Arian Catholic Christianity......
Arian Catholic Christianity......
As SOC shared,....the 'Arian Controversy' in the 4th century is essential learning if you want to understand the Christological debates that became 'pivotal' and 'decisive' during those times, which in the 'Arian' case was
mostly centered on whether Jesus existed eternally with God, whether Jesus did in fact have a 'beginning', in other words....the big question was "Was there a time when Jesus did not exist?", "Was there a time when Jesus was not?". - from this question, then followed other debates down the years over whether Jesus was human or divine, or some 'mixture' thereof. - from this question of Jesus 'nature', there are different points of view as well,....many which were deemed 'heretical' by the more powerful ruling church-state government, who then deemed their own 'doctrine' and 'explanation' as being the only true one! putting the seal of 'orthodoxy' on it. From the Roman-Catholic position, you have the orthodox definition of 'The Trinity' as defined in the
Athanasian Creed named after Arius opponent Athanasius.
Besides 'googling' your questions for your own research (nothing like self-empowerment thru knowledge), a wonderful modern day Arian resource for you is
The Arian Catholic Church - they put forth excellent articles on the history of it all, explaining their own theology as having its roots in Arius teaching, but with some modern day innovations. In any case, its a good view of a modern day Arian Catholic tradition still held, of the more progressive rational vein, since they include both 'reason' and modern science into their theology.
Here is the Arian Creed of this particular movement -
The Arian Catholic Creed
I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD,
Creator of Heaven and earth,
And of all things visible and invisible.
And in his Spiritual Son, Yeshua Christ,
Whom was born of Mary and Joseph,
Was not consubstantial nor co-eternal with God the Father almighty,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried.
On the third day His Spirit was resurrected.
He ascended into Heaven,
And sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty.
Whence he shall come again to judge the living and the dead,
Of whose Kingdom there shall be no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the Spirit,
And life everlasting.
Amen.
I had 2 former charter threads on 'Arian' and 'Unitarian' Christianity so this is old territory
oly: Even though the centuries long debate over Christology seems 'old and tiring', (can I get a witness? lol) ...it still mangages to keep the fires stoked
- As I've shared, my Christology is very 'eclectic', 'liberal' and mainly 'spiritualist' in nature, which holds that what is most important is are the eternal universal truth that Jesus the Christ REVEALS to man, and how this incorporates into man's own soul-progress and spirit-transformation. This is what is 'essential' no matter what kind of mythology or metaphysics we use in understanding or explaining the image of God in man which is 'Christ in us, the hope of glory', - understood spiritually speaking.
Paul's Christology is essentially spiritual in nature, no matter all the debates going on over the exact nature of the resurrection body, in its various confusion of material or spiritual substance. What is most important is that the 'resurrection' takes place in the soul and spirit of man, and the image/likeness and very LIFE of God is renewed/regenerated in the soul-body of man,
this is what is essential, for the Spirit Alone is LIFE. - all else as wonderful as it is in articulating various points of 'Christology', is good and well, but are more or less but descriptive and speculative points on particular details. There is the 'heart & soul' or 'substance' of the matter, then there is the secondary 'cosmetics'
