What was the controversy between Arius and his critics?

Answer 1

A:The concept of Holy Trinity arose in the third century, with Tertullian its earliest known proponent. It became increasingly popular and widely accepted in the eastern empire, although the Latin west less sympathetic at that stage to what would later become known as Trinitarianism. The popular Libyan priest, Arius, openly declared his opposition to the concept. Followers of Arius in the early Christian Church claimed that Jesus Christ and God the Father were not always contemporary, seeing the Son as a divine being, created by the Father (and consequently inferior to Him) at some point in time. The conflict between Arianism and the Trinitarianism, which has since become dominant, was the first important doctrinal difficulty in the Church under Emperor Constantine I.

Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria, excommunicated Arius about the year 320 and Eusebius wrote to Alexander in support of the Arians. Eusebius also took part in a synod of Syrian bishops who decided that Arius should be restored to his former position, but on his side he was to obey his bishop and continually entreat peace and communion with him.

The First Council of Nicaea in 325AD condemned Arianism after much controversy and declared it heretical, thereby adopting Trinitarianism but with one word added to Alexander's motion - Homoousios (consubstantial) - to distinguish the Council's position from an earlier controversy known as Sabellianism. A copy of Eusebius' letter to Alexander was cited later at the second Council of Nicæa, to prove that Eusebius was a heretic.