject to our Clemency and Moderation, should continue to profess that religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter, as it has been preserved by faithful tradition, and which is now professed by the Pontiff Damasus and by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness. According to the apostolic teaching and the doctrine of the Gospel, let us believe in the one deity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, in equal majesty and in a holy Trinity. We authorize the followers of this law to assume the title of Catholic Christians; but as for the others, since, in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of heretics, and shall not presume to give to their conventicles the name of churches. They will suffer in the first place the chastisement of the divine condemnation and in the second the punishment of our authority which in accordance with the will of Heaven we shall decide to inflict.

    GIVEN IN THESSALONICA ON THE THIRD DAY FROM THE CALENDS OF MARCH, DURING THE FIFTH CONSULATE OF GRATIAN AUGUSTUS AND FIRST OF THEODOSIUS AUGUSTUS[3]

    —  Codex Theodosianus, xvi.1.2
After the edict, Theodosius spent a great deal of energy suppressing all non-Nicene forms of Christianity, especially Arianism, and in establishing Nicene orthodoxy throughout his realm.[4]

The edict was followed in 381 by the First Council of Constantinople, which affirmed the Nicene Symbolum and gave final form to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.[5] In 383, the Emperor ordered the various non-Nicene sects (Arians, Anomoeans, Macedonians, and Novatians) to submit written creeds to him, which he prayerfully reviewed and then burned, save for that of the Novatians. The other sects lost the right to meet, ordain priests, or spread their beliefs.[6] Theodosius forbade heretics to reside within Constantinople, and in 392 and 394 confiscated their places of worship.[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Thessalonica
Note " ...profess that religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter .."
Last edited by MrMacSon on Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Huon
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Re: Arianism persisted after the Council of Nicea

Post by Huon »

Ulfilas (311-383) was ordained a bishop by Eusebius of Nicomedia and returned to his people to work as a missionary. Ulfilas converted many among the Goths and preached an Arian Christianity, which, when they reached the western Mediterranean, set them apart from their Nicaean Catholic neighbours and subjects.

The Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Vandals were christianized while they were still outside the bounds of the Roman Empire; however, they converted to Arianism rather than to the Nicean ("Catholic") version followed by most Romans, who considered them heretics. The Visigothic leadership maintained its Arianism up until at least the reign of King Liuvigild in Spain and Portugal. (c. 519 – 21 April 586).

In Gaul, the king of the Franks, Clovis (466-511), converted to Catholicism because the other gothic Kings were Arians. The wife of Clovis, named Chlotild, belonged to a Burgondian Arian dynasty, but Chlotild was Catholic. The religious difference was a reason (a pretext) for Clovis to attack the Burgondians. Clovis won.
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